Santa Barbara Independent 8/21/25

By Tiana Molony

by Leslie Dinaberg

FREE Santa Barbara AGING

by Ryan P. Cruz

Ella Heydenfeldt

•

•

•

•

•

•

Sustainable Heart

Sustainable Heart

Sustainable Heart ~ Transformational Life Counseling ~

Sustainable Heart

Sustainable Heart

~ Transformational Life Counseling ~

Sustainable Heart ~ Transformational Life Counseling ~

~ Transformational Life Counseling ~

~ Transformational Life Counseling ~

Relationships

• Occupation and Career • Meditation

Relationships

Relationships • Occupation and Career • Meditation

Relationships

• Occupation and Career • Meditation

Grief and Loss

Relationships

Grief and Loss

Relationships • Occupation and Career • Meditation

Grief and Loss

Grief and Loss

Grief and Loss

Grief and Loss

Grief and Loss

• Occupation and Career • Meditation

• Major Life Transitions • Anxiety

• Major Life Transitions • Anxiety

• Major Life Transitions • Anxiety

Spiritual Issues

• Major Life Transitions • Anxiety

Spiritual Issues Meditation Anxiety Conflict

• Communication

• Major Life Transitions • Anxiety

Spiritual Issues • Communication • Conflict

• Major Life Transitions • Anxiety

• Conflict

Spiritual Issues • Communication

Occupation and Career Major Life Transitions Communication ~ Transformational Life Counseling ~

Spiritual Issues • Communication • Conflict

Spiritual Issues • Communication • Conflict

• Conflict

Michael H Kreitsek, MA

Michael H Kreitsek, MA

Michael H Kreitsek, MA

Michael H Kreitsek, MA

Michael H Kreitsek, MA

Transpersonal Counseling Psychology

Michael H Kreitsek, MA

Transpersonal Counseling Psychology

Transpersonal Counseling Psychology

Transpersonal Counseling Psychology

Transpersonal Counseling Psychology

Transpersonal Counseling Psychology

www.sustainableheart.com

Counseling From a Buddhist Perspective 805 698-0286

Counseling with Wisdom and Compassion 805 698-0286

Counseling From a Buddhist Perspective 805 698-0286

Counseling with Wisdom and Compassion 805 698-0286

Counseling From a Buddhist Perspective 805 698-0286

Counseling From a Buddhist Perspective 805 698-0286

Mindful Support for Uncertain Times 805-698-0286

CORAL CASINO BEACH AND CABANA CLUB

Where glamour meets the Pacific An exclusive oceanfront enclave. Iconic pool

Coming Soon: Thomas Keller’s culinary masterpiece.

$1 off your drink!

When you bring your own reusable cup or Order your drink “for here”

Or upgrade to a reusable clay cup for no additional charge and keep the cup!

Community Editor Leslie Dinaberg Calendar Editor Terry Ortega News Reporters Ryan P. Cruz, Callie Fausey, Ella Heydenfeldt Senior Arts Writer Josef Woodard Mickey Flacks Fund Fellow Christina McDermott

Copy Chief Tessa Reeg Copy Editor Nathan Vived Sports Editor Victor Bryant

Web Content Manager Don Brubaker Social Media Coordinator Maya Johnson

Food Writer George Yatchisin Travel Writers Macduff Everton, Mary Heebner

Assistant Production Manager Bianca Castro Art Director Xavier Pereyra Graphic Designers Leah Brewer, Diego Melgoza

Columnists Dennis Allen, Gail Arnold, Sara Caputo, Christine S. Cowles, Laura Gransberry, Betsy J. Green, Shannon Kelley, Austin Lampson, Melinda Palacio, Cheri Rae, Hugh Ranson, Amy Ramos, Starshine Roshell

Contributors Ingrid Bostrom, Rob Brezsny, Cynthia Carbone Ward, Ben Ciccati, Cheryl Crabtree, John Dickson, Roger Durling, Camille Garcia, Chuck Graham, Keith Hamm, Rebecca Horrigan, Gareth Kelly, Kevin McKiernan, Zoë Schiffer, David Starkey, Ethan Stewart, Brian Tanguay, Tom Tomorrow, Kevin Tran, Jatila Van der Veen, Isabelle Walker, Maggie Yates, John Zant

Director of Advertising Sarah Sinclair Marketing and Promotions Administrator Richelle Boyd

Advertising Representatives Suzanne Cloutier, Bryce Eller, Ariana Hugo, Tonea Songer, Scott Maio

Digital Marketing Specialist Graham Brown Business Operations and Accounting Manager Erin Lynch

Office Manager/Legal Advertising Tanya Spears Guiliacci Distribution Gregory Hall

Interns Ella Bailey, Alice Dehghanzadeh, Hailey Edmonds, Vince Grafton, Nataschia Hadley, Elaine Sanders, Madeline Slogoff, Tia Trinh

Columnist Emeritus Barney Brantingham Photography Editor Emeritus Paul Wellman

Founding Staff Emeriti George Delmerico, Richard Evans, Camille Cimini Fruin, Laszlo Hodosy, Scott Kaufman Honorary Consigliere Gary J. Hill

IndyKids Bella and Max Brown; Elijah Lee, Amaya Nicole, and William Gene Bryant; Henry and John Poett Campbell; Emilia Imojean Friedman; Rowan Gould; Finley James Hayden; Ivy Danielle Ireland; Madeline Rose and Mason Carrington Kettmann

Print subscriptions are available, paid in advance, for $120 per year. Send subscription requests with name and address to subscriptions@independent.com. The contents of the Independent are copyrighted 2023 by the Santa Barbara Independent, Inc. No part may be reproduced without permission from the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must accompany all submissions expected to be returned. The Independent is available on the internet at independent.com. Press run of the Independent is 25,000 copies. Audited certification of circulation is available on request. The Independent is a legal adjudicated newspaper court decree no. 157386. Contact information: 1715 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 PHONE (805) 965-5205; FAX (805) 965-5518

EMAIL news@independent.com,letters@independent.com,advertising@independent.com Staff email addresses can be found at independent.com/about-us

the People, Programs, and Passions Keeping Our Community Active, Connected, and Thriving Well Past 65

by Tiana Molony

If you haven’t followed us on Instagram yet (@sbindependent) or any of our other social media, then you have been missing the skilled mastery of our Social Media Coordinator Maya Johnson. Johnson has been working hard to help deliver the freshest news we offer to every reader with an eye-catching style.

How long have you been with the Independent and what originally piqued your interest to start working here? I’ve been with the Indy for about 7 months now. While studying at UC Santa Barbara, I followed the Independent’s online publication and loved how community-oriented the Independent was compared to other places I got my news from at the time. One day, during one of my journalism classes, a job ad for a Social Media Coordinator popped up on my Instagram and I thought: “This is exactly the kind of job a terminally online writer like me was made for.” The rest is history.

As our social media coordinator, what have been some of the new additions you’ve made so far that you’re most proud of? How has it been adding more videos and reels? What I’ve loved most about taking over the Independent’s socials has been creating a unique style of content that our online audiences want to interact with and share with others, which, for me, includes lots of video content. I’m most proud of being able to reach more people and share the great work that our writers and photographers are producing.

When you aren’t working, what do you get up to in your free time? Originally, I’m from Long Beach, California, so any city on the West Coast feels like home to me. In my free time I write I published my first book Searching for a Black Writer in 2024 and am currently working on my second I cook, collect beautiful items of clothing, and (because it’s my job) scroll endlessly on social media. Read the rest at independent.com

From left: David Laub, Douglas Okamoto, David Chancey, and Roger Hemman.

Photo by Ingrid Bostrom. Design by Xavier Pereyra.

by RYAN P. CRUZ,

COURTS & CRIME

NEWS of the WEEK

Wharf Murder Case Ends in Mistrial

The Santa Barbara Superior Court declared a mistrial in the murder case related to the 2022 Stearns Wharf shooting on Tuesday due to a deadlocked jury.

Jiram Tenorio Ramon, 25, of Santa Barbara, was charged with murder for allegedly fatally shooting a bystander during a gang-related altercation on Stearns Wharf on December 9, 2022. The victim was 52-year-old Camarillo man, Robert Dion Gutierrez, a father of two who was visiting Santa Barbara with his wife for their 20th wedding anniversary.

As previously reported by the Independent, prosecutors argue that Ramon charged with first-degree murder and multiple gang and firearm enhancements knowingly entered a gunfight against Ventura teens, alleged members of a rival gang, and pulled the trigger. The defense says he was under threat and fired in self-defense.

Ramon of murder. A guilty verdict in a murder case must be unanimous, so the split vote ended the trial. The District Attorney’s Office confirmed it will be moving forward with the case despite the mistrial.

tember 4 for further proceedings and the setting of new trial dates.

NEWS BR IEFS

HOUSING

More than 25 prospective bidders were invited to the Battistone Foundation’s auction of its lowincome senior residences. Qualified bidders are still welcome to apply, foundation CEO Cindy Hill said. The Edgerly Apartments in downtown Santa Barbara and the Palm Tree apartments are home to nearly 200 elderly residents, some of whom have stepped forward to implore an “angel” investor to keep them in their affordable homes. The apartments were first placed on the market in January at a total price of around $80 million. The call for offers went out August 13, with a 30-day window to make a bid.

POLITICS

On Tuesday, the jury voted 11-1 to con-

The trial had been ongoing since July 21, with jury deliberations beginning August 6. The next step in the case is set for Sep-

Restaurant Owner Addresses ‘Tragic Death’

by Ryan P. Cruz

Jackson Kalb, the owner of Ospi Montecito, spoke with the Independent in a candid interview about the death of a man who was working for a third-party cleaning service at the restaurant early Monday morning.

While Kalb could not provide specific details about the incident out of respect for the family of the man who died he addressed the backlash about the decision to reopen the restaurant after all proper authorities cleared the restaurant for business, and he refuted any claims that employees were pressured to work their shifts.

“First and most importantly, our number one priority is and always has been our employees,” Kalb said. “The additional priority for this specific circumstance is caring for the individual’s family, if we can do so in any capacity.

“The person in question was not, and has never been, employed by us, and they were not a dishwasher,” Kalb continued. “They were contracted by a third party as an overnight porter, and passed suddenly, unexpectedly, and very tragically in the middle of the night while they were alone in the building. That being said, we are trying our best to treat them with the same care we would have if that person had worked directly for us.”

Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD)

representatives confirmed that officers responded to reports of an “unconscious male” at Ospi Montecito at 5:17 a.m. on Monday. When first responders arrived on scene, they attempted to provide medical aid before the man “succumbed to the medical emergency and passed away,” according to an update provided by police Monday evening.

“Due to the trial schedules of both attorneys and the judge, the soonest a retrial can happen is early next year,” said lead prosecutor Tate McCallister. Ramon, for now, will remain in custody at the Santa Barbara County Jail.

—Callie Fausey

Man Who Died Early Monday Morning Was Not Directly Employed by Ospi Montecito, Owner Says

The initial investigation was handled by SBPD, which found “no obvious signs of foul play.” Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office then responded to conduct a coroner’s investigation, and as of Tuesday, the Coroner’s Office is still investigating the cause of death.

The Independent first reported the death after hearing from an individual who asked that their name be withheld out of fear of retaliation. The source claimed that Ospi Montecito management was planning on reopening after the restaurant was cleared by law enforcement and that employees felt pressured to continue their shifts.

Kalb, the 34-year-old owner of Ospi Montecito, said in a subsequent interview he wanted to clarify the details surround-

ing the incident on Monday. Kalb said he was traveling when he first heard about the “tragic death,” and he said he was shocked and unsure of how to proceed.

“I realize, in hindsight, that offering to open so quickly in any capacity was a mistake, and I am deeply sorry,” Kalb said. “The responsibility of that choice lies solely on my shoulders, and I sincerely regret it. We will pay our hourly employees their wages for the hours they missed, rather than offering them the option to work those hours, for yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”

He refuted claims that employees were forced to finish their shifts. “It is absolutely and unequivocally false,” he said. “I want to

Led by Governor Gavin Newsom, California Democrats in the State Legislature planned this week to set a special election on November 4 to temporarily redraw congressional districts to add at least five Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives. This is in response to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s efforts to gerrymandering districts, though Texas’s will not be put to a vote of the people. Newsom said the special election will only be held if Texas proceeds. At our press deadline, Republicans in the California Legislature announced a petition to the state Supreme Court to halt the progress of the Assembly and Senate bills on the grounds that a 30-day public review period was absent.

CITY

The S.B. City Council voted 5-1 on 8/19 in approval of the plan to distribute $500,000 for immigrant support services, with the money being split between the Immigrant Legal Defense Center and the Fund for Santa Barbara, which will work with the city to dole out the remainder of the money to trusted nonprofits. On 7/31, the City Council gave direction to set aside half million dollars from its flexible housing fund to support organizations providing services directly to those impacted by recent federal immigration enforcement operations. On Tuesday, the council worked out the details of how the $500,000 would be distributed, going with administrative staff’s recommendation to apportion $130,000 to the Immigrant Legal Defense Center to provide legal representation, case management, and mental health support for up to 40 new clients within the city.

The Vic Trace Reservoir replacement atop the Mesa has reached the final design stage, with City Council approving on 8/19 $5.5 million to Kennedy Jenks Consultants to complete the design. The aging 10-million-gallon water tank will be demolished and replaced with two 5-million-gallon underground tanks. Reservoir replacement is due to be completed by 2031 at a total cost of $131 million. Vic Trace supplies 70 percent of the city’s water, a feat managed by its namesake when he led the water department 1900-1935, before being ousted by Mayor E.O. Hanson, during the controversial firings of the police chief and department heads, and the threatened arrest of the district attorney. (Visit independent.com for more.) n

CALLIE FAUSEY, JACKSON FRIEDMAN, TYLER HAYDEN, ELLA HEYDENFELDT, CHRISTINA McDERMOTT, NICK WELSH, and JEAN YAMAMURA

vict

Santa Barbara County Courthouse

The Santa Barbara Police Department confirmed that a man died at Ospi Montecito, located in The Post Montecito shopping center, early in the morning on August 18. Owners of the restaurant said the man was a member of a third-party cleaning crew and not an employee of the restaurant.

ENVIRONMENT

Coastal Commission Rejects SpaceX Launch Expansion

The California Coastal Commission voted 9-0 on August 14 to oppose a U.S. Space Force plan to nearly double the number of SpaceX rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The state agency charged with protecting California’s expansive coastline cited unanswered questions about the environmental and community impacts of the proposed expansion.

“The sonic booms and their impacts on California’s people, wildlife, and property are extremely concerning,” Commissioner Linda Escalante said. “The negative impacts on public access, natural resources, and environmental health warrant our scrutiny under California as a standard of review.”

The plan would raise the ceiling from 50 Falcon 9 launches per year to 95 and allow up to five Falcon Heavy launches annually, along with construction of two new landing zones at the Santa Barbara County facility. In its staff report, the commission said the Department of the Air Force and Space Force had not provided sufficient data on the cumulative effects of the increased launches from sonic booms and marine debris to possible harm to marine mammal breeding areas and protected coastal zones.

“The simple fact remains that it is a privately owned company engaged in activities primarily for its own commercial business,” the report stated, challenging the Space Force’s position that all launches are federal activities exempt from state permitting. In the meeting and the report, the commission managed to steer away from the political undertones intertwined with the Elon Musk–owned company this time.

The Calabasas meeting was round two of the Coastal Commission versus Musk, occurring less than a year apart. In October, members rejected an earlier proposal to raise the limit from 36 to 50 launches, a vote that touched off a lawsuit by the SpaceX founder

alleging political retaliation a case still pending in federal court.

That earlier meeting became a flashpoint after several commissioners veered into pointed criticism of Musk’s political affiliations and business practices, prompting Governor Gavin Newsom to publicly defend him. The Space Force ultimately allowed the increase to move forward despite the vote, citing federal authority and national security needs.

Commissioners also expressed frustration that neither the Space Force nor SpaceX attended Thursday’s meeting or submitted updated information since the proposal was first reviewed last year. “There are a number of unanswered questions that make it really quite impossible for us to engage,” said Vice Chair Caryl Hart.

Because the commission lacks authority to block the launches outright, the Space Force is expected to move forward, as it did following the October vote, citing federal preemption and national security. Space Force and SpaceX are also slated to begin construction of a second launch site at Vandenberg later this year.

“There’s a possibility of causing irreversible harm to our coastline and our coastal resources,” Commissioner Raymond Jackson said. “We owe it to the public and to the future to insist on datadriven, transparent decision making.”

—EllaHeydenfeldt

RESTAURANT DEATH CONT’D FROM P. 7

be abundantly clear: No one was required or pressured to work. That is simply not who we are as a company or as people.”

Kalb says that the restaurant was only reopened for about an hour before management ultimately decided to shut down for the day. He added that Ospi is planning on paying for the man’s funeral costs, a decision he says was made “within minutes of finding out what happened” and “well before any news came out about the extraordinarily tragic incident.”

After management followed all law enforcement protocols and instructions, Kalb said, they were cleared to reopen for business. “Upon checking in with our team, the only thing we wanted to do was give our hourly employees a chance to work if they wanted to, many of whom rely on every hour of income to make ends meet,” he said. “I am so incredibly sorry that we offered to open back up for business so quickly fol-

lowing the incident, but I need to clarify the facts: We were not open for breakfast yesterday, nor were we open for lunch.”

He said his heart “hurt” for the man who lost his life and that he was working to support the family as they continue to grieve the loss. “It was so horrible to hear that he died,” Kalb said.

“The only thing I can do at this point is apologize to anyone and everyone willing to hear it for offering to reopen the restaurant so quickly. We are doing our best to navigate this situation, and our hearts are primarily with the relatives of the deceased, followed closely by our team and the community. This situation is heartbreaking, and we are doing our best to move forward in a way that centers around compassion, care, and respect for everyone involved. Any support directed toward the family is appreciated, and we’ll be sharing ways for the community to contribute shortly.” n

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

S.B. Loans Jacaranda Court $3.5M

On Tuesday, August 19, Santa Barbara City Council voted 5-1 to loan an additional $3.5 million to the Jacaranda Court apartment project at the corner of Castillo and Carrillo. Mayor Randy Rowse was the dissenting vote, questioning why the city should loan more money to a project when the city has already donated the land valued at $7.5 million.

The Jacaranda Court project was first proposed in 2019 to create 103 units of housing for the “missing middle,” meaning households in the 80-120 percent range of the then median income. Since then, the city Housing Authority has had to reduce the units to 63 as costs keep rising.

The agency is well-regarded even by Rowse, who noted he’d never voted against a request from the nonprofit before. Housing Authority’s Rob Fredericks explained that the rise in the interest rate for government bonds recently made the project’s modest return much less appealing to the private investor they’d had, thus requiring the ask for further city funding.

Housing is one of the biggest issues in Santa Barbara, both for its scarcity and extreme cost compared to wages. Estimates since the pandemic have put the cost

POLITICS

to build one unit in a multi-unit apartment building from $500,000 to as high as $712,086 for Jacaranda Court.

The estimated total cost of $44.8 million will come from loans ($24.3m), Housing Authority reserves ($8m), bonds ($2.2m), a grant, and now the city. Though the city’s loan is for 30 years at 3 percent, payment only begins once the net income of the project can sustain it.

The housing itself now stands at 21 studios, 37 one-bedrooms, and five twobedrooms. Among these apartments will be seven for low-income residents, 55 for moderate-income, and one for a manager; of those, six are for residents with mobility, hearing, or visual needs. If all goes well, ground-breaking could be as early as this November, looking to completion in mid2027, said Fredericks.

Low-income in Santa Barbara County is pegged at $98,850 for a single person and moderate at $100,050, though the Housing Authority targets potential tenants earning a percentage of that sum, starting at around 30 percent. Recent federal cuts to housing funding means no new money for the Section 8 program, Fredericks has said, creating uncertainty for anyone on the waiting list.

—Jean Yamamura

‘Fight the Trump Takeover’ Takes Over Upper State

Hundreds of people crowded the sidewalks of upper State Street on Saturday morning, protesting what activists are calling the “Trump takeover” in light of the president’s efforts to gerrymander Texas and other red states to retain Republican control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.

Santa Barbara protesters joined others holding similar rallies across the country. There were familiar sights from the numerous protests that have filled Santa Barbara’s streets since Trump took office in January. Signs included opposition to “fauxking Trump,” criticisms of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amid the uptick in militarized immigration raids, and insults toward Trump, his allies, and his policies in the form of punny slogans. There were even helium balloons designed to make Trump look like a crybaby.

“This is unbelievable,” said Kym Cochram, a volunteer with Indivisible Santa Barbara, the group that organized the rally. The turnout was inspiring, she said, looking down both sides of the street across from Whole Foods, lined in each direction with protesters. Retirees from assisted living homes even came out, she noted. In response to Trump’s attempted “election rigging,” California Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced a special election for California voters to approve the map of the state’s redrawn congressional districts, citing transparency and accountability that he implied is lacking on the federal level.

“We can say, ‘Enough is enough.’ You’re not playing fair,” Cochram said about the current administration. “Guess what?

We’re in the game now.”

—Callie Fausey

Protesters lined both sides of upper State Street between Hitchcock Way and Hope Avenue for the “Fight the Trump Takeover” protest on August 16.

Ortega Park Summer Jam Benefits 805 UndocuFund

Ortega Park was buzzing on Sunday afternoon as dozens of artists, vendors, and creatives packed the central courtyard for the Ortega Park Summer Jam, a community benefit event hosted as both an end-of-summer party and fundraiser for 805 UndocuFund’s immigrant support services.

The Summer Jam was a collaborative effort between the Ortega Park Steering Committee, Desmadre Media, Mary’s Tattoo, and Mind Garden Research, who brought together a long list of Central Coast–based artisans, vintage clothing resellers, and pop-up vendors as a show of solidarity with the city’s immigrant community.

are scared,” he said. “But this is an opportunity to celebrate and bring joy into the conversation.”

“At the end of the day, the goal was just to do a big, free community event because we just don’t have stuff like this happening anymore,” said Alex Ramirez, founder of Desmadre Media. “And of course, with everything that’s been going on right now with immigration, we also wanted to show up and support 805 UndocuFund. We just asked all the vendors to donate whatever they could, and we’ve had an amazing response.”

Jon Donaghy of Mind Garden Research said he was grateful to be able to help raise money for a good cause and create a space where people could show up in solidarity. “Honestly, there’s a lot of people here that

Primitiva Hernandez, executive director of 805 UndocuFund, said the event was a chance for healing. She said the 805 Immigrant Rapid Response Hotline has seen a bit of a slowdown in indiscriminate arrests in the first few weeks of August, but that there have still been people taken off the streets, at courthouses, and at scheduled immigration appointments on the Central Coast. The level of fear in the community, she said, is still as high as ever. Despite the fear, Hernandez says it’s encouraging to see people come together and celebrate with pride. “This is part of the resistance not allowing fear to dictate how we lead our lives.”

—RyanP.Cruz

In-Home Caregiving ‘Crisis’

Mary Bouldin, 58, works about 140 hours a week taking care of her 24-yearold son, Tom. It’s a round-the-clock job due to Tom’s extremely rare genetic condition, called Coffin-Siris Syndrome, which involves seizures, incontinence, an inability to chew and feed himself, and an inability to speak. She gets no days off.

Through a California program called InHome Support Services (IHSS), Bouldin can take care of Tom as a full-time job, logging the max of 70 hours a week at $18.67 an hour. But considering the various expenses related to Tom’s care, on top of living costs in Santa Barbara, it’s challenging. And it’s not enough, she says. Right now, she and other IHSS caregivers in Santa Barbara County are advocating for higher wages amid their ongoing contract negotiations.

Bouldin was compassionate, witty, and bright as she spoke about the constant struggle that’s involved in being a full-time caregiver to her son. Caregivers deal with higher rates of mental illness and stress, and shorter life spans, she noted. “We’re giving up a lot for a job that really kind of sucks,” she said. “Morally, I came to a crossroads in my life, and I made the choice I could live with. But it has a lot of downsides.”

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

caregivers often loved ones who are “hired” to be caregivers by their disabled, elderly, or blind family members and compensated through Medicaid and the county are claiming a “caregiver crisis” in Santa Barbara County.

These IHSS caregivers, represented by the UDW (United Domestic Workers) union, are calling on the Board of Supervisors to raise the wage rate for IHSS providers to $22 an hour to be more in line with Santa Barbara living expenses.

Bouldin added that caregivers in neighboring counties make between $1-$3 more an hour but face lower costs of living.

Since the county is in labor negotiations, Board Chair Laura Capps could not say much about the issue, but said she is “incredibly moved” by the work IHSS caregivers are doing. In Santa Barbara County, roughly 4,800 participants are in the program, which is 100 more people than the county government’s combined workforce.

“These are wonderfully compassionate, hardworking people,” Capps said. “I have so much respect for them, and I know the rest of the board feels the same.”

The first wage contract meeting was Tuesday, and their second will be next week in Santa Maria on August 24. —CallieFausey

LABOR

Alex Ramirez of Desmadre Media helped organize the Ortega Park Summer Jam as a way to celebrate community and raise money for families impacted by recent immigration sweeps.

RYAN P. CRUZ

HelloFresh Says Goodbye to $7.5M

HelloFresh, the world’s largest meal-kit delivery company, will pay $7.5 million to settle allegations that it illegally locked customers into auto-renewing subscriptions, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.

The lawsuit, brought by a coalition of California prosecutors, including Santa Barbara, accused the company of violating the state’s Automatic Renewal Law by failing to clearly disclose subscription terms, secure proper consent, and make cancellations straightforward. Prosecutors also pointed to misleading advertising around “free meals” and surprise gifts.

As part of the settlement, HelloFresh will pay $6.38 million in civil penalties, $120,000 in investigative costs, and $1 million in restitution to eligible California consumers. Those eligible include customers who were charged for their first shipment between January 1, 2019, and August 18, 2025, without knowingly enrolling, canceled after the first box, and never received a refund. Notices will be sent by a third-party administrator.

Santa Barbara County will receive more than $1 million from the settlement to fund future consumer protection enforcement.

In an emailed statement, Abigail Dreher, associate director of corporate communi-

TRANSPORTATION

MTD Increases Bus Fares

On Monday, the price for a ride on Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) buses increased for the first time in 16 years, going up to $2.50 for a regular fare, with a reduced fare of $1.25 for seniors or people with disabilities.

According to a statement released by MTD, the increased fare has been in the works since January, when MTD officials proposed the fare hike as a way to address the 10 percent increase in operational costs over the past five years and the expected $3 million loss in Federal Transit Authority funding due to the city’s designation as a “large urbanized area,” eliminating several previously available funding options.

cations at HelloFresh, said the company “denies any wrongdoing” but chose to settle in order to resolve the matter. “We take our commitment to customer transparency very seriously, and our subscription model and cancellation policies have been consistently clear to customers throughout the whole customer journey,” Dreher said.

District Attorney John Savrnoch countered that the case shows even global companies must play by state rules. “The Automatic Renewal Laws exist to ensure that consumers are not deceived when making everyday purchases for items like meal kits,” he said in a press release. “Cases like these demonstrate that even the largest companies will be held accountable.”

—EllaHeydenfeldt

for 10-day and $65 for 30-day passes), and seniors ($8.50 for 10-day and $30 for 30-day passes).

In March, following a public feedback period, MTD’s Board of Directors voted to raise the base fare by 75 cents to $2.50, while raising the age for seniors from 62 years to 65 years and older. The fare for seniors and riders with disabilities will be raised from its current rate of 85 cents per ride to $1.25. Ten-day passes will go up in price to $17.50 for adults up from the previous price of $11.50 and 30-day passes will now be offered at $80, increased from the current price of $52. Discounted rates will be offered for extended passes for youth ($12.50

Riders who purchased passes prior to August 18 will be able to use their passes through the end of the month, and any remaining value can be traded in at the Transit Center and used toward the cost of a new pass.

MTD’s fleet of buses are now also equipped with “Tap2Ride” contactless payment systems that allow riders to pay for fares using bank cards, mobile wallets, or smartphone apps such as ApplePay and GPay. The Tap2Ride payment system allows riders to pay for single fares, while capping the total amount at the cost of a 30-day pass each month, to ensure riders are not charged for additional fares.

For more information on the fare changes, go to sbmtd.gov/farechange/ —RyanP.Cruz

Insured by NCUA

1The dividend rate and Annual Percentage Yield (APY) accurate as of 08/01/2025. The dividend rate and APY may change at any time. 4.40% APY, 8-month Term Savings Certificate must be opened by phone or in-branch with new money. New money is defined as funds not on deposit at Golden 1 in the 30 days prior to the certificate account opening. There is no minimum balance required to earn the stated APY. The minimum opening deposit for this 8-month certificate is $500. The APY is based on an assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal or transfer reduces earnings and there may be penalties for early withdrawal. Call 1-877-465-3361 for current rates. We reserve the right to change or discontinue this program at any time. Rates and term are subject to change without notice. 0825-SBAR

The Santa Barbara Humane Society officially started the first phase of its Goleta facility redesign in a groundbreaking on August 13. The new project aims to update the facility to better serve the community’s animals.

With 80 percent of the $18 million funding goal already raised, Phase One of the redesign has secured the necessary capital to begin construction. The construction has been split into phases to ensure the facility can remain open during the construction, said Marissa Miller, S.B. Humane’s public relations specialist.

Phase One, which is expected to take 16-20 months, will include a new intake building, a dog behavior center, a mobile veterinary clinic, and an upgraded dog yard. Phase Two, scheduled to begin in the winter of 2026, adds a larger medical center that will collaborate with local veterinarians and provide free care for both law enforcement and search and rescue canines. The 22 months of construction also brings new adoption centers for dogs, cats, and rabbits, as well as an adoption reception building, an education/dog training center, and an administration building.

Speaking to a crowd of mimosa-enjoying philanthropists, donors, boardmembers, and local politicians, S.B. Humane CEO Kerri Burns emphasized that the organization is built “by the community and for the community” and that the help of donors will make this project a reality.

The board of directors has committed $10 million toward the project, but the remaining costs must be raised through philanthropy. While S.B. Humane reported $49,310,654 in net assets in 2024, a reflection of donor generosity through the decades, said Miller, about $22 million are restricted funds for other specified uses. The remainder forms an endowment, Miller explained, that supports S.B. Humane’s work annually.

Burns went on to say that the new facility’s design focuses on the animals’ perspective, from the ground up. To prioritize the animals’ experience, the new facility will feature petsafe plants to provide sensory enrichment, along with non-slip flooring to ensure their safety, said Miller.

County Supervisor Laura Capps attended the event and thanked the S.B. Humane Society for its work with both animals and people, highlighting the positive impact pets have on mental health —VinceGrafton

County Caps Cannabis Acreage, Responds to Grand Jury S.B. Humane Breaks Ground on Facility Rebuild

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors went forward with a proposed acreage cap on cannabis cultivation and heard the county’s official response to a grand jury report issued earlier this summer on cannabis taxes and expenditures.

addressed these concerns during this year’s budget planning cycle, with the board making more than $1.2 million in cuts to cover the expected shortfall of revenues.

There was little discussion before the board unanimously approved the plan to reduce the acreage cap of both the “Carpinteria Agricultural Overlay” district and the unincorporated areas of the county that lie outside the Carpinteria overlay. The county has been working on reducing the acreage cap from the current total of 1,761 combined acres to a maximum of 1,551 acres a 12 percent reduction that would essentially cut off any additional cannabis cultivation projects that haven’t yet begun the approval process.

In the second cannabis-related item of the hearing, Cannabis Program Manager Carmela Beck presented the county’s official response to a grand jury report on the county’s handling of its cannabis program budget. Beck emphasized that the county was, for the most part, aligned with all the findings included in the report, though the county executive office did “partially disagree” with some details.

The county agreed that declining revenues mostly due to market oversupply and price collapse were causing added stress to the cannabis program budget. However, Beck said that the county

Similarly, Beck said the county disagreed with the finding that budget allocations for deferred maintenance and capital projects were not properly adjusted in response to the decline in revenue. Beck said the county made several budget changes, including a 35 percent reduction in cannabis tax revenue being used to fund deferred maintenance or other projects. Many of these budget changes, she pointed out, were approved just weeks before the grand jury report was released on June 20.

Beck also noted that the changes made during the budget planning cycle addressed the grand jury’s other two findings regarding impacts on the cannabis budget. The expenditures, she explained, “could have exceeded revenues” if the board did not act in June, and additional changes were approved to use the county’s cannabis enforcement budget more cautiously. Finally, the county disagreed that the tracking, reporting, and budgeting of the cannabis program needed to be more centralized. While the county currently has two separate systems for its licensing and payment, Beck said “there would be a significant cost to integrating” both systems in one place.

—Ryan P.Cruz

Fire Season Starting Earlier

New Study Says Climate Change to Blame

by Ella Heydenfeldt

California’s wildfire season is showing up early in some regions by more than a month and a new study says human-caused climate change is a major reason why. In 11 of the state’s 13 ecological regions, the start of peak fire activity has shifted forward by six to 46 days since the early 1990s.

The study, titled “Anthropogenic warming drives earlier wildfire season onset in California,” was published earlier this month in the journal Science Advances. Led by UCLA’s Gavin Madakumbura, researchers analyzed nearly three decades of fire occurrence records across landscapes ranging from the Cascade forests to Southern California’s coastal chaparral not just to confirm the shift, but to pinpoint its cause.

Among the study’s co-authors is Max Moritz, a UC Santa Barbara adjunct professor and statewide wildfire specialist with UC Cooperative Extension. “It’s not just a trend you might expect from natural variation,” Moritz told the Independent. “The signal from greenhouse-gas-driven warming is there, above and beyond what nature alone would produce.”

To reach that conclusion, the team used a “detection and attribution” approach a process for separating normal climate swings from trends driven by human activity. This allowed them to ask: even if natural variability might have shifted fire season timing, how much of the observed change can only be explained by human-caused warming? The answer: quite a lot. Fire season now begins 46 days earlier in the Cascades, 31 days earlier in the Northern Basin, and 24 days earlier in the Sierra Nevada.

The study also explains why Southern California’s shift is still significant but less dramatic. In the north, fire activity is often dictated by the dryness of “dead fuels” fallen branches, logs, and other woody debris that can take days or weeks to lose moisture. In the south, including Santa Barbara County, wildfires burn primarily through living vegetation, making “live fuel moisture” the critical factor.

“What matters here is how quickly green plants dry out,” Moritz said. “When the air is warmer and the humidity lower, they lose moisture faster. That means ignition conditions can arrive weeks earlier than they used to.”

This difference in fuel types means temperature and humidity are only part of the

story. In chaparral regions, late-winter and spring rainfall is just as important in determining the timing of fire season.

“The amount of spring rain is one of the best indicators of when you’ll hit the more severe part of the fire season,” Moritz explained. “But the warming trend still plays a role because for the same amount of rain, plants are drying faster than in the past.”

That also means some policy talking points don’t translate across ecosystems.

As Moritz put it: “That’s really almost irrelevant to the millions and millions of acres of shrublands in California,” when asked about arguments for large-scale forest “clean-up” as a wildfire fix. Forest management can matter in forest systems but it won’t change the basic flammability patterns of Southern California’s dry shrublands.

And this year, the data has a name and a map. The Gifford Fire California’s largest blaze of 2025 has burned 131,589 acres since it sparked August 1 along State Route 166 northeast of Santa Maria. As of August 20, it had threatened 1,832 structures and injured nine firefighters and three civilians, though firefighters were nearing full containment as of press time, leading to the lifting of all fire-related evacuation orders and warnings in S.B. County.. California has already logged 5,362 fires this year, torching more than 374,000 acres well above the five-year average for mid-August. One-third of this year’s total burned acreage belongs to the Gifford Fire. Gifford’s timing, size, and speed fit the pattern the new study confirms. The only thing more unsettling than a megafire in August is knowing it no longer counts as “unusual.” n

The Gifford Fire’s early-August ignition may not sound unusual, but Southern California’s most destructive fires historically peak later, in September and October, when the region’s notorious wind events are most common.

More than Silence

Survivors Deserve Accountability and Justice

BY MELISSA GUILLEN

In recent weeks, headlines have once again thrust the issue of sexual assault into the national spotlight. The release of court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes has sparked speculation, outrage, and political theater. Yet, for survivors like myself, the question is far simpler and more urgent: Why is the truth still being hidden?

Why are the names of potential perpetrators redacted? The message to survivors who are told to speak up, seek justice, and trust the system is clear: Power means protection. When institutions withhold the truth, they betray the very people they claim to protect.

At Standing Together to End Sexual Assault (STESA), we believe survivors. We are committed to a survivor-led model of care that centers healing, justice, and empowerment. Through our programs, we provide wrap-around support for those impacted by sexual violence, and just as critical as our response is our prevention work because healing one survivor is not enough. We must prevent the next assault from happening.

Unfortunately, the Epstein case is not an outlier. Reports have surfaced that companies such as Uber may have suppressed internal reports of sexual assault to protect their brand image rather than protect riders and drivers. According to a 2022 report by The Washington Post, Uber has faced lawsuits alleging it failed to act on repeated safety concerns, with survivors claiming the company prioritized reputation over accountability.

This is part of a broader societal problem. Far too often, survivors are forced to prove their truth, while perpetrators walk free or face minimal consequences. Victim-blaming remains rampant, and systems that should support survivors instead retraumatize them. As a survivor, I’ve felt the emotional weight of having to fight to be believed.

And let’s be clear: When perpetrators face no consequences, they are emboldened. Research has consistently reinforced this reality that sexual offenders who evade accountability are more likely to reoffend. When perpetrators aren’t held accountable, the cycle of harm continues unchecked.

This is why prevention matters. Reacting only when

cases make headlines is not enough. We must invest in comprehensive education, community awareness, and cultural change. STESA’s prevention programs work directly with businesses, schools, parents, and young people to teach consent, respect, and boundaries. Prevention is possible, but it requires political will, community support, and sustained funding.

Right now, STESA is at risk of losing the very funding that makes this work possible. The potential loss would gut not just our prevention efforts, but the critical services that hundreds of local survivors rely on every year. We urge our community leaders, funders, and neighbors to recognize that the time for silence has long passed. Survivors deserve action, not redactions.

The truth is this: We cannot end sexual violence if we continue to shield those who perpetuate it. We cannot empower survivors while dismantling the systems meant to support them. And we cannot build a safer future if we keep treating prevention as an afterthought.

Sexual assault is not a fringe issue- it is a widespread public health crisis that continues to be overlooked. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, nearly one in three women (27.3 percent) and one in six men (16.0 percent)) in the U.S. have experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime. For many survivors, the trauma is ongoing not only from the assault itself, but from the failure of institutions to respond with accountability and care.

Sexual assault is all around us, yet still cloaked in silence, shame, and inaction. Survivors are not strangers they are our loved ones, our colleagues, our community. So why do we keep turning away?

Every survivor carries a before and after. As Sara Bareilles sings, “She’s gone, but she used to be mine,” a line that echoes the pain, grief, and resilience woven into so many survivor stories. At STESA, we help survivors reclaim their voices, their power, and their future.

Stand with them. Believe them. Support them. And if you’re ready to be part of the solution, donate, volunteer, or learn more at sbstesa.org

Melissa Guillen is president of the Board of Directors for Standing Together to End Sexual Assault (STESA).

Goleta Valley Junior High students participate in STESA’s “Shifting Boundaries” program, creating awareness posters to display on campus.

COURTESY STESA

Political Theater

The Angry Poodle column last week was unfair to Sheriff Bill Brown, both in terms of his actions during the recent immigration crisis and his historical positions on the subject. All of California law enforcement have been blindsided by the actions of federal immigration enforcement officers. I believe that while their objectives are wrong and their tactics are deplorable, nothing they are doing is illegal.

Sheriff Brown and most California sheriffs have met with federal officials to convey concerns about the lack of communication, the lack of uniform standards for apparel and equipment, and the haphazard ways in which the raids are conducted. Federal actions have severely damaged the trust built up between local law enforcement and the communities they serve. The current situation has two root causes, both based on performative theater rather than serious policy discussions.

First, the Trump administration departed from its stated objective of deporting the “worst of the worst.” More than two million people have federal deportation warrants in the system, which represents a clear opportunity to go after people who have already had their day in court and been afforded due process. The reported decision to depart from that perspective to apprehend 3,000 people per day changed the enforcement protocols and created the level of chaos we currently see.

Second, the passage of SB 54 in 2018 removed immigration agents from the jails and prisons. I am certain that at the time this felt like a very noble action and one that appeared to contain no consequences. At that time, the federal government was doing almost no immigration enforcement. However, Sheriff Brown, myself, and numerous law enforcement leaders and organizations around California warned that the legislation was overbroad and would likely result in significant social disruption should the federal government choose to begin enforcing the law. We were ignored.

What is troubling is that our elected leaders know all of this. They also know that most of California’s law enforcement leadership, particularly Bill Brown, who has headed the California Police Chiefs’ Association and California Sheriffs’ Association, have been doing everything possible to stop the current enforcement actions, specifically urging them to stop doing work-site enforcement and community raids.

Unfortunately for the community whom everyone says they care about, the entrenched political positions and accompanying political theater are not doing much for anyone. However, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff did not create this chaos, and he cannot fix it. Only true political leadership is going to accomplish that.

Barney Melekian, Retired Chief, SBPD

Homeless “Removal”

Ididn’t think it was possible for Trump to trample on our rights any more than he already has, but I was wrong. Let me direct you to his executive order signed on July 24, 2025, which is not only illegal and unconstitutional but morally reprehensible.

The legalese is outfitted like a party dress, but what it covers is a stinking pile of dung.

It boils down to: If you are homeless, a drug addict, or have a mental-health issue, you can be “removed” to a “civil commitment” facility, or to a “local, State or Federal jail or hospital.” Not because you’ve committed any crime, but because you’re in the unfortunate position of being homeless. You can be deprived of your liberty simply because you have nowhere to go. You can’t afford the outrageous rents being charged, or you can’t afford treatment for your mental health or drug issues.

So, what’s Trump’s “fix?” Lock ’em up! God forbid we provide actual help for those with mental health or drug issues. Homeless? Too bad. He’ll lock you up, too.

It gets even worse. Do you remember HIPAA? The federal law that is supposed to protect the privacy of your health information? Well, you can kiss it goodbye, too. Section 5 of this order “requires the recipients of Federal funding for homelessness assistance to collect health-related information.”

I have to wonder what’s really behind this order. With Trump, everything is about money. Is he planning to use them as cheap labor? Nothing would surprise me.

Trump has done a lot of crappy things, but this one takes the cake.

—Phoenix Hocking, Carpinteria

The Independent welcomes letters of less than 250 words that include a daytime phone number for verification. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Send to: Letters, S.B. Independent, 1715 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101; or fax: 965-5518; or email: letters@independent.com. Unabridged versions and more letters appear at independent.com/opinions

“AMERICA’S

obituaries

Robin (Robbie) Brooks

06/02/1954-05/09/2025

Robin (Robbie) Perry Brooks, 70, passed away May 9th, 2025.

He was a third generation Santa Barbarian & lifelong Mesa local. A hard worker, passionate musician, generous friend, and respected foreman for Granite for 46 years. He loved to dance and fish and found his peace on the ocean and the lake. He was the epitome of a patriarch to his family and was a loyal, steadfast and protective husband and father, and a proud and playful grandfather.

Survived by his wife of 46 yrs Scotti; children, Dustin (Samantha) & Perry; granddaughters, Skyler & Riley; brother, Brett (Shannon) & nieces.

A Celebration of life will be held Oct 18th, 11am at Leadbetter Beach. More info at: everloved.com/life-of/ robin-brooks

John Burton West 03/31/1945 – 08/13/2025

On March 31, 1945, John Burton West entered the world. He was the oldest child of Arleigh Burton West and Edith Eleanor (Gustad) West. The place was Boulder City, Nevada, a desert oasis that served as the construction town for Hoover Dam, where his dad was the regional director for the Bureau of Reclamation. Growing up in the desert provided many exciting experiences for a young boy. Countless hours were spent

looking for snakes, lizards and tortoises. (None were harmed.) Nearby Lake Mead was the place to swim and cool off. In the 1950s, John’s family bought an outboard motorboat and they spent innumerable weekends exploring the lake’s shoreline and coves. The fun activities included camping, waterskiing and SCUBA diving. As John navigated through high school, he became increasingly interested in science. All science classes excited him, and in 1963 he entered the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), majoring in physics. In 1967, John graduated with a bachelor's degree in physics. While at UCSB John met the love of his life, Susan Christensen, and they were married on June 28, 1969.

About the same time, the US Army “invited” John to join them. The Vietnam war was raging, but the Army chose to station him at the Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, Colorado rather than send him overseas. There he worked in a medical research laboratory for two years. Following his honorable discharge in 1970, John and Susie returned to Santa Barbara, where he resumed his graduate education. In 1974, John was awarded a PhD degree in Physics. Following a two year postdoctoral research position in laser physics at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder, CO, John then worked at Northrop Corporation's Research and Technology Center in Hawthorne, CA on the development of high power excimer lasers. In 1981, John, Susie and three year old son Steven moved to Santa Barbara. In 1983 the family grew again when son Peter arrived.

Following his return to Santa Barbara, John worked for General Research Corporation (GRC) on special research projects related to government space systems. There were no lasers involved, but the work was fascinating.

The 1980s and 1990s were a whirlwind of school, scouts and church activities. John enjoyed many backpacking trips with his sons in the Sier-

ras and at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Those times in the outdoors further deepened his appreciation of the environment and this wonderful world we live in. In 2000, AT&T acquired GRC. Although the name changed, the work continued pretty much the same.

In the year 2000, Susie inherited a beach cottage in the Chautauqua community of Ocean Park, Maine. This was the beginning of a bicoastal lifestyle for the family. Every year since then, Susie and John spent part or all of their summer enjoying Ocean Park activities and traveling around the Northeast in search of lobsters, moose and lighthouses. John retired in 2015, and he then had more time for hobbies and travel. His most memorable travel experience was hiking into a Rwandan bamboo forest for a meet and greet with a family of mountain gorillas.

Over the years, John pursued many hobbies, including astronomy, photography, and music. He played saxophone in both Santa Barbara’s Prime Time Band and the Ocean Park Band. Most recently, he elevated his photography by using camera-equipped drones (pun intended). He held an FAA Remote Pilot certification for unmanned aircraft systems.

As I, John, write this on May 25, 2023, after returning from the UCLA Medical Center where I received confirmation of an ALS diagnosis, I can truly say I have been given an abundant life. I have been blessed in so many ways.

In the time following his ALS diagnosis, John approached life as always had, only differently. Each day was a gift, and truly precious. He sought the good in the world. He would like to thank the staff at the Valle Verde Health Center who helped with tasks of daily living. And he was especially thankful for Susie, his loving wife of 56 years. She put up with his many quirks and made him a better person in the process. She was of enormous help and comfort to him.

“This is the day the Lord

has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

John passed away peacefully at Serenity House on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 after courageously facing ALS for over two years. He leaves behind his wife Susan West, son Steven and daughter in law Meg, son Peter and daughter in law Carrie, granddaughter Addie and brother Richard.

Memorial donations can be made in John's memory to the ALS Network, Ocean Park Association or the Trinity Lutheran Church endowment fund.

A celebration of John's life will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Trinity Lutheran Church, 909 N. La Cumbre Rd.

Patrick Michael Perreault 05/20/1984 – 08/10/2025

Our incredible son, brother and friend passed away on Sunday, August 10th, 2025. Patrick entered this world unconscious due to being a breech birth with complications. Hearing their brand new baby Patrick let out his first cry was the most beautiful sound his mother and father ever heard.

From the day Patrick could speak it was very clear to everyone around him that he was a person with an incredible sense of humor. He could tell a joke at an early age that far outdid the adults surrounding him. That sense of humor was with him to his last breath and it will be so very missed.

Patrick excelled in school on every level. Surely his IQ was far greater than anyone in his family. By the time he graduated Nordhoff High School in Ojai, CA he graduated with honors. After some traveling to Europe Patrick settled down in Santa Barbara, where he was born, and he, single handedly, put himself through UCSB.

He graduated with a degree in Political Science. After graduating college Patrick worked in various high end restaurants in Los Angeles. He loved the music scene and as an incredible musician himself, he fit well into the creative environment. The nights his family were blessed with hearing him strumming away with one of his many guitars and a voice like an angel will never be forgotten.

Patrick’s most recent endeavor was attending Santa Barbara Law School. While attending the men's recovery program at the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission he was blessed with a full scholarship. He loved being in law school learning his future craft as a criminal defense attorney and there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that he would have made a tremendously fair and honorable advocate for the broken and oppressed.

Patrick suffered a major demon called alcoholism. He had been dealing with its ill effects for over ten years. This was a hereditary factor in his life and his battle was endless and without mercy. During his sober months Patrick had more to offer those around him by way of sensitivity, understanding and compassion than most people we will ever know.

Patrick, the demon has been put to rest now. You are free to sing, and strum, tell jokes and share your funny stories while you visit your father, Cliff Jr., your grandmothers, Kay and Ida, your Grandfathers, Cliff Sr. and Dave, your uncle Mike and your friends Matt B. and Pat R. and, of course, Dutch. When you meet our savior Jesus Christ, know that your mother will be saying "I told you so."

To say we will miss you is the world’s greatest understatement.

Patrick’s family asks that family and friends that wish to honor Patrick do so by donating to the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission (sbrm. org). A memorial will be held at a future date. Friends and family will be notified privately with details.

Edward George Maschke

BY MARK CHACONAS

Ed Maschke, longtime Santa Barbara County environmental activist, political consultant, labor organizer, and elected official, passed away peacefully at his home in Lompoc on May 24. He is survived by daughters Gwenivere (1970), Jennifer (1973), and Aurora (1980); 10 grandchildren; one great-grandson; countless friends; and the thriving California solar energy industry he was instrumental in creating.

Interest in people and their ideas was the hallmark of Ed’s skill as an organizer. He saw every conversation as an opportunity to expand his own network or bring others together to build a larger movement. Whether in time, money, or advice, Ed was always very generous. For him, political organizing in defense of the natural world was a mythic struggle of light against darkness. If you were on his side, there was always a place to stay in his home, a shared meal, or an adventure.

He also had a commitment to confronting enemies that burned almost as brightly. For those who would plunder that which cannot be replaced, there would be no mercy. Ed took great joy in lifting up the worthy, but he got just as much pleasure from taking down rapacious land developers, unscrupulous politicians, and oil industry PR flacks. Upon receiving word of his passing, the Santa Barbara Independent’s Nick Welsh perfectly captured this duality, describing Ed as “gleefully pugilistic.”

Born in and raised near Cleveland, Ohio, Ed was the second son of Edward J. and Ellen Manning Maschke. After high school, Ed joined the Navy and was posted to Central California to work on avionics for jets that were flying bombing missions in Vietnam. His views on the war changed when he saw footage of the bombs being dropped on straw huts in rural villages.

After the Navy, Ed attended College of the Sequoias in Visalia, where he became a campus activist and met Jo Ann Pectol. They married in March 1970 and moved to Isla Vista. Ed entered the UC Santa Barbara Environmental Studies program and again threw himself into political activism.

Ed became known for his analytical acumen and organizing skills. He helped elect environmental stalwart County Supervisor Bill Wallace four times from 1976 to 1992 and managed campaigns for slowgrowth candidates to the Goleta Water Board. Ed then sat on the Water Board from 1977 to 1985. Subsequently, Ed served as 3rd District Planning Commissioner for eight years.

On the day in 1976 when Ed accidentally burned Governor Jerry Brown’s hand during a demonstration of a primitive solar oven, solar and wind electrical generation was the real objective. That was the year the lobbying group SUNRAE (Solar Use Now for Resources and Employment) was created by Ed and fellow activist Alan Mirviss.

A year later, Governor Brown signed AB 1558, carried by Assemblymember Gary Hart for SUNRAE and a small group that Brown called “solar guerrillas.” The law provided homeowners and businesses

with a tax credit covering 55 percent of the cost of new solar installations. President Jimmy Carter later signed a federal version of the California tax credit and installed solar on the White House.

In the fall of 1993, Ed joined the California Public Interest Research Group (CalPIRG) as the statewide executive director, where he led efforts to push the California Air Resources Board to adopt regula tions promoting electric vehicles, some dozen years before they became commonplace. In the late ’90s, Ed worked with SEIU (Service Employees International Union) in organizing, advising in labor relations, training new staff, and mentoring them for the future.

Ed wasn’t all politics, causes, and campaigning. His eclectic interests included rocks, astronomy, painting, coin collecting, and U.S. history. He truly loved the outdoors. His activities included hiking, camping, wandering around the desert, running, cycling, and skiing. He was especially fond of water swimming, kayaking, scuba, and snorkeling.

After a serious skiing injury in 1994, which left him a paraplegic, Ed didn’t slow down. He continued to travel, making many trips to his beloved desert, to Mexico, and to the East Coast and the Central Valley to see family. Sometimes, these were solo activities, but they were often done with lovers and friends.

Ed enjoyed cooking, a skill he learned from his mother when he was 13; barbecuing; and tending to his fruit trees. His skill at playing poker and black jack matched those of the campaign trail. One friend stated that “Ed was the kind of good friend who would laugh and snarl while emptying your wallet at the poker table.”

From his start managing the Isla Vista recycling center through a five-decade career in politics and lawmaking, Ed Maschke brought unmatched vision, tenacity, and integrity to his fight for economic justice and a cleaner environment. In all his work, Ed’s core philosophy was to leave this earth in a little better condition than he found it. His many friends are bet ter people and the world is a better place because of him.

Rich Cervantez 09/24/1968– 08/23/2024

Rich was an extraordinary partner, a rare soul whose kindness, patience, loyalty, and gentle spirit made life feel effortless and full of light. To be loved by him was to feel accepted, never judged, and to know what it means to be cherished in the purest way. His unwavering loyalty created a sense of safety and security I had never known before a feeling of home that will stay with me forever. He taught me what love is supposed to be how it uplifts, strengthens, and makes you feel most alive.

This past year without him has been the most painful and difficult time of my life, bringing moments of deep existential sorrow. Yet even in his absence, Rich’s presence has never left me. He continues to show up in countless ways: through the unwavering support of his friends, the love of his mother, the kindness of his brother, the memories we shared, and the quiet signs he sends to remind me he is near. Too many to name from the familiar scent of his cologne, to the song of a cardinal that I continued to hear for months, to the moment it finally appeared at the exact moment I asked, “Why did you leave me, Rich?” he continues to speak to me in ways that transcend this world.

Time has not diminished my love for him. If anything, it has deepened. Rich, thank you for coming into my life and for staying with me in every way that matters. My sweet, gentle love—te amo, always.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all who have carried me through this journey: my daughters, my Mom, Martha, the Bishop

crew, and my Stormi. Your love and support have kept me standing when I thought I could not.

Rich’s life was a gift, his love a blessing, and his presence a lasting light that will never fade. Your loving girlfriend, Judi Sotelo.

Dear New Directions Family, Friends, and Community,

It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that I share the news of the passing of our cherished Board member and dear friend, Wallis Annenberg, who died peacefully at her home in Los Angeles on July 28, 2025. She was 86 years old and had been courageously battling complications from lung cancer.

For nearly three decades, Wallis served as a dedicated member of the New Directions Board of Directors, joining us in 1997 with a vision that perfectly aligned with our mission. She believed deeply that people with disabilities deserve the same opportunities in life that others expect and enjoy—a conviction that guided not only her work with our organization but her extraordinary philanthropic legacy.

As a leader of the Annenberg Foundation, Wallis's generosity touched countless lives and transformed communities. Her recent support for recovery efforts following the devastating January 2025 Southern California Wildfires exemplified

her immediate response to human need.

At New Directions, Wallis was more than a Board member; she was a champion for our travelers and a steadfast believer in the transformative power of travel experiences for people with developmental disabilities. She gifted hundreds upon hundreds of travel scholarships as she understood that our programs do far more than provide vacations—they expand selfesteem, open new worlds of understanding, and help create a society where people with disabilities are increasingly understood, appreciated, and accepted as important contributing members of our world.

Wallis's warmth, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to social justice will forever remain part of New Directions & DNA. Her legacy lives on in every journey our travelers take, every moment of joy and discovery our programs create, and every barrier we continue to break down together.

We extend our deepest condolences to the Annenberg family during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to organizations serving people with disabilities or supporting the arts—causes that were so dear to Wallis's heart.

New Directions will be honoring Wallis's life and her contributions to New Directions at our upcoming 40 th Anniversary gathering in the Spring of 2026.

Wallis Annenberg leaves behind a world made better by her presence, her generosity, and her unwavering belief in human dignity and possibility. We are forever grateful to have called her our friend, our Board member, and our inspiration.

With love and in celebration of a life beautifully lived,

Dee Duncan Founder, New Directions for People with Disabilities, Inc.

New Directions for People with Disabilities, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing high-

quality travel vacations and holiday programs for adults with mild to moderate developmental disabilities. Founded on the belief that people with disabilities deserve the same opportunities in life that others expect and enjoy, our programs create profound enrichment and expand understanding between people of all abilities.

Ralph Minc 09/09/1945 – 07/04/2025

Ralph Minc, longtime Santa Barbara local, passionate athlete, loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully on July 4, 2025, at the age of 79.

Ralph was born in Tayport, Scotland, to Catherine Duncan Minc and Hendryk Minc. In 1958, the family moved to British Columbia, then to Gainesville, Florida, and finally settled in Santa Barbara in 1963 when Ralph’s father joined the UCSB math department as a professor.

Ralph graduated from Santa Barbara High, where he was a standout basketball player, and later earned his degree from UCSB. He married Vicki Johnson in 1980, and they raised one son, Jeff.

Ralph was an exceptional athlete and loved sports of all kinds. He started his tennis career as Assistant Tennis Pro at La Cumbre Country Club and later became the Head Pro at Montecito Country Club, where he worked for three

decades before retiring. He also taught volleyball clinics at East Beach and played in countless tournaments, racking up trophies and friends along the way.

Ralph had a passion for travelling the world with family and friends—he especially looked forward to annual vacations in Hanalei Bay, Kauai.

Ralph is survived by his wife, Vicki; his son, Jeff; daughter-in-law, Sarah; and grandchildren, Cameron and Madison. He was predeceased by his parents and his two brothers, Robert and Raymond.

A celebration of Ralph’s life will be held Sunday, September 7th at 2:00 PM on the upper lawn of the Montecito Club, where Ralph ran the Men’s National Grass Court Tournament for many years. Everyone is welcome.

Kymberly Rose (Speciale) Merritt

10/23/1980– 08/14/2024

Kymberly Rose (Speciale) Merritt passed away from liver failure on August 14, 2024, in Iowa City, Iowa. Kymberly “Rosie” was preceded in death by her parents, Kimberly and David M. Speciale and her grandmother Allegra Gunning, all of Santa Barbara.

She is survived by her husband, Nick Merritt; her son, Braden Howell; daughter, Athena Merritt, her brother; David (Malia) Speciale; stepmother, Barbara Speciale; stepsister, Jennifer Anderson; and many uncles, aunts, and cousins throughout the country

As time passes, the memory of Rosie’s infectious laughter, humor, and unwavering love remain in our hearts each and everyday.

Rosie is lovingly remembered by her family and friends

Wallis Annenberg

Verna "Val" Gazdecki 06/09/1926 – 08/19/2024

Born June 9, 1926, into a large and loving ItalianAmerican family, “The Valentines,” Verna “Val” Gazdecki brought light, laughter, and loyalty into every corner of her long and remarkable life. She grew up in New York and Michigan, graduating from Fordson High School where she excelled both academically and athletically as a member of the swim team and as a cheerleader. She loved music, dancing, and attending performances by the big bands, including Glenn Miller, Tex Beneke, and Tommy Dorsey.

As a young woman who loved to sing, she caught the attention of actress Martha Raye, who invited her to join her as a vocalist, but she declined believing that her mother would worry about her living the life of an entertainer always on the road.

Her career was as wideranging as her interests. She excelled in sales, auditing, and teaching IBM systems; served as Executive Director for the Michigan Chapter of ALSAC (St. Jude’s Research Hospital); and ran the largest volunteer campaign office for President Nixon’s reelection.

Val married the love of her life, George Gazdecki, whom she referred to as “the man among the boys,” and together they raised four children—Jim, Tom, Tina, and Glenn. She taught them to be kind to others and to themselves; to always do their best; and to remember that sometimes you must walk alone to do what is right.

For them, she created and maintained an

immaculate, beautiful, welcoming home, prepared delectable meals, served as a Room Mother at school, and showed up as a devoted fan at Little League games. A frequent hostess, she entertained with grace and style, often including those who might otherwise be overlooked.

At home, in Military Hills, Michigan where she and George raised their children, and later in Ormond Beach, Florida, where they enjoyed happy retirement years, Val was admired by her neighbors for her outgoing personality and sense of style in both fashion and entertaining. After George’s passing, she moved to Santa Barbara to be near sons Jim and Glenn, where she spent the last 23 years of her life enjoying bridge and gin rummy, a nightly cocktail and See’s chocolates, and the frequent company of family and friends.

Val had a special affection for the Chumash people and was totally committed to their success with the Santa Ynez casino. In turn, they embraced her warmly, sending a driver, David, each week to bring her to the casino, and arranging multi-day stays— courtesy of her beloved handler, Consuela. It is only fitting that talk persists of a life-sized statue of Val, inscribed “Our Lady of the Slots,” gracing the casino entrance.

She lived the last year and a half at Casa St. James in Bel Air Knolls, where she received incomparable, loving care from Asel Telman and her staff. Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren hold Val in the highest regard, and with love mark the one-year anniversary of her passing from our sight.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to her loyal friend Totsie Best, the compassionate professionals of Central Coast Hospice, and her dedicated physicians, Dr. Joel Brandt and Dr. John Kunz.

She earned her long-

sought recognition as The Big Winner and is now at home in the Big Casino in the Sky. Her spirit, humor, and example will remain with us always.

Robert J. Freyer

07/03/1954 – 07/03/2025

Robert J. Freyer was born on July 3, 1954, in Omak, WA to Dora Faye (Wilson) Freyer and Robert “Dusty” Freyer. He was the second of six children. He and his siblings fondly recall raising bunnies, chickens, hogs, and horses. They were always close, got into mischief, and still love to tell a story. The family farmed while Dusty worked with horses, riding rodeo professionally until the children were older, and they settled in Central Washington. Rob graduated from Grandview High School where he ran track as a Greyhound. He went onto Washington State University and studied Landscape Architecture. Shortly after graduation, he married his high school sweetheart Cheryl Ann Bass. The two then moved to Longview, WA and the couple had three children: Amy Marie (1981), Michael James (1984), and Kimberly Lynn (1986).

Professionally Rob worked for a company that distributed tire store supplies, C & H Wholesale. He eventually took over the business, renaming it Freyer Equipment & Supply. He drove all around Western Washington and Oregon supplying tire stores with valve stems, wheel weights, and other equipment. Before the children were school aged, Rob loved taking them on his delivery route. Boarding the truck, affectionately called ‘The White Whale,’

Rob and his young apprentice would make a few business stops, get a special breakfast (his favorite was at the local Pancake House), and chat with all the friends Dad had across the state. As everyone grew up, his entire family fondly recalls sorting inventory and managing the desk at his shop. Rob punctuated his working hours with quick naps, fueling his long hours, and could sleep soundly anywhere, abet for a short time. He would also frequently stop for a slice of pie à la mode (he loved recommending diners and pie flavors to anyone headed to the Pacific Northwest).

In addition to his professional pursuits, Rob was an active member and longtime Deacon of Calvary Community Church. He was a constant fan (and frequent coach) to his son Michael’s sporting pursuits, a follower of his daughter Amy' s cheerleading, and a proud supporter of daughter Kim's theater. On the weekends Rob enjoyed a hot breakfast and especially loved making pancakes, he delighted in family road trips (and taking the road less traveled), and he loved family camping trips recalling native flora and fauna years after studying it at W.S.U.

As the children dispersed to college, life took him in a new direction and he and Cheryl went their separate ways. Rob sold Freyer Equipment, moved to Vancouver, WA and went to work for 6 Robblees. After a few years, he retired and moved to the Central Coast of California. He chose to live within driving distance of his daughter Amy's family and his son Michael's family.

Rob's retirement was an active and social one. He loved golf, pool, motorcycles, and live music. He helped neighbors mend fences, repair plumbing, and move furniture. Rob was a pool champion and a car enthusiast. He built a close community of friends who shared meals,

wine, and conversation. He found great joy in spending time with his children and grandchildren. He playfully road carousels, practiced mutton bustin’, and delighted in babysitting requests. Not only did he impart love; he modeled it for the next generations of his family.

An optimist, Rob had lived with aggressive cancer for more than twelve years and never stopped fighting. He was traveling, cooking, cheering on the Dodgers, attending bible study, and visiting grandkids in his final months. He passed away with the hands of his family on him as the sun set on his 71st birthday. Rob lived as a poet, choosing his birthday to move into the next chapter. Rob was predeceased in death by his parents and his brother Rex. He is survived by three of his brothers: David (Lucy), Curt (Wanda), and Joseph (Michele) as well as his sister Karen. His children Amy (Marshall), Michael (Cristina), and Kimberly (Shion) survive him as do his grandchildren Elenora Miller, Ernest Miller, and Jacob Freyer.

Rob is buried at the Santa Barbara Cemetery, in the Sunrise Urn Garden. A memorial service will be held at All Saints by-theSea Episcopal Church on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at 11 AM (83 Eucalyptus Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108). A reception will be held immediately after.

Splashing.

AGING AC T IVE

f there’s one thing I’ve learned from putting together this issue of Active Aging, it’s that life doesn’t stop at 65 in many ways, it’s just the beginning.

You’ll see what I mean as you dive into this special edition, where you’ll meet senior hockey players redefining what it means to age actively, and LGBTQ+ elders who recognize that social connection is just as vital as physical health.

You might also be surprised to learn that poetry isn’t just for younger generations it can be a powerful outlet for creativity at any stage of life. Above all, you’ll come away with the sense that aging is a journey worth celebrating.

—Tiana Molony

Viva! See Rose Go, Go, Go.

Rose is fiercely independent. She has things to do, and places to go.

“My body is 96, but my brain is 50,” says Rose.

“Thanks to a walker and cane from VNA Health’s Loan Closet ... I can do anything ... it just takes me a little bit longer.”

We Need Your Help

VNA Health’s Loan Closet is our community’s only resource that provides wheelchairs, walkers, canes, shower chairs, and more — free of charge — to those recovering from illness, surgery, or injury.

Will you help someone like Rose keep moving, keep living well, and keep doing it her way?

Please Donate Today

Your gift to the Loan Closet helps people of all ages live independently with dignity, joy, and freedom.

 Give the gift of mobility.

 Give the gift of independence.

 Give today: vna.health/loancloset25

See Rose meet Natalia Treviño, our Spirit of Fiesta 2025.

PHOTO BY EMILY HART-ROBERTS

Hockey for Life

It’s a regular Thursday evening, and 64-year-old Santa Barbara urologist David Laub just finished a day of surgery. After a long shift, most might opt for a quiet night in, perhaps spent on the couch in front of the television. Not Laub. Instead, he’s at Ice in Paradise playing pickup hockey with a group of older guys whose love for the game outweighs any desire for rest.

“I can tell you, I might be exhausted after a day at work,” Laub admits, “but then go to the rink to play hockey. I may be really tired going into the rink, but I’ll get the energy, and then I’ll feel really invigorated afterward.”

Laub is just one of roughly three dozen players older than 60 who are members of Ice in Paradise’s Adult Hockey League, which welcomes men and women over 18 but has become a haven for players decades beyond that age.

Because the program is open to players across all skill levels, the league is divided into skillbased divisions to ensure fairness. “That way there’s something for everyone, wherever your skill level is,” explains Ice in Paradise’s Adult Hockey Director Joe Dionisio. This means a 74-year-old might be skating shoulder to shoulder with someone 40 years his junior.

much is true for 74-year-old Douglas Okamoto, a Japanese Canadian-American, who learned to skate on an ice rink in his backyard almost 70 years ago. “I graduated from my backyard to pond hockey on a frozen lake,” he recalls. While the physical aspect of the game is a driving force for the older players, the camaraderie that comes with playing a team sport in older age is priceless. Over time, the locker room banter and rink-side conversations have become lifelines for players navigating the quieter chapters of midlife and retirement.

“It’s a chance to socialize,” reflects goalie Roger Hemman, 64, who had just returned from the annual Snoopy’s Senior World Hockey Tournament in Santa Rosa. “And what’s one of the most valuable things to me is, I’m socializing with people of all generations.”

At Ice in Paradise, Players over 60 Prove That Age Is Just Another Number On the Scoreboard

by Tiana Molony Photos by Ingrid Bostrom

The range of participants is surprisingly wide, with many players in their fifties, sixties, and even early seventies a fact that might seem surprising, but isn’t. Senior hockey is a big enough scene that tournaments like the annual Snoopy’s Senior World Hockey Tournament attract players from across the country. Ice in Paradise even hosts its own annual Presidents’ Day senior tournament, welcoming players from all over the United States to compete in over-50, over-60, and over-70 divisions. Even 80-year-old Jack Norqual, Ice in Paradise’s primary benefactor, hits the rink for the over-70 games.

For the older players in the adult league, the rink isn’t just a place to stay fit it’s a way of life. Some have been skating for so long that they can’t remember a time without hockey. That

Okamoto agrees: “It keeps you active mentally. And nowadays, that’s how I socialize.”

Norqual Chair Emeritus at Ice in Paradise spent 22 years on the U.S.A. Hockey board. Though he lives in Minnesota during the summer, he returns each winter to his home in Montecito. In Santa Barbara, the 80-yearold can often be found at the rink twice a week, lacing up for Thursday night pickup hockey with a group affectionately known as “The Boyz of Santa Barbara.”

Even as one of the oldest players out there, he’s still going strong. Like the other players, what keeps him coming back, above all, is his teammates. As he puts it, “The friendships have really kept me going and to keep me playing…. Hockey is a game of great camaraderie.”

If you’ve watched hockey or attended a high-level game, you might wonder why or in this case, how someone would choose to keep playing such a physically demanding sport in their later years. The hockey that probably first comes to mind involves excessive pushing, shoving, and, sometimes, blood-stained ice. While traditional hockey especially in the NHL often condones and even celebrates full contact, all leagues at Ice in Paradise are “non-checking,” meaning body checks are illegal.

gym to maintain peak physical fitness motivated by the notion that staying active outside of hockey enables them to continue playing in old age.

Many of the older players hit the rink regularly for pickup and league games. The pickup games, which occur on numerous days a week across different groups, are more casual than the league games. “It’s a friendly game without referees,” explains Laub. “But it can get a little chippy here and there, but we all enjoy each other.”

At one of the Thursday night pickups, a few players in their seventies and sixties are joined by some players in their late forties and late thirties. The older folks appreciate playing with younger people to maintain the game’s speed. As 74-year-old David Chancey reminds me, the tempo of the game matters. “Everybody likes playing with the speed of the game,” he says. “If you get too many old guys, it’s too slow.”

While there are cuts and bruises here and there, and Laub having to “stitch a few people up in the locker room,” serious injuries are rare, though, like in any sport, inevitable. That held true when, in December 2023, Okamoto collided with a goalie, resulting in a collapsed lung. He was subsequently rushed to the hospital, where he made a full recovery.

However, the seemingly career-threatening injury didn’t stop him from getting back on the ice ironically, he returned better than ever. “We joke that that injury cured my COPD,” Okamoto quips.

This makes the game more enjoyable and safer for players especially the older crowd. “It’s more like basketball,” explains Dionisio. “There’s body contact, but you can’t hit someone in basketball.” Still, even without the hits, the sport does demand a high level of physical fitness.

Which is why, for many of the players older than 60 in the league, hockey is just one way they stay moving. Most of them regularly play tennis and golf and work out at the

Injuries aside, the fear of stopping, of slowing down, remains a quiet undercurrent among many of the senior players. “I mean, I’ve never not played,” admits Laub. “I’ve always been afraid that if I stop playing, I would never be able to get back into it.”

However daunting aging can be, for them, it isn’t an excuse to slow down; it’s a challenge to keep going. Chancey sees it this way: “It’s either [playing hockey] or sitting in bed watching TV.”

While their bodies may be slowing down, none of the players I spoke with have any plans to stop quite the opposite. They share a common mindset: they’ll quit only when their bodies force them to, which, for this group, is still a long way off.

“I told my wife I would take a year at a time,” Okamoto recalls. “It’s worked so far.” n

David Laub passes the puck across the ice.

From left: goalie Roger Hemman, David Chancey, David Laub, and Douglas Okamoto

This fall, we have hundreds of FREE lifelong learning classes in art, English, music, theatre, health and self-management that provide welcoming and engaging experiences for students of all levels.

SBCC School of Extended Learning offers much more than just a chance to learn. Classrooms and outdoor locations are welcoming spaces where students gather to explore new hobbies and to rediscover the joy of community, creativity, and self-expression.

We also offer beginning computer skills classes and much more!

When Friends Move Away

Inoticed the labels first. Rows and rows of stick-on labels with words like: “Kitchen,” “Living Room,” “Fragile,” “Books.” And then, of course, the cardboard boxes, most of them still empty and piled flat on the floor, awaiting fulfillment of purpose in their not-yet-assembled state.

And, of course, I notice the floor itself, in newly bare swaths, chairs shoved aside, vacancies interspersed with clutter, some scent of old pages and dust. And baskets. My friends liked baskets; many were still hanging above the sink and cupboards, while others joined a collection of baskets for the taking. (I now own one.)

As for items to be taken, there is a pile of sundry items on the washer in the back: flashlights with dead batteries, plant food, laundry detergent, garden tools and gadgets, and various objects of art or something of the sort. In our own lives, the goal has lately been to let go of things, to streamline, rather than acquire, but I succumb to the offer and abscond with a huge bottle of Woolite and a tiny flashlight that may or may not work.

I stick around for most of the kitchen packing, amazed and discouraged by the sheer number of mugs, bowls, cookware, and utensils that accumulate over the years. Now, every dish is wrapped in newspaper and bubble wrap for the long journey east, and I wonder how much of the stuff will be given away on the other end, but I recognize that some of these decisions are best deferred.

On

the Other Side of the Sadness Is Gratitude for the Memories

It’s heartwarming to see the band of friends, mostly women, who have assembled here to help. Susie assumes a leadership role, assigning everyone a specific domain and task. I am to be a “gopher,” which, as it turns out, is basically one who fetches things for others and carries packed boxes to the porch, but which, I soon realize, is the sort of job you give to a toddler to keep them occupied and out of the way when you aren’t really sure what to do with them. We are overstaffed.

by Cynthia Carbone Ward

And none of this explains the sadness and discombobulation I am feeling, the gnawing sense of vulnerability and anticipatory loss. Robin and Jim, our friends for more than 30 years, are moving from California to North Carolina to be near their children and grandchildren. It’s a wonderful and exciting change for them, an appropriate step into a new chapter of their lives, but it certainly prompts a great deal of emotion and reflection.

We were young together once stupidly, obliviously young. We were busy with kids and work, but somehow also managed to have fun in ways that would have demanded so much energy, effort, and time I don’t know how we did it.

There are snapshots of us on weekend women’s hikes Big Sur, the Pinnacles, Guadalupe dunes and visual proof that we did these things, but the mystery of how remains unsolved. I suppose that’s the magic of being young. Nothing on us hurt in those days, and we were impossibly

robust. I guess we assumed we’d always feel that way, although we didn’t really think about it.

There were also less grandiose endeavors, such as the day-to-day involvement in the community and the shared experience of being in this time and place together. There were poetry nights, potlucks, and writing group gatherings. There was Jim in his Land Cruiser (300,000 miles?), driving to the beach where Monte might already be surfing, and Robin and I were always pleased that our husbands weren’t out alone. There were toyon seedlings and book club meetings, ballots to count and issues to discuss, old tales carried on the wind and new ones arising like the weather each day. Jim and Robin were snugly woven into the vibrant tapestry of life here across the span of decades. It’s hard to picture it without them.

Now, suddenly, we are grandparents, and they are packing to move, and those of us with kids who live on the other side of the world are wishing we could do the same. We stand here, bewildered, in a changing landscape.

I left the moving scene after lunch in the garden, carrying my basket, the large jug of Woolite, and the flashlight I hope works. I turned to look back one more time at the humble little house, its contents in a jumble now, next occu-

pants unknown, then went bumping along the rutted dusty road, marveling as always at the raggedy, rustic loveliness of this place I soon won’t visit anymore.

Life doesn’t get any easier. Losses accrue, grief digs in until it is permanently lodged in your heart, and even the very framework of our nation, flawed and messy, but beautiful and aspirational, created to secure the blessings of liberty and justice even that feels shaky now. The most brazen lies masquerade as truth in the eyes of many.

I’m doing my best. Only rarely do I succumb to the urge to retreat to bed in the middle of the day with the covers over my head. (I did that once last week.) But I think we need to acknowledge those feelings and capitulate to a time out now and then, as long as we get back up.

Meanwhile, dear friends pack their things and move away, and all we can do is give them a hand, wish them well, and wonder why they had such a big bottle of Woolite. And I sound so sad, but sadness is just the other side of the joy and gratitude I feel. How many of us have the privilege of living in a community of loving friends who gather to wrap plates and pack boxes and sit beneath an arbor eating sandwiches and persimmons? Our hearts are crammed more fully than those cardboard boxes, brimming with memories and love. We travel lightly, after all and in light. n

More than boxes are packed when friends move away.

The Doctor Will Walk with You Now

Adecade ago, endocrinologist Dr. Jennifer Hone had an “Aha!” moment that altered the way she viewed her profession. She realized that while many people wanted to improve their health, they lacked structured opportunities to get moving.

Specifically, Hone became frustrated with the medical profession’s tendency to label patients as “noncompliant” when they don’t follow medical advice. “I just found that when I watched other people other teachers and students taking care of people with diabetes, that they were missing something,” she said.

by Tiana Molony

Hone’s background in endocrinology and diabetes led her to realize that traditional medical approaches often fail because they’re too strict and don’t consider patients’ individual lives and barriers. Instead, Hone believed physicians should be more handson and specific with patients about concrete changes they can take to improve their health. “We have to really understand that person’s life,” she said, “And figure out what’s important to them and then help them find ways to incrementally change in ways that help them achieve their health goals.”

This realization led Hone to develop what she thought was a nascent idea: the concept of walking with a doctor. The benefit was twofold: She could get out and support her patients, and they could get in their daily exercise. However, she quickly found out that while her idea was great, someone had already thought of it.

The program, aptly named Walk with a Doc, originated in 2005 by David Sabgir, a cardiologist from Columbus, Ohio. When Hone discovered the existing program, she decided to adopt it rather than “reinvent the wheel.” Twenty years after its inception, it’s now expanded internationally, with walks now held in every U.S. state.

In 2014, through Walk with a Doc, she introduced the program to Santa Barbara. It evolved into a community event open to everyone, regardless of health status. Hone runs the walks as a volunteer, making them inclusive and welcoming to people of all fitness levels.

Currently, the walks take place every Thursday at 6 p.m. at Shoreline Park. Attendees meet Hone in the second parking lot, farthest from the marina. She’s hard to

miss she’s usually standing next to a blue sign on the fence that reads: “Walk with a Doc.” The route begins there and continues along Shoreline Park, past the marina, and out to the jetty. The round-trip distance is approximately 3.4 miles, taking about an hour and a half to complete. “So, it’s really intended to be a way to get out and enjoy the beautiful Santa Barbara weather,” she said. “We are so fortunate, and this particular walk route is so gorgeous.”

One Thursday evening, I joined her and other walkers on the route. Hone, a fellow dog lover like myself, chose this particular spot not only for its unmatched ocean views but also for the abundance of dogs. Luckily, Hone is as dog-crazy as I am and wanted to stop and pet just about every furry friend that passed by.

What I thought might be a chat about health-related topics turned into an enjoyable conversation between two strangers getting to know each other, covering a variety of issues from our backgrounds and where we grew up to our pets and bird species, about which Hone seemed to be very knowledgeable.

While people do ask her health questions, she avoids providing specific medical recommendations. However, health topics aren’t entirely off the table. She’s comfortable discussing general health topics, such as explaining the rationale behind healthrelated news. Her approach is to encourage dialogue and help people understand health concepts, while always making it clear that she cannot and should not provide personalized medical advice during these community walks.

For 10 years, she has run the program independently, driven by her passion for helping people improve their health through movement and social interaction. It’s become a way to break down barriers, create community, and promote health through social connection, movement, and personalized support. “I feel like I get more out of it than other people do at this point,” joked Hone. “It’s a reason to get off the couch, get moving, and make friends.”

With gift planning, you can provide long-lasting support for the Museum while enjoying financial benefits for yourself.

Making your estate plan is more than just a to-do—it’s a promise to protect your loved ones, and a chance to make waves of impact on the causes that matter to you. At the Museum and Sea Center, gifts given in estate plans have often had the greatest impact on our ability to serve this community for over 100 years.

Need to learn more about wills and trusts, power of attorney, advance directives, tax considerations, and more?

For more information, contact Philanthropy Officer of Legacy Giving Andrea McFarling at amcfarling@sbnature2.org or 805-682-4711 ext. 179.

Visit sbnature.org/legacygiving TAX ID 95-1643378

A Weekly Stroll with Dr. Jennifer Hone Offers More than Exercise

Join Dr. Jennifer Hone for Thursday evening walks at Shoreline Park.

COURTESY

Aging Out Loud

When Santa Barbara–based author and poet Diana Raab started brainstorming ideas for her next project, she hit a wall and a sturdy one at that. Usually, when a writer finds themselves in that kind of rut, the most logical thing to do is turn to a trusty friend. So, that’s exactly what she did. Raab reached out to author Chryss Yost, who asked the kind of simple yet powerful question that can usually nudge any creative out of a lull: What’s been on your mind? “Well, I just turned 70,” Raab replied. “So, aging has been on my mind.” It was this conversation that ultimately led to Women in a Golden State a poetry book co-edited by Raab and Yost, featuring a collection of works by women in California who are aged 60 and beyond. Officially released on May 11, 2025, by Santa Barbara–based Gunpowder Press, the book gathers 175 poets from across the state a number chosen to mark California’s 175th anniversary including 20 poets from Santa Barbara.

New Poetry Collection Gives Older Women a Powerful Platform

by Tiana Molony

More than a showcase of talent, the book’s mission is to give older women a platform a chance for their voices to be heard. “As women age, their relationship with the world changes,” reflects Yost. She notes that women may go from being objectified or sexualized when young to feeling almost invisible. “Because,” she says, “our society doesn’t really know how to recognize the wisdom of our elders.” The book offers older women an opportunity to reclaim their power. “They’re bringing their experience to share, through whatever form their art or their creative expression takes.”

The response to their call for submissions on Submittable was immediate and overwhelming. They had to close it early after receiving more entries than expected, a sign of how many older women long for such a platform. “It provides a sense of agency and power for those who feel silenced,” Raab says. “A lot of elders feel silenced and ignored, and so it’s giving them a forum to voice their feelings.”

For Raab, this project felt like a full-circle moment. Her very first college paper, written at age 18 in a New York community college, was titled “Aging Gracefully.” “I don’t remember what was my inspiration then,” she says, “but I can just imagine that I wanted a sense of what my aging process would be like.”

Raised in an immigrant family with grandparents at home, she often heard conversations about aging and health. Today, she sees the process as “a journey” one of “constant self-discovery.” It’s that journey in all its forms that fills the pages of Women in a Golden State.

As the editors discovered, the beauty of the project lies not only in the number of voices but also in their variety. The collection brings together emerging and accomplished writers, which Raab finds “very inspiring, especially for the new poets, to be right beside very established poets.”

For many, poetry becomes a way to be heard to share wisdom, preserve legacy, and connect with others. “We wanted to give people who wanted to talk about their experience as aging women the opportunity to share their voice and to learn from each other,” Yost explains. “It wasn’t just for the readers, but it’s for the other poets as well.”

The poems and essays span subjects from love to loss, but each explores a transformative life experience. “[Older women] have a lifetime of wisdom to share,” Raab notes. It’s a sentiment Yost also carries forward, seeing poetry as a vessel that can hold that wisdom at any stage, unbound by the limits of body or place. As she says, “I think there’s a lot of wisdom within those pages.”

For more information and to purchase the book, see gunpowderpress.com.

Chryss Yost, author and co-editor of Gunpowder Press

Author and poet Diana Raab

COURTESY PHOTOS

Āyurveda and Yoga:

"The new is in the old concealed, the old is in the new revealed.”

Āyurveda & Yoga: Ancient Sciences for Contemporary Active Aging

Active aging today finds new vitality through the timeless wisdom of Āyurveda and Yoga. These ancient practices work in harmony—nurturing the body, calming the mind, and awakening the spirit. Together, they offer a path toward balance, resilience, and joyful longevity.

Āyurveda is the art of self-healing, knowledge of life and longevity, a living science that restores harmony through natural principles of diet, movement, and daily rhythm.

Yoga is the art of self-realization, uniting body and consciousness through mindful practice. It expands awareness from the physical to the spiritual, easing suffering and revealing inner strength.

Both together awaken Prana—the life force that sustains health, clarity, and vitality. Āyurveda is the healing power of Prana, Yoga is the intelligence of Prana

Āyurveda and Yoga:

The ancient sciences of all times for our active aging time

Āyurveda, Yoga, and You

Practiced together, Āyurveda and Yoga offer an enriched, vitalized path to self-care — through selfhealing and self-realization — restoring balance to mind, body, and spirit in our contemporary world.

I invite you to join me—on or off the mat—as we journey into active aging with reverence, joy, and lighthearted strength. Let’s embrace the change together.

— Rita Madlock, Director of MIE

Āyurveda and Yoga: “I’m not my body, and my body is not me.”

MIE Yoga Classes – Santa Barbara Yoga Center (sbyc.com)

Mondays 11:00 am · Saturdays 9:00 am · Instrucciones en español

Also guest teaching at YogaSoup

monkeytailintelligentexercise.com

EDUCATION

IThe Joy of Movement — and Connection

f you’re a senior or nearing that age, you’ve likely been on the receiving end of this command a thousand times: “Stay active!” While it gets old after a while and you likely want to block the relative that won’t shut up it turns out that you should probably listen to them.

How SBCC’s Health and Wellness Class Keeps Older Adults Physically and Mentally Fit

by Tiana

|

Multiple studies have demonstrated that regular physical activity provides numerous immediate and long-term benefits for adults aged 65 and older. A major study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2014 found that regular movement can significantly improve mobility and independence in older adults.

Given the well-documented benefits of staying active later in life, it’s no surprise that programs such as Santa Barbara City College’s School of Extended Learning are stepping up to support senior movement through classes such as “Health & Wellness for Older Adults: Active Body, Active Mind” (soon to be “Wellness for Older Adults” in spring 2026).

The class is unique in that it offers a workout for both the body and the mind. It’s split into two parts, with the first 50 minutes dedicated to physical movement and the last 20 minutes spent having an open discussion or activity.

Some of the key physical exercises include balance exercises, agility training, flexibility work, cardio, core and abdominal exercises, and hip openers. While the class has a primary age range of 50 to 90 years old, it’s actually open to anyone over 18 in the community, even though it’s listed under the older adult section. Minors can also enroll with the consent of their parent or school.

“The class is designed for individuals of all fitness levels,” says Michelle Checketts, who teaches the Tuesday sessions and will be taking over the Thursday classes in the fall. The other instructor, Sally Saenger, teaches the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday sessions. “And it’s adaptable to students of all abilities,” Checketts continues, “but we also get a really good workout in.”

While most of the class is focused on movement, Checketts says the discussion portion is just as substantial as the physical part. It’s during these conversations that participants not only discuss health-related topics but also share personal stories about their lives. She noted that participants really enjoy this portion of the class, with some students saying they’ve met new people, learned new things from each other, and even started meeting for lunch after class.

“It’s really a fun place,” she says. “That’s one of the best things about it…. I think we’re all excited to see each other every week and hear what happened the week before and just reconnect.”

Checketts, who has been teaching at SBCC for five years, brings a wealth of experience to the table. Before joining the college, she worked as a health dietitian at UCSB. As an instructor of the Health & Wellness class, she draws on her background as a registered dietitian, certified yoga instructor, and holder of a master’s degree in public health. It’s not just the students who benefit from the class; Checketts notes that she usually walks away from each session having gained valuable insight herself. “I feel like I learn something every time I teach it,” she reflects. “Because it’s just so encompassing, and there’s so much to learn.” She sometimes saves notes that students have written to remind herself why she teaches and to recall the positive impacts she’s making.

In the end, the lessons her students take away matter as much as the ones she imparts. “I think the joy of movement, and then the joy of connection, is what keeps me teaching it and enjoying teaching it and hoping I can do it for many, many years to come.”

Molony

Photos by David Kafer

Michelle Checketts leads SBCC’s Health & Wellness for Older Adults

Participants use weights to build muscle and maintain physical strength.

Balance exercises build strength and stability.

Peripheral neuropathy often causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and the most debilitating bal- ance problems. This damage is commonly caused by a lack of blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet which will cause the nerves to begin to slowly degenerate due to lack of nutrient flow.

As you can see in Figure 1, as the blood vessels that surround the nerves become diseased they shrivel up which causes the nerves to not receive the nutrients to continue to survive. When these nerves begin to “die” they cause you to have bal ance problems, pain, numb- ness, tingling, burning, and many additional symptoms.

Figure 1: Notice the very small blood vessels surrounding each nerve.

Eating Lunch with Santa Barbara’s Gay and Lesbian Seniors

by Callie Fausey

Photos by Ingrid Bostrom

At Jill’s Place on Santa Barbara Street, a gaggle of gays and lesbians files into a corner booth to eat lunch.

The diner’s menus receive momentary glances between observations about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community and how so much has changed and yet so much has stayed the same.

Most of them exited the closet decades ago. Everyone is older than 50.

“I’m gonna change it up and have the French dip,” proclaims Hathor Hammett, a 78-year-old lesbian who refuses to go by “gay” or any other term. It’s an interesting contrast with the young LGBTQ community now, who use terms like “queer” and “gay” interchangeably, and who lovingly, or at least jokingly, call each other “faggots” and “dykes.”

Hammett is a member of the Lavender Elders group, created for LGBTQ seniors and organized through the Pacific Pride Foundation (PPF), who meet every other Thursday for lunch and community.

“We fought like hell for that word [lesbian] to be included,” she notes, slightly hunched over the table, with an expression that says “I look tougher than I am” and “You might never guess I’m a sweetheart who makes masks for Solstice and sings at the bedsides of the dying.”

“I am not gay,” she declares. “I am a lesbian.”

Another woman at the table pipes up, “Sometimes I can say I’m gay,” Gina Vansteyn, 64, adds. “I’m a woman that loves another woman. I’m a woman that stands up. I’m a woman who cares about everybody.”

Bites of history and love lives and preferences and opinions and praise for Chappell Roan bounce around the booth in strings of conversations.

The group includes Philip Prinz (who introduced himself as “Prince Philip,” one L), 76, and his husband, Kent Hanson, 63 they are the only couple. Sitting next to them is Michael Downey, 78. And clustered near Hammett and Vansteyn is Gail S., 74, and Yasmin Adawi, 65.

The conversation’s appetizer includes personal anecdotes, such as Vansteyn’s secret “lesbian friend” at Dos Pueblos High School back in the ’70s. She flashes a selfsatisfied smirk at the mention of their clandestine picnics behind the school.

“We spent a lot of time out in the field smoking pot, drinking, and kissing…” she pauses, then adds, “…whoever.” Again, that smirk.

After a tumultuous life of love, including her first marriage to a man and losing her wife, Diane, to cancer, Vansteyn’s now seeing a young woman she met on a dating app, whom she gushes over. “She’s a model,” she tells me at lunch with a coy smile.

Gail S. is also a widow. She grew up in Santa Barbara

The Lavender Elders group, with only some members pictured here from their first August meeting, get together every other Thursday for lunch and community. (L-R, back row): Michael Downey, Kent Hanson, PPF Operations Manager Carlos Mendez, Philip Prinz, Ron Alexander. (L-R, front row): Yasmin Adawi, PPF Director of Programs Deja Cabrera Hartley, and Gina Vansteyn.

and met her partner when she moved up north to get her law degree. “Neither of us was the wife. Neither of us was the husband. I took out the garbage, but she killed the bugs,” she laughs.

They were together for a long time, and after gay marriage was legalized (nationwide in 2015), they tied the knot and moved back to Santa Barbara for retirement. Sadly, her wife died of a stroke only one and a half years into their marriage.

“I was barely used to using the word ‘married,’ ” she says. “But I’m a resilient person. I don’t necessarily feel like a senior as I’m sure many people at this table would say but here I am just figuring out what I want to do next with my life, as a part of this group. I am lavender; I am an elder.”

Pride in the Past

That was in July, when I first had the pleasure of meeting and learning about this incredible group of people. The Lavender Elders are vibrant and overflowing with stories some sad; some frightening; some powerful; some funny; some full of love and hope; some all of the above. While most members have been out for decades, the group has also adopted people who came out later in life, only once their forehead developed wrinkles and their hair grayed.

They reminisced about the long-lost days of gay bars in Santa Barbara, many of which closed down in the early 2000s. Hammett favored a lesbian bar called the Odyssey, and Vansteyn recalled when the Independent used to run “Man Seeking Man” or “Woman Seeking Woman” dating ads back in the day.

Despite a healthy gay scene in town, the last bar standing that could be considered something akin to a gay bar is Wildcat Lounge, which has kept up its long-standing tradition of hosting LGBTQ nights every Sunday. Drag queens frequent the joint, men dance with men, and women flirt with women while classic pop songs play in the background.

In a 2007 Independent article, Hannah

Tennant-Moore praised the Wildcat in the context of the disappearance of local gay bars like Trackside, The Pub, Gold Coast, Chameleon, Fathom, Revival, and Hades in the decade prior.

“I don’t know what the deal is,” promoter Robert Mendez, who started Wildcat Sundays, told Moore at the time. “It’s so funny [that a full-time gay bar can’t survive here]. There’s a huge gay scene.”

Moore thought that the casualties could likely be chalked up to finances, or potentially homophobic staff at some bars’ gay nights. But that was 2007. Much has changed.

Young queer people nowadays don’t have as great of a need for designated spaces to meet one another, the Lavender Elders mused. They can set their online dating profiles to match their sexual preferences. Some people basically scream their sexualities from the rooftops, or at least put the corresponding pride flag in their bios on Instagram.

“They’re not experiencing the fear of getting beaten up that some of us sitting at this table felt,” Gail noted. However, she added that amid the current political climate, queer people still cannot let their guard down. “We’re in a town that’s always been a lot about tolerance, but even so, we can’t be complacent.”

“I came out in ’68,” Hammett chimed.

“There was nothin’ for us. I mean, nothing. You were lucky if you didn’t get killed. You could actually get arrested for being a lesbian.”

That was before the majority of U.S. States had decriminalized homosexuality, which was only fully decriminalized in 2012. It was before Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in U.S. History, won his seat on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors in 1977.

It was before the Atascadero State Hospital on the Central Coast stopped prescribing “gay aversion” therapy treatments for gay men (labeled as sexual deviants).

It was before the AIDS epidemic swept through the country beginning in 1982 something the Lavender Elders remember well.

Many of the lesbian women at the

golf fitPLAY LONGER. LIVE STRONGER.

Created and led by Dr. Art Van Leuven, PT, DPT, ATC

TPI Level 3 Medical Certified, Nike NG360 Golf Performance Specialist, and K-Coach Certified

GolfFit is a safe, golf-specific fitness program that helps you stay mobile, pain-free, and confident on the course as you age.

The Lavender Elders group painted sunsets after lunch during their first August meeting.

What is a Certified Senior Housing Professional?

As a Certified Senior Housing Professional (CSHP) — one of only seven in California — I specialize in helping older adults and their families navigate the complexities of housing transitions. Whether downsizing, choosing to age in place, or moving to a senior living community, I offer guidance that goes beyond traditional real estate services. My

approach considers not only the practical steps, but also the emotional and lifestyle factors that make these decisions so important.

An overview of my services includes:

• Personalized Housing Guidance

• Selling and Buying Support

• Downsizing and Decluttering Assistance

• Move Management and Transition Services

• Advocacy and Emotional Support

Empowerment through Education Seminars

August 12:

Staying in Control: Communicating with adult children

September 9:

Downsizing and Decluttering: Tips to Simplify Your Life

October 14:

Successful Aging: What Can We Learn from the Blue Zones

November 11:

Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Knowledge, Compassion, and Support

December 9:

Holiday Surprise: Unwrap the Unexpected!

“I attend Terri’s seminars regularly and always learn something new - even when the topic might not apply to me!” - D.R.

table could vividly recount their experiences helping AIDS patients. Lesbians played a vital and often overlooked role in caregiving and advocacy, particularly for gay men with AIDS, as lesbians were seen as the lowest-risk category for the disease “use that as a party pickup line,” Gail joked. Doctors and healthcare providers were hesitant or downright refused to provide care for HIV patients, whether that be for fear of infection or just straight-up prejudice.

“Many of us [lesbians] were separatists,” Hammett recounted. “We really didn’t do anything with the [gay] men at all, and that was fine with everybody. And then AIDS hit.”

At their August meeting, this topic was the main entree, alongside the Chipotle catered to the PPF headquarters on Anacapa Street. Some stories were hard to swallow.

“I remember just watching the life drain out of them,” Vansteyn said, choking up. She compared it to the early days of COVID with the fear, the unknowing, and the misinformation.

Ron Alexander, 76, joined the group for the August lunch. “I’m trying to think of when I first tested positive for HIV,” he said as soon as we sat down to speak, following the group’s post-lunch painting session.

Our Store is Celebrating 5 Years with this Amazing Team!

Alexander gently put down his mini canvas and paintbrush, his half-painted sunset of yellows, purples, and blacks staring at the ceiling. He fixed his neat, fashionable fedora a hard thing to pull off nowadays, but he wore it well, like a cherry on top of his tall, slender frame.

After getting his doctorate in psychology at UC Santa Barbara, Alexander started his first counseling job at PPF back in the 1980s when it was a “Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counseling and Referral Center for Gay Men and Lesbians,” then called Western Addiction Services Program.

During the epidemic, PPF provided multiple services, including free, anonymous HIV testing as one of the county’s first test sites; HIV education and prevention; and even a food pantry for lowincome HIV-positive people and their families.

When Alexander worked as a counselor, he spoke to a lot of men with AIDS, but as an HIV-positive man, he inevitably had very personal experiences with the disease, as well.

He described meeting Michael Gonzales who started Santa Barbara’s famous Summer Solstice Parade at The Pub, one of Santa Barbara’s bygone gay bars. They dated for six years, before eventually going their separate ways. But they

in our 10 th Year

Your trusted partner in life’s biggest transitions. Complete solutions for downsizing, relocation, and estate sales.

Launching in the Fall...

Our newest donation supported program helping qualified lowincome seniors move with care and dignity and at no cost.

• Consign for a Cause

• Nonprofit Venue

• Disaster Relief

• Safe Moves for Seniors

• Buelton Senior Center

• Meals on Wheels

During the Lavender Elders’ painting activity, Michael Downey perused around the room to check others’ work as he carefully handled his own canvas.

remained close friends, and Alexander was by his side when Gonzales died from HIV in 1989.

Alexander, like many of the Lavender Elders, found real love, though. He met Gary, his husband, in 1987. Gary was by his side as he battled HIV, when, for the first half of Alexander’s struggle with the disease, there were no treatments. “My T-cells were going down; I thought I was going to die,” Alexander said. “So, I stopped working. And Gary supported me the entire time.” But Alexander was able to recover and grow old with Gary, who is still by his side.

Deja Hartley, PPF’s Director of Programs, mentioned that, at her age (she’s in her thirties), she remembers growing up around the same time as the epidemic, but she is now also on the frontlines of the groundbreaking PrEP medication that is used to prevent HIV.

Looking around the table, she lightheartedly added, “A lot of people don’t know that folks over 55 are sexually active,” prompting laughs and “hms” of affirmation from the group.

Pride in Its Fifties

While most corporations hung up their Pride flags as soon as the calendar flipped to July, the Lavender Elders and PPF celebrate pride year-round, and PPF prefers to host its big Pride celebration in August as to not compete with other major cities during Pride Month in June. This year, for the organization’s big 50th anniversary, the theme is “Rooted in Pride: Embracing Our Past and Empowering Our Future.”

At their first August lunch, Philip Prinz noted, “They need to do more protests across the country. There’s not enough now.”

Hartley was quick to respond, “Well, we have one big protest on Saturday, August 23, at Chase Palm Park, from 11 to 7,” referring to the Pride Festival. “Pride is a protest, honey.”

Julio C. Roman, the executive director of PPF, wanted to host a celebration that honored the members who paved the way for the organization. Prior to Roman taking the helm last year, he said the Lavender Elders had been on a hiatus for about a year and sought to revive the group.

“They’re a treasure trove of stories and lessons,” he said. “Many elders have been longtime members of PPF — as the new ED, I’ve been getting a lot of advice, some solicited, some unsolicited,” he laughed. “They have an unfiltered lens on life.”

The Lavender Elders started more than 30 years ago with potlucks at a local church, and have welcomed many vivacious, kind people in the time since. For context, lavender, both the color and the flower, is a long-standing symbol of queer culture and resistance, particularly within the lesbian community.

The group helps fill the gap for older people in the community who may not be able to attend social events, parties, and festivals. It counters concerns around social isolation for LGBTQ people older than 50, who are twice as likely to be single and live alone.

According to the National Institutes of Health, selfpride and community connection are associated with positive outcomes for older LGBTQ people, including higher quality of life and lower internalized homophobia.

Prinz and his husband, Kent Hanson, love being a part of Lavender Elders. They moved from San Francisco to Santa Barbara three years ago, and the group has been “very important for us, particularly as newcomers and particularly being queer, to get involved in the community,” Prinz said.

But most of the group is still active in the community in other ways, as well. Prinz is a part of the Santa Barbara

Gay Men’s Chorus, which is hosting a Pride Cabaret on Thursday, August 21, and 7:30 p.m. (the night of this story’s publication). Michael Downey wrote and performed a one-person play called The War Shirt at Marjorie Luke Theater, which was about achieving closure with his father when he died in 1994 and his “reflections on my sexuality as a gay African American man coming into adulthood amid the turbulent events of the 1960s,” Downey said. And Hathor Hammett, alongside making masks for Solstice and singing in the Threshold Choir, has volunteered for the Santa Barbara’s rape crisis center and sat on the board of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee for a decade, among other things.

“Almost as soon as we moved here, somehow, Philip found out about it [the Lavender Elders]. It’s been great,” Hanson said. “You know, it’s always been a little group, but I think it’s growing, and with Deja [Hartley] at the helm, it’s really getting more structured.”

Find out more about the Lavender Elders and Pacific Pride Foundation’s upcoming events at pacificpridefoundation.org.

Kent Hanson (left), 63, and his husband, Philip Prinz (right), 76, moved to Santa Barbara three years ago and have become incredibly fond of the Lavender Elder’s biweekly lunches.

PPF Operations Manager Carlos Mendez

The Lavender Elders are called that because lavender, both the color and the flower, is a long-standing symbol of queer culture and resistance, particularly within the lesbian community and the broader LGBTQ+ movement.

If you or loved ones experience poor circulation, numbness, or pain in the feet or legs, these could be signs of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) –a common yet sometimes overlooked circulatory condition.

Join us for a free virtual discussion on PAD to:

• Identify common risk factors

• Recognize warning signs and symptoms

• Learn strategies for prevention and treatment

• Q&A

Tuesday, September 23

4 – 5 p.m.

REGISTER AT:

cottagehealth.org/heartmtd

I

THURSDAY 8/21

Rubin Observatory

8/21: Free Talk: New Frontiers in Astronomy Powered by the Rubin Observatory Join Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) Senior Scientist Rachel Street, PhD; Postdoctoral Fellows Katarzyna Kruszynska, PhD; Carrie Holt, PhD; and PhD student Joseph Farah to explore the many ways that the new Rubin Observatory in Chile is contributing to new frontiers in the field of astronomy, followed by a meet-and-greet with the speakers. 7-8:30pm. Fleischmann Auditorium, S.B. Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol. Free. Call (805) 682-4711. sbnature.org/calendar

8/21-8/24: S.B. Kennel Club (SBKC) Dog Show This family-friendly and community-focused event will feature hundreds of purebred dogs competing in conformation. Learn about dog ownership, different breeds, and how amazing dogs really are. 7:30am-5pm. Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real. Free; parking: $10 (cash). Call (805) 687-0766. earlwarren.com/events

8/21: S.B. Gay Men’s Chorus (SBGMC) Presents Pride Cabaret In celebration of Pride in our community, members of the chorus will perform songs from the stage, screen, and more in an evening of solos and small ensembles. 7:30pm. The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria St. $30-$60. Call (805) 965-5400 or email boxoffice@etcsb.org. etcsb.org/whats-on/community-events

8/21-8/23: PCPA Presents Something Rotten! Follow brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom in the 1590s as they write the world’s very first musical in the shadow of that Renaissance rockstar known as “The Bard” as they realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self ... and all that jazz. 8pm, Solvang Festival Theater, 420 2nd St., Solvang. $25-$72. Call (805) 922-8313. pcpa.org/events

8/21: Trail Talks: The Mystery and Magic of the Mojave with Joshua Jackson Author Joshua Jackson will highlight his time in the Mojave Desert, drawn from his book The Enduring Wild, which documents five years exploring California’s overlooked public lands. 6:30-7:30pm. Faulkner Gallery, S.B. Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu St. Free. Call (805) 962-7653. tinyurl.com/TrailTalks-Mojave

THURSDAY

Carpinteria: 800 block of Linden Ave., 3-6:30pm

FRIDAY

Montecito: 1100 and 1200 blocks of Coast Village Rd., 8-11:15am

SATURDAY

Downtown S.B.: Corner of State and Carillo sts., 8am-1pm

SUNDAY

Goleta: Camino Real Marketplace, 10am-2pm

TUESDAY

Old Town S.B.: 500-600 blocks of State St., 3-6:30pm

WEDNESDAY

Solvang: Copenhagen Dr. and 1st St., 2:30-6:30pm

(805) 962-5354 sbfarmersmarket.org

FISHERMAN’S MARKET

SATURDAY

Rain or shine, meet local fishermen on the Harbor’s commercial pier, and buy fresh fish (filleted or whole), live crab, abalone, sea urchins, and more. 117 Harbor Wy., 6-11am. Call (805) 259-7476. cfsb.info/sat

FRIDAY 8/22

8/22: Jesse & Joy El Despecho Tour 2025 Los ganadores del Grammy Latino Jesse & Joy traerán su fusión de pop y folk a Santa Bárbara con canciones como “Dueles,” “¡Corre!,” “Te Esperé,” “La de la Mala Suerte,” y muchas más. Latin Grammy-winners Jesse & Joy will bring their fusion of pop and folk to S.B. with songs such as “Dueles,”“¡Corre!,” “Te Esperé,”“La de la Mala Suerte,” and more. 8pm. The Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St. $61-$187. Call (805) 963-4408. arlingtontheatresb.com

8/22-8/24: Exhibition, Reception, and Book Party: Laura Rasey Miller, Night of the Cricket Ventura County artist and author Laura Rasey Miller will show an exhibit of picture book illustrations on Friday through Sunday, and on Saturday, she will read from her 2025 children’s book, Night of the Cricket, about a cricket who refuses to become a meal and learns the power to change his destiny, followed by a book signing on Sunday. Exhibit hours: 11am-5pm; Sat.: reception and party: 3-6pm; Sun.: reading: 1pm. Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden St. Free. Call (805) 301-7857 or email hello@sbcaw.org. sbcaw.org/upcoming

8/21-8/24, 8/27: Lost Chord Guitars Thu.: Shawn Jones & the Imaginaries. $15-$20. Fri.: The Waymarkers. $20. Sat.: Wine Country Showcase Hosted by Drew Lawrence. Free Sun.: Cloudship. $15. Wed.: The Wednesday Residency Series: Tim Flannery, Keith Malloy, Chris Pelonis. $15. 1576 Copenhagen Dr., Solvang. 8pm. Ages 21+. Call (805) 331-4363. lostchordguitars.com

8/21-8/23, 8/25, 8/27: SOhO Restaurant & Music Club Thu.: Pancho and the Wizards with Hug, 9pm. $10. Ages 21+. Fri.: Flannel 101, 9pm. $10. Ages 21+. Sat.: A Very Special Evening with Pete Yorn, 8pm. $47.78 Ages 21+. Sun.: An Evening with The Waymarkers, 6pm. $15-$18. Wed.: Line Dance Night with DJ Rick, 7pm. $15. Ages 18+. 1221 State St. Call (805) 962-7776. sohosb.com

8/22: The Brewhouse Wake of the Flood (Grateful Dead cover band), 7-9:30pm. 229 W. Montecito St. Free Call (805) 884-4664. tinyurl.com/Wake-Flood-Aug22

8/22: Carhartt Family Wines Live Music 5pm. 2939 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. Free. Call (805) 693-5100. carharttfamilywines.com/eventscalendar

8/22: Carr Winery Barrel Room Sessions: NYSA, 7-9pm. 414 N. Salsipuedes St. Free. Ages 21+. Call (805) 965-7985. carrwinery.com/event

8/22-8/23 M.Special Brewing Co. (Goleta) Fri.: Looking West. Sat.: Larry Williams & the Groove. 6860 Cortona Dr., Ste. C, Goleta. 7-9pm. Free Call (805) 968-6500. mspecialbrewco.com

8/22-8/23: M.Special Brewing Co. (S.B.) Fri.: Danny Vista. Sat.: Super Dynamo. Free. 634 State St. 8-10pm. Call (805) 308-0050. mspecialbrewco.com

8/22-8/24: Maverick Saloon Fri.: Pull The Trigger, 8:30pm. Sat.: The Jimi Nelson band, 8:30pm. Sun.: Jimi Nelson, 3-7pm. 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez. 8:30-11:30pm. Call (805) 686-4785. Ages 21+. mavericksaloon.com/eventcalendar

8/23: brewLAB Beau James Wilding, Maya Lumen, 5-8pm. 4191 Carpinteria Ave. #8, Carpinteria. Free. Email beauherenow@gmail.com tinyurl.com/brewLAB-Aug23

8/23-8/24: Cold Spring Tavern Sat.: Sage City Band. Sun.: Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan. 5995 Stagecoach Rd. 1:30-4:30pm. Free. Call (805) 967-0066. coldspringtavern.com

8/23-8/24: Hook’d Bar and Grill Sat.: The Roots Rockers, 4-7pm. Sun.: Nate Latta & The Tailgaters, 1-4pm. 116 Lakeview Dr., Cachuma Lake. Free. Call (805) 350-8351. hookdbarandgrill.com/music-onthe-water

8/24: Longoria Wines Live Music, 3-5pm. 732 State St. Free. Call (805) 679-5158. tinyurl.com/Longoria-Live

8/24: Solvang Festival Theater

Soul Majestic, 3pm. 420 2nd St., Solvang. $37. Call (805) 686-1789. solvangtheaterfest.org/showlisting

Kahn

Publisher & Author of Shelter Books Joined by Straw Bale Builder & Author

Sunday, September 7th, 6:30 pm, • Donations $10

Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop, (SBCAW) 631 Garden St Santa Barbara, CA 93101

“Shelter is more than a roof over your head”

• A beautiful presentation & convsation of years of alternative building knowledge

• Shelter Publications is a 50-yearold independent publishing company known for its high-quality books about home building

Also, a special ALL-DAY Immersion with Lloyd Kahn & Bill Steen, joined by 3 local Natural Builders, at a beautiful outdoor location with natural building examples. Learn from the best! Lunch provided. SAT, Sept 6, 9:30am-5pm

EVENTBRITE: Lloyd Kahn & Bill Steen Together! $100 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lloyd-kahn-bill-steen-together-tickets-1538957656779

Hosted by Santa Barbara Permaculture Network www.sbpermaculture.org • Contact: Margie@sbpermaculture.org

Bill Steen

Lloyd Kahn

8/22: UCSB A&L Movie Night at the Sunken Garden: Marley and Me Bring low-back chairs, breathable blankets, and a picnic to enjoy music and win prizes from K-LITE’s Catherine Remak and connect with the team from Therapy Dogs of S.B. followed by a screening of the 2008 film Marley and Me (rated PG) about a newly married couple and the chaos caused by their yellow Lab. 8:30pm. Sunken Gardens, S.B. County Courthouse, 1100 Anacapa St. Free. Call (805) 893-3535. artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/events

SATURDAY

8/23

8/23: El Flaco & Julio Preciado Luis Ángel Franco Rivera, “El Flaco”, y Julio Preciado, ambos originarios del estado de Sinaloa, México, llevarán su música mariachi, banda, corridos y norteña a S.B. Luis Ángel Franco Rivera, “El Flaco,” and Julio Preciado, both originally from the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, will bring their mariachi, banda, corridos, and norteño music to S.B. 8pm. The Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St. $61-$187. Call (805) 963-4408. arlingtontheatresb.com

8/23: Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf

See a screening of the 2024 documentary Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf, which follows the journey of the iconic rock band Steppenwolf from their early days in Germany and Toronto to their rise to fame in the 1960s. The film will be followed by a Q&A with John Kay and Nick St. Nicholas, front man and guitarist of the band. Proceeds will benefit the Maue Kay Foundation to support individuals and organizations engaged in the protection of wildlife, the environment, and human rights. 7pm. Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. GA: 30; premium: $75. Call (805) 963-0761. lobero.org

8/23: Sea Center: Free Face-Painting and Temporary Tattoos Children are invited to have their face painted and get temporary tattoos while visiting the Sea Center, courtesy of Sunny Smiles Dentistry. 11am-2pm. S.B. Museum of Natural History Sea Center, 211 Stearns Wharf. Free-$15. Call (805) 962-2526. sbnature.org/calendar

SUNDAY 8/24

8/24: The Sanctuary Explore different modalities of healing and wellness, including intuitive sessions and workshops (for purchase), vendors, a raffle, and more. You can book sessions prior to arrival. 11am-4pm. Craft House at Corque, 420 Alisal Rd., Solvang. Free. Email info@thesanctuarysyv.com thesanctuarysyv.com

MONDAY

TUESDAY 8/26

8/25: AI for Everyone Artificial intelligence is not just for techies or coders. Students, parents, artists, entrepreneurs, gamers, or storytellers can explore, create, and discover what’s possible with artificial intelligence with creators of Coastal Intelligence Jim Stearne, Mike Wald, and Mark Sylvester. RSVP online. 5-6:30pm. Faulkner Gallery, S.B. Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu St. Free Email coastlineintelligence.ai/events tinyurl.com/AI-4Everyone-Aug25

8/26: S.B. Parks & Rec Older Adults

Clubs: Chess Club All-level players are invited to this weekly social group designed to connect older adults through their love of chess. The group is open to English and Spanish speakers. 1-4pm. Louise Lowry Davis, 111 W. Victoria St. Free tinyurl.com/ChessClub-Aug26

WEDNESDAY 8/27

8/27: Documentary Screening: Deep Rising See a screening of the 2023 documentary narrated by Jason Momoa that highlights the urgent threats to the ocean such as large-scale extraction of seabed metals, followed by a Q&A with environmental activist and founder and director of the Origami Whales Project Peggy Oki, with an art installation and giveaways from area businesses. 6:309pm. The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria. Suggested donation: $5. Call (805) (805) 684-6380. tinyurl.com/Deep-Rising

8/27: Drum Circle for Women Asura and Joy will start you off with brief journaling followed by a drumming and movement session that will foster a sense of community that will revitalize and inspire. Drums will be provided or bring your own. No music experience necessary. 7-8:30pm. Music of the Spheres, 102 W. Mission St. $15. Email musicofthespheressb@gmail.com tinyurl.com/Drum-Circle-Women

8/25-8/27: Westerlay Orchids

Eighth Annual Carpinteria Education Foundation (CEF) Fundraiser Shop orchids, plants, containers, pre-made arrangements, and more through August 30, and the family-owned orchid grower will donate 100 percent of all profits to the Carpinteria Education Foundation. 9am4:30pm. Westerlay Orchids, 3504 Via Real, Carpinteria. Free. Call (805) 684-5411. tinyurl.com/Westerley-Orchids

KOMATIS BRINGS AN EXPLOSION OF COLOR TO THE TAMSEN GALLERY

Santa Barbara’s Tamsen Gallery will burst with color this month as artist Komatis unveils his collection of figurative and plein air landscape expressionist pieces. His work features bold colors and dynamic geometric shapes, and the show is called AGRIOS, which means “wild” in Greek, drawing inspiration from the early 1900s “fauve” art movement.

British-born painter Gerald Comati, who goes by Komatis in his art, uses a plein air approach, where he decides on a location, “which has generally been predicated on the presence of some interesting and significant trees, plus clear layers of form and shape.” He then takes about five hours to start to paint the bigger shapes and establish colors, and then goes back to the studio to clean things up. After living in Santa Barbara for the past 25 years, being able to share his work with the community through this show has been rewarding for Komatis. “I believe figurative painting touches the soul, consciously and unconsciously. As humans, we are drawn to

BORN TO BE WILD:

the image of other humans. The question I often ask myself is: What triggers someone to acquire, or not, a figurative painting? Certainly, the history of art is dominated by figurative works, and perhaps in recent years, this interest is becoming strong again. It may mean a step outside one’s comfort zone, but I don’t think it’s a big step. I’d like to think that people who purchase a figurative painting will be pleasantly surprised at how much joy and interest the piece will continue to provide, once in their home.”

Komatis started his study of fine arts in England, then moved to the U.S. to study engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Stanford University, but he felt the sensation of leading “parallel lives” with the two disciplines. “I do sometimes wonder how things would have evolved if I had instead gone to art school,” he said.

“That said, I suspect the study and practice of engineering has informed my work, in the way my mind processes shape, geometry, and color.”

THE

STORY OF STEPPENWOLF SPECIAL BENEFIT PREMIERE AT LOBERO

A new documentary about the legendary, enigmatic band Steppenwolf will have its West Coast premiere at a special benefit screening. The Lobero Theatre hosts the film Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf on Saturday, August 23. The rock band Steppenwolf sold more than 25 million records worldwide, with hits including the iconic “Born to Be Wild,” has gone down as a legendary band in rock history. Band founders John Kay and Nick St. Nicholas first met in Toronto before moving to California together to pursue music. The new documentary transports viewers between war-torn Germany and working-class Toronto and Los Angeles as the band finds their footing and rises to international fame. Their notability began following a feature in the cult classic film Easy Rider. But what few people know is that the band’s center of gravity was two German immigrant children, who first met in Toronto before moving on to California together. Singer John Kay (born Joachim Fritz Krauledat) was a war refugee from East Prussia. Bassist Nick St. Nicholas (born Klaus Karl Kassbaum) came from a respected Hanseatic family. Featuring Steppenwolf members John Kay, Nick St. Nicholas, Michael Monarch, and artists Mars Bonfire, Alice Cooper, Taj Mahal, Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous), Klaus Meine (Scorpions), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Dale Crover (Melvins), and Bob Ezrin (producer for Kiss, Pink Floyd, and

Komatis said his parents were art collectors, and that every weekend, he accompanied his father to the auction houses. “By the time I got to the U.S., I had captured, perhaps unknowingly, a broad appreciation of both contemporary and classic visual art. In the U.S., once I got to the West Coast, I was fascinated by many artists that I had had little exposure to previously, especially the Bay Area Group, Diebenkorn, Parks, etc. and the hugely influential New York artist of the 1950s.” Other inspirations Komatis mentioned include Francis Bacon, Leon Kossoff, RB Kitaj, and Mark Rothko.

The show also features ceramics by Heather Rosenman, whose self-described goal is to “create artifacts that combine a primitive aesthetic with modern sensibilities.”

—Alice Dehghanzadeh

Komatis’s AGRIOS show will be on view through the month of August at the Tamsen Gallery (1309 State St.). See komatisart.com and tamsengallery.com for more information.

Taylor Swift, among others), the film also has a lot to offer musically, featuring more than a dozen original Steppenwolf songs.

The screening runs approximately 90 minutes and will be followed by a Q&A session with John Kay and Nick St. Nicholas, the two famous band members. There will also be a post-screening reception hosted by John Kay.

Presented by Earl Minnis and John Kay, the special screening will benefit the Maue Kay Foundation, a nonprofit formed in 2004 to support individuals and organizations engaged in the protection of wildlife, the environment, and human rights.

Join Kay and Minnis as they celebrate their new film at the Lobero Theatre (33 E. Canon Perdido St.) on Saturday, August 23, 7 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, see lobero.org/events/born-to-be-wild.

In 2019, playwright Jerry Slaff was working for the federal government and was “really disgusted with all the lying.” Slaff began musing about the greatest liars of the 20th century, and his research led him to Mildred Gillars, an American woman working in wartime Germany as a radio personality, delivering Nazi propaganda over the airwaves to English-speaking troops. “The German version of Tokyo Rose,” (says director Michael Gros), Gillars was referred to (along with others in her position) as Axis Sally or Berlin Betty. Eventually, Gillars was convicted of treason and placed in a U.S. penitentiary. “In 1950,” says Slaff, “she would have been up for her first attempt at parole.”

This is the scenario that inspired Lies, Slaff’s play about the prison interview-room conversations between Berlin Betty and her attorney leading up to her parole hearing. Gros, who will direct this play at Center Stage Theater, describes the piece as a pressure cooker. “It’s a very specific relationship between two characters: one who is not interested in leaving prison, [and] the other who is desperate to have a significant win for his career. From there, the play deepens and deepens.”

Produced in collaboration with DramaDogs, Leesa Beck will play the prisoner with Nik Valinsky as her ambitious young lawyer. The tension between the Jewish attorney and the Nazi sympathizer is heightened by the fact that the U.S. government holds a grudge. “The government wouldn’t want to let her out!” says Slaff. “Everything is still fresh. Elections are coming. The government wouldn’t want to be seen letting out traitors.”

See Lies August 28 to September 6, with post-show talkbacks with the playwright on the August 28 and 30.

“The play has something to say about our world today,” says Gros. “It gives you both moral and intellectual challenges — and a pretty good night in the theater!” —Maggie Yates

—Madeline Slogoff

Born to Be Wild

“Rest” by Komatis

“Mountain 2” by Komatis “Olive Trees” by Komatis

Leesa Beck and Nik Valinsky star in Lies, coming to Center Stage Theater August 28-September 6.

It is not often that Santa Barbara can celebrate a significant new development in the realm of fresh, new contemporary art spaces and faces, which makes the arrival of the Seimandi & Leprieur Gallery a cause for celebration among art aficionados in town.

Open for just a month, the gallery is a welcoming, light-blessed, and spacious venue in a piece of real estate on Anapamu Street which, decades back, was the home of the famed original Bluebird Café. The erstwhile bluegrass and folk landmark is now a haven for art with a special focus on the strong art scene in the Caribbean, starting with the big and bold, yet subtle, contemporary-ancestral black-and-white paintings of Martinique resident Ricardo Ozier-Lafontaine, in an exhibition dubbed Fertilum

Behind the gallery enterprise are the French couple Fanny Seimandi and her husband, Julien Leprieur. Before heading to Santa Barbara with their family, they lived in Martinique for a decade and became fascinated with the unique work being done by artists in that region including Ozier-Lafontaine.

In their range of future plans, the gallerists intend to also include artists of note from Santa Barbara. The gallery’s arrival coincidentally arrives at an auspicious moment for contemporary art hereabouts, given the surprisingly rich contemporary curation recently taking place just a block away at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

An internationally exhibited artist, born in 1973, Ozier-Lafontaine is making his U.S. solo exhibition debut in the gallery space, where his dramatic and contextually complex art effectively irradiates with sensory spirit. Forms and lines can be simultaneously amorphous and visceral, embedded with their own inner logic.

One important distinction is the artist’s palette, intentionally avoiding the profusion

of color and tropical decorativeness we are trained to expect from Caribbean culture. The works may be stripped of color, per se (apart from token red dots implying anatomical energy or pilot lights), but they are anything but stark or lifeless. A certain suggestion of animated presence buzzes in the space through painterly gestures and visual rhythms and patterns.

The artist’s black-and-white pieces, sometimes epic in scale, are often explored through variations-on-a-theme series (“Aesthetic Research,” “Gestation,” “Syncretic Object”). They draw into their vocabulary elements of native history and archaeology, references to pre-Colombia, pre-Imperialist life, and a strong, abiding link to contemporary artistic impetuses and imprints.

The two most epic works in this show have a contrasting face-off relationship across the gallery space. “Aesthetic Research 16” evokes a gathering of creatures or cellular forms on a textured background, with kinetic rhythms afoot. Across the room, things get spicier and more quasi-figurative and sexual, with the twining and teasing figures in “Danse au coucher du soleil” (“Dancing at Sunset”).

With “Flowers Island,” the title itself nudges our reading of the imagery and potential plant life symbology, while the pair of paintings in the Lovers series are rooted in dense mazes of tautly drawn texture, almost like compacted schools of fish in a dreamscape.

All in all, the Ozier-Lafontaine exhibition serves as a ripe and rippling introductory salvo in a new 805 art space well worth keeping eyes and tabs on as it moves forward.

—Josef Woodard

Seimandi & Leprieur Gallery, 33 West Anapamu Street, open Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Seimandi & Leprieur Gallery

SONGS FOR NOBODIES BRINGS BELOVED VOCALISTS STORIES TO SOLVANG

The final show of PCPA’s summer season at the Solvang Festival Theater is Joanna Murray-Smith’s Songs for Nobodies. This one-woman musical show stars Bethany Thomas (seen earlier this summer as Becky in Waitress) as five famous vocalists: Judy Garland, Edith Piaf, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, and Maria Callas. Thomas also plays the featured “nobodies”: the non-famous women whose lives intersected with these stars in life-changing ways. These individual stories are told in the form of dramatic monologues, sometimes with Thomas switching between characters during conversation.

A dozen songs from the catalogs of these iconic singers are peppered throughout the monologues. The stories push the characters toward experiencing each singer’s performance so we can all see the “spell they cast on the world around them,” says Music Director Jake Cannon.

With Cannon leading on keyboard, the music is provided by a live, threepiece band offstage, one that also includes local musicians Evan Goldhahn on drums and Nancy Nagano on cello.

Cannon describes the theme that binds all five stories as self-acceptance or discovery of self.

“These [women] either learn something about themselves through the interaction they have with the star, or they decide something as a result of the moment they saw this famous singer perform,” he says. Each character is wrestling with a personal issue when they connect with these stars, making the scenes rich, amusing, and intense. “A lot of passion,” says Cannon, “and a lot of trying to comprehend really big feelings in the middle of a normal life.” He continues, “If you enjoy entertainment, regardless of genre, in Songs for Nobodies, you’re watching a master at work. [Thomas] inhabits these worlds. She doesn’t have to conjure them.” —Maggie Yates

It’s your last chance in 2025 for theater under the stars in Solvang see Songs for Nobodies August 28 through September 7 at Solvang Festival Theater (420 2nd St., Solvang). See pcpa.org.

HOT VALLEY NIGHTS

FREE CONCERT SERIES NEXT SHOW AUGUST 23 / KNEE DEEP

MORRIS DAY AND THE TIME

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29 / 8PM TICKETS START AT $49

SHEILA E.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 / 8PM TICKETS START AT $49

MIRAGE VISIONS OF FLEETWOOD MAC

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 / 8PM TICKETS START AT $20

Bethany Thomas stars in Songs for Nobodies.

BRAVE NEW WORK IS COMING TO SANTA BARBARA

The intersection of art and technology is filled with mind-boggling, exciting, and admittedly sometimes scary possibilities. But the future is coming whether you like it or not which is why we’re so pleased to share that a three-day, citywide symposium titled “Brave New Work: AI and Tech in the Hands of Artists,” is coming to Santa Barbara October 7-9.

Gathering leading artists and scientists, the event includes an educational symposium, contemporary art exhibitions, networking opportunities, casual receptions, and public art. A few of the noteworthy participants include internationally renowned contemporary artists Nancy Baker Cahill, JoAnn Kuchera-Morin, Victoria Vesna, and Beatie Wolfe, and technology leaders Kevin Davis, Ken Kosic, and Alan Macy.

of artificial intelligence remains rooted in human values, emotion, and connection.

“Signals & Systems: Artists Rewiring Perception in the Age of Intelligent Media” is a multimedia panel featuring pioneering artist-speakers in a dynamic conversation about the new architectures of perception, connection, and meaning in our digitally entangled world. And, among others, “A Brief History of the Impossible” explores how historical artists anticipated AI with a look at art history through the lens of contemporary technologies.

Crude oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, and other petroleum products can expose you to chemicals including toluene and benzene, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm These exposures can occur in and around oil fields, refineries, chemical plants, transport and storage operations, such as pipelines, marine terminals, tank trucks, and other facilities and equipment listed here:

https://www.wspa.org/proposition-65-notice-information/

The foregoing warning is provided pursuant to Proposition 65. This law requires the Governor of California to publish a list of chemicals “known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.” This list is compiled in accordance with a procedure established by the Proposition, and can be obtained from the California Environmental Protection Agency. Proposition 65 requires that clear and reasonable warnings be given to persons exposed to the listed chemicals in certain situations. For more information go to: www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/petroleum or call

The brainchild of organizer Michael Delgado, who has worked in partnership with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, and UCSB, the event has evolved naturally from Santa Barbara’s vibrant art and science community and the hunger for information and collaboration.

The tension between human expression and expeditious technologies is the heart of the symposium, he explained. Santa Barbara is a leading center for AI and other technologies that are transforming how we interact with both the natural and digital environments.

“There are amazing contemporary art and scientific breakthroughs being made here that are recognized around the world but have gone widely unknown in their own backyard. Brave New Work aims to engage and energize the wider local community to experience and enjoy these amazing, visually spectacular advances,” said Delgado.

Some of the panel discussions throughout the three-day event include: “The Human Element: Designing Empathy into the Machine Age,” a cross-disciplinary conversation about how we can ensure that the future

In addition to social and networking events and breakout opportunities, there will also be contemporary art on view, including: A visit to Symbiosis or Schism: The AI–Human Odyssey, a companion exhibition curated by the Brill Family Foundation at SBCAW, with more than a dozen artists addressing the theme of the opportunity and threats posed by AI in wide-ranging approaches.

Among the other artistic components to see are an AR installation by Nancy Baker Cahill at Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara. There will be an artist presentation to Santa Barbara High’s VADA students on “New Storytelling Methodologies by Supercollider L.A. founding member Isabel Beavers and Sarah Maria Rodriguez, as well as performances of excerpts from the groundbreaking Quantum Concerto by Professor JoAnn Kuchera-Morin at UCSB’s AlloSphere.

There will also be free projected public art works produced with sophisticated technologies by Nancy Baker Cahill, Richelle Ellis/ Supercollider L.A., Victoria Vesna, Beatie Wolfe, and Yuge Zhou that focus on environmental, societal, and humanist themes in inspiring ways at the Michael Towbes Library Plaza. —Leslie Dinaberg

For more information, to purchase tickets, and view the complete schedule for Brave

Victoria Vesna, Antarctica 2023, Detail from “Alien Stardust” immersive installation

PUTTING THE ‘PUB’ BACK IN PUBLIC HOUSE, WITH MUSIC ON TAP

Outward appearances can be deceiving. This maxim hits home for a first-time visitor to the wondrous Cutler’s Public House on lower Salsipuedes. Its outer shell is a large double-wide Quonset hut, sheathed in the classic silvery, ribbed metal exterior. Inside, though, the warmth and the distilled, old-school pub-style bonhomie creates an instantly inviting atmosphere.

This is the home base and public house headquarters of Ian Cutler, who became the first official distiller in Santa Barbara in 2013 and the friendly, bushy founder/ proprietor of this semi-hidden treasure of a space since April of this year. He knew early on that live music had to be part of the experiential menu here.

On that front, last Wednesday night, the joint was jumping and packed with revelers satisfying their appetites for quality libations, pub food, and steamy fine bluegrass. The bluegrass on this night was itself of the artisanal kind, with expert regional veterans Mike Mullins (mandolin and guitar), banjoist Chris Cairns, standup bassist Tom Lee, and Jody Eulitz brushing up rhythm on his portable box.

Fortified by potent picking, the band kicked into bluegrass classics à la “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” and more obscure ditties in the bluegrass canon, including “Hills of Virginia,” after which the wit-ready Lee noted, “I learned that growing up in the hills of Redondo Beach.”

With the rich, dark wood-lined pub-ish interior, as well as musical goods, everything seemed in its right place.

Taking a breather from his busy tasking in the kitchen and serving up his distilled finery to discerning and thirsty customers in the booths, Cutler explained that music is a natural part of the scenery in his new space. “We’ve had music pretty much since we opened,” he said. “I’ve always loved live music and I used to be a sound man.”

The UCSB grad, who dove into the distilling business of his great-grandfather some 80 years earlier, spent four years battling obstacles and getting his Public House up and running. Music was always part of the game plan.

“When I came to Santa Barbara in ’99,” said the Oakdale-raised Cutler, “it seemed like there was a lot of live music here and that seems to have died out a bit. I was so happy when the Red Piano opened and brought live music to town. Now it seems to be coming back more.”

For the moment, Wednesday is the bluegrass-folk night in the pub, while Thursday’s fare taps a variety of local musicians (last week, it was Tony Ybarra and tonight, August 21, Dustin Janson performs). Come for the distilled fare, and stay for the music and vibe.

—Josef Woodard

Cutler’s Distillery & Public House, 418 N. Salsipuedes St.; cutlersartisan.com/publichouse.

Bluegrass is on the menu at Cutler’s Public House.

JAPANESE BREAKFAST’S MICHELLE ZAUNER ON THE NUANCES OF SONGWRITING AND SORROW

ACCLAIMED INDIE BAND COMES TO THE SANTA BARBARA BOWL ON AUGUST 23

Catapulted from a world of well-earned indie street cred into the cultural mainstream by her bestselling memoir Crying in H Mart, Japanese Breakfast frontwoman and songwriter Michelle Zauner brings her band to the Santa Barbara Bowl on Saturday, August 23, as part of the tour for their critically praised For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) album, which the Wall Street Journal described as “A highly cinematic collection of stories that consistently delivers.”

“I think of melancholy as a kind of anticipatory grief, one that comes from an acknowledgment of the passage of time, from the recognition of mortality and finitude. In some way, too, I think it marks the artist’s condition, constantly observing through that lens,” Zauner says of the album.

We spoke via Zoom last week as, after more than a decade of playing together, the band made its way toward Santa Barbara via its largest tour yet, playing storied venues like Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Sydney Opera House, and the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. They may still be melancholy, but this is a band whose time has arrived big time!

Like many of Zauner’s newer fans, I found my way to Japanese Breakfast through her 2021 memoir, a haunting, extremely personal story about losing her far-too-young mother to terminal cancer,

growing up Korean American (with a Jewish father) in Oregon, and immersing herself in writing, cooking, and culture as a way to deal with grief.

I am one of probably many middle-aged ladies who discovered your music through your book. Do you hear that very often? I hear it sometimes, yeah. It’s very fun.

I wanted to ask you about writing. So, you’re writing your memoir, you’ve written essays, and then when you’re writing songs, how different are all those things for you? They have differences and they have similarities. I think in music, it tends to be a more intuitive process from beginning to end. There’s not quite as much revision that happens. It’s mostly like an adding on of sonic elements, but the writing tends to be much quicker because there are kind of both more and less rules. There are more rules in the sense that the lines have to have a certain line scheme, but there are less rules in that it can be sort of more fragmentary, more impressionistic, and more freeing in that way. But then it can be a little bit more cryptic in a way that you’re not allowed in writing prose, which has a lot of rules in the different sense, and is just the writing on its own, without any musical element, obviously. It really has to go through a tremendous amount of revision and take a really long time.

Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast

So, I would say I feel like the biggest difference with writing music is I feel really smart when I write music. I feel really dumb when I write prose. [Laughs.] And I think that writing prose takes a really, really long time and requires a lot, a LOT of revision. And writing music is a bit more loose and intuitive.

And it sounds like you start both with an idea as opposed to a melody. Is that fair to say? I think that in music, I will often have a line and melody, and then they kind of work together to make a song. But I think that the thing that they have in common is, I think my sensibility is sort of the same; what moves me as a person is often something that’s really rooted in the real world in a simple detail. I think both of those things are similar in that way.

You’ve been writing music now for a long time, and you’re touring, and you play both new and older songs when you’re up on stage. Does it feel the same, or does it feel different when you’re sort of revisiting those parts of your life again? This is the first time that we’ve had four records now, which is a lot. I mean, it’s probably like close to 50 songs in our catalog. So, it’s been really fun to find out what the arc of the show is. And we definitely are prioritizing the new album. But the songs are so different from one another that there really needs to be a certain way to tell that story. And it feels like a real celebration of who I’ve been as an artist for almost 10 years now [that] this project has been going. So yeah, I think that’s part of the show that feels really special for me now. I mean, there are times when I’ve played these songs for so long that it’s, you know, if I play a song like, “The Body is a Blade,” which is so sad and heartbreaking, or certain songs new songs too that are so personal, like “Little Girl,” or “Leda,” [that] there are definitely moments where I feel kind of transported to that feeling, but I’m also very used to it, so it doesn’t really smack me in this intense way.

Your latest record For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) was made before you went to Korea. [Michelle’s upcoming book is based on immersing herself in Korean culture and living there for a period of time to learn the language.] Now that you absorbed yourself in that culture, has that changed you at all, kind of coming back and performing after that experience? Yeah, I think it changed me in a lot of ways. I mean, a lot of my old things, there are certain things that I was like, I’m a totally different person now and then. Once you go back into your old way of being, you’re kind of disappointed to watch how quickly it sort of leaves you. But I think the biggest gift it gave me was a year to explore a different side of myself. And to be able to return to this lifestyle with a renewed joy. And I think I really needed it at that time. And so, getting back to playing shows again with the people that I love very much is more joyful and satisfying and less nerve wracking than it was for a while.

—Leslie Dinaberg

See Japanese Breakfast at the Santa Barbara Bowl with special guest Ginger Root on Saturday, August 23. See bit.ly/47DcRBw.

Sports LIVING

Upcoming Fights Under Friday Night Lights Upcoming Fights Under Friday Night Lights

From now until December, Friday nights will be filled with exciting gridiron action up and down the Central Coast. The Santa Barbara area is loaded with high school talent as regional teams compete for league and CIF Southern Section championships. Here are the schools and players to watch.

This

Football Season, Here Are the High School Teams and Players to Follow

by Victor Bryant |

Bishop Diego

The Cardinals are loaded with talent and experience led by three-year starting quarterback Tua Rojas and star running back Oscar Mauia, who finished last season with 1,231 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

Bishop Diego is bolstered by a standout senior class that is battle-hardened by numerous close contests in the ultracompetitive Marmonte League over the past two years.

“We do have a fairly experienced skill group. A lot of these guys are in their third year playing varsity, and a significant number got a lot of playing time on varsity as sophomores,” said head coach Tom Crawford, who is the winningest coach

in Santa Barbara County history. “They’ve grown, both physically and in their understanding of the schemes.”

Under Crawford, Bishop Diego is known for its power running game, but will have to replace four starters on the offensive line. The lone returning starter is center Suitulaga Faiaulama, who boasts excellent size for his position at 6'0"and 280 pounds.

The return of wide receivers Ian Bartley, John Michael Flint, and Samuel Crawford gives the Cardinals a trio of reliable pass catchers. (Crawford was a first-team all-league safety last season.) Junior transfer Remi Boykin brings an explosive element to the position and will likely contribute on both sides of the ball.

On defense, sophomore Sam Boeddeker has bulked up to more than 200 pounds and will play middle linebacker. Senior Gabe Villa will play outside corner and the hybrid nickel position in addition to his duties as a ball carrier.

The schedule will once again be extremely difficult for Bishop Diego with matchups against solid programs such as West Ranch and Etiwanda in non-league play. In addition, the Marmonte League offers one of the toughest gauntlets in Southern California.

Carpinteria

After going 3-6 last season, the Warriors are looking to build on a solid foundation that is being constructed by Van Latham, Henry Gonzalez, and a veteran cast of assistant coaches.

Carpinteria has impressive size and athletic ability on the offensive line, led by Eli Peters, Caleb Kelly, and Erasmo Fausto, which should result in running lanes for lead back Drew Filippini.

Junior Isaac Neri will take the reins at quarterback after playing the position in spot duty last season. “He is inexperienced game-wise, but he is a really good athlete,” said Latham. “He has good feet, and we’ll be running a little bit of option football with him.”

With the additions of Santa Clara and first-year program Del Sol to the Citrus Coast League, there are now three automatic playoff bids available from the six-team league. For Carpinteria, earning a playoff spot is a realistic goal and would be a big boost for a program that is trending in the right direction.

“I think probably the defending league champion Grace Brethren is going to be the team to beat,” said Latham. “They are always good in the skill positions. I know they lost their quarterback, who was excellent, but they still have some strong players coming back.”

Dos Pueblos

Coming off its first playoff appearance since 2018, Dos Pueblos is working to generate more consistency and compete for a Tri-County League Championship.

Last season, quarterback Simon Alexander transferred from Carlsbad and transformed the Dos Pueblos passing attack over the final five games of the regular season and into

Photos by Gary Kim

Bishop Diego quarterback Tua Rojas

Bishop Diego running back Oscar Mauia

Bishop Diego Head Coach Tom Crawford

the playoffs. The Chargers will now look to the duo of senior Drew Schultz and sophomore Grady Felix to move the ball down the field.

“He’s a pitcher and just a really good athlete but was kind of positionless,” said Dos Pueblos head coach AJ Pateras of Felix. “There was one spot we needed, so we thought, ‘Let’s get him three years of development.’”

Whoever emerges at the quarterback position will be supported by an explosive receiving corps with seniors Ivan Velez, Brady Walbridge, and Micah Barnhart returning. However, Velez and Walbridge both suffered major injuries in the playoffs last season and will miss a yet to be determined portion of non-league play.

“Missing Ivan and Brady, that’s a huge part of our team right there,” said Barnhart, who will contribute at all three wide receiver positions this season. “I’m really sad that they are not out here with me, but for me and Iyad [AhmadReda], we are stepping into much bigger roles.”

Ahmad-Reda is a standout athlete who will be a force on the defensive line and be featured as a pass catcher on offense.

Dos Pueblos should be solid in the trenches overall as captain Kaarlo Malik Anderson has the quickness to be a nightmare matchup on the interior defensive line. Eder Soriano figures to be the best center in the Tri-County League and will open up running lanes for senior running back Andrew Cook.

The Chargers will open the season with an intriguing matchup against Santa Ynez on Friday, August 22.

San Marcos

A 20-year playoff drought is now in the rearview mirror after San Marcos put together its best season in recent memory in 2024, but fell just short of even greater success after losing four games by a combined 10 points.

Junior Hayden Feleay will take over at quarterback after a solid season leading the San Marcos junior varsity squad last season.

The Royals will once again rely on the run game to set up the pass with Cole Dominguez returning at running back. He rushed for 573 yards last season despite splitting carries with more experienced backs.

The offensive line is young but strong, led by returners Arian Botello and Chris Martinez.

Senior Brody Green will play tackle for the first time this fall after starring in basketball and track and field for the Royals. He has excellent speed and an imposing frame, and will contribute heavily on both sides of the ball.

“I always wanted to play and realized this was my last opportunity,” said Green. “I didn’t want to live with the regret

of not playing. I’m more built like a football player than a basketball player, and I love hitting and being physical. I’m really excited.”

Max Silva returns at defensive end after a strong junior season and Steven Herrera will play the other end, in addition to playing tight end on offense.

The defensive line will be bolstered by senior Yuren Vasquez Cruz, who returns to the team after starting as a sophomore.

Isaac Murillo will start at one corner, and track and field star Logan Patterson will play the other. Patterson is perhaps the fastest player in the program and will likely contribute on offense as well.

The Royals have a tough non-league schedule highlighted by matchups against Paraclete and rival Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara

The Dons once again reached the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs last season but will be replacing key playmakers in wide receiver Kai Mault, who graduated, and quarterback Laird Finkel, who transferred to powerhouse Sierra Canyon.

The two candidates to replace Finkel are sophomore Griffin Arnold and freshman Jackson Trembly. Arnold has more experience at the high school level, but Trembly boasts a powerful arm that could grant him immediate playing time.

“It’s a young group mixed in with a very motivated senior class,” said head coach Nate Mendoza. “They’ve been working hard since late January, so we’re getting excited and getting ready.”

There is no question that the identity of the 2025 team begins up front. The offensive line, led by four-year starter Malachi Johnston, will be featured in a run-heavy attack. Johnston recently committed to Cal Poly over scholarship offers from Nevada, Cornell, and Portland State, among others.

In addition to Johnston, Angel Ramirez returns for his third year on varsity and will play offensive guard and nose tackle. After a breakout sophomore year at defensive end, Lucas Blessing will now play both ways and take over at right tackle. Santiago Garcia will also start on the offensive and defensive lines.

“We have a bunch of big linemen who are run blockers. That’s what we do,” Johnston said. “I think we are going to be able to rely on that, and that’s going to be a pretty big staple of how our team plays football this year.”

Monty Lopez is back for his senior year. He started the past two seasons at cornerback but will move to safety in order to be in position to make more plays. Lopez will also contribute heavily on offense at wide receiver and running back.

At 6'0" and 230 pounds, senior Aaron Baizan is set to carry the load at running back. He has the size and disposition to wear down defenses. Zane Webb will also build on a strong junior season.

The Dons will host Corona Del Mar in a premier nonleague matchup on August 29. The Sea Kings knocked Santa Barbara out of the playoffs in the quarterfinals two years ago. The Conejo Coast League is once again formidable as Newbury Park is ranked as one of the top teams in Southern California. n

San Marcos Head Coach Ralph Molina

Cole Dominguez Brody Green

Santa Barbara High School Head Coach Nate Mendoza

Santa Barbara High School offensive tackle Malachi Johnston

FOOD& DRINK

GivinG Back

Kyle’s Kitchen Turns 10 Years Old

Ten years ago, Deena and Jay Ferro took a risk and opened Kyle’s Kitchen. They founded the fast casual restaurant with a much deeper purpose than serving burgers: to support and uplift families in the community who have children with special needs.

“For us, it was pretty clear because we had our son who has special needs. We just want what’s best for him and others like him, so that was the reason we started it,” said Jay. Their mission has guided them, and the outcome is phenomenal. Over the last decade, Kyle’s Kitchen has served more than five million burgers and raised more than $300,000 for local special needs organizations.

Restaurant Offers Community and Support for Past Decade

BY HAILEY EDMONDS

The idea of incorporating philanthropy within a business was important to Jay as he was brainstorming and planning for the restaurant. “We really didn’t know how the community would respond to it. I remember back then I had gotten some inspiration from TOMS Shoes,” he said. Jay drew inspiration from their charitable aspect but had to brainstorm how he could apply this idea on a local scale. “Obviously, we can’t send burgers to Africa, so we had to come up with a different way to support them. We just committed to highlighting, partnering with a different local special needs organization and letting the community know about them,” he said.

Kyle, the inspiration and face of Kyle’s Kitchen, was born with an undiagnosed brain injury. “It’s a profound time in your life. Now you know that you’re with someone that’s going to need your support for the rest of their life,” said Jay. Despite this brain injury, Kyle works hard at the restaurant, greeting customers and showing them appreciation as they walk through the door. “He has a spirit about him, and he connects with people,” Jay said.

Giving back at Kyle’s Kitchen is as routine as opening the doors every day for customers. In the first few years, the team partnered with a new organization each month. Once the pandemic hit, they decided to focus on an organization once a quarter, to allow more time and attention to be spent on the partnership.

“One of the downsides, and what you learn as you go through these processes, is it almost didn’t give us enough time to talk about them,” Jay said of the switch.

“By going quarterly, it gives us more time to participate with their events.”

Kyle’s Kitchen has partnered with more than 60 organizations in their 10 years, and they’re not done. Their commitment to routine charitable involvement has had phenomenal success and continues to thrive.

“We’ve learned so much and met so many great organizations and the people. The community has been a

great blessing for our family,” Jay said. Each organization the restaurant partners with has a unique cause creating a diverse group of organizations. “We love Slingshot they are a part of Alpha Resource Center; they do all this art work. A lot of the artwork you see here [Kyle’s Kitchen] are made by artists with disabilities,” he said.

Currently the restaurant is partnered with the Special Olympics, a nonprofit organization that provides athletic competition opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Goretti Ortiz, the Director of Development for the Special Olympics of Southern California, said, “It is through the generosity of community partners, such as Kyle’s Kitchen, that we can provide year-round sports and programs free of charge to our local Special Olympics athletes. Our mission of inclusion and awareness strives to provide an equitable and safe playing field for all individuals with intellectual disabilities where they can learn, play and connect with their peers.”

Kyle’s Kitchen provides support not only through partnerships but also by employing those with disabilities and providing them a source of income. “One of the big emphases of making this and calling it Kyle’s Kitchen was that Kyle has a built-in career and a job,” Jay said. “We want to support how we can and how can we continue to employ those with special needs so they have a career. They want to have purpose.”

Gabe Donovan, an employee for two years at Kyle’s Kitchen, found a community and second home there. Donovan worked as a service clerk at a grocery store before switching to Kyle’s Kitchen in the summer of 2023. “I felt like I was starting a new beginning. I felt a lot more needed and respected,” Donovan said. His favorite memory at the restaurant is eating the buffalo chicken sandwich, which he said he has done 68 times. Because of Donovan’s experience of coming into a job

where he felt more appreciated, he now wants to advise people to listen to their inner voice and go where they feel valued.

Celebration of this milestone is in order at Kyle’s Kitchen and they’re doing this by offering $10 deals through September on their three most popular items, Klassic Kyle, OG Krispy Chicken Sandwich, and the Spicy Krispy Chicken Sandwich.

Kyle’s Kitchen currently has two locations in Goleta. For more information and the full menu, see kyleskitchen.com.

Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse, center, presented Kyle with the Mayor’s Award

Kyle and Jay Ferro at their Calle Real location

FOOD & DRINK

Santa Barbara County Farm Day

Santa Barbara County farms are opening their doors to the community to connect, learn, and explore local agriculture firsthand. On September 6, 20 farms, ranches, wineries, and agricultural organizations welcome the public to visit them for Farm Day. The free event is hosted by Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG), whose mission is to educate students and the greater community about the farm origins of our food and agriculture’s contribution to our nutritional well-being.

The seventh annual Santa Barbara County Farm Day is bigger than before with seven additional locations this year. Farm Cart Organics, Folded Hills Winery, Rancho Olivos, Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm, Wolfe Family Farms, Tutti Frutti Farms, and Rincon Farms join this year offering a diverse catalog of options for participants to choose from.

“This year, Santa Barbara County Farm Day has expanded to locations throughout the county, making it easier to participate in this free event,” said Caitlin Paulus-Case, SEEAG executive director.

On Farm Day, visitors will experience behind-the-scenes tours of the farms, tractor rides, produce tastings, giveaways, and kid-friendly activities. Farm Day venues span across Santa Barbara County allowing for easy access to the public. To learn more about the 2025 locations, visit SEEAG’s interactive Farm Day trail map.

RINCON FARMS

As I made my way to visit Rincon Farms, it was hard to believe that this little piece of the Central Coast was real. The beauty of the vast farmland on rolling hills with the ocean shore just 10 minutes away is truly breathtaking. As I pulled up to the farm, I took a glance around to be met with trees galore and blue skies.

A new addition to Santa Barbara County Farm Day, Rincon Farms is excited to welcome in all visitors who come their way September 6. Sean Bettles, Rincon Farms’ Farm Operations Manager, said, “We want the public to know more about us and spread the word about what we do.”

In 2000, Dave Bettles bought the ranch where Rincon Farms thrives today. Since then, the farm has grown into a vital part of the produce industry in California. The farm packs three million pounds of fruit a year, making them a little more than one percent of the industry. They sell to wholesalers up and down California from L.A. up to San Francisco. Sean Bettles came onto the crew five years ago and started the organic program at the farm. The process to achieve that status was a long one, taking three years to transition from conventional to organic agriculture. “I started that, and I had to do the long three-year wait and in May this year was the first time that we were able to start selling our avocados organically,” he said. Rincon Farms hosted an event in May, inviting the public in to see the farm. The event went so well it solidified to the Bettles their desire to be involved in Farm Day. “I was stoked to interact with the public in that way, and I think the public was too,” Sean Bettles said, “So I was like, ‘Okay, let’s put me on the map for farm day.’ ”

Visitors to Rincon Farms on Farm Day should expect to learn about the process of growing avocados and see the avocados packed in boxes, encouraging transparency with the public. In the packing house, you’ll see the faces of the people who physically pack the avocados that you purchase at your grocery store. Walking around the farm, you’ll see trees stretching across hillsides and even the Bettles’ dog, Bella. Everyone is encouraged to come, participate, and ask questions about the farm.

To learn more about Rincon Farms, visit rinconfarms.com, and for more information about all of the farms participating in Santa Barbara County Farm Day, see sbcfarmday.org. Events are free, but preregistration is encouraged. Click here to register: bit.ly/41B71gc.

Santa Barbara County Farm Day is coming September 6.

Little King Coffee Opens at The Post

Little King Coffee has opened at The Post, a new collection of specialty merchants and destination restaurants near Montecito and next to the Bird Refuge. The address is 1801-B East Cabrillo Boulevard, and Santa Barbara’s newest java joint has a large patio on the south side of the property.

County of Santa Barbara Planning and Development

Little King Coffee is a family-owned business operating in Santa Barbara County that opened their first location in Buellton at 290 Valley Station about a year and a half ago. Husband and wife owners Ryan Dobosh and Grace Gates were previously general managers of local favorite restaurants Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos and Bell’s in Los Alamos.

“We aim to create the kind of place that people are delighted to discover and excited to become regulars at,” says the team. “We place a high value on hospitality and service, and we always strive to make it nice for both our guests and the members of our team. We bake, brew, and pour with the intention of excellence. Our beans are roasted by Coastal Coffee Collective in Ventura, a fellow family-owned business that does the hard work of sourcing the best beans from all over the world and roasting them with unrivaled intention.”

Ryan and Grace met opening a restaurant in Austin, Texas, in 2015. Since then, they have spent almost a decade together running fine dining restaurants in Texas and California. While working nights, they fell in love over coffee. Their hope is to bring their expertise in hospitality to the everyday lives of their community, as they believe great service doesn’t require a special occasion. Visit littlekingcoffee.com

SWEETGREEN TO REPLACE CARL’S JR. IN GOLETA? Reader Cris S. forwarded me plans for the Calle Real Center in Goleta, which is scheduled to have a major facelift in the near future, switching from Santa Barbara’s Spanish Colonial Revival theme to Goleta’s blend of styles including Deco, Streamline Moderne, and mid-century modern. The plans indicate that Carl’s Jr. at 5820 Calle Real will be replaced by Sweetgreen, which has approximately 250 restaurants across the country. I spoke with Carl’s Jr. and was told that the restaurant swap is just in the proposal stage right now and it is unsure if it will happen. Carl’s Jr. was started by Carl Karcher in 1945 while Sweetgreen was founded in 2007 by Nicolas Jammet, Nathaniel Ru, and Jonathan Neman, all Georgetown University students at the time, and has since raised more than $500 million in funding. Sweetgreen is a casual restaurant that serves salads made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. The mission of the company is to inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food. The eatery’s core menu features approximately 13 signature items which are offered year-round in all of its locations, including its new steak plate. In addition to its core menu items, its single most popular item is the custom salad or bowl, which can include combinations from 40-plus ingredients as well as its made-from-scratch dressings. When ordering online, the restaurant offers exclusive menu items, including seasonal digital exclusives and collections relevant to each customer. It has a five-channel model that is designed to help its customers order. Sweetgreen’s five-channel model includes Pick-Up, Native Delivery, Outpost and Catering, In-Store, and Marketplace. Visit sweetgreen.com

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF AND PUBLIC HEARING ON THE DRAFT PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED UTILITY SCALE SOLAR AMENDMENTS PROJECT Case Nos.: 24ORD‐00028, 24ORD‐00029, 24ORD‐00030

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The County of Santa Barbara proposes to amend land use plans and zoning ordinances to allow for the development of utility‐scale and community‐scale solar energy facilities, as well as to streamline permitting for smaller solar energy systems in the unincorporated County.

PROJECT LOCATION: The project site encompasses unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County, including both Inland and Coastal Zones. It does not apply to lands within incorporated cities or those under the jurisdiction of federal, state, or tribal authorities.

PUBLIC HEARING AND COMMENT: The County of Santa Barbara Planning and Development Department (P&D) is soliciting comments on the adequacy and completeness of the analysis and proposed mitigation measures described in 25EIR‐00003. You may comment by providing testimony at the public hearing on September 25, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. in the Santa Barbara County Engineering Building, Planning Commission Hearing Room, 105 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, or via Zoom at https://santabarbaracounty.zoomgov.com/j/1617647940 (Webinar ID: 161 764 7940). You may also comment by submitting written or oral comments to the project planner identified below prior to the close of public comment on October 3rd at 5:00 p.m.

PROJECT DETAILS: The Utility‐Scale Solar Amendments Project would update multiple County land use plans and zoning ordinances to facilitate the development of utility‐scale and community‐scale solar energy facilities and streamline the permitting of smaller rooftop and ground‐mounted systems. The Project includes amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, Coastal Land Use Plan, Land Use and Development Code (LUDC), Montecito Land Use and Development Code (MLUDC), Article II Coastal Zoning Ordinance (CZO), and Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and Farmland Security Zones. The proposed changes would create a new permitting framework based on four tiers of solar development, remove the current 600‐acre utility‐scale overlay restriction, and clarify the permitting allowances for battery energy storage systems.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FINDINGS: P&D has prepared a Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (25EIR‐00003, SCH No. 2024110254) pursuant to requirements of the State Guidelines for the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the County of Santa Barbara Guidelines for the Implementation of CEQA. P&D has prepared an EIR for the proposed project due to the potential for unavoidable, significant adverse effects that may result from project implementation. The EIR prepared for the project identifies and discusses potential impacts, mitigation measures, residual impacts and monitoring requirements for identified subject areas. Significant and unavoidable effects on the environment identified in the Draft Program EIR include: aesthetics, agricultural resources, and cultural, paleontological, and tribal resources. Significant but mitigable effects on the environment include: air quality, biological resources, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, noise, transportation, utilities and service systems, and wildfires. If the project description changes, P&D will require a reevaluation to consider the changes. If you challenge this environmental document in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues raised by you or others in written correspondence or in hearings on the proposed project.

DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY: The Draft Program EIR and all documents incorporated by reference in the Draft Program EIR may be reviewed at the P&D office located at 123 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara and on the P&D website at https://www.countyofsb.org/792/Utility‐Scale‐Solar‐Comprehensive‐Plan. Draft documents are also available for review at the Santa Barbara Central Library, 40 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, and the Santa Maria Public Library, 421 South McClelland Street, Santa Maria. The administrative draft of the environmental impact report and P&D’s formal comments to the preparer are also available for review at P&D offices.

HOW TO COMMENT: Please provide comments to the project planner, Zoë Carlson, at the County of Santa Barbara Planning and Development, 123 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, 93101, by email at carlsonz@countyofsb.org, or by phone at 805‐568‐3532 prior to the close of public comment on Thursday, October 3rd at 5:00 p.m. or provide testimony at the public hearing on the date and time specified above. Please limit comments to environmental issues such as traffic, biology, noise, etc. There will be a notice for future public hearings to consider project approval or denial.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this hearing, please contact Hearing Support Staff (805) 568‐2000. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the hearing will enable Hearing Support Staff to make reasonable arrangements.

COFFEE COUPLE: Husband-and-wife owners Ryan Dobosh and Grace Gates have opened Little King Coffee next to the Bird Refuge.

ARIES

(Mar. 21-Apr. 19): When glassmakers want to cool a newly blown piece, they don’t simply leave it out to harden. That would cause it to shatter from the inside. Instead, they place it in an annealing oven, where the temperature drops in measured increments over many hours. This careful cooling aligns the internal structure and strengthens the whole. Let’s invoke this as a useful metaphor, Aries. I absolutely love the heat and radiance you’ve expressed recently. But now it’s wise for you to gradually cool down, to allow your fervor to coalesce into an enduring new reservoir of power and vitality. Transform sheer intensity into vibrant clarity and cohesion.

TAURUS

history to design your future. Be alert for the revelations that the bones sing.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the Hebrew language, the word for “face” is plural. There is no singular form for panim. I love that fact! For me, it implies that each of us has a variety of faces. Our identity is multifaceted. I think you should make a special point of celebrating this truth in the coming weeks, Libra. Now is an excellent time to explore and honor all of your many selves. Take full advantage of your inner diversity, and enjoy yourself to the max as you express and reveal the full array of truths you contain.

SCORPIO

7 DAYS

(Apr. 20-May 20): To paraphrase Sufi mystic poet Rumi: “Don’t get lost in your pain. Know that one day your pain will become your cure.” In my astrological opinion, Taurus, you have arrived at this pivotal moment. A wound you’ve had to bear for a long spell is on the verge of maturing into a gift, even a blessing. A burdensome ache is ready to reveal its teachings. You may have assumed you would be forever cursed by this hurt, but that’s not true! Now it’s your sacred duty to shed that assumption and open your heart so you can harvest the healing.

GEMINI

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the ancient Hindu holy text known as the Upanishads, ananda means “bliss,” though not so much in the sense of physical or psychological pleasure as of deep, ecstatic knowing. I believe you are close to attracting this glorious experience into your soul, Scorpio not just fleetingly, but for a while. I predict you will glide into alignments that feel like coming home to your eternal and perfect self. Treasure these moments as divine gifts. Immerse yourself with total welcome and gratitude. Let ananda inform your next steps.

SAGITTARIUS

(May 21-June 20): As you enter a Tibetan Buddhist temple, you may encounter statues and paintings of fierce spirits. They are guardian figures who serve as protectors, scaring away negative and destructive forces so they can’t enter the holy precincts. In accordance with astrological omens, Gemini, I invite you to be your own threshold guardian. Authorize a wise and strict part of you to defend and safeguard what truly matters. This staunch action doesn’t have to be aggressive, but it should be informed with fierce clarity. You can’t afford to let the blithe aspect of your personality compromise your overall interests by being too accommodating. Assign your protective self to stand at your gate and say: “I protect this. I cherish this. I won’t dilute this.”

CANCER

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In Daoist cosmology, the nature of life is characterized by cyclical, flowing patterns rather than linear, static motions. In my study of its gorgeous teachings, I exult in how it inspires me to honor both contraction and expansion, the power of circling inward and reaching outward. With this in mind, Sagittarius, I invite you to make the spiral your symbol of power. Yes, it may sometimes feel like you’re revisiting old ground. Perhaps an ex will resurface, or an old goal will seek your attention. But I guarantee it’s not mere repetition. An interesting form of evolution is underway. You’re returning to longstanding challenges armed with fresh wisdom. Ask yourself: What do I know now that I didn’t before? How can I meet these interesting questions from a higher point of the spiral?

CAPRICORN

(June 21-July 22): “Dear Dr. Feelgood: Lately, you seem to be extra nice to us hypersensitive Crabs. Almost too kind. Why? Are you in love with a Cancerian woman, and you’re trying to woo her? Did you hurt a Cancerian friend’s feelings, and now you’re atoning? Please tell me you’re not just coddling us. —Permanently Drunk on a Million Feelings.” Dear Drunk: You use your imagination to generate visions of things that don’t exist yet. It’s your main resource for creating your future. This is especially crucial right now. The coming months will be a fertile time for shaping the life you want to live for the next 10 years. If I can help you keep your imagination filled with positive expectations, you are more likely to devise marvelous self-fulfilling prophecies.

LEO

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Inuit artworks are often made from materials available in their environment, such as driftwood, stones, walrus ivory, whale bones, and caribou bones and antlers. Even their tools are crafted from that stuff. In part, this is evidence of their resourcefulness, and in part, a reflection of how lovingly they engage with their environment. I recommend you borrow their approach, Capricorn. Create your practical magic by relying on what’s already available. Be enterprising as you generate usefulness and fun out of scraps and leftovers. Your raw material is probably better if it’s not perfect.

AQUARIUS

(July 23-Aug. 22): In traditional Chinese medicine, the heart is the seat of joy. It’s also the sovereign that listens to the wisdom of the other organs before acting. Dear Leo, as you cross the threshold from attracting novelty to building stability, I encourage you to cultivate extra heart-centered leadership, both for yourself and for those who look to you for inspiration. What does that mean? Make decisions based on love and compassion more than on rational analysis. Be in service to wholeness rather than to whatever might bring temporary advantage.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In Mesoamerican myth, the god Quetzalcoatl journeys to the underworld not to escape death, but to recover old bones needed to create new life. I propose you draw inspiration from this story, Virgo. In recent weeks, you have been gathering pieces of the past, not out of a sense of burdensome obligation, but as a source of raw material. Now comes the time for reassembly. You won’t rebuild the same old thing. You will sculpt visionary gifts for yourself from what was lost. You will use your

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The medieval alchemists had a central principle, rendered in Latin as follows: Visita interiora terrae, rectificando invenies occultum lapidem. Translated, it means, “Seek out the lower reaches of the earth, perfect them, and you will find the hidden stone.” I invite you to go on a similar underground quest, Aquarius. The purpose is not to wallow in worry or sadness, but rather to retrieve a treasure. Some magnificence beneath your surface life is buried an emotional truth, a creative impulse, a spiritual inheritance. And it’s time you went and got it. Think of it as a quest and a pilgrimage. The “hidden stone,” an emblem of spiritual riches, wants you to find it.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-Mar. 20): In ancient Greece, the god Janus presided over doorways. He had two faces, one looking outward and forward, one gazing inward and backward. I believe this is your Janus phase, Pisces. Before you launch into your next fluidic quest, pause and take inventory. Peer behind you, not with regret but with curiosity and compassion. What cycle has fully ended? What wisdom has settled into your bones? Then face the future, not with shyness or foreboding, but with eager intention and confidence. What goals, rooted in who you are becoming, can inspire an exciting new plot thread?

SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT

CLASSIFIEDS

EMPLOYMENT

PROFESSIONAL

STRUGGLING

1‑833‑641‑3437 (Cal‑SCAN)

HEALTH & FITNESS

ATTENTION: VIAGRA and CIALIS

USERS! A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices! 50 Pill Special ‑ Only $99! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW:1‑833‑641‑3889 (Cal‑SCAN)

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance ‑ NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1‑844‑203‑2677

www.dental50plus.com/calnews #6258 (Cal‑SCAN)

SAFE STEP. North America’s #1 Walk‑In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top‑of‑the‑line installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1‑888‑989‑5749 (Cal‑SCAN).

PERSONAL SERVICES

LIMITED LAB

ASSISTANT 1

CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL & ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION

Under close supervision by the Project Manager and Restoration Coordinator, the Restoration Ecology Assistant will assist with a broad array of activities for the implementation and maintenance of NCOS restoration project and other Cheadle Center restoration project sites as needed. Responsibilities include a wide variety of field activities related to habitat restoration including: assisting with leading student interns and volunteer workforces; invasive weed control by various methods; native plant installation and seed collection; site preparation activities; assisting with plant propagation at the restoration nursery and greenhouse; and other duties related to monitoring and education/outreach. All tasks are frequently reviewed for quality and completeness. Note: Satisfactory conviction history background check. The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $19.78 ‑ $22.94/hr. Full salary range: $19.78‑$22.94/hr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Open until filled. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb.edu

Job # 80400.

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST­ STAFF AND FACULTY SERVICES

HUMAN RESOURCES

Provides the UCSB campus community with mental health and support services for faculty, staff and adult family members who are covered by UC insurance in the form of brief counseling and referral assistance, consultation services for managers and supervisors concerning workplace concerns/ problems, crisis interventions, violence prevention and threat assessment, as well as psychological well‑being and workplace wellness programming. They also provide consultation that is primarily delivered to managers and supervisors regarding employees of concern and problematic departmental dynamics; counseling that is delivered in a short‑term model with referrals to campus and community resources being an important component of therapeutic interventions; violence prevention & mitigation services that includes conducting training for faculty and staff regarding how to recognize and refer individuals of concern to appropriate services; and, develop and deliver wellness programming in conjunction with supervisor.

Provides direct supervision to a part‑time practicum trainee. Reqs: PhD or PsyD in clinical or counseling psychology. Current, valid license in California as a psychologist. Out‑of‑state licensed psychologists have 180 days to complete licensure requirements in the State of California. Incumbent uses skills as a seasoned, experienced professional with a full understanding of industry practices and campus policies and procedures; resolves a wide range of issues. 4‑6 years Experience in conducting evidence‑based assessment, crisis intervention, and short‑term counseling with adults. Demonstrates good judgment in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions. 4‑6 years Experience developing and delivering psychoeducational workshops. 4‑6 years Experience providing clinical services to diverse populations. Notes: Maintains confidentiality and upholds the highest ethical and legal standards in all relevant aspects of ASAP work and related program activities. Credential verification for clinical practitioner. Mandated reporting requirements of Child Abuse and Dependent Adult Abuse. Satisfactory criminal history background check. Salary or Hourly Range: $90,872 to $125,515/yr. Full Salary Range: $90,872.02‑ 153,905.39/yr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other protected status under state or federal law. Open until filled. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb.edu Job # 79928

CONDUCT OFFICER

RESIDENTIAL AND COMMUNITY LIVING

Is charged with the responsibility of articulating and educating the Housing and Residential Communities on resident policies, procedures and community standards. The Conduct Officer: ‑Develops and implements programs for Lead staff, resident assistants and student‑residents on Residence Hall/Apartment Living community standards ‑Assists in the investigation, adjudication and general resolution of cases referred to Resident Student Conduct (Housing) and the Office of Judicial Affairs ‑Maintains and updates the curriculum for HDAE Personal Responsibility and Fire Safety courses. Leads/co‑leads the facilitation of these courses throughout the academic year ‑Serves as an institutional contact and referral point for students, parents and clients who have questions and concerns regarding the judicial process. ‑Co‑advises and trains the Peer Review Board ‑Responsible for maintaining the conduct case management database/system (Advocate) ‑Responsible for the coordination of conduct hearings and restorative justice circles. Reqs: Bachelor’s degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training Experience working in a confidential environment. Experience adjudicating a student conduct caseload with strict adherence to due process procedures. Outstanding interpersonal skills in working with college students; para‑professional counseling skills required. Strong analytical and computer skills for the collecting, coding and recording of disciplinary files. Outstanding administrative and organizational skills. Thorough knowledge of advising and counseling techniques. Strong knowledge of common University‑specific computer application programs and knowledge of University and departmental principles and procedures involved in risk assessment and evaluating risks as to likelihood and consequences. Thorough knowledge of Student Affairs / Student Life specialization. Skills in judgment and decision‑making, problem solving, identifying measures of system performance and the actions to improve performance. Abilities in project management, problem identification and reasoning skills. Ability to develop original ideas to solve problems. Notes: UCSB Campus Security Authority under Clery Act Satisfactory criminal history background check. Budgeted Salary Range: $60,300 to $82,100/ year. Full Salary Range: $60,300 to $103,900 /year. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Open until filled. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb.edu Job #75357

LEAD RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

EXECUTIVE VICE CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE

Provides expert‑level post‑award financial management for a portfolio of high‑complexity sponsored projects within AARS. Supports UCSB’s research mission through advanced fiscal oversight, strategic financial planning, and high‑level coordination with faculty, departmental administrators, and central offices. Serves as a technical leader and recognized campus expert in research finance, often guiding compliance interpretation and shaping financial management practices. Core responsibilities include the full lifecycle of complex awards—from proposal and budget establishment through closeout—with independent authority over cost transfers, effort reporting, subaward oversight, and sponsor billing. Leads the development of internal systems, ensure regulatory compliance, mentors other analysts, and contribute to university‑wide process improvement initiatives. Regularly collaborates with AARS Analysts, Sponsored Projects Office, Extramural Funds Accounting, Payroll, Procurement, Accounts Payable, and Principal Investigators to promote fiscal accountability and streamline financial operations. Serves as dotted line supervisor for College of Engineering Research Finance Analysts (RFAs) overseeing training, onboarding for RFA duties, process standardization, compliance alignment, technical issue triage, and policy interpretation. Reqs: Bachelor’s Degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training. 3+ years direct administration of extramural funds, especially federal contracts and grants, preferably in an academic setting. Note: Satisfactory conviction history background check The budgeted salary range is $95,000 to $105,000/year. Full salary range: $88,000 to $161,600/year. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Open until filled Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb.edu Job # 80295

PAINTER RESIDENTIAL OPERATIONS

Responsible for performing skilled painting tasks for University owned Residential Halls/Housing and its related buildings at on and off campus locations as outlined below, and may be assigned other duties (including those in other craft areas) to accomplish the operational needs of the department. In compliance with HDAE goals and objectives, affirms and implements the department Educational Equity Plan comprised of short and long term objectives that reflect a systematic approach to preparing both students and staff for a success in a multi‑cultural society. Work in an environment, which

is ethnically diverse and culturally pluralistic. Works effectively in a team environment. Reqs: 4+ years demonstrated work in the painter trade, showing multiple skills within the paint trade. Similar type apartment paintwork experience as well as paint applications to wood and stucco buildings. Knowledge and ability to perform interior and exterior wall repairs to various wall types such as drywall, wire lath, and plaster and stucco. Ability to safely erect, work on, and or operate scaffolding, high ladders, various lifts, power washers, airless and HVLP spray systems, and air compressors. Ability to meet critical timelines and work independently or in teams. Must have effective communication skills. Ability to interact as a team member with sensitivity towards a multicultural work environment. Ability to install and repair wall coverings, ceramic wall and floor tile. Ability to communicate and work well with others. Notes: May be required to work schedules other than 7:30AM ‑ 4:30PM Monday ‑ Friday, to meet the operational needs of the department. Required to hold a valid driver’s license, have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies and procedures, and/or enroll in the California Employer Pull Notice Program. For multi‑hire positions: Some positions filled under this posting may be required to hold a valid driver’s license, have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies/ procedures, and/or enroll in the California Employer Pull Notice Program. Satisfactory criminal history background check. Pay Rate/Range: $44.90/hr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Open until filled. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb.edu Job #80023

PEST CONTROL TECHNICIAN

RESIDENTIAL OPERATIONS/FACILITIES

MANAGEMENT

Using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques, the technician provides safe, effective, and efficient services to multiple locations. Services include the treatment of nuisance animals, insects, and weeds. Reqs: 1‑3 years experience performing Integrative Pest Management for a licensed business or public institution. nMust have the skills, knowledge, and ability to use the practices of Integrated Pest Management to provide safe, effective, and efficient pest management to various campus entities. Expert knowledge of the latest pest management techniques, including pest biology and identification, sanitation, exclusion, education, habitat modification, pest prevention building design, wildlife management, pesticide safety, and least toxic pesticides. Knowledgeable in techniques to solve pest problems in sensitive campus environments, including research laboratories, animal facilities, museums, and rare book collections, without affecting data or collections. Knowledgeable of county, state, and federal regulations regarding application, storage, and use of pesticides. Works independently in a responsible manner and cooperatively in a group setting. Must possess a valid California DPR Qualified Applicator’s License or Certificate Category A, or a California Structural Branch 2 license. Must also maintain licenses through the accumulation of the required CEU’s, respective to each license. Must be available to respond to emergencies, work on‑call, rotating swing shift and holidays. Notes: May work shifts other

Continued on p. 62

FOLLOW

EMPLOYMENT LEGALS

than Monday thru Friday in order to meet the operational needs of the department. Maintain a valid CA driver’s license, a clean DMV record and enrollment in the DMV Employee Pull‑Notice Program. Satisfactory conviction history background check. Budgeted Hourly Range: $25.32 ‑ $29.09/hr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.Open until filled. Apply online at https:// jobs.ucsb.edu Job #48751

SHOW RUNNER (LIMITED APPT)

ARTS & LECTURES

Responsible for the on‑site production logistics management of all Arts & Lectures public events including films, lectures, performing arts and special events. Job functions include: planning and organizing of event activities, including managing logistics such as facilities, audience management activities, concessionaires, caterers, and vendors, and facilitation of communication and services with speakers and facility maintenance staff; or provides technical support of these activities. Reqs: High School Diploma or GED. 1‑3 years of professional experience in large‑scale public event management and production.

Notes: Satisfactory conviction history background check. CANRA (U13): Mandated Child Abuse Reporter. Required to hold a valid driver’s license, have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies/procedures, and/or enroll in the California Employer Pull Notice Program. Ability and willingness to work frequent evenings and weekends. This is a 100% time Limited appointment working less than 1000 hours for up to 6 months. The budgeted salary range: $71,600 to $99,500/yr. Full salary range: $71,600 to $127,400/ yr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Open until filled Apply online at https:// jobs.ucsb.edu Job # 80451

CAMPUS DINING

Serves as a working supervisor performing skilled culinary duties and overseeing a kitchen area serving up to 1,500 meals per shift. Ensures that high standards of food quality, service, sanitation and safety are met according to Dining Services, University and Federal guidelines. Trains full time and student cooks in new culinary techniques, food and sanitation guidelines. Maintains efficient food preparation methods. Serves as a backup in the absence of the Department Head. Reqs: High school diploma or equivalent combination of education and experience. 1‑3 years of knowledge of and experience with advanced culinary techniques, including but not inclusive of sautéing, grilling, frying, steaming, preparing sauces and stocks. This includes experience working with commercial kitchen equipment and preparing large quantities. Or Equivalent combination of

education and experience. Notes: Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and work standing for up to 8 hours per day. Work hours/days may vary. Satisfactory criminal history background check. Hiring/ Budgeted Salary or Hourly Range: $25.00/hr. ‑ $26.27 /hr. Posting Salary Range: $25.00/hr. ‑ $26.79 /hr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Open until filled. Apply online at https:// jobs.ucsb.edu Job #79741

STARBUCKS ASSIS TANT MANAGER

CAMPUS DINING

Trains and supervises a team of part‑time student employees. Creates and maintains the Starbucks product and store experience for customers. The Assistant Manager is required to be the floor manager; ensures consistent service, supervision and sanitation. Reqs: High School Diploma. 1‑3 years in retail coffee location or restaurant environment‑specifically in the area of customer service, merchandising and inventory. Experience in supervising and managing staff. Ability to work effectively with others, full‑time and student staff. Demonstrated ability working with diverse student and career staff. Excellent communication and customer service skills, including ability to effectively convey information verbally and in writing. HACCP and Sanitation knowledge and Certification. Notes: Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and work standing for up to 8 hours per day. Work hours/days may vary. Satisfactory criminal history background check. Hiring/Budgeted Hourly Range:

$26.53/hr ‑ $29.31/hr. Full Salary Range: $26.53/hr ‑ $30.48 /hr.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Open until filled. Apply online at https:// jobs.ucsb.edu Job #79730

WELL BEING

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ATTENTION: VIAGRA and CIALIS

USERS! A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices! 50 Pill Special ‑ Only $99! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW: 1‑833‑641‑6594

BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Superior quality bath and shower systems at AFFORDABLE PRICES! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call Now! 1‑833‑540‑4699

GOT AN UNWANTED CAR??? DONATE IT TO PATRIOTIC HEARTS. Fast free pick up. All 50 States. Patriotic Hearts’ programs help veterans find work or start their own business. Call 24/7: 1‑833‑426‑0086

ADMINISTER OF ESTATE

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER

ESTATE OF: CHARLES G. EDWARDS, JR. CASE No.: 25PR00397

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both of: CHARLES G. EDWARDS, JR.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by: KENNETH EDWARDS in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara‑South County

THE PETITION requests that (name): KENNETH EDWARDS be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The Independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 10/02/2025 AT 9:00 a.m. Dept: SB 5 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA , COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA‑SOUTH COUNTY

ANACAPA DIVISION Judge: Colleen K. Sterne 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58 (b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE‑154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code Section 1250. A Request for Special notice form is available from the court clerk. Darrel E. Parker, Executive Officer 8/1/2025 by Monica Buenrostro, Deputy. Attorney for Petitioner: Eric J. Harris, Esq. 25500 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 1060 ,Torrance, CA 90505; 310‑986‑3118 Published: Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER

ESTATE OF: ROSE MARIE BELL No.: 25PR00414

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both of: ROSE MARIE BELL

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by: SHANNON BELL in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara.

THE PETITION requests that (name): SHANNON BELL be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The Independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition

and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 10/2/2025 AT 9:00 a.m. Dept: FIVE SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA, located at 1100 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara, CA 93121‑1107; PO Box 93121‑1107

ANACAPA DIVISION

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58 (b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE‑154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code Section 1250. A Request for Special notice form is available from the court clerk. Darrel E. Parker, Executive Officer 8/8/2025 by Monica Buenrostro, Deputy. Attorney for Petitioner: Marilyn D. Anticouni; Attorney at Law, 1234 Santa Barbara Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101; 805‑882‑9255

Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4 2025.

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER

ESTATE OF: LAURIE SUE CRISWELL No.: 25PR00417

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both of: LAURIE SUE CRISWELL

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by: TRAVIS ZEHNTNER in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara.

THE PETITION requests that (name): TRAVIS ZEHNTNER be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The Independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 10/9/2025 AT 9:00 a.m. Dept: SB‑5 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA, located at 1100 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara, CA 93121‑1107; PO Box 93121‑1107

ANACAPA

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58 (b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE‑154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code Section 1250. A Request for Special notice form is available from the court clerk. Darrel E. Parker, Executive Officer 8/11/2025 by Monica Buenrostro, Deputy. Attorney for Petitioner: John Kenneth Dorwin PO Box 2011, Buellton, CA 93427‑2011; 805‑698‑0002

Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4 2025.

FBN ABANDONMENT

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME The following Fictitious Business Name is being abandoned: IMPULSE INTERNET SERVICES, LLC: 6144 Calle Real Suite 200 Goleta, CA 93117 The original statement for use of this Fictitious Business Name was filed 4/26/2023 in the County of Santa Barbara. Original File no. FBN 2023‑0001091. The persons or entities abandoning use of this name are as follows: Impulse Advanced Communications, LLC (same address) The business was conducted by an A Limited Liability Company. Registrant commenced to tranact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Apr 1, 2006 Signed by: ANTHONY E. PAPA Filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 8/13/25, FBN 2025‑0001932 E30. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in the Office of the County Clerk, Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FBN No.: 2025‑0001893

The following person(s) have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name: Sun Coast Realty and/ or Sun Coast Property Management, located at 2115 Garden Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, in Santa Barbara County. The fictitious business name referred to above was filed in Santa Barbara County on August 14, 2001, File No. 2011‑0002537.

Full name of registrant abandoning the name: Sue Ann DeRose, 2115 Garden Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. This business was conducted by: An Individual. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 8, 2025. Signed: Sue Ann DeRose. (SEAL) By: Joseph E. Holland, Deputy. County Clerk (SEAL). Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ALVARADO’S DRAIN SOLUTIONS: 4756 Ttian St Santa Maria, CA 93455; Cesar Alvarado (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: CESAR ALVARADO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 24, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001760. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PACIFIC EDGE LAW: 2932 Serena Road Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Jessica Schoendienst (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jun 25, 2025. Filed by: JESSICA SCHOENDIENST with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 22, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001730. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DEPENDABLE WINE TOURS AND TRANSPORTATION:

102 N. Hope Ave #3 Santa Barbara, CA 93110; Dependable Wine Tours And Transportation LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: JEFFREY ALVARADO/ PRESIDENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 24, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E63. FBN Number: 2025‑0001755. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NERVIO: 401 Chapala St, Suite 102 Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Nervio Pain Institute 612 Anacapa St, Apt A Santa Barbara, CA 93101 This business is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jun 1, 2025. Filed by: NICHOLAS PETERSON/PRESIDENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 24, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001766. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EXPRESS HOME DRYWALL: 5237 Parejo Drive Santa Barbara, CA 93111; Devn K Garibay (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 22, 2025. Filed by: DEVIN GARIBAY with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 25, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001778. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ANGUYOB, ANGUYOB HEALING ARTS, FIRE MOON MEDICINES: 53 Valdez Ave Goleta, CA 93117; Katrina Irene B. Dela Cruz (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jun 16, 2025. Filed by: KATRINA DELA CRUZ/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jun 23, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001472. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: RESILIENT COMMUNITIES NETWORK: 695 Camino Campana Santa Barabara, CA 93111; Interplay (same address) This business is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: BRADFORD SMITH/ PRESIDENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on JuL 11, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001650. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SFR JALMA: 4120 Jalama RoadLompoc, CA 93436; Stoll Family Ranch (same address) This business is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 1, 2025. Filed by: CATHERINE STOLL/ OWNER/MANAGER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on JuL 17, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph

E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001695. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MAD VANS: 143 Oliver Road Santa Barbara, CA 93109; Allrad, LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 1, 2020. Filed by: DANIEL KUTTNER/MANAGER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 16, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001684. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BIG BRAIN BIO CONSULTING: 92 Touran Lane Goleta, CA 93117; Jack R Reifert (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jun 13, 2025. Filed by: JACK REIFERT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 9, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001615. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CHANNEL WEALTH: 3760 State St, Ste 201 Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Channel Wealth LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 18, 2019. Filed by: BRETT WEICHBROD/MANAGING MEMBER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 15, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001673. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GOLETA MYOWORKS: 5622 Hollister Ave, Building A Unit 121 Goleta, CA 93117; Tatiana Mustafa (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 16, 2025. Filed by: TATIANA MUSTAFA with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 22, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001734. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CARPET CLEANING EXPRESS, EXPRESS CLEANING, MITZI PARTY RENTAL: 4326 Calle Real, Spc 47 Santa Barbara, CA 93110; Roberto Ojendis (same address) Rocely Hernandez (same address) This business is conducted by A Married Couple Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: ROBERTO OJENDIS with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 10, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County

SR. COOK

MARKETPLACE

ANNOUNCEMENT

AFFORDABLE TV & INTERNET. If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote and see how much you can save! 1‑833‑423‑2924

DID YOU KNOW Newspaper‑generated content is so valuable it’s taken and repeated, condensed, broadcast, tweeted, discussed, posted, copied, edited, and emailed countless times throughout the day by others? Discover the Power of Newspaper Advertising. For a free brochure call 916‑288‑6011 or email cecelia@cnpa.com (Cal‑SCAN)

DO YOU owe over $10,000 to the IRS or State in back taxes? Get tax relief now!

We’ll fight for you! 1‑833‑441‑4783

ELIMINATE GUTTER cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris‑blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1‑855‑424‑7581 (Cal‑SCAN)

STOP OVERPAYING FOR AUTO

INSURANCE! A recent survey says that most Americans are overpaying for their car insurance. Let us show you how much you can save. Call Now for a no‑obligation quote: 1‑833‑399‑1539

THE DIFFERENCE in winning and losing market share is how businesses use their advertising dollars. CNPA’s Advertising Services’ power to connect to nearly 13 million of the state’s readers who are an engaged audience, makes our services an indispensable marketing solution. For

AUTO CARS WANTED

DONATE YOUR Car to Veterans Today!

Help and Support our Veterans. Fast ‑ FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1‑800‑245‑0398

GOT AN UNWANTED CAR??? DONATE IT TO PATRIOTIC HEARTS. Fast free pick up. All 50 States. Patriotic Hearts’ programs help veterans find work or start their own business. Call 24/7: 1‑833‑426‑0105 (Cal‑SCAN)

TIENE UN vehiculo no deseado? Donelo a Patriotic Hearts! Recogida rápida y gratuita en los 50 estados. Patriotic Hearts ofrece programas para ayudar a los veteranos a encontrar trabajo o iniciar su propio negocio. Llama ahora: 1‑833‑ 695‑1947 (24/7) (Cal‑SCAN)

more info call Cecelia @ (916) 288‑6011 or cecelia@cnpa.com.

YOU MAY QUALIFY for disability benefits if you are between 52‑63 years old and under a doctor’s care for a health condition that prevents you from working for a year or more. Call now! 1‑833‑641‑3892

INSTRUMENTS

WE BUY Vintage Guitars! Looking for 1920‑1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. These brands only! Call for a quote: 1‑833‑641‑6624

BUILDING/ CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices ‑ No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 1‑833‑795‑0042 (Cal‑SCAN)

your family, your home, your assets NOW for as little as 70¢ a day! Call 1‑833‑881‑2713

REAL ESTATE SERVICE DIRECTORY

DON’T PAY For Covered Home Repairs Again! Our home warranty covers ALL MAJOR SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. We stand by our service and if we can’t fix it, we’ll replace it! Pick the plan that fits your budget! Call:1‑855‑411‑1731 (Cal‑SCAN)

JACUZZI BATH Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, we’re waiving ALL installation costs. (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer. Offer ends 6/30/24 Call 1‑833‑985‑4766 (Cal‑SCAN) HOME SERVICES

AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1‑833‑889‑1843

HOME BREAK‑INS take less than 60 SECONDS. Don’t wait! Protect

NEED NEW WINDOWS? Drafty rooms?

Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction? New, energy efficient windows may be the answer!

Call for a consultation & FREE quote today: 1‑833‑890‑1293

PEST CONTROL: PROTECT YOUR

HOME from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for a quote, service or an inspection today! 1‑833‑406‑6971

WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION: A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. We do complete repairs to protect your family and your home’s value! For a FREE ESTIMATE, call 24/7: 1‑833‑880‑7762

WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION: A small amount of water can lead to major damage in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home’s value! Call 24/7: 1‑833‑712‑3809. Have zip code of service location ready when you call! (Cal‑SCAN) PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

USER Experience Designer sought

by Sonos, Inc. in Goleta, CA. Lead UX for physical products & exp in consumer category.BS+4 yrs. $173,368/ yr. To apply: contact Carmen Palacios, Immigration Mgr: carmen.palacios@ sonos.com (Reference Job code: PM0901).

MONEY TO LOAN

RETIRED COUPLE $$$$ for business purpose Real Estate loans. Credit unimportant. V.I.P. Trust Deed Company www.viploan.com Call 1‑818‑248‑0000. Broker‑principal DRE 01041073. No consumer loans. (Cal‑ SCAN).

crosswordpuzzle

ByMattJones

Across

Pond fish

Baby cow

Went icy

Slot machine lever

Noisy fight

Moroccan capital

Tiny taste

Dejected area where the rugs go? 19. Animal’s back crossing the line first in a race?

Healing plant

Subject of the outdated joke “Why do they call it a ___ when you only get one?” 23. Really quiet, in sheet music

Area 51 locale

Vicks cold/flu brand

Green Wave school

Involved in

Kinda boring one-vegetable salad?

Fab Four name

Acid in vinegar

Call the shots

City southeast of Istanbul

“Happy Days” eatery

Put a stopwatch back to 0

Yale grads

Magic words to make an RV disappear?

Just under

“The Big Chill” director Lawrence

Maryland major leaguer

“Yes and” performance

Airborne

Pope ten behind the current one?

Household plants

Wendy’s offering

Ninja Turtle in red, famil-

Rondo ___ Turk” (Brubeck song)

LEGALS (CONT.)

with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 14, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001669. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SA FUHRING ELECTRIC: 4282 Macon Ct Santa Maria, CA 93455; SAF Contracting P.O. Bo 2303 Santa Maria, CA 93457 This business is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on May 29, 2025. Filed by: STEPHEN FUHRING/ PRESIDENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on JuL 167, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E49. FBN Number: 2025‑0001691. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: I HEART CREATIVE LLC, I HEART MY GROOM: 361 Northgate Dr, Apt C Goleta, CA 93117; I Heart Creative LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant

commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on May 21, 2010. Filed by: MADISON HUNTER/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jun 16, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E72. FBN Number: 2025‑0001426. Published: July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

File No. FBN2025‑0001556

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Chaine Montecito 3876 Nathan Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93110 County of SANTA BARBARA

Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs ‑ Montecito Bailliage, a California Non‑Profit Corporation, 3876 Nathan Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93110

This business is conducted by a Corporation

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 06/19/2025. Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs ‑ Montecito Bailliage, a California Non‑Profit Corporation

S/ Marlene Klamt, CEO

This statement was filed with the

County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 07/01/2025. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 7/31, 8/7, 8/14, 8/21/25

CNS‑3949194#

SANTA BARBARA

INDEPENDENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: CB PROJECTS: 440 La Lata Pl. Buellton, CA 93427; Chloe Alysse LLC (same address)

This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant

commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jun 16, 2025. Filed by: CHLOE DICKSON/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on JuL 8, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001602. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT

File No. FBN2025‑0001742

The following person(s) is (are)

doing business as:

1. HILLVIEW FARM, 2. HILLVIEW FARMS, 3. SANTA YNEZ N.V. HILLVIEW FARM, 4. SANTA YNEZ N.V. HILLVIEW FARMS, 2445 ALAMO PINTADO AVE, SUITE

NOTICE OF PENDING ACTION BY DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

Honda Development Plan Amendment

475 Kellogg Ave; APN: 071-140-085; 24-0004-DP

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning and Environmental Review Director intends to consider the merits of the proposed Development Plan Amendment (DPAM) and take action.

DECISION DATE AND TIME: Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 5:00pm

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The proposed project requests a Development Plan Amendment to 19-073-DP for additional square footage and exterior site improvements to the existing Honda dealership. The scope of work includes the construction of a 3,504 square-foot enclosed service shop addition and a 1,176 square-foot open-air detail bay canopy onto the backside of their existing facility. The service shop expansion will house eight additional service bays. The project will include drainage improvements with a prefabricated landscaped bioswale.

The total new square footage added for the project would be 4,680 sq. ft.

LOCATION: The subject property is 475 Kellogg Ave. (APN: 071-140-085). The zoning and General Plan land use designation is General Commercial (CG) and Old Town (OT).

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FINDINGS: Pursuant to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources Code, §§ 21000 et seq.), the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 Cal. Code of Regulations, §§ 15000, et seq.), and the City’s Environmental Review Guidelines, the project has been found to be exempt from CEQA and a Notice of Exemption is proposed. The City of Goleta is acting as the Lead Agency for this project.

The project has been found to be exempt from CEQA because it meets the criteria for the in-fill development Categorical Exemption, pursuant to CEQA regulations § 15332(a-e).

NEXT STEPS: If the Director grants the applicant’s request, the next steps include: (1) a 10-day appeal period; (2) return for Final DRB Review; (3) ministerial issuance of an effectuating Zoning Clearance; and (4) Building Permits and construction.

CORTESE LIST: The Project site is not listed on any hazardous waste facilities or disposal sites identified by Government Code § 65962.5 (the “Cortese list”).

DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY: The project plans are currently available at Goleta City Hall at 130 Cremona Drive, Suite B, Goleta, CA 93117. The staff report and related materials for the Director Decision will be available at least 72 hours prior to the action date of September 4, 2025.

PUBLIC COMMENT: A public hearing will not be held. Anyone interested in this matter is invited to submit written comments regarding the proposed Development Plan Amendment. All letters should be addressed to Planning and Environmental Review, 130 Cremona Drive, Suite B, Goleta, CA 93117, attention: Brian Hiefield or email bhiefield@cityofgoleta.gov. Letters must be received by the City Planning and Environmental Review Department at least 24 hours prior to 5:00 PM on the action date of September 4, 2025.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Additional information is on file at the Planning and Environmental Review Department, Goleta City Hall, 130 Cremona Drive, Suite B, Goleta, CA 93117. For more information, contact Brian Hiefield, Senior Planner at 805-961-7559 or bhiefield@cityofgoleta.gov

Note: If you challenge the City’s final action on this Project in court, you may be limited to only those issues you or someone else raised in written or oral testimony and/or evidence provided to the City on or before the date of the public hearing (Government Code Section 65009(b) [2]).

Publish: Santa Barbara Independent August 21, 2025

203, LOS OLIVOS, CA 93441

County of SANTA BARBARA

SANTA YNEZ, N.V., 16255

VENTURA BLVD., SUITE 600, ENCINO, CA 91436; State of Inc./Org./Reg.: NETHERLANDS

ANTILLES

This business is conducted by a Corporation

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 08/31/1979.

SANTA YNEZ, N.V.

S/ ANTHONY A. LEWINTER, CEO, This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 07/22/2025.

Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28/25 CNS‑3946138#

SANTA BARBARA

INDEPENDENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: STATE

ST BARBERS: 3118 State St Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Fernando Cobian (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 21, 2025. Filed by:

FERNANDO COBIAN/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on JuL 21, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E72. FBN Number: 2025‑0001718. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: STUFFED

ANIMALZ: 1460 W Highway 154 Santa Ynez, CA 93460; Amber Sexton (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 31, 2025. Filed by: AMBER SEXTON with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on JuL 31, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E4. FBN Number: 2025‑0001821. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CG INSIGHT GROUP, LLC: 1925 Robbins Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101; CG Insight Group, LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Aug 28, 2024. Filed by: CHELSEA WANN/CEO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on JuL 24, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001756. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TELEDYNE FLIR SOLUTIONS U.S.: 6769 Hollister Ave Goleta, CA 93117; Teledyne Flir Commercial Systems, Inc (same address) This business is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: MELANIE S. CIBIK/ SECRETARY with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 1, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001837. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OSCAR’S SPARKLING POOLS: 112 Saint Ives Place Goleta, CA 93117; Stefanie G. Salinas (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: STEFANIE SALINAS with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 25, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the

Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2025‑0001768. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WALKING WITHIN, WALKING WITHIN COACHING & BODYWORK, WALKING WITHIN COACHING, WALKING WITHIN BODYWORK, WALKING WITHIN MASSAGE, WORKING WITHIN: 7263 Georgetown Rd Goleta, CA 93117; Amorette Rk Getty (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jan 1, 2025. Filed by: AMORETTE GETTY with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 17, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001696. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THELIA GROUP: 590 E Gutierrez St Suite B Santa Barbara, CA 93103; Thelia Usa Inc (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Apr 7, 2021. Filed by: ROMAN DOUSSINEAU/VICE PRESIDENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 4, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E66. FBN Number: 2025‑0001841. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SESSER CONSTRUCTION: 651 San Ramon Drive Santa Barbara, CA 93111; Sesser Inc (same address) This business is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: JONATHAN SESSER/CEO/PRESIDENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 29, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001805. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OPEN GATE INTERFAITH CENTER: 430 Alisal Road #318 Solvang, CA 93464; Linda L. Palmer (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jun 1, 2025. Filed by: LINDA L. PALMER/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 1, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001834.

Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: SHANE WILDE: 1023 N San Marcos Rd Santa Barbara , CA 93111; Shane Wilde Publishing LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 11, 2025. Filed by: NESHA PATTISON/MEMBER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on JuL 11, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001749. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE BIKINI FACTORY: 2275 Ortega Hill Rd. #B Summerland, CA 93067; Wardrobe Collective Corp 387 Barry Dr. Ventura, CA 93001 This business is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: SUSANA

MARIN/CEO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on JuL 30, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E63. FBN Number: 2025‑0001808. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LEARNING MADE CLEAR: 1400 Storke Rd #80005 Goleta, CA 93118; Joe D Isaacson (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: JOE ISAACSON with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on JuL 30, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001818. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: IMPACT4ED: 123 Bath Street, A6 Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Sally A Kingston (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 1, 2025. Filed by: SALLY KINGSTON/CEO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on JuL 29, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001804. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SILVER FIN PLUMBING: 749 Firenze Pl., B Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Joshua T Fish (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 23, 2025. Filed by: JOSHUA FISH/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on JuL 28, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001789. Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT

File No. FBN 2025‑0001770

The following person(s) is doing business as: MAX 2.0 Media & Security 5959 Mandarin Dr Apt N, Goleta, CA 93117, County of Santa Barbara. Max Salcedo, 5959 Mandarin Dr Apt N, Goleta, CA 93117 This business is conducted by An Individual.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Not Applicable /s/ Max Salcedo, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 07/25/2025. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 8/14, 8/21, 8/28, 9/4/25 CNS‑3955379# SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: STUDIO KO FLORALS: 1191 Grand Meadow Way Orcutt, CA 93455; Gyeonghye Ko (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 25, 2025. Filed by: GYEONGHYE KO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 30, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001814. Published: Aug 14, 21, 28. Sep 4 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CHAD’S CAFE: 216 W Cabrillo Blvd Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Palm Beach Restaurants Inc 316 West Cabrillo Blvd Santa Barbara, CA 93101 This business is conducted by A

Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jun 19, 2025. Filed by: CHAD STEVENS/PRESIDENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 29, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001806. Published: Aug 14, 21, 28. Sep 4 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

File No. fbn2025‑0001845

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: LOTUS NAILS LOUNGE & SPA, 238 E BETTERAVIA RD STE B, SANTA MARIA, CA 93454 County of SANTA BARBARA BEAUTY SPA 2024 LLC, 238 E BETTERAVIA RD STE B, SANTA MARIA, CA 93454 This business is conducted by a limited liability company The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 7/16/2025. BEAUTY SPA 2024 LLC S/ CAM TRAM PHAM, MANAGING MEMBER This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 08/04/2025. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 8/21, 8/28, 9/4, 9/11/25

CNS‑3955444# SANTA BARBARA

INDEPENDENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

File No. FBN2025‑0001812

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: QUORUM HOSPITALITY, 1145 EUGENIA PLACE, SUITE 200, CARPINTERIA, CA 93013 County of SANTA BARBARA SCM HOTEL OPERATING COMPANY, LLC, 4965 PRESTON PARK BLVD STE 235, PLANO, TX 75093

This business is conducted by a limited liability company

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 25, 2025. SCM HOTEL OPERATING COMPANY, LLC S/ TODD MOREAU, MANAGER

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 07/30/2025. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 8/21, 8/28, 9/4, 9/11/25

CNS‑3956010# SANTA BARBARA

INDEPENDENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT

File No. FBN2025‑0001861

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: IKES LOVE AND SANDWICHES, 1936 STATE ST. SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101; County of SANTA BARBARA ISP2 SANTA BARBARA LLC, 1936 STATE ST, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101; CA This business is conducted by Limited Liability Company

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Not Applicable. Michael Goldberg, CEO This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 08/05/2025 . Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 8/21, 8/28, 9/4, 9/11/25

CNS‑3848228# SANTA BARBARA

INDEPENDENT

FICTITIOUS

LEGALS (CONT.)

transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Aug 06, 2025

/s/ Darren Hribar, Secretary

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 08/07/2025. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 8/21, 8/28, 9/4, 9/11/25

CNS‑3957511#

SANTA BARBARA

INDEPENDENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT

The following person(s)

is/are doing business as: THE

PREPARISTA: 314 W. Canon Perdido St., #11 Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Jessica D White (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 31, 2025. Filed by: JESSICA WHITE/ FOUNDER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 7, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001874. Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CLEMENTINE

ACADEMIE: 1828 Loma St, Unit B Santa Barbara, CA 93103; Jessica I Judd (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by:

JESSICA JUDD with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 14, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001664. Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LORING WINE COMPANY: 308 N. 9th Street, Unit A Santa Barbara, CA 93436; Loring Wine Company LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Aug 29, 2006. Filed by: BRIAN LORING/ LLC MANAGER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 12, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001920. Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: IMPULSE ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS, LLC: 6144 Calle Real, Suite 200 Goleta, CA 93117; Aseva LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Aug 1, 2025. Filed by: ANTHONY E. PAPA/MANAGER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 7, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001882. Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s)

is/are doing business as: SUN COAST REALTY, SUN COAST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT: 2115 Garden Street Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Geoffrey A DeRose (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: GEOFFREY A DEROSE/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 8, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E72. FBN Number: 2025‑0001895. Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: YELLOW BIRD MUSIC INC: 2600 De La Vina Street,

Suite F Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Yellow Bird Music Inc (same address)

This business is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jul 11, 2025. Filed by: ALEXANDRIA ADAMS/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Jul 17, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001694. Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AUM I GOODNESS: 1216 Alta Vista Rd, Apt B Santa Barbara, CA 93103; Aum I Goodness LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: ELISABETH BAUM‑JONES/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 13, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001924. Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GOT BINNED: 2166 Hardinge St, Unit D Summerland, CA 93067; Nolan T Fuss PO Box 716 Summerland, CA 93067 This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: NOLAN T FUSS with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 18, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E66. FBN Number: 2025‑0001963. Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE NILSON REPORT: 2373 Emerson St. Summerland, CA 93067; HSN Consulting Inc. PO Box 50539 Santa Barbara, CA 93150 This business is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jan 1, 2020. Filed by: DAVID ROBERTSON/PRESIDENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 15, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001956. Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GUDGEON STEAM CLEANING, INC: 417 Santa Barbara Street, Suite B9 Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Gudgeon Steam Cleaning (same address) This business is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jan 1, 2000. Filed by: TAMARA GUDGEON/ SECRETARY‑TREASURER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 8, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2025‑0001889. Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: RODEO GALLERY: 11 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Rodeo Gallery LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: WALLACE PIATT/ CEO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 18, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E63. FBN Number: 2025‑0001965. Published:

Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: 805 FIDUCIARY: 3425 Los Pinos Drive Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Amber Rouleau PO Box 1108 Santa Barbara, CA 93102 This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: AMBER ROULEAU/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Aug 18, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E72. FBN Number: 2025‑0001974. Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

LIEN SALE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

To satisfy the owner’s storage lien, PS Retail Sales, LLC will sell at public lien sale on August 29, 2025, the personal property in the below‑listed units. The public sale of these items will begin at 08:00 AM and continue until all units are sold. The lien sale is to be held at the online auction website, www.storagetreasures.com, where indicated. For online lien sales, bids will be accepted until 2 hours after the time of the sale specified.

PUBLIC STORAGE # 25714, 7246 Hollister Ave, Goleta, CA 93117, (805) 324‑6770

Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

1327 ‑ Ward, Tenley; 4006 ‑ Small Sr, Chad; 5324 ‑ schwan, Mary PUBLIC STORAGE # 75079, 5425 Overpass Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93111, (805) 284‑9002 Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

178 ‑ Rajvaidya, Prashant; 232 ‑ Badone Assili, Genevieve Public sale terms, rules, and regulations will be made available prior to the sale. All sales are subject to cancellation. We reserve the right to refuse any bid. Payment must be in cash or credit card‑no checks.

Buyers must secure the units with their own personal locks. To claim tax‑exempt status, original RESALE certificates for each space purchased is required. By PS Retail Sales, LLC, 701 Western Avenue, Glendale, CA 91201. (818) 244‑8080. 8/21/25

CNS‑3959434# SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONS CODE 21700

Notice is hereby given by the undersigned that a Public Lien Sale of personal property will be held Thursday the 28th day of August, 2025, at 9:00 A.M. at Santa Barbara Mini Storage, 190 Wye Rd., Santa Barbara, CA 93110, County of Santa Barbara, State of California, and will be sold by the unit by Daniel Jackson, Auctioneer, CA Bond #64819405, phone (559) 970‑8105. The property to be sold is stored at Santa Barbara Mini Storage located at 190 Wye Rd., Santa Barbara, CA 93110, County of Santa Barbara.

Unit # Name

A41 – Lorie Silva

C11 – Jose Hernandez

C30 – Lorie Silva

D31 – David Frei

E3 – Robert Van’t Riet G19 – Sal Espinoza

This notice is given in accordance with the provisions of Section 21700 et seq. of the Business & Professions Code of the State of California. (See Section 1812.600 of Civil Code)

SANTA BARBARA MINI STORAGE By Gary Braun

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONS CODE

21700

Notice is hereby given by the undersigned that a Public Lien Sale of personal property will be held Thursday the 28th day of August, 2025, at 9:45 A.M. at Budget U‑Stor Self Storage, 130 Garden St., Santa

Barbara, Ca. 93101, County of Santa Barbara, State of California, and will be sold by the unit by Daniel Jackson, Auctioneer, CA Bond #64819405, phone (559) 970‑8105. The property to be sold is stored at Budget U‑Stor Self Storage located at 130 Garden St. Santa Barbara, CA 93110, County of Santa Barbara.

Unit # Name

104 – Duane Henry 471 – Priscilla Summerhill

This notice is given in accordance with the provisions of Section 21700 et seq. of the Business & Professions Code of the State of California. (See Section 1812.600 of Civil Code)

BUDGET U‑STOR SELF STORAGE

By Gary Braun

NAME CHANGE

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: HANSEN MICHAL CHANG CASE NUMBER: 25CV04366 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:

PETITIONER: HANSEN MICHAL CHANG A petition has been filed by the above named Petitioner(s) in Santa Barbara Superior Court for decree changing name (s) as follows:

PRESENT NAME: HANSEN MICHAL CHANG

PROPOSED NAME: HANSEN MICHAEL CHANG

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing October 3, 2025, 10:00 am, DEPT: 4, SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA 1100 Anacapa Street, P.O. Box 21107 Santa Barbara, CA 93121‑1107, A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published in the Santa Barbara Independent, a newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition. Dated 07/24/2025, JUDGE Donna D. Geck of the Superior Court. Published July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: DERIN BRYANT STOCKTON CASE NUMBER: 25CV03730 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:

PETITIONER: DERIN BRYANT

STOCKTON A petition has been filed by the above named Petitioner(s) in Santa Barbara Superior Court for decree changing name (s) as follows:

PRESENT NAME: ELLIOTT ISABELLE

TURCOTTE

PROPOSED NAME: MIKA ROSE

STOCKTON

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing August 8, 2025, 10:00 am, DEPT: 4, SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA 1100 Anacapa Street, P.O. Box 21107 Santa Barbara, CA 93121‑1107, ANACAPA DIVISION

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published in the Santa Barbara Independent, a newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition. Dated 06/25/2025, JUDGE Donna D. Geck of

the Superior Court. Published July 31. Aug 7, 14, 21 2025.

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME:BRINNA RITA PAGAN CASE NUMBER: 25CV04320 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: PETITIONER:BRINNA RITA PAGAN A petition has been filed by the above named Petitioner(s) in Santa Barbara Superior Court for decree changing name (s) as follows:

PRESENT NAME: BRIANNA RITA PAGAN

PROPOSED NAME: BRIANNA RITA

CORREMONTE

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing September 24, 2025, 10:00 am, DEPT: 3, SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA 1100 Anacapa Street, P.O. Box 21107 Santa Barbara, CA 93121‑1107, Anacapa Division

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published in the Santa Barbara Independent, a newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition. Dated

07/26/2025, JUDGE Thomas P. Anderle of the Superior Court. Published Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: MELINDA BURNS CASE NUMBER: 25CV04201 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:

PETITIONER:MELINDA BURNS A petition has been filed by the above named Petitioner(s) in Santa Barbara Superior Court for decree changing name (s) as follows:

PRESENT NAME: MELINDA BURNS

PROPOSED NAME: LESLIE KREBS

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing September 29, 2025, 10:00 am, DEPT: 5, SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA 118 E. Figueroa St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101, Santa Barbara A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published in the Santa Barbara Independent, a newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition. Dated 07/25/2025, JUDGE Colleen K. Sterne. of the Superior Court. Published Aug 14, 21, 28. Sep 4 2025.

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: ALEXANDRIA ROCHELLE SAROT CASE NUMBER: 25CV04856 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: PETITIONER:ALEXANDRIA ROCHELLE SAROT A petition has been filed by the above named Petitioner(s) in Santa Barbara Superior Court for decree changing name (s) as follows:

PRESENT NAME: ALEXANDRIA ROCHELLE SAROT

PROPOSED NAME: ALEXANDRIA RACHEL ORTEGA THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing September 18, 2025, 8:30 am, DEPT: SM FOUR, SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA 115 Civic Center Plaza Lompoc, CA 93436‑6967, LOMPOC A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published in the Santa Barbara Independent, a newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition. Dated 08/08/2025, JUDGE Jed Beebe. of the Superior Court. Published Aug 14, 21,

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara (HASBARCO) will receive sealed proposals for Security Services for Buena Tierra (residential complex) located at 6021 Hollister Avenue, Goleta, CA, until 2:00 p.m. on September 15, 2025, at 817 West Ocean Avenue, Lompoc, CA, or emailed to shereeaulman@hasbarco. org. Proposals will be held in confidence and not released in any manner until after contract award.

Proposed forms of contract documents, including specifications, are available on the HASBARCO website www.hasbarco.org

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO PURCHASE THE DEED RESTRICTED UNIT LOCATED AT 2615 CASPIA LANE

Notice is hereby given that, on August 21, 2025 or as soon thereafter as the matter may be published, the Santa Barbara County Community Services Department has issued a Request for Proposals to purchase the deed restricted property located in an Unincorporated Area of Santa Barbara County, Assessor Parcel Number 005-700-008, for a total sales price of $160,800.

A complete version of the Request for Proposals may be provided by contacting Andrew Kish at (805) 568-3534 or akish@countyofsb.org, and may be found on the County website below: https://www.countyofsb.org/403/Units-Available-for-Sale

DEPARTAMENTO DE SERVICIOS COMUNITATIOS DEL CONDADO DE SANTA BARBARA

AVISO DE SOLICITUD DE PROPUESTAS PARA COMPRAR LA UNIDAD CON RESTRICCION DE ESCRITURA UBICADA EN 2615 CASPIA LANE

Se notifica por la presente que, el 21 de agosto del 2025 o tan pronto como sea publicado, el Departamento de Servicios Comunitarios del Condado de Santa Barbara ha emitido una Solicitud de Propuestas para comprar la propiedad con restricciones de escritura ubicada en una Área No Incorporada del Condado de Santa Barbara, Numero de Parcela del Tasador 005-700-008, por un precio de venta total de $160,800.

Una versión complete de la Solicitud de propuestas se puede obtener contactando a Andrew Kish al 805-568-3534 o a akish@countyofsb.org, y se puede encontrar en el sitio web del Condado a continuación: https://www.countyofsb.org/403/Units-Available-for-Sale

LEGALS (CONT.)

teléfono del abogado del demandante que no tiene abogado es): Jonathan Nielson (805) 639‑8600; 4015 Mission Oaks Blvd., Suite B, Camarillo CA 93012 DATE (Fecha): 11/22/2024. Clerk, by (Secretario) /s/ Mari Soto, Deputy (Adjunto) Published: Aug 7, 14, 21, 28 2025.

SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL)

NOTICE TO DEFENDANT:

(AVISO AL DEMANDADO): GINA M. AUSTIN, an individual; AUSTIN LEGAL GROUP, a professional corporation, LARRY GERACI, an individual, REBECCA BERRY, an individual; JESSICA MCELFRESH, an individual;SALAM RAZUKI, an individual; NINUS MALAN, an individual; FINCH, THORTON, AND BARID, a limited liability partnership; ABHAY SCHWEITZER, an individual and dba TECHNE; JAMES (AKA JIM) BARTELL, an individual; NATALIE TRANG‑MY NGUYEN, an individual, AARON MAGAGNA, an individual; BRADFORD HARCOURT, an individual; SHAWN MILLER, an individual; LOGAN STELLMACHER, an individual; EULENTHIAS DUANE ALEXANDER, an individual; STEPHEN LAKE, an individual, ALLIED SPECTRUM, INCu a California corporation, PRODIGIOUS COLLECTIVES, LLC, a limited liability company, and DOES 1 through 50, inclusive YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: (LO ESTA DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): AMY SHERLOCK, an individual and on behalf of her minor children, T.S. and S.S., ANDREW FLORES, an individual NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this Summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self‑Help Center(www.courtinfo.ca. gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Website (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self‑Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. !ADVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en el formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte. ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le de un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede

perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 o más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso. The name and address of the court is: (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): San Diego County Hall of Justice 330 W. Broadway San Diego, CA 92101

CASE NO: (Número del Caso): 37‑2021‑0050889‑CU‑AT‑CTL

The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la dirección, y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante que no tiene abogado es): Andrew Flores; 945 4th Ave, Suite 412, San Diego, CA 92101. Tel (619) 356‑1556 DATE (Fecha): 12/29/2021. Clerk, by (Secretario) /s/ Elizabeth Reyes, Deputy (Adjunto) Published: Aug 21, 28. Sep 4, 11 2025.

TRUSTEE NOTICE

APN: 043‑ 152‑013 TS No: CA05000002‑23‑3 TO No: 250187865‑CA‑VOI NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE (The above statement is made pursuant to CA Civil Code Section 2923.3(d)(1). The Summary will be provided to Trustor(s) and/or vested owner(s) only, pursuant to CA Civil Code Section 2923.3(d)(2).) YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED October 1, 2018. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On September 10, 2025 at 10:00 AM, At the Main Entrance to the County Courthouse, Santa Barbara County Courthouse, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, MTC Financial Inc. dba Trustee Corps, as the duly Appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust recorded on October 2, 2018 as Instrument No. 2018‑0042164, of official records in the Office of the Recorder of Santa Barbara County, California, executed by HECTOR ALESSANDRO CABRERO, A SINGLE MAN AND CLAUDIA MCLAUGHLIN, AN UNMARRIED WOMAN AS JOINT TENANTS, as Trustor(s), in favor of MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., as Beneficiary, as nominee for ON Q FINANCIAL, INC. as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN SAID DEED OF TRUST The property heretofore described is being sold “as is”. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 1809 SAN ANDRES ST, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the Note(s) secured by

said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said Note(s), advances if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee’s Sale is estimated to be $516,100.80 (Estimated). However, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary’s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the Trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee’s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse.

Notice to Potential Bidders If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a Trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself.

Placing the highest bid at a Trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same Lender may hold more than one mortgage or Deed of Trust on the property. Notice to Property Owner The sale date shown on this Notice of Sale may be postponed one or more times by the Mortgagee, Beneficiary, Trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about Trustee Sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may visit the Internet Website address www. Auction.com or call Auction.com at 800.280.2832 for information regarding the Trustee’s Sale for information regarding the sale of this property, using the file number assigned to this case, CA05000002‑23‑3. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Website. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. Notice to Tenant NOTICE TO TENANT FOR FORECLOSURES AFTER JANUARY 1, 2021 You may have a right to purchase this property after the trustee auction pursuant to Section 2924m of the California Civil Code. If you are an “eligible tenant buyer,” you can purchase the property if you match the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. If you are an “eligible bidder,” you may be able to purchase the property if you exceed the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. There are three steps to

exercising this right of purchase. First, 48 hours after the date of the trustee sale, you can call 800.280.2832, or visit this internet website www.Auction. com, using the file number assigned to this case CA05000002‑23‑3 to find the date on which the trustee’s sale was held, the amount of the last and highest bid, and the address of the trustee. Second, you must send a written notice of intent to place a bid so that the trustee receives it no more than 15 days after the trustee’s sale. Third, you must submit a bid so that the trustee receives it no more than 45 days after the trustee’s sale. If you think you may qualify as an “eligible tenant buyer” or “eligible bidder,” you should consider contacting an attorney or appropriate real estate professional immediately for advice regarding this potential right to purchase. Date: August 5, 2025 MTC Financial Inc. dba Trustee Corps TS No. CA05000002‑23‑3 17100 Gillette Ave Irvine, CA 92614 Phone: 949‑252‑8300 TDD: 711 949.252.8300 By: Loan Quema, Authorized Signatory SALE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ONLINE AT www.Auction.com FOR AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: Auction.com at 800.280.2832 Order Number 115146, Pub Dates: 08/14/2025, 08/21/2025, 08/28/2025, SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Trustee Sale No. 183073 Title No. 95531250‑55 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 10/01/2009. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On 09/24/2025 at 10:00 AM, Prime Recon LLC, as duly appointed Trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust recorded 10/08/2009, as Instrument No. 2009‑0061384, in book xx, page xx, of Official Records in the office of the County Recorder of Santa Barbara County, State of California, executed by Ray Gusman, A Single Man. WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER’S CHECK/CASH EQUIVALENT or other form of payment authorized by 2924h(b), (payable at time of sale in lawful money of the United States), Santa Barbara County Courthouse, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, At the Main Entrance to the County Courthouse. All right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State, described as: FULLY DESCRIBED IN THE ABOVE DEED OF TRUST. APN 017‑430‑005 The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 10 Oak Street St #B AKA 10 Oak St B, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said note(s), advances, if any, under the terms of said Deed of Trust, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated

costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $285,008.43 If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. The beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused a Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located. Dated: 8/14/2025 Prime Recon LLC Prime Recon LLC. may be attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained may be used for that purpose. By: Josh Bermudez, Authorized Signer Prime Recon LLC 27368 Via Industria, Ste 201 Temecula, CA 92590 (888) 725‑4142 FOR TRUSTEE’S SALE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: (844) 901‑0998 OR VIEW OUR WEBSITE: https://salesinformation.prime‑ recon.com NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for

this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (800) 280‑2832 for information regarding the trustee’s sale or visit this Internet Web site ‑ www.auction.com ‑ for information regarding the sale of this property, using the file number assigned to this case: TS#183073. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. NOTICE TO TENANT: You may have a right to purchase this property after the trustee auction pursuant to Section 2924m of the California Civil Code. If you are an "eligible tenant buyer, " you can purchase the property if you match the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. If you are an “eligible bidder” you may be able to purchase the property if you exceed the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. There are three steps to exercising this right of purchase. First, 48 hours after the date of the trustee sale, you can call (800) 280‑2832 for information regarding the trustee’s sale, or visit this internet website www.auction.com or auction.com/sbl079 for information regarding the sale

of this property, using the file number assigned to this case TS#183073 to find the date on which the trustee’s sale was held, the amount of the last and highest bid, and the address of the trustee. Second, you must send a written notice of intent to place a bid so that the trustee receives it no more than 15 days after the trustee’s sale. Third, you must submit a bid so that the trustee receives it no more than 45 days after the trustee’s sale. If you think you may qualify as an”eligible tenant buyer”or “eligible bidder,” you should consider contacting an attorney or appropriate real estate professional immediately for advice regarding this potential right to purchase. A‑4850710 08/21/2025, 08/28/2025, 09/04/2025