From Liverpool to the Ranch

JOURNAL

The Zen of Malibu – Head to iconic coast down

south for a peaceful stay and some soothing bites at Nobu Ryokan, P.14

On the Terrace – Joan Curran speaks about the

impactful meals and education growing out of The Terrace Foundation, P.31

SERVING MONTECITO AND SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA

FROM LIVERPOOL TO THE RANCH

15 – 22 FEB 2024 | VOL 30 ISS 7 | www.montecitojournal.net

The Giving List

AHA! is giving students, educators, and parents their own aha moments, page 26

Poetry Jam

Black Culture House and the Obsidian Scholars bring an evening of rhymes and good times to Soul Bites for Black History Month, page 12

Your Stonehouse server this evening is Richard Slater, who hitchhiked 2,967 miles to get to San Ysidro Ranch. He will be with you shortly (Story starts on page 5)

Market Heating Up

Despite the rains, the local real estate market is off to a rolling start for 2024 – see what the numbers are and a few spots still available inside, page 28

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15 – 22 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

eings & Doings – From Liverpool to your tableside flambé at the Stonehouse: our Westmont – Leslie Ridley-Tree is celebrated at a Montecito party, 5 BRichard 20 Ystargazers Slater’s surreal American journey welcomed to campus, and top volleyball athlete speaks in chapel ocal News – Updates from the MA meeting on storm impacts, school Thoughts – It’s a blessing to have Ashleigh’s words grace our pages 6 Lrenovations, 24 B– rilliant and more – including a reception for outgoing president Megan including his thoughts on blessings Orloff

8 Gras jollity, and more miscellany

Montecito Miscellany – A Super Bowl soirée, Hearts Aligned for lunch, Mardi

10 thoughts on Das Williams and Roy Lee

L etters to the Editor – More weigh in on the upcoming election and their Tide Guide

n Entertainment – Heather Graham discusses her Chosen Family and 11 Ocareer, plus comedian Brian Regan explains his adequacy ur Town – The Obsidian Scholars Poetry Jam, Women’s Fund 12 Osurpasses their goal, and a logo contest for the new Funk Zone Live monthly event

Buzz – Cruising down to Malibu, one finds the small Japanese-style 14 Tinnravel Nobu Ryokan, and its simple pleasures eel Fun – With haunting sound design and cold camera work, The Zone of 16 RInterest depicts the banality of evil oraging Thyme – Soak in the drizzly, cold weather with this sweet, spicy 18 Fsalad with microgreens and kabocha squash

4

Montecito JOURNAL

List – Attitude. Harmony. Achievement. This is AHA!’s mantra 26 Tandhe forGiving 25 years they have been helping students live by it. lizabeth’s Appraisals – This is the tale of a writer, a diarist, and a forward27 Ethinking London merchant that resulted in the facsimile copies of an influential work

Estate – The new year has begun and the market is heating up despite 28 Rtheealgloomy weather ear Montecito – Joan Curran of The Terrace Foundation explains what the 31 Dorganization does and how it helps the city’s senior population alendar of Events – DJ Jones spins a book, Liebert hits the Lobero, Wall 40 Cwaxes wonder at rural life, and other happenings lassifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer 42 Ceverything from summer rentals to estate sales

Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles 43 Local Business Directory – Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer

“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” – Desmond Tutu

15 – 22 February 2024

Beings & Doings

The Gentleman from Liverpool Will be your Server This Evening

by Jeff Wing

L

ONDON (1982) – Richard Slater, anecdotist, adventurer, and future server at San Ysidro Ranch’s legendary Stonehouse Restaurant, hoisted his backpack in a gesture of fortitude. A wall of glass gave onto the gigantic, riveted machine that would presently loft him out of Heathrow Airport and deposit him at JFK in New York City. Slater stared at it uneasily. “It was the first long haul flight I’d ever done in those days. Once in the air, all the English and Australians would be at the back end of the plane smoking and drinking. The plane must’ve been heavy at the rear. It was crazy.”

Slater and his pal, Robert Shacklady – “Robbie Shack” – had hitchhiked the three-plus hours down to London from Liverpool. Now as the two parted – a road momentously forking in a way neither understood – Robbie handed him a paperback, some sort of guidebook for the road. Slater jammed it into his backpack. “To be honest with you, I was a nervous wreck.” His jitters belied his experience of the open road.

The restless Slater had only just returned from a six-month sojourn through the capitals and byways of a gorgeous and hospitable Europe, working a summer job in the flatlands to put a bow on the adventure. “I’d been traveling in Europe for about six months,” Slater says in the Liverpudlian singsong every Beatles fan knows cold. “I ended with a summer job in Holland, in a place called Wieringermeer – a Dutch polder. By the time I got back home I’d missed the enrollment for school.”

Slater had a year to cool his heels before he could re-up for community college.

“So I thought ‘I’ll go to America until my money runs out.’ We never called it the United States,” he adds. “We called it America.” That was in 1982. Slater’s money has yet to run out.

Richard Slater – Richie to friends – is a longtime server with the Stonehouse Restaurant at San Ysidro Ranch, a Ty Warner property. Mr. Warner’s instincts and attention to detail are renowned, and have helped make Stonehouse a globally celebrated epicurean supernova, throwing light into the deeply-felt minutiae that transfigure a merely exemplary guest experience into an unforgettable sen15 – 22 February 2024

3,500 PROJECTS • 700 CLIENTS • 35 YEARS • ONE BUILDER

Richard (left) and Robbie in Liverpool a week before Slaters departure for America (photo by Cathi Hargaden)

sory immersion. For nearly 17 years, Slater is the dapper gentleman in black necktie flambéing your Classic Steak Diane tableside, and otherwise guiding you through the realms of culinary reverie that are the Stonehouse Restaurant’s stock in trade. Slater’s Liverpool accent is both exotic and familiar, his culinary command impeccable, his presentation as approachable and rarefied as the summit that is the Stonehouse Restaurant itself.

The Richard Slater who stepped off the Boeing 767 at JFK in ‘82 was … a different guy. A first timer in the States and a hapless argonaut here, his desire to fit in with the Yanks had driven him to pack more than enough denim. Crossing America’s sprawl to its fabled West Coast – his thumb stuck out and his heart in his throat – Slater’s introductory adventures in the New World would stand his then-luxurious hair on end.

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“I took the subway out of JFK, then took a short bus ride, got to see Queens.”

The bus was packed and Slater had to stand. He spent his time staring out the windows with a pilgrim’s unblinking goggle-eyes, the Manhattan skyline a jaw-dropping special effect across the East River. He got off in Queens and took the subway into Manhattan.

“86th Street, West Side. I got off the subway, saw the stairs goin’ up. I was petrified.” At the top of the stairs, the

Beings & Doings Page 394 394

San Ysidro Ranch 805.504.1965 Montecito JOURNAL

5

Local News

Montecito Association Board Meeting

by Joanne A Calitri

T

he Montecito Association (MA) held its monthly Board meeting February 13 in person at the Rosewood Miramar Beach. Executive Director Houghton Hyatt acknowledged the donation of the board room by the hotel to the MA. There was one public comment from a representative of the Neighborhood Group living next to the Rosewood Miramar Beach. His statement was focused on the rise of commercialization coming to Montecito, including the Rosewood Miramar Beach’s proposed 50,000 square foot building, its highend retail shops, and market rate apartments for its workers. He stated that the neighborhood will bear the costs of the water, sewage, roads, and related activities while only the hotel will profit.

Additionally, it will take away business from Coast Village Road and the Upper Village shops. “We are here to preserve and protect Montecito, not turn it into another Malibu.”

6

Montecito JOURNAL

Community Reports began with Carpinteria Police Chief Lt. Ugo Peter “Butch” Arnoldi on the uptick of crime in the area, citing the known and reported robberies including Romero Canyon, Las Tunas, and at the YMCA parking lot. Suspects are named. His division is working with Ventura and L.A. County Police Departments. Arnoldi said, “This is a sophisticated crime group who we believe has tapped into our police scanners and know when we are coming and leave. They will, if caught, post bail and move to another location.” He also noted that the outing planned by a Hollywood group for the Hot Springs Trail was issued a cease-and-desist order which stopped the intrusion.

Arnoldi is working with Chris Stubbs, the Los Padres Forest Supervisor, on renewing Los Padres’ 2022-23 Forest Order No. 05-07-54-22-04: Fire Use Restrictions in the Los Padres National Forest. These are to do with public safety – and to protect natural resources within the Los Padres National Forest and Santa Barbara front country, from Gaviota to the Ventura County line, including

The Montecito Association reception for outgoing president Megan Orloff – in the center holding plaque (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

(but not limited to) Painted Cave Road, Gibraltar Road, Stagecoach Road, the paved and unpaved sections of West Camino Cielo and East Camino Cielo, Divide Peak OHV Road, the Hot Springs above the community of Montecito, and all user trails within the identified fire use restriction area. Arnoldi concluded with the stats on the number of Montecito people (356) who should have evacuated during the last storm.

David Neels, Montecito Fire Dept Battalion Chief, reported on the last storm and the work behind the scenes the MFPD does to prepare for storms, including the upcoming one this weekend. He stated that the last storm’s winds caused it to change direction, which made it weaker than originally projected. He stated that the work

Local News Page 104 104

15 – 22 February 2024

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Montecito JOURNAL

7

Montecito Miscellany Super Bowl Party Pile Up

by Richard Mineards

S

ports fans galore descended on the George Washington Smith Montecito estate of technology executive Howard Cannon, just a tiara’s toss from the home of singer Katy Perry and her British actor fiancé Orlando Bloom, for Cannon’s popular seventh annual Super Bowl party.

With commercial time during the CBS

broadcast of the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers at the 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, going for more than $7 million for 30 seconds – and last-minute seats selling for more than $10,000 – the tension was palpable at the $1.9 billion venue which took four years to construct as the home field of the Las Vegas Raiders.

It is the second most expensive stadium in the world and a reported 189 million worldwide tuned in for the NFL extrav-

The crowd anxiously waiting for Usher to take the stage (photo by Priscilla)

8

Montecito JOURNAL

Host Howard Cannon, Mick Mankowski, and John Bridgewater (photo by Priscilla)

Billy Baldwin with Nicole and David Catelfino (photo by Priscilla)

aganza, including singer Taylor Swift, who interrupted her tour of Japan to wing back to the Left Coast on her private jet to watch her beau Travis Kelce play.

“It was really worth all the hype and buildup,” said Howard, who divides his time between his Montecito home and a home in Memphis, Tennessee. “It was an amazingly close game. The last minutes were quite something. But fortunately, I bet on the Chiefs!”

In overtime, thanks to a touchdown pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs ran to victory 25-22 and hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy yet again.

Among the frenzied football fans were actor Billy Baldwin, Victoria Frost, Paul Orfalea, Nigel Gallimore, Brenda Blalock, Rebecca Brand, Hayim Abulafia, Joel Mallet, Brian Jacobson, and Cate Wilkins.

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15 – 22 February 2024

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15 – 22 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

9

Caltrans is doing did not impact local road flooding, as it was more an issue of storm drainage that was maxed out.

His advice on sheltering in place is that it can only be applied to specific situations. If MFPD requests an evacuation it is best to follow that recommendation, as roads providing access to people sheltering in place may get flooded, and air rescue can get blocked by weather conditions. Both scenarios put First Responders at risk.

Montecito Sanitation District General Manager John Weigold reported there were no damages sustained from the last storm, and they are preparing for this weekend’s storm.

The formerly FEMA-damaged areas and creek beds are doing okay. The MSD is open to performing courtesy inspections for local businesses and is in process with a project to update and refurbish the wastewater plant.

Local public-school reports started with Anthony Ranii, Superintendent of the Montecito Union School District (MUS). He shared they are celebrating their 100 year anniversary and Chinese New Year. The Professional Focus for 2024 is in Foundational Literacy, and for 2025 Comprehensional Literacy. MUS’ Nature Lab is partnering with the Housing Authoring for collab educational experiences, and their other partners are the United Way and AHA! The MUS Foundation is funding the innovation lab and new books.

He thanked MFPD Chief Neels and

his team for the best communication he has had in seven years to local schools for an emergency, “It was timely and gave us options on what we needed to do to be safe.”

Amy Alzina, PhD Superintendent and Principal of the Cold Spring School District (CSS) echoed Ranii’s accolades to Neels. “Thank you for your excellent communication. It gave our teachers the information to make the best decisions.” Professional development for CSS teachers is on AI (artificial intelligence), and how to use it to create personal learning experiences for our students. She announced their project “Building Bright Futures” by the CCS Foundation to build a new two-story STEAM and art classroom building projects will be done at “only $2.1 million, an unheard-of budget.”

Starting in June, CSS is offering summer school classes in STEAM, engineering, cooking, and more using CSS state funds.

Ranii and Alzina both adamantly upheld that the schools work well together, and have for the past seven years – sharing teachers, learning experiences, and activities. Resources are also shared with SB South County.

First SB County District Supervisor Das Williams thanked the MFPD and Arnoldi’s teams during the past storm. He stated the SBC is using $5 million to clean out Cold Spring and San Ysidro debris areas; the Montecito

Local News Page 354 354

YOUR LETTERS MATTER! The Montecito Journal thrives with community input…

Have thoughts on a local issue?

Comments on one of our articles?

Contact us at letters@montecitojournal.net

Letters to the Editor Re: Das Williams

Y

our recent editorial describing Das Williams as ‘commitment to self rather than to public service’ surprised me. That is a term I have never associated with him.

I have personally worked with Das over these last 20 years on issues that touched on his passion for improving our Environment – bike and pedestrian safety improvements, funding Transit needs and recently – preserving Mission Creek bridge and redoing the surrounding streets for safe walking.

In all these, he was accessible, active, creative, and helpful. He and Supervisor Hart got us through Covid. Das uses staff creatively and raises money when necessary – for our neighborhood on Mission Canyon Road. Yes, he makes decisions, and they don’t always go as you think, but that is his job. We are lucky to have such commitment and I fully support him.

Rich Untermann

total where only a small fraction of Montecito citizens voted. These statistics matter now because a surge in Montecito voter turnout for Roy Lee could decisively tip the scales. This is a call to all Montecito constituents: encourage your neighbors and friends to vote for Roy Lee so that we can have a leader who truly represents our interests. After all, who doesn’t love a good underdog story?

Kohanya Groff, PhD

JOURNAL

Local News (Continued from 6)

Executive Editor/CEO | G wyn Lurie gwyn@montecitojournal.net President/COO | Timothy Lennon Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net Managing Editor | Zach Rosen zach@montecitojournal.net MoJo Contributing Editor | Christopher Matteo Connor Art/Production Director | Trent Watanabe Graphic Design/Layout | Stevie Acuña Administration | Jessikah Fechner Administrative Assistant | Kassidy Craner VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood leanne@montecitojournal.net Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Bryce Eller

Montecito Votes Really Do Matter This March 5th, Santa Barbara’s First District faces a critical election for County Supervisor. As Das Williams has consistently demonstrated his lack of leadership, fiscal incompetence and disregard for the safety and welfare of this community, we have a chance to vote him out by electing city councilman, Roy Lee, a figure of true community dedication. Is Roy Lee an underdog? Maybe, considering Mr. Williams campaign contributions from the cannabis industry. But consider that during the 2020 Supervisor election between Das Williams and Laura Capps, Mr. Williams narrowly won by only 1,467 votes from a 28,611

Contributing Editor | Kelly Mahan Herrick Copy Editor | Lily Buckley Harbin Proofreading | Helen Buckley Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz Contributors | Scott Craig, Ashleigh Brilliant, Kim Crail, Tom Farr, Chuck Graham, Stella Haffner, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye, Jamie Knee, Elizabeth Stewart, Amélie Dieux, Houghton Hyatt, Jeff Wing Gossip | Richard Mineards History | Hattie Beresford Humor | Ernie Witham Our Town/Society | Joanne A Calitri Travel | Jerry Dunn, Leslie Westbrook Food & Wine | Melissa Petitto, Gabe Saglie

MONTECITO TIDE GUIDE Day

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“The need for change bulldozed a road down the center of my mind.” – Maya Angelou

newspaper

Published by: Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108.

How to reach us: (805) 565-1860; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108; EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net

15 – 22 February 2024

On Entertainment A SBIFF Wrap Up

by Steven Libowitz

SBIFF

is surely sliding toward the end of this year’s festivities, but there’s still plenty to enjoy over the final three days, with opportunities to partake in pretty much all that the fest has to offer. That includes SBIFF’s tributes, the legendary sessions in which the actors engage in 90-minute or longer programs on their currently Oscar-nominated roles as well as ones from throughout their career complete with carefully curated film clips. Jeffrey Wright gets SBIFF’s Montecito Award on Feb. 15 for his turn as a novelist fed up with the tired and offensive Black tropes – who ends up facing his own hypocrisy when his outlandish book ironically becomes a bestseller. Annette Bening returns to SBIFF to pick up SBIFF’s new Arlington Award for portraying the real life open-water swimmer Diana Nyad on Feb. 16.

There’s also a final industry discussion, with Madelyn Hammond moderating the Feb. 17th Women’s Panel that features composer Laura Karpman (American Fiction), the oft-nominated songwriter Diane Warren, hair and makeup nominee Karen HartleyThomas (Golda), Annapurna animation production head Julie Zachary (Nimona), and best-doc director Maite Alberdi (The Eternal Memory).

Meanwhile, there’s more Montecito at the movies, with a second screening on Feb. 16 of Alien Contact, a gorgeous exploration of manta rays’ higher intelligence from Montecito residents Katya Shirokow and three-time Emmy winner Rick Rosenthal, and an encore of Santa Barbara Documentary Shorts, which includes Jessie Davidson’s heartwarming Nine Lives.

Be sure to check the SBIFF app to see what other festival favorites have earned additional screenings for Friday and Saturday.

Closing out SBIFF with Heather Graham Heather Graham has made a career out of portraying the charming, sexybut-sweet girl who’s lighthearted and lovable as she’s in on the joke. Think Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, the girl Jon Favreau finally connects with in Swingers, roles on TV’s Scrubs and Californication, and even Rollergirl in 15 – 22 February 2024

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Heather Graham stars and directs Chosen Family, which has its world premiere at SBIFF (photo by Dimitri Sarantis via Wikimedia Commons)

Boogie Nights. Graham plays a similarly sane but self-effacing character in the romcom Chosen Family, which will have its world premiere as SBIFF’s Closing Night film on February 17. But the difference is she wrote the role herself and also directed the film, her second effort behind the camera in a 35-year career.

Graham plays Ann, a people-pleasing yoga teacher trying to achieve some inner peace despite a dating life in the dumper and a family that’s manic. Ann meets the perfect guy but finds herself competing with his daughter for his attention.

Struggling to repair her estranged relationship with her sister (played by Julia Stiles), she relies on her friends (Andrea Savage, Thomas Lennon, and Odessa Rae) to provide support and guide her through life’s troubling decisions.

Graham has made no secret that the story springs from her own life, much as her writer-director debut, Half Magic, was based on her many experiences in bad relationships and harassment she has faced in Hollywood. The affable actress took a break from ski lessons in Wyoming to talk about the movie and more.

Q. Just how close to the truth is the story in Chosen Family?

On Entertainment Page 254 254

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Our Town

Black History Month 2024: The Obsidian Scholars Poetry Jam Leaders of the Poetry Jam: Darrell McNeill and Sally Foxen-McNeill, Tayllor and Ademola OyewoleDavis, Audrey Gamble, and Connie Alexander (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

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lack History Month is dedicated to African Americans and the Arts.

In Week Two we give it up for the young Obsidian Scholars at the Gateway Educational Services Goleta, who presented their original poetry in fond memory of Santa Barbara poet laureate, activist, and local institution Sojourner Kincaid Rolle. The event was held at Soul Bites Restaurant on Saturday, February 10.

Gateway’s Founders and Directors Connie Alexander and Audrey Gamble presented the program in conjunction with Santa Barbara Black Culture House’s Founders Darrell McNeill and Sally Foxen-McNeill.

The Gateway Educational Services has been serving the Goleta area for 15 years, providing a unique learning experience helping students to succeed academically utilizing a one-to-one, assessment-based tutoring pedagogy. Alexander explained further, “The Obsidian Scholars, established in the fall of 2022, includes Black/ African American students in grades 4-7.

The purpose of Obsidian Scholars is to provide leadership development and cultural experiences for Black students. Our program facilitators include Tayllor Johnson, Ademola Oyewole-Davis, and Demetria Jones. Obsidian Scholars is a safe and joyful space for Black Youth, and we meet monthly. Black Youth need more opportunities to gather and be mentored by Black community leaders. On August 17, we will host a day-long conference for Black students from Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Santa Barbara at SBCC. It will be our second annual Black Youth Leadership Summit.”

In talking about the importance of Black Art, Culture and History, McNeill shared, “Black/African history, culture, and art is intrinsic to the history, culture, and art of the entire globe. Our creative contributions are proven as foundational to every artistic advancement in modern

“The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less.” – Eldridge Cleaver

society: music, theater, dance, literature, visual arts, film, photography, video, fashion and other disciplines. We embrace the importance and opportunities provided by Black History Month, but we see it as a launchpad to a larger discourse on the full range and diversity of our creativity and intellect throughout the year.”

The students read their poems and performed on African drums. Ademola Oyewole-Davis read his poems and spoke.

His first poem, “Worth,” he notes that at Cate School’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, “I’m worth making this my best life.” He concluded the program by reciting another poem, with the students filling in the last word of the phrases of the poem and playing drums in synch with it. Rounding out the intros and outros to the program was DJ Old School (Kevin Miller).

Not to miss are Black Culture House upcoming events: February 17: Darrell McNeill presents his book Isley Bros. 3+3 in conversation with Aaron Jones February 18 and 24: Live music February 25: Robey Theatre Co. reading of Richard Wesley’s The Talented Tenth Santa Barbara Black Culture House is sponsored by the Black Rock Coalition and made possible by a Towbes Fund for The Performing Arts grant through The Santa Barbara Foundation.

411: SBBlackCultureHouse@gmail.com Instagram: @BlackCultureHouse

Women’s Fund of SB Passes $1 million Funding Goal for 2024 Last year, the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara (WFSB) posed a lofty

Our Town Page 344 344

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Travel Buzz

What’s Up at

From Zero to Zen in an Hour: A Sublime Time at Nobu Ryokan in Malibu Open now through June 2024

The simple yet elegant Nobu Ryokan Malibu (courtesy photo)

by Leslie A. Westbrook

I Play with puppets, explore ratio and scale, and come do Shadow Play with MOXI. Included with museum admission.

Engineers Week.

Featuring MAGNA-TILES

Don’t miss fun challenges set up throughout the museum for builders and creators of all ages.

February 18 - 24

Become a Member.

Join or renew today to enjoy great perks, including early admission every Saturday. moxi.org 125 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 805.770.5000

14 Montecito JOURNAL

’ve always wanted to visit Japan – a country that recently reopened to tourism. In the meantime, I thought I might approximate a Zen-like trip to Japan along the coast of California… just an hour’s drive away.

These days, you can go throw a dart just about anywhere on the tourism planet map and visit a Nobu restaurant and/or hotel. Back in the 1980s, I frequented the original Nobu restaurant on La Cienega Blvd in Los Angeles. I doubt Nobu Matsuhisa imagined his tiny Japanese restaurant would morph into a global endeavor thanks to teaming up with actor Robert De Niro and other investor/owners.

When I was offered the chance to spend the night at the Nobu Ryokan, a small Japanese-style inn located on the beach in Malibu, I jumped. I also wanted to try Nobu restaurant (the two entities are under different ownership) located just a stone’s throw away.

I have one word for my 24-hour stay at Nobu Ryokan Malibu: sublime (with a few caveats).

Even the short drive down was transcendent. I took the Las Posas Road exit, that route fringed by vast, bright green farm fields edging soft brown hills that conjure “old” California. Before turning on to the Pacific Coast Highway, almost on cue, my radio went from news of wars to terrific jazz as soon as I hit Point Mugu. The coastline drive was stunning and relaxing, with the Pacific to my right, sand dunes and native landscapes to my left. I stopped off at the Malibu Country Mart to window-shop before moseying to Nobu Ryokan. Only I missed the turn into the hotel on PCH. The hotel is SO discreet that I drove right past it and ended up next door, in the shared parking lot of the exclusive, member-on-

“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” – George Washington Carver

ly, “Little Beach House” Soho Club and Nobu restaurant. A few turnarounds and I parked in front of the handsome building wondering how I would get through the wooden barriers. Then, as if by magic, the beautiful large wooden gates slowly opened, and I was cheerfully welcomed by the accommodating and polite staff. I was handed a warm washcloth to clean my hands and face, then showed around the small, tranquil property. Any PCH turnround stress was immediately melted away by the soothing sounds and sights of a waterfall and the lush curving stone paths that led to my room.

My oceanfront room, named “Yuhi” (which has several meanings: sun, sunlight, positive, male, daytime) was totally Shibui – a study in simple, unobtrusive, subtle beauty – forged of hardwoods and decorated in neutral tones perched on exclusive Carbon Beach. A small deck with two lounge chairs, an umbrella and sunscreen, was the perfect sunrise/sunset/ anytime spot.

The tide was out when I arrived.

I watched a few walkers enjoying late afternoon strolls and a lone SUP paddleboarder. I admired the soaring high wooden ceilings, plopped onto the king size bed made with what felt like the world’s softest sheets. On the tansu-style bedside table sat a beautiful book titled The Way of the Japanese Bath – a perfect intro to the perfectly designed bathroom with a short, steep-sided wooden Japanese soaking tub.

I discovered a pair of earplugs in the drawer in the event the waves were too loud at night (“Now that’s a high-class problem!” quipped a friend). An iPad provided contact with the concierge, housekeeping, control of the window shades, bedside Japanese-style wood-andrice-paper lights, the Nobu room service menu and more, leaving little room for

Travel Buzz Page 324 324

15 – 22 February 2024

2023/2024

GLOBAL HARMONY / VIRTUOSOS AND VISIONARIES

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ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Nathalie Stutzmann, Music Director Haochen Zhang, piano

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, a 27-time Grammy® Award winner, unites and educates through orchestral music. Under Nathalie Stutzmann, beginning in the 2022/2023 season, it continues to excel. Stutzmann, celebrated for her love and technique, is joined by Haochen Zhang, a 2009 Van Cliburn Piano Competition winner known for his sensitive virtuosity.

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Advance Care Planning (ACP) allows individuals to make decisions about their future medical care while they are healthy. It serves as a guide for the family, and oftentimes prevents family feuds and guilt as well as unwanted, costly medical care. Join the growing movement of ACP in our community by becoming an ACP Facilitator and lead group presentations and one-onone appointments throughout our community!

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15 – 22 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

15

Reel Fun

The Zone of Interest

by Christopher Matteo Connor

J

onathan Glazer’s new Oscarnominated film, The Zone of Interest, has finally hit SB screens, and if you’ve yet to check it out, it’s a definite must-see.

But be warned: it’s a difficult watch.

Rudolf Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz, lives – quite literally – next to the largest and most notorious of concentration camps. There, with his wife, kids, and their playful dog, they have created a sort of idyllic domestic life that, aside from the death camp next door, would be envied by anyone. One just need ignore it. But how can one ignore a genocide next-door – how can one become numb to such an unfathomable atrocity?

That’s the crux of Glazer’s new movie, which shockingly subverts all expectations of a Holocaust film. Looked at simply, it’s a movie about the ‘banality of evil’; how evil thrives when ordinary people go along with it, when it becomes unthinkingly systematic. But the film goes far beyond that, acting as a sort of mirror for the audience.

How easy is it to drown out atrocities

happening around us? In what ways have we come to ignore death and destruction?

All that separates the camp and its prisoners from the Höss family’s immaculate gardens is a wall. Over that wall comes the constant droning of the gas chambers, the cries of the tortured victims, the rumbling of trains carting in more prisoners, sounds of gunshots and screams that punctuate an otherwise indifferent sunny day. It’s relentless, and the sickening feeling seeps into us. And whether they like it or not, it

seeps into the characters as well.

The newborn is constantly crying. The daughter, unable to sleep, wanders aimlessly around at night. Something inside her is broken. The mother-in-law stares off, disturbed at the blood red glow of the gas chambers.

The youngest son asks a disembodied voice of a prisoner to not disobey his captors again, for subconsciously, his young mind can’t keep processing the sound of such soul curdling violence. There’s no escaping it.

Being adjacent to that kind of unthinkable atrocity erodes the psyche, does something irreparable to the body.

In a bold move, formally and thematically, Glazer forgoes depicting on-screen violence, allowing the incessant sound design to do all the terrible work. And in this way, he creates a tension that never reaches a catharsis, often so crucial in conventional dramatic storytelling. Instead, we are left in a constant state of anxiety, waiting for that moment of release that never comes. We have to sit with it. Live with that feeling.

It brings to mind the long-standing debate of whether it’s ever ethical to dramatize something as unimaginably horrific as the Holocaust. Here, we’re left to our imaginations, to fill in the blanks with images we’ve seen in documentaries, history books, and other movies.

Even the cinematography often feels inhuman, devoid of any personal touch,

cutting so precisely on movement that it’s almost as if you were watching a reality show. To achieve this effect, Glazer and his team set up motion sensor cameras to take in the action (or lack of it), allowing the gaze from the camera to feel cold, sterile, unfeeling. Apathetic like the characters depicted before us.

With The Zone of Interest, Glazer has created an incredibly chilling, challenging, and disturbing film, one that seeps under the skin and lingers far after the credits roll. It has been nominated for five Academy Awards (Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay,

International Feature, and Sound).

The Zone of Interest is playing at Metropolitan Paseo Nuevo 4 Cinemas. Don’t miss this chance to witness, quite possibly, the best film of 2023.

Christopher Matteo Connor is a writer and filmmaker.

When he isn’t writing, watching movies, and working on projects, you can be sure he’s somewhere enjoying a big slice of vegan pizza.

Groundwater is Important for Our Community

What does available data reveal about the basin?

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What actions might be needed in the future?

16 Montecito JOURNAL

Web: www.montecitogsa.com Email: staff@montecitogsa.com Phone: 805.324.4207 583 San Ysidro Road Santa Barbara, CA 93108

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15 – 22 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

17

LIVE CLOSE TO YOUR PASSIONS.

Foraging Thyme Kabocha Squash Melissa Petitto

T

he kabocha squash is one of my favorite squashes, creamy, nutty, and sweet – this squash has an edible thick green skin, a low glycemic index, is super low calorie, and contains a plethora of vitamins and minerals. I found some gorgeous ones at the market this week at Jimenez Family Farms.

The kabocha squash is an Asian winter squash varietal and is an excellent source of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body.

Vitamin A is important for healthy white blood cells and immunity, as well as skin health. Beta-carotene has been shown to help reduce acne and prevent blemishes by fighting acne-causing bacteria and inflammation in the gut. It is a good source of folic acid, vitamin C, some B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, as well as fiber. Its low glycemic index and high fiber nature make it excellent for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Kabocha squash has also been shown to help reduce the risk of some cancers, as well as help boost normal vision.

I love my kabocha squash simply steamed or roasted with an incredible sauce.

The texture is unlike any other squash. Enjoy!

Roasted Kabocha Squash with Sesame Ginger-Gochujang Sauce Yield: 6 Servings 1 each kabocha squash 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt and black pepper

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Sesame Ginger-Gochujang Sauce 3 tablespoons tahini 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon tamari 1 tablespoon gochujang, optional 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated 1 teaspoon maple syrup 2 tablespoons water

This sweet, nutty squash has a texture unlike any other (photo by Namayasai LLP via Wikimedia Commons)

1 cup microgreens Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash the squash and then warm the squash in the oven while the oven preheats, about 10 minutes.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

3. When the squash is warm, slice it in half and scrape out all the seeds. Then slice it into 1½ inch slices. Divide the slices among the baking sheet in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time, or until the squash is golden brown Melissa Petitto, R.D., is an and tender. executive chef and co-founder 5. While the squash is roastat Thymeless My Chef SB, ing, make the sauce. In a medium was a celebrity personal chef bowl, combine all ingredients and for 16 years, just finished whisk until you have a smooth and her 10th cookbook, creamy sauce. and is an expert 6. To serve, arrange slices on a platon nutrition and ter, drizzle with sauce and top with wellness.

microgreens.

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” – Langston Hughes

15 – 22 February 2024

15 – 22 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

19

Your Westmont A Fitting Fête for a Lady

WE T MOVED!

by Scott Craig

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he Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art and Westmont Music Department threw a grand party on Jan. 3 in honor of the late Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, whose generosity benefited not only the college but the entire Santa Barbara community. The Westmont String Quartet played as celebrants enjoyed champagne and crêpe while taking in the stunning ocean view from the home of Paris-born Allison Armour, a sculptor whose gleaming glass ball fountains and stainless-steel creations added delightful magic to the coastal panorama.

Judy L. Larson, Askew professor of art and museum director, President Gayle D. Beebe, and Siegwart ‘Zig’ Reichwald, Adams professor of music and worship, reflected on Ridley-Tree’s impact.

Wesley Park, a concert classical guitarist and educator from Los Angeles, performed songs by Camille Saint-Saëns and Claude Debussy before being joined by the Westmont Chamber Singers directed

by Daniel Gee. The performance featured Gee’s premiere of “Sentez et Voyez,” based on “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” from Psalm 34:8.

The party, aptly named Le Jardin des Artistes, was held in conjunction with the current exhibition, Camille Corot to Orthodox Icons: Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree’s Gifts to the Collection, which is in the art museum through March 23.

Stargazers Welcome If the weather cooperates, and that has been a big if this winter, the Milky Way’s open clusters will be the focus of the monthly stargazing event on Friday, Feb. 16, beginning after 6 pm and lasting for several hours. The observatory, home of the powerful Keck Telescope, is open to the public every third Friday of the month and held in conjunction with

One of many stunning glass ball fountain sculptures by Allison Armour (courtesy photo)

the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit (SBAU) whose members bring their own telescopes to share with the public.

Free parking is available near the Westmont Observatory, which is between the baseball field and the track and field/ soccer complex. To enter Westmont’s campus, please use the Main Entrance off La Paz Road after 7 pm. The lower entrance off Cold Spring Road closes to visitors after 7 pm. A map is available online at westmont.edu/observatory. In case of inclement weather, please call the Telescope Viewing Hotline at (805) 565-6272 to hear if the viewing has been canceled.

The moon, rising near the Pleiades to the west of Orion, will be just beyond first-quarter phase and will offer spectacular views of a host of large craters on its terminator.

Hyades, at the front of Taurus the bull, is a beautiful grouping of bright stars that’s traveling through space but managing to stay together. “At 153 light-years distant, Hyades is the closest and most-studied open cluster to our solar system,” says

Mon - Fri: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sat: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

20 Montecito JOURNAL

Your Westmont Page 344 344

The Westmont Chamber Singers and guitarist Wesley Park were directed by Daniel Gee (courtesy photo)

“Truth is powerful and it prevails.” – Sojourner Truth

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15 – 22 February 2024

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Feb 23 Launching UCSB’s Campus Decarbonization Study Project as Part of the Task Force for a Fossil-free UC Climatologist and Geophysicist

Michael E. Mann

Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons From Earth’s Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis Fri, Feb 23 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall / FREE (registration recommended) “[Mann] shows us how we can take the bold steps we must alltake together to win the battle to save this planet.” – Greta Thunberg

Feb 27 & 28

Hael Somma, Chamonix, photo by Antoine Mesnage

Two Nights!

Two Amazing Programs!

Tue, Feb 27 & Wed, Feb 28 / 7:30 PM / Arlington Theatre Major Local Sponsor: Justin Brooks Fisher Foundation The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is presented by Banff & Lake Louise Tourism and Rab and is sponsored by Buff, Oboz, YETI, Kicking Horse Coffee, World Expeditions, The Lake Louise Ski Resort & Summer Gondola, Lowe Alpine, and Happy Yak

Apr 3 Economist and Former U.S. Secretary of Labor

Robert B. Reich

What Really Happened to the American Dream?

(And How Can it be Restored?)

Wed, Apr 3 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall Robert B. Reich examines widening inequalities of income, wealth and political power, and expertly shows how restoring equal opportunity is critical for all Americans.

(805) 893-3535 | www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu

Granada event can at: also(805) be purchased Arlington event tickets can also betickets purchased 963-4408 at:| (805) 899-2222 | www.GranadaSB.org

22 Montecito JOURNAL

15 – 22 February 2024

Feb 25

Leila Josefowicz, violin John Novacek, piano

Sun, Feb 25 / 4 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall Debussy: Violin Sonata in G Minor, L. 140 Szymanowski: Mythes, op. 30 Erkki-Sven Tüür: Conversio for Violin and Piano Stravinsky: Divertimento from Le Baiser de la fée

Event Sponsor: Luci & Rich Janssen

“Josefowicz is magnificent… whether negotiating ferocious technical challenges or playing with gentle lyrical wonder.”

The Strad (U.K.)

Mar 9

Tommy Emmanuel, CGP

with special guests Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley Sat, Mar 9 / 8 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall “Known as one of the greats due to his complex fingerstyle techniques, the Australian guitarist has had a long and successful career as a session musician and solo artist.” Guitar.com Incorporating the sounds of blues, country, rock, classical and Spanish music, Tommy Emmanuel’s unique style encompasses a multi-dimensional landscape that has earned him recognition as one of the best acoustic guitar players on Earth.

Apr 7 Malian Singer-songwriter

Fatoumata Diawara Sun, Apr 7 (note new date) / 8 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall “This hugely charismatic singer is at the top of her game.” Evening Standard (U.K.) Combining thrilling vocals with a boldly eclectic approach and a flair for fashion, Malian musician Fatoumata Diawara delivers biting social commentary and stinging electric guitar solos that ride on her band’s sinuous funk-influenced beats.

(805) 893-3535 | www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu Arlington event tickets can also be purchased at: (805) 963-4408 | 15 – 22 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

23

Brilliant Thoughts Blessings on You

first having the ship’s Captain declare that: “Bad language or abuse I never, never, use whatever the emergency.” But later he himself is disgraced by being heard to say, in very stressful circumstances involving his own daughter and a lowly seaman, “Why damme, it’s too bad!”

For this offence, he is exiled to his cabin by the First Lord of the Admiralty (who happens himself to be interested in the Captain’s daughter.) When he protests, the First Lord responds:

by Ashleigh Brilliant

T

he idea of blessing – that is, asking God to have some favorable influence on someone or something, is probably as old as religion itself. In some religions, only certain people are authorized to pronounce certain blessings – but in general, in our culture, anybody may, without any special permission, bless any other person, or thing, or any abstraction, such as a country. In fact, one very popular anthem, which we all know, calls on God to “Bless America,” and nobody seems to consider that objectionable.

But we must also acknowledge the opposite sentiment, which is, of course, condemning someone or something to Hell, which is also known as cursing or damning.

So, the reverse of blessing anything capable of being blessed would be asking God to damn that same individual or object. From this, we derive an expletive linking God and damnation, which is so strong, and, to many of us, so offensive, that even today it is not considered acceptable in polite discourse.

This, however, has not always been the case. As long ago as the series of conflicts between England and France known as the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453), the English, presumably because of their supposed fondness for the expression, were known to their enemies as “Les Goddams.”

Gilbert and Sullivan, in their comic opera HMS Pinafore, (1878) had fun with this idea by

Pack up and Escape to the Mountains

with SNOW in the forcast!

Photo by Cricco

I will hear of no defense – Attempt none, if you’re sensible – That word of evil sense Is wholly indefensible.

So, it no longer mattered whether you were wishing damnation upon someone else or even upon yourself. Better not to say anything derogatory that even sounded like “damn”– hence the popular new uses of similar-sounding but inoffensive words like “darn,” (which of course had nothing to do with sewing). And along the same lines, we also have “dashed,” “gosh dang,” and even “doggone.”

On the other hand, “Blessing” has had a whole euphemistic life of its own. In England and some other English-speaking countries, the word “bloody” has been, and, by some people, still is, considered extremely blasphemous. This usage derives from the religious expression “By Our Lady.” So, having the same first two letters has long made “blessed” a more or less acceptable substitute.

In his play Pygmalion – first produced in 1914 – George Bernard Shaw took the daring step of having one of his characters – Eliza, the Cockney flower-girl – utter the expression, “Not bloody likely!” The play was not banned, nor the line cut out – but it set a new standard for outrageousness in the theater.

But, even to Americans, the word “damn” can legitimately be used in certain contexts, particularly in war. Thus, in the Civil War and afterwards, Southerners referred to their enemy as the “Damn Yankees,” and later the expression has found usage wherever the plural of “Yankee” occurs, particularly in baseball and on the stage. And a famous event in the war with Spain was Admiral Farragut’s attack upon Mobile Bay and his command to “Damn the torpedoes” (which were naval mines.)

Otherwise, it is hard to find any military usage of the word “damn” in that whole century. Certainly, one could scarcely imagine any such language escaping the lips of a gentleman warrior like Robert E. Lee. By the time of World War II, however, at least one General – George Patton – became famous for his profanity, which apparently endeared him to most of his troops. (The rest were no doubt more afraid to say anything about it than they were of the Germans. That same General became notorious for his alleged slapping of a hospitalized soldier suffering from “Battle Fatigue,” who had no physical wounds – calling him a coward.)

Ashleigh Brilliant born Finally, the very words “God Bless England 1933, came to You” were, as long ago as 590 A.D., California in 1955, to Santa ordained by the Pope to be uttered Barbara in 1973, to the when someone had sneezed. Plagues Montecito Journal in 2016. were prevalent, and those words were Best-known for his illustrated thought to help stave off disease. What’s epigrams, called “Pot-Shots,” remarkable is that this, and similar now a series of 10,000. sneeze-blessings, such as the German email: ashleigh@west. net. web: www.ash “Gesundheit!” (Good Health!) are still

leighbrilliant.com. common today.

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“Somebody once said we never know what is enough until we know what’s more than enough.” – Billie Holiday

15 – 22 February 2024

On Entertainment (Continued from 11 11)) A. It’s made up but it’s inspired by my life. I was always codependent and at a certain point I got curious how that happened? I was intrigued by the idea that sometimes when a kid is frustrated by these qualities in their parents, they end up finding the same ones in their relationships. I wanted to explore that idea because my friends were just really the most supportive people in my life.

I only saw the preview, but that kid is such a fierce competitor, and your selfdoubts seem really uncomfortable?

It was meant to find humor in something that’s painful, as it’s about my own journey with codependency, and how to get free. The little girl is a bit like her sister, repeating that frustrating dynamic to her family.

Your last movie was something of an indictment of Hollywood and how hard it is to get a movie made as a woman. Was it any easier this time around?

No. It was very hard to get made. To be honest, a lot of movies get made based on actor attachments and men are much more valuable (at the box office). So when you write a movie where the man isn’t the star and his character isn’t like this Indiana Jones hero, and you don’t have a massive name to make it, it’s very hard. I think that’s one of the reasons why there’s so many more movies made about men because the whole system of financing for films is geared around male-dominated products and male actors.

I like watching films that have a female protagonist in a story about her journey. I wanted to share how learning how to heal myself and finding laughter and pain and just getting to play a character that it’s not exactly me, but has a lot of similarities. I’m so grateful that I got to make it with actors who are my friends.

too. I’m going to be on camera – I can’t just gain 30 pounds. But it’s also something I explore in the movie. There’s a scene where my character is being told she should become relevant by putting up pictures of herself in a bikini. Whenever I’ve done that, they get a lot of likes. So I was just exploring how as actresses now, or artists or people, we’re supposed to put everything on Instagram. So I was just kind of making fun of myself at the same time.

I read that you still have the roller skates from Boogie Nights from more than 25 years ago. Where do you keep them?

It’s the coolest thing. I just moved and I was thinking maybe I should get rid of them, just give them to Goodwill or something. But my manager called the Academy Museum (which has film stills and other archives as well as props and other objects). That’s where they keep Dorothy’s Ruby Red slippers from The Wizard of Oz. They unanimously wanted them. Isn’t that amazing!

Brian Regan: ‘Competent’ Comedy from Consummate Pro Brian Regan has been doing comedy for decades, dating back to The Tonight Show in the last month of Johnny Carson’s tenure (when he “got the couch” as they used to say) to regular appearances with Jimmy Fallon. He’s put out several popular albums, made eight stand-up specials for major streamers and, most recently, co-starred in three seasons of Peter Farrelly’s TV series, Loudermilk, which moved to Netflix earlier this year where it leaped into the Top 10.

On Entertainment Page 364 364

How is it to have the film premier in Santa Barbara?

It’s so exciting. It’s about celebrating my friendships, and pretty much the friends who have inspired me, they’re all going to be there, including some I have known since I was a teenager.

People are flying in from Greece and coming in from San Francisco, and newer friends from town and they’re all coming. I’m excited.

I saw the photos of you from last summer in a bikini that you yourself posted on Instagram. I don’t know how to ask this question in a PC way, but holy s---, you look incredible! What is your secret?

Thank you, that’s very sweet. I work out.

I do yoga. I eat healthy. I don’t drink or do drugs, and I guess I have lucky genetics.

And being an actress puts the fear in you 15 – 22 February 2024

The (more than) adequate Brian Regan comes to the Arlington on Feb. 22 (photo by Friedman Bergman)

Montecito JOURNAL

25

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oxana Petty is understandably proud that AHA! is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024, marking a quarter-century since the nonprofit’s founding as a small summer program just a few months after the infamous Columbine High School massacre. In an effort to reduce the possibility of such a tragedy happening in Santa Barbara, AHA! (which stands for Attitude.

Harmony. Achievement.) hosted a small, diverse group of teenagers as an offshoot of its co-founder’s work at Family Therapy Institute. It took seven years for AHA! to become a stand-alone nonprofit, but since then the organization has not only grown exponentially, it has continued to prove its effectiveness as it adapts to the times.

“It’s a huge deal for us how far we’ve come,” said Petty, who has been AHA!’s executive director since 2020, having joined the organization six years earlier. “It was about being able to bring connection to youth to a point where they would not be in a place of despair where they felt like they had to hurt one another. The whole idea was that if you are able to get to know someone, you’re less likely to hurt them. That hasn’t changed.”

Nowadays AHA! is in virtually every middle school, junior high, and high school in town with both in-school and afterschool programs, as well as onsite offerings at its downtown location, a summer camp and even multiple programs for educators, parents and community members.

“One of the things that we focus on is finding a way for students who are in different cliques to get along,” said Molly Green, AHA!’s Senior Director of Development. “We focus on finding commonality. No matter how different two people are, there’s always things that you can find in common. And once you discover those connections, it makes it easier to see the other person, their humanity.”

Everything the organization offers is based on five social emotional learning (SEL) competencies, which range from emotion management and self-awareness to social awareness, responsible decision-making and relationship skills, Green said.

“The tools they learn in our programs really help them throughout their life beyond school, in their private relationships and success,” she said. “It’s really a way of life. Once you start to be more aware of your impact and the empathy that starts to be organic within your body, you develop an ability to understand and change how you show up and act, the roles you play with your friends and in your family life

“Each person must live their life as a model for others.” – Rosa Parks

AHA! has both in-school and after-school programs, as well as onsite offerings at its downtown location, and even a summer camp

and work, and you start to feel empowered in doing the best that you can.”

While AHA!’s core principals haven’t changed, the organization has had to re-dedicate itself as additional challenges arrive, such as the rise of the mobile phone and the extended period of isolation during the Covid pandemic.

“Things changed dramatically in our society when the iPhone came out, which has definitely impacted our youth and our parents and educators,” Petty said. “(Rather than physical violence), teens are using digital platforms to hurt each other and to bully each other. So it’s become a big part of our curriculum to talk about digital responsibility and citizenship.”

AHA! has even developed a summer Digital Cleanse Camp for teens in Grades 8-12, who gather at El Capitan Canyon for five days and four nights of unplugged connection, including art projects, theater improv, dance, Council conversations, hikes, pool and beach time, field trips, cookouts and stargazing among other electronics-free activities. The camp has proved very popular.

Similarly, the Covid closures cause a lot of ill effects from isolation that are still lingering. One of the ways that AHA! responded was to open its clinical site to give teens more personalized, one-on-one support. Anyone who is partaking of the organization’s programs can qualify for six free sessions – a model initially supported by a grant from Cottage Hospital, but which has continued operating even after those funds ran out.

“It’s something we feel very strongly about

The Giving List Page 354 354

15 – 22 February 2024

Elizabeth’s Appraisals

William Caxton Facsimile Edition of ‘The Canterbury Tales’

by Elizabeth Stewart

GG

sends me a beautiful leather-bound book, The Canterbury Tales,

by Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400), The William Caxton Facsimile Edition; of which only 500 were published by Cambridge University Press in 1973. She has #248, signed by Cambridge University scholar Walter Hamilton of Magdelene College.

On the last page of this huge volume is a wonderful bookplate with the motto: “Mens Cujusque Is Est Quisque” (‘The mind is the man’). This was the personal motto of Samuel Pepys, a scholar and writer of the 17th century who owned the printed 1484 copy from which GG’s fascilie was made.

The diarist and bon vivant Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) left his entire library to Cambridge University upon his death.

That magnificent library contained a handwritten diary which Pepys began in 1660 and ended in 1669. Each day he described slices of his exploits; his visits to the theater, music halls, the various actresses he bedded, candid stories of the Court of Charles II and the immoralities there, as well as his career as an Official of the British Navy. This diary of a privileged gentleman of Restoration England became, upon its discovery, a document of immense importance. When the cryptic code in which the diary was written was broken in the 18th century, Pepys’ diary was published, a historical first-source record ever since.

This William Caxton Facsimile Edition of The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer is one of only 500 copies

His diary contains eyewitness accounts of the Great Plague of 1665, and the Great Fire of London in 1666. Pepys writes of his own Restoration England’s return to monarchy under Charles II after Oliver Cromwell; a Monarchist, he began his diary the night he accompanied Charles II back to England. A man of boundless energy, he lived a remarkable life with interests in all pleasurable things. One of those pleasures was books; he was a voracious reader. He had a particular love for Chaucer and had amassed poetry volumes and rare manuscripts by Chaucer. GG’s facsimile is a version of the second edition of Chaucer’s Tales (1484). Pepys purchased the book that has been reproduced in GG’s volume in 1696. There are only 13 copies of the 1483 ORIGINAL printing extant. Proof

that provenance influences the importance of an object, one of the world’s most influential books was owned by one of the 17th century’s most famous men, and originally printed in the 15th century by England’s first publisher.

Who was the printer who began publishing Chaucer 75 years after the poet’s death? A London merchant of the late 15th century, and one of the first men to operate a British printing press, William Caxton foresaw the importance of The Canterbury Tales, the first book published in England. His first published version of the Tales was from one of 83 manuscripts in 1476. He sold a printed copy to a customer in 1477 who claimed that he had a more complete manuscript, and Caxton’s second edition (1484) was derived from that version. Caxton added an introduction as well as woodcuts depicting 27 of the 31 pilgrims making their way from Tabard Inn in Southwark, London, to Canterbury, Kent to the shrine of Thomas Becket.

California is home to one of those 83 handwritten illustrated manuscripts, the Ellesmere Manuscript of 1400-1403, located at the Huntington in San Marino. I am amazed that as many as 83 manuscripts exist 624 years later: this is perhaps a testimony to the interest in Chaucer’s poetry prior to the arrival of the printing press in England.

The audience for the Tales shortly after the book was first published in 1476 was courtly upper society. As educated upper middle classes of London became readers of Chaucer by the 16th and 17th century, the Tales became the most “printed” book by any English author. Chaucer was the first author to have his works collected in single volume editions as well.

Previous to The Canterbury Tales, the dominant languages for literature in the 14th and 15th century were Anglo-Norman French and Latin. Chaucer is credited as the

The Latin motto can be found on the very last page

source of the English vernacular tradition – ours to this day – which legitimized the use of Middle English as the dominant literary language, much like Dante did for the Italian vernacular at about the same time.

GG’s facsimile of the 1484 Canterbury Tales, owned by Samuel Pepys in 1696 and reprinted by the Cambridge University Press in an edition of only 500 books, is today sold in UK auctions (I do not find any sales here in the U.S.) for $250; it will become more valuable as time goes on.

Elizabeth Stewart, PhD is a veteran appraiser of fine art, furniture, glass, and other collectibles, and a cert. member of the AAA and an accr. member of the ASA. Please send any objects to be appraised to Elizabethappraisals@ gmail.com

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Montecito JOURNAL

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Real Estate

Looking forward, we see a steady market – inventory depending – and we are seeing a number of new listings hit the market priced under $3M (condos, smaller fixers, etc.), which is rare these days. Get them while you can.

Here is a look at four properties on the market as of Feb. 10. From a remodeled opportunity in the “sweet spot” Montecito price range ($5 to $8M) to a few over $10M; properties for those who can dream big and see those dreams fulfilled. I am here to help if you want more information or need an agent to show you properties.

For now, enjoy the break in the rains and please remember to keep Montecito friendly.

A Rainy Yet Bright Start to 2024

by Mark Ashton Hunt

I

n 2024, sales are up in Montecito – in both volume and prices.

What a whopping start to 2024 for the high-end real estate market here in Montecito’s 93108. As I type, just 40 days into the new year, we have seen a total of 17 sales in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), with two of those going over $10M and another seven sales well over $5M. Not to repeat myself but… just five or so years ago we might only see four or five sales a year over $10M, whereas now there is one or more per month.

Montecito’s 93108 is now (post pandemic) – and likely will be forever – on the map of top destinations in which to own a trophy home. From what I hear, some home sales over $10M are not even intended to be used as a main residence. This could potentially create a mansion shortage for those who need a mansion-sized property and want to reside in Montecito full time. Who could have predicted a potential mansion shortage?

With only 11 homes currently on the market over $10M in the 93108 and only a few homes over 6,000 square feet to choose from, it seems that time is coming. With brisk sales, I could see this area of the market becoming very low on inventory; but for now, a nice variety of styles and conditions to choose from still exist.

The first week of February brought a lot of rain, and while the small creek at our house did flow full, it remained debris free, thus not clogging and overrunning our driveway as it did last year, on the Jan. 9, 5th anniversary storm in 2023. Along with many inches of rain, this first week of February also brought a few significant closed escrows in Montecito’s 93108, not to mention an impressive number of properties have gone under contract in the past few weeks as well, (end of Jan and start of Feb).

As of Feb. 10, 2024, of the 17 closed escrows in the MLS in Montecito’s 93108 since Jan. 1, the highest priced sale was for an elaborate compound on Park Lane with a sizable and enviable main home, pool, lawns, views, privacy, and acreage. That property was sold – along with an adjacent full residence with tennis court, additional parking and acreage – for $36.8 million; a great start to the new year for the over$20M market.

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3845 State Street La Cumbre Plaza

602 Parra Grande Lane – $6.2M

Nestled among the serene streets of Montecito, near the estates of upper Hot Springs and Riven Rock lies this historic carriage house that was recently transformed into a three bedroom, single-level home with a private studio. Enjoy this jewel as a main home (in the Montecito Union School District), a weekend residence (near beaches, hiking, shopping), or pied-à-terre (low traffic street, quiet, private). The well-appointed home exudes charm and inspires an ease of living.

The open floor plan with vaulted ceilings connects effortlessly to the large south-facing patio and its adjacent citrus orchard. The primary suite features a large walk-in closet and a designated office. Two additional bedrooms share a bath and a den. Tranquil outdoor spaces and beautifully updated finishes throughout provide the backdrop for your special moments indoor and out.

1514 East Mountain Drive – $11.75M At the peak (and arguably the crowning lane) of Montecito’s Golden Quadrangle is this recently renovated Jack Warner contemporary home, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the ocean, islands, and mountains. This residence stands as a unique masterpiece of modernist architecture with skylights, walls of glass, and a great floorplan.

Nearly every room in the house incorporates sliding glass doors that open onto individual patios or balconies, creating a seamless indoor/outdoor living experience with breathtaking views. Boasting three bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, a chef ’s kitchen, den, and grand living room, every aspect of the residence reflects meticulous attention to

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28 Montecito JOURNAL

“All I know is I’ve tried my best.” – Tiger Woods

15 – 22 February 2024

detail, from the high-end stainless appliances to the refined terrazzo floors.

Additional amenities include a stunning private pool with ocean views, beautiful gardens resting on about three acres, and impeccably landscaped grounds. The property is conveniently situated near the San Ysidro Ranch, hiking trails, beaches, and Montecito’s Upper and Lower villages, and within the Montecito Union School District.

375 Ortega Ridge Road – $12.8M

Embrace the California Coastal dream with sunset views to the west that take in the whole of Montecito. This captivating compound stands on over two acres at the crest where Summerland and Montecito converge, offering picturesque beaches, elevated dining, and nearby shopping. Immerse yourself in this 6,200 square foot retreat, where stunning ocean and mountain views stretch to the horizon from nearly every room.

High ceilings, view windows, and covered patios define this home. Enjoy the 1,100+ square foot GH residence as well, and when the afternoon sunbathes the property, you can choose between a game of tennis or pickleball on your private court, or strolling through the gardens, or taking a dip in the pool and spa. Sunsets paint the sky and hawks float gracefully by at eye level, creating a connection with nature in this private sanctuary.

There is a long, very private driveway, and off-street parking for numerous guests.

1104 Channel Drive – $38.5M This “wow factor” oceanfront estate rests on a huge, 1.58-acre lot and is available for a fortunate new owner at this time. Nestled at the west end of Channel Drive, with its enviable Butterfly Beach location just a stone’s throw from the Four Seasons hotel,

Coral Casino beach club, and the shops and restaurants of Montecito’s lower village, this premier oceanfront estate is the definition of a trophy property!

Sweeping 180-degree ocean and mountain views create a serene backdrop for the meticulously designed architecture and private, lush, sprawling gardens and lawn. An entertainer’s paradise, the property boasts a four-bedroom main house, an attached one-bedroom guest apartment, pool house and gym. The grounds feature a stunning swimming Mark and his wife, Sheela pool and expansive terraces that celeHunt, are real estate agents. brate the best of Montecito’s indoor/ His family goes back nearly outdoor lifestyle.

100 years in Santa Barbara.

This magical oasis is an incredibly Mark’s grandparents – Bill rare opportunity for beachside living and Elsie Hunt – were on exclusive Channel Drive and the Santa Barbara real home is within the Montecito Union estate brokers for

School District.

25 years.

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Montecito JOURNAL

29

Miscellany (Continued from 8)

The Hearts Aligned Board and staff (photo by Priscilla)

The Stage duel between rivals Manrico and the count in Verdi’s Il Trovatore (photo by Priscilla) The MBT Event Volunteer Team: Carolyn Snyder, Lorena Niazi, Janet Garufis, Lydia Bastian, Brianna Aguilar and Violeta Cortez (photo by Priscilla)

Nicholas Burlett, Christine Holland, Timothy Accurso, Nancy and Fred Golden, Sandy and Dr. Bob Urquhart with Joan Rutkowski sitting in front (photo by Priscilla)

Karin Wolverton (Leonora) and conductor Kostis Protopapas before their stage performances (photo by Priscilla)

30 Montecito JOURNAL

and ill-fated love in medieval Spain, including the famous “Anvil Chorus” – was an absolute delight.

Featuring a powerhouse cast at the Lobero with tenor Harold Meers, soprano Karin Wolverton, baritone Timothy Mix, bass Andrew Potter, with mezzo soprano Deborah Nansteel making her company debut, the atmospheric production was conducted by general director Kostis Protopapas and directed by Chuck Hudson.

Steven Kemp’s simple scenic design did the trick as did Jared Sayeg’s mood lighting.

Kudos also goes to the rest of the talented cast including Andrew Potter, Xavier Prado, and Max Potter.

A memorable evening...

Parrish, Jorge Morales, Stephanie Petlow, and Jessica Stampe.

Jambalaya Jamboree

Co-chairs Brigitte Welty and David Edelman with Executive Director Vivian Solodkin (photo by Priscilla)

A Heartfelt Lunch

The three-year-old charity Hearts Aligned, which supports critically ill children, had a record sold-out turnout for its second annual Hearts to Hearts Valentine’s lunch at the oceanside Cabrillo Pavilion.

More than 180 guests raised around $150,000 for the organization founded

by Vivian Solodkin who, along with David Edelman and Brigitte Welty, co-chaired the boffo bash.

The ubiquitous Janet Garufis, chairman and CEO of Montecito Bank & Trust, emceed the fun fête as well as acting as auctioneer.

Cottage Health was honored with pediatric cardiologist Dr. Jeffrey Frazer picking up the Heart-to-Heart service award.

Last year 52 low-income families were given assistance, most of them earning less than $29,000 annually.

Among the supporters turning out were Missy Sheldon, Adrienne MacDonald, Sharon Jordano, Amie

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass

Baubles, bangles, and beads reigned supreme at the third colorful energized Mardi Gras bash produced by La Boheme dance group founder Teresa Kuskey and social gadabout Rick Oshay at Casa de la Guerra.

The fun fête, with Spencer the Gardener and the pulsating Mariano Drums was emceed by ubiquitous KEYT-TV reporter John Palminteri, making the throbbing bash a night to

Miscellany Page 374 374

Nancy Schaak and Jeep Holden with Teresa Kuskey and Rick Oshay (photo by Priscilla)

15 – 22 February 2024

Dear Montecito Joan Curran

by Stella Haffner

“I

hadn’t imagined myself working in the nonprofit sector when I started college,” says Joan Curran.

Joan was a freshman at the University of San Francisco when she began her federal work study and – as she would later realize – began her career. Joan joined the team at a San Francisco–based nonprofit called Career Girls as a publicity and marketing assistant. Joan and the team conducted video interviews of successful women, edited the videos, and posted them on their platforms. The team also brought these materials to schools to share with elementary students. “I remember being at one school in particular, we showed a video of a woman talking about Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel to space. When Mae showed up on camera, I saw a girl’s eyes light up, and she said: ‘Oh my gosh... she looks just like me!’”

From then on Joan new that she wanted to make an impact on people’s lives within her community and continue working in the nonprofit world. Now with a degree in hand, Joan has returned to her hometown of Santa Barbara to join our local nonprofit space as the Marketing and Development Manager at The Terrace Foundation.

Q. What do you and your team do at The Terrace Foundation?

A. The Terrace Foundation nonprofit is located in the westside of Santa Barbara on a low-income independent senior living community called Pilgrim Terrace Cooperative Homes. We operate an urban farm in that community and have multiple alternative farming systems including aeroponic tower farms, which are great when it comes to saving water and healing soil, a microgreen greenhouse, and an organic soil

Joan Curran works at The Terrace Foundation (courtesy photo)

farm. We integrate this farm into a meal program we operate to help the seniors that live here. Our meal program gives senior residents a three-course meal, Monday through Friday. Our main mission is to empower and educate communities to take control of their food supply. In 2023, we gave over 20,000 meals to feed the senior residents, ran education programs here in Santa Barbara, and delivered produce to local businesses, schools, and nonprofits like The Unity Shoppe. We’re trying to make sure that high quality nutrition is always right around the corner!

How big would you say the need is for this type of program in Santa Barbara?

It is incredibly needed, especially here in Santa Barbara County. We are the fourth wealthiest county in Southern California, yet over 10% of Santa Barbara County is food insecure, which is around 45,000 people. About 19,000 seniors over 65 are 200% below the federal poverty line and

live alone, which make them susceptible to food insecurity. Where we operate at The Terrace Foundation, we’re in one of the most food insecure areas in Santa Barbara, meaning that people on the westside have limited access to sufficient food or even just quality food – to me, this is a person’s basic needs. It’s a socioeconomic problem.

And it is important for us to help feed our community the healthiest produce that we possibly can.

What is it like to work in the Santa Barbara nonprofit space?

One thing about the nonprofit industry is that you have to wear a lot of hats.

I think that’s one of the perks of working at a nonprofit, you gain so much versatility learning how to manage different roles and responsibilities like customer relations, managing programs, learning new software that your industry uses. I feel like I am always on my toes, and I love working here because of it.

Was it intimidating to step into this role at an important nonprofit?

Yes! I would say it was nice that I had some marketing experience already with Career Girls, but this was my first leadership position. A lot of the beginning was not only about learning to do the job but also learning how to voice my opinions and make sure that I organized my priorities accordingly. I think it was very intimidating at the beginning, but we have such wonderful people working here who have helped me, so it became less intimidating over time.

Reflecting from your job back to college, is there anything you have noticed that you cannot learn in the classroom – something you simply have to learn on your feet?

How to interact with people. I think I’ve learned what I know through real world

The Terrace Foundation operates an urban farm on the westside with aeroponic tower farms, a microgreen greenhouse, and an organic soil farm (courtesy photo)

experience, not in the classroom. It’s also been a big learning curve learning how to network and how to communicate professionally. These are things that you touch on in college, but we should definitely have more opportunities to practice these

skills before we graduate!

If you want to learn more about The Terrace Foundation visit their news article published by KEYT, and Joan says that community members are always welcome to tour the urban farm facilities!

From the shores of Scotland, Stella Haffner keeps her connection to her home in Montecito by bringing grads of local schools to the pages of the Montecito Journal

www.royforsupervisor.com

Time for a change Paid for by: Roy Lee for Supervisor 2024 FPPC#1463323 15 – 22 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

31

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unwanted interruptions. It also controls the TV, lest you interrupt the calm.

My bag arrived in the room before I did, my credit card was “swiped” by one of the guest services gentlemen in-room, and seconds later a lovely Japanese pot of green tea and slices of a light matcha cake arrived as a welcome and delicious amenity. (The mini bar was filled with gratis treats.)

I hated to mess up this lovely room, where I listened to the sound of the waves outside my window along with occasional seagulls squawking. It felt almost sacrilegious to turn on the large screen television over the fireplace. Being a news junkie, I could use a 24-hour break from the depressing news cycle to clear my head.

I was looking forward to dinner – Nobu Restaurant is just two doors away and the restaurant also provides breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner room service for hotel guests. I walked over for my 7 pm reservation. Since I was dining alone, I was seated at the sushi bar and welcomed with loud cheers (as all guests are) by the hard-working team of sushi chefs and servers.

The food was fantastic: I ordered the omakase ($125 – the chef chooses the dishes with any dietary restrictions noted). It began with a “sensei” gift from the master chef as a thank you for giving him the reins to design my meal: a fresh, tasty, salty, and slightly sweet veggie norimaki handroll with sesame paste that was the perfect “palate opener.” I ordered a super smooth cold sake suggested by the waiter that arrived in an icy silver tea pot. I could have stopped at the first course and been happy, a yellowtail tartare topped with caviar in a wasabi sauce that was as beautiful visually as it was to savor. The delectable dish was presented in nesting green glass bowls on ice decorated with a pretty ribbon and purple pansy flower. It appeared there was nowhere to go but down after

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32 Montecito JOURNAL

Nobu Restaurant is not to be missed (photo by Leslie A. Westbrook)

“You really can change the world if you care enough.” – Marian Wright Edelman

those bites, but I was wowed once again by the explosive flavors of thin halibut slices in a Japanese citrus/cilantro/hydra (hot chili) soy sauce topped with an edible shiso “mint” flower. Cooked dishes included a fine Szechuan-rubbed wild salmon over Brussels sprouts in a ricotta coulis, followed by grilled bay scallops with crispy onion in a white truffle sage/ thyme butter sauce. I asked to take my dessert to go – a lovely (what I assumed was) persimmon cake with walnuts and vanilla ice cream in hand that made it back intact to be enjoyed in the quietude of my lodging. If you can get a reservation, it’s worth the drive from our part.

But if you prefer quiet to bustle, go for lunch, and make sure you can sit out on the oceanfront deck where the tunes and crowd noise are more subdued.

The Next Morning As it turned out, I did need the earplugs during dreamtime, as the ocean waves pounded throughout the night and into the morning. With high tide in full swing when I awoke, my room now felt like a ship, with the ocean waters swirling below the pylons that supported my abode. Blackout shades could be maneuvered to block the blinding sunlight refractions from the water’s surface as shorebirds appeared almost within reach at sunrise.

Horizon Glow Ritual Soak I had been instructed to overfill and allow the short, steep-sided wooden Japanese soaking tub to “overflow.”

Inspired by the Japanese ofuroba, the bathroom is designed as a wet room.

I felt a bit saudade being here on my own, but a small, printed sign on a black stone on the soaking tub cheered me up.

It read: “You are so loved” with instructions for a “horizon glow ritual soak to achieve the ultimate Zen vibes.”

“Breathe in the aromatic bouquet of citrus and jasmine to fill yourself with gratitude because you ARE so loved.

Sprinkle desired amount in a warm bath and take yourself from zero to Zen,” read the card which also instructed me to take a shower before slowly submerging myself into the wooden tub, which I am happy to report is very easy to climb in and out of (unlike those huge freestanding white bathtubs in some resorts). I found myself hard-pressed to describe the sense of calm and well-being I felt while luxuriating in the heavenly bath salts-infused warm waters, sunlight from the skylight filtering softly into the high ceiling bathroom.

I was blissed out and happy to cocoon back in my bed for a cooldown wrapped

15 – 22 February 2024

The Japanese bath is designed as a wet room with an overflow tub (courtesy photo)

in one of the inn’s beautiful linen yukata with obi robes. I had achieved a “Zen” morning – and it was time for breakfast before my noon checkout.

I ordered room service breakfast via the in-room iPad: a delish avocado toast with poached eggs and a fruit plate – generous servings of both and a nice ending to my stay as the hypnotic rhythm of the sea continued the Zen-like vibe. A last lounge on the deck – watching the sandpipers and surfers in the distance on a perfect 73-degree November late morning. The gods were smiling on me, and for once I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to savor every last second of the glorious morning.

If I were a zillionaire, I’d check in for a month. I’d meditate and write poetry and short stories in this room with the ever-changing view to the sea. If I’d never seen the ocean before, I’d save my pennies for an overnight stay. If I was getting married, I’d spend my honeymoon night in this very special property that I would highly recommend for a fabulously romantic getaway or special occasion.

The discretion of the staff also makes this a perfect (and I am guessing also a very popular) trysting spot.

Now, whenever I drive past the Nobu Ryokan that I buzzed past on the PCH, I will look at it fondly and with deep appreciation that I was afforded the opportunity to pass beyond the wooden gates. Although it was a solo journey, please don’t think poorly of me for wishing otherwise, as some places are so special that they are best shared with friends or lovers. Nobu Ryokan Malibu is one of them. However, this time I had only my own good company to enjoy – and enjoy I did.

Nobu Ryokan Malibu – There is a communal patio at the 16-room “adult oriented” inn – although I’d guess most guests come for the privacy at this discreet getaway. Unfortunately, the small oceanfront pool is not available for swimming. The city of Malibu has been “slow” (to say the least) in issuing the permit – it’s been seven years in the works. While 15 – 22 February 2024

rooms rates at Nobu hotels are wildly divergent across the globe – I found at room at Nobu Barcelona for $225/ night; the Malibu property is a staggering $2,000 nightly rate (plus 15% tax).

That’s a lot of moolah to slumber by the sea. Is it worth it? Depends on whether you have a lot of disposable income or feel it’s worth the splurge for a special occasion. Up north, Nobu in Palo Alto has more palatable rates.

22752 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu (310) 317-3000 Noburyokanmalibu.com

You are here

.

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Choose your own local adventure. Whether lounging around the campsite or venturing out into the beautiful surrounding valley for a day of exploration, make Flying Flags your home base for all your local adventures.

flyingflags.com | (805) 688-3716

Nobu Restaurant – Reservations are required and not easy to obtain and they only book up to 30 days in advance. www.noburestaurants.com Malibu Things to Do – There are a few distractions if you dare leave your sublime lodging (or go pre or post a stay): art viewing at The Getty Villa (free by appointment; $20 parking fee); Frederick Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University (free); a guided tour of the historic Adamson House with its stunning Catalina tiles (Adults/$7, 6-17/$2, 5 and under free); shopping at The Malibu Country Mart; a stroll down the Malibu Pier. Of course, what Malibu is most famous for is its lovely beaches, surf spots and star gazing (both real and Hollywood), all free and there’s the Malibu Lagoon for

a walk and/or birdwatching.

Happy Valentine’s Day

o p e n i n g Leslie A. Westbrook is a Lowell Thomas Award-winning travel writer and journalist who loves exploring the globe. A 3rd generation Californian., Leslie also assists clients sell fine art, antiques, and collectibles via auction. www.auctionliaison.com

A T

s o o n

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Montecito JOURNAL

33

Your Westmont (Continued from 20 20))

The Westmont Observatory (photo by Brad Elliott)

Thomas Whittemore, emeritus instructor of physics and SBAU member.

He hopes to focus in on several open clusters, including a threesome (M36, M37 and M38) in Auriga, the charioteer.

“Of these, my favorite is M38 with a smiley face asterism,” he says. “When viewed with some imagination, the smile appears to have a Shirley Temple dimple. These are easy to view in binoculars, but at low power in Westmont’s 8-inch refractor, the grouping should be spectacular. “ Stargazers will also zoom in on another open cluster, M35, near the ankle of one of the Gemini twins.

“This is always a bright, starry treat,” Whittemore says. “And, if the seeing is steady this evening, the public may be able to see a more-distant open cluster, NGC2158, which lies some 11,000 light-years away – light that has been traveling to our eyes since the ice ages.”

Beach Volleyball Star to Preach

Our Town (Continued from 12 12))

chapel on Friday, Feb. 16, at 10:30 am in Murchison Gym. Alumnus Avery Drost (’07) led the Association of Volleyball Players (AVP) with 350 digs and was second with 551 kills last season. He coaches boys’ volleyball at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach while serving as a youth director at New City Church in El Segundo.

Avery started playing indoor volleyball late in high school and at Westmont learned the beach game from East Beach legends such as Randy Stoklos, Todd Rogers, and Dax Holdren. He qualified for his first AVP Main Draw in Santa Barbara in 2010.

In 2018, he won the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball event in Australia and the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) Tour event in Cuba.

Last year, he played in eight AVP events finishing all of them in the top10. In 2022, he played in 13 tournaments, 10 of which saw him finish in the Top 10 – including three 2nd place finishes at Virginia Beach, Huntington

Beach, and Atlantic City.

Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College

411: https://womensfundsb.org/

One of the best American beach volleyball players will speak in Westmont

Funk Zone Live Logo Contest!

Avery Drost in Cuba (photo courtesy of NORCECA Volleyball)

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34 Montecito JOURNAL

goal to its members; to raise $1 million in funding for 2024 in honor of its 20th anniversary.

The team at the WFSB has just announced it met and exceeded that goal, with an estimated record-breaking grants pool of $1.125 million. Indeed, happy 20th Anniversary!

Their annual celebration of the 2024 grantees is scheduled for May 7 at the Lobero Theatre.

What’s new this year for the grantees is increased grant amounts due to inflation, increasing capital costs, the need to keep staff salaries competitive, as well as introducing a two-year grant.

The WFSB is committed to improving the lives of women, children, and families in south SB County. With their rigorous screening of grantees by various levels of panels and consensus, they have provided $10.5 million to 142 local nonprofit organizations, some receiving grants of $100K or more.

Record-breaking sponsorships from 18 local organizations are currently estimated at $70,000, with Sunseri Construction at $20K, and $5K sponsors including Impact Family Office Coast Village Road, Montecito Bank & Trust, and SB Senior Organization Support. The sponsor funding offsets costs for WFSB’s educational programs and operations.

Board Chair Jamie Dufek and her team of 1,300 members are always open to welcoming new members, new funders, and new sponsors.

Check the 411 for info.

Attention all local high school students! Time to pick up your drawing penzils and pads, digital or analog, and create a logo for the Funk Zone Live Logo Contest, entries due by March 1, 2024.

The winning logo is set to be featured on all merch and posters for SB Funk Zone Live events – which will see the Zone open its after-hour doors from 5-8 pm on the last Friday of

Jana Brody – artist and SBC Arts Commissioner (courtesy photo)

every other month. The winning logo will also be featured on SB Funk Zone Live’s press announcements.

All contest finalists will be displayed at the inaugural event in the Funk Zone on March 26, and the public is invited to vote live at the event.

The winner will receive $75 cash, have the logo they designed on all Funk Zone Live materials, and be interviewed on the Jeremy Higgins radio show.

The event and contest are headed by Jana Brody, artist, art entrepreneur and Santa Barbara County 2nd District Arts Commissioner. She shared via email interview, “Funk Zone Live 2024 is a passion project. If La Cumbre Plaza and downtown Santa Barbara can host creative community gatherings, then so should the colorful Funk Zone. We believe in tapping into the incredible talents of our local students to capture the essence of SB Funk Zone Live.

This logo contest is an opportunity to gain professional digital arts work experience and showcase their artistic abilities. The logo design contest will happen annually. Bringing together the community for late-night festivities, SB Funk Zone Live promises a unique and eclectic experience for locals and visitors alike celebrating art, music, wine

and dining.”

411: Jana Brody email: Jana@PaintJamUsa.com or call 805-448-6873 SANTA BARBARA SANTA BARBARA SANTA BARBARA HOPE RANCH HOPE RANCH HOPE RANCH MONTECITO MONTECITO MONTECITO

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“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.” – Harriet Tubman

15 – 22 February 2024

Local News (Continued from 10 10)) Master Flood Control Plan is moving forward; a new Buena Vista debris basin is planned for 2025, and encouraged everyone to call in with debris and flood issues. He said that SCE will help rebuild the Romero Canyon Trail.

All permits for swim platform at the Miramar Beach Resort are approved, and the kickoff will be May 2024.

When asked about the Hot Springs Trail issues, he replied the goal is to reduce the insanity. The strategy is to act when the natural processes like the recent storm revert the area back to its natural state, to ensure the Forest Service understands to bring back the Rangers. There was then a debate about the parking.

Nick Turner from Montecito Water Protection District reported the last storm topped off local reservoirs; Lake Cachuma is at 100 percent. He encouraged all to register for the smart meter program. He also said, “The pipeline at Channel Drive and Monte Cristo is completed. The water report study from 2023 will continue through June 2024.

There is a proposed well registration program so the MWPD can have a database on the location, owners, and if the well is active or not.”

MA President Doug Black said the MA Board meetings will resume in person at the Montecito Library, and “The neighbors of the Miramar met with the Miramar reps and hopefully can work out issues. MA is updating their computer system and website.” He called to vote in the new Board Chairs – Land Use: Bill Babbitt; Events: Mindy Denson; History: Trish Davis; Outreach: Megan Orloff; Groundwater: Cheryl Trosky; Hands Across Montecito: Andrew Velikanje.

President Montecito Trails Ashlee Mayfield provided her updates, which included “After the last storm trees were everywhere, and the trails change with each storm. Cold Spring Trail did great, and we got our excavator equipment there to restore it. Hot Springs, and Buena Vista were ok, Romero Trail had issues with the creek overflow.” She detailed the restoration due

The Giving List (Continued from 26 26)) on the four-mile Camino Cielo trail, requesting help from SCE for the first two miles of it and with Stubbs at the Forest Service. There is one petition against their work on the McMenemy Trail but they are working on it.

Joe Cole reported on the Hot Springs Trail recapping issues from the pandemic to current. Issues of priority concern are the possibility of a fire started by hikers at night who go up the trail to party and build bonfires; issues of parking and crowd impacting evacuation orders; there are currently 11 mini-pools and unknown number of fire pits built illegally by people coming to the trail. He showed a biologist’s report on the trail from January 2023. Solutions were debated. Permits are being requested with the Forest Service, Fish and Game and other agencies to restore the trail, remove the “pools” and fire pits.

Following a brief by Houghton, a vote on the budget, Committee Reports were given. Trish Davis, Chair of History, reported the MA is working with Our Lady of Mt. Carmel’s altar restoration, a history book on Casa Dorinda, and continues working with the SB Historical Society. Orloff reported on Outreach efforts that include updating the membership database, growing 300 new members by next year, mailings welcoming Montecito newcomers, sending outreach to the CVR businesses and farmers market, and holding election forums.

Following the meeting, a reception and toast to Megan Orloff, outgoing MA president was held. Orloff was presented with a plaque for her five years as president. She said, “My time at the Montecito Association advocating for the community has been rewarding. I am incredibly thankful for the relationships that I have built throughout my time here. I am honored to continue with the association in my new position as Outreach Chair and doing outreach to new Montecito residents to help them understand and appreciate what

makes it so great.”

411: www.montecitoassociation.org/

AHA! stands for Attitude. Harmony.

Achievement. which forms the core beliefs of their programs

and have been working hard to maintain,” Petty said. “Hopefully other people see the importance in what we’re doing.”

The program was launched to serve teens, but evolving to include teachers and parents was a seismic shift for the nonprofit, she said.

“We can work with teens, and we can guide them and watch them blossom and grow, but if you don’t have the adults in their lives on board speaking the same language, the progress is stunted,” she said.

“The more that we can give these tools to parents and to educators, we begin to see ways in which they can really support one another, and their relationships deepen.”

One of the ways teens and adults come together is through AHA!’s innovative musical program called Sing It Out, which is about much more than the music. While it culminates with each member of the program belting out a solo cover song in a performance backed by a live rock band on the Lobero Theatre stage, the 12-week program is much more about the journey of self-actualization, resiliency and relationship building, as well as artistic expression.

Teens are joined by two adult staff participants on the same path of vulnerability and growth guided by AHA! facilitators and music mentors. Members of the performance group support each other in navigating their voices and identities in order to feel confident in the concert, which this year takes place in late April.

While it’s hard to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of its programs, anecdotal and other evidence is clear. Teachers who join their classes in an AHA!-led council circle invariably notate a sea of change in the way the teens process their feelings – and in their ability to engage with each other.

“After five weeks, we are able to successfully leave the classrooms in a place where the students feel a lot more comfortable,” Petty said. “There’s a lot of magic that happens and the feedback from the teachers is that when we leave, the classroom is a lot more engaged, and they drop really fast into an opportunity of being open to learning once that connection has been established.”

Perhaps the best measure of AHA!’s success is the sheer number of program alumni who have reported on their achievements as adults, including more than a dozen who have returned to work as staffers at the organization.

“There are so many youth who have gone through our program, become adults and returned saying how AHA! changed their lives and in some cases even saved their lives,” said Petty, whose own children participated in the organization’s programs.

While some 75,000 youth and community members have been touched by AHA! since its founding in 1999, the need is still growing.

“Investing in our youth and our children is the best thing that we can do for our future. There’s so much out there that is working against them that there needs to be more awareness of all the things that we can do as a community and as a society to help support them. What’s more important than helping youth to become good hearted, kind, emotionally

available people?”

AHA! https://ahasb.org (805) 770-7200 1209 De La Vina, Suite A Santa Barbara, CA, 93101

WENDY GRAGG Brow Shaping • Brow Tinting • Brazilian Sugaring Microblading • Powder Brows (805) 452-8551 15 – 22 February 2024

montecitobrowstudio.com

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Luxury Real Estate Specialist for Over 20 Years

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Luxury Real Estate Specialist Montecito JOURNAL 35

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

On Entertainment (Continued from 25 25))

Bids open at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 for: STORM DAMAGE REPAIR DRUM CANYON MP. 6.8 COUNTY PROJECT NO. 23STM2-3K01 IN THE 3RD SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT COUNTY PROJECT No. 23STM2-3K01, FEDERAL AID PROJECT No. 721361 General project work description: Construct soldier pile wall to retain roadway structures The Plans, Specifications, and Bid Book are available at https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874.

The Contractor must have either a Class A license or any combination of the following Class C licenses which constitutes a majority of the work: C8, C12, C51, C31 The DBE Contract Goal is 11%.

For the Federal Training Program, the number of trainees or apprentices is 0.

Submit sealed bids to the web address below. Bids will be opened available at the web address below immediately following the submittal deadline.

PlanetBids https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874 Complete the project work within 30 Workings Days.

The estimated cost of the project is $ 342,000 A mandatory pre-bid meeting is scheduled for this project on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at 9:00 AM at project site: 34.716649, -120.274816. This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).

A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of PCC Section 4104, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code (LAB) Section 1725.5. It is not a violation of this section for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Business and Professions Code (BPC) Section 7029.1 or by PCC Section 10164 or 20103.5 provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to LAB Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded.

Prevailing wages are required on this Contract. The Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations determines the general prevailing wage rates. Obtain the wage rates at the DIR website https://www.dir.ca.gov/.

The federal minimum wage rates for this Contract as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor are available at https://www.wdol.gov/. Copies are also available at the office of the Department of Public Works – Engineering Division, 123 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

If the minimum wage rates as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor differs from the general prevailing wage rates determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations for similar classifications of labor, the Contractor and subcontractors must not pay less than the higher wage rate. The Department does not accept lower State wage rates not specifically included in the federal minimum wage determinations. This includes helper, or other classifications based on hours of experience, or any other classification not appearing in the federal wage determinations. Where federal wage determinations do not contain the State wage rate determination otherwise available for use by the Contractor and subcontractors, the Contractor and subcontractors must not pay less than the federal minimum wage rate that most closely approximates the duties of the employees in question.

Inquiries or questions based on alleged patent ambiguity of the plans, specifications, or estimate must be submitted as a bidder inquiry by 2:00 PM on 02/23/2024. Submittals after this date will not be addressed. Questions pertaining to this Project prior to Award of the Contract must be submitted via PlanetBids Q&A tab.

Bidders (Plan Holders of Record) will be notified by electronic mail if addendums are issued.

The addendums, if issued, will only be available on the County PlanetBids website, https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874 By order of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Barbara this project was authorized to be advertised on 01/09/2023.

Scott D. McGolpin Director of Public Works Published February 7 & 14, 2024 Montecito Journal

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Stillpoint Santa Barbara Corp, 212 Cottage Grove Ave, STE B, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

Stillpoint Santa Barbara, 212 Cottage Grove Ave, STE B, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 30, 2024. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk

36 Montecito JOURNAL

(SEAL). FBN No. 2024-0000244. Published February 14, 21, 28, March 6, 2024 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: River Road Properties, 3993 Foothill Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93110. Mark A Corliss, 3993 Foothill Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93110.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 30, 2024. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on

file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2024-0000240.

Published February 7, 14, 21, 28, 2024 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SB Heat Pumps, 3905 State Street, Suite 7-128, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. Musette D Profant, 3905 State Street, Suite 7-128, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on December 27, 2023.

This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the

Critics, fans, and fellow comics love him, including Jerry Seinfeld, who had him as a guest on two episodes of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. And he’s done all of that simply by observing the foibles of everyday life, not resorting to catty remarks or scatological topics, screaming, insulting or anything of the sort.

We caught up with the regular guy over the phone in advance of his headlining gig at the Arlington on February 22, his fifth appearance at the city’s largest indoor venue in the last two decades.

Q. How would you say your approach to comedy has evolved over the years? What changed? Is it just being older or is there something else?

A. My material has changed significantly over the years. I want to talk about things that are interesting to me. When I was younger, my material was about coming out of my childhood. I had little league baseball routines and things about feeling stupid in school. But now I like to touch on things that are a little bumpy or edgy, which might surprise people. I still don’t want my audience to get to the point where they feel uncomfortable or wish they hadn’t come. But I do like to talk about guns and crime and philosophy – in as lighthearted a way as possible, but I do sneak a point of view in there.

I think sometimes audiences might go, “Whoa, we didn’t expect this. Where are the donut sprinkle jokes?”

Has Medicare worked its way into a set, now that you’ve had to go through that?

Oh my gosh, it’s not a part of my act, but boy, they like to make things as complicated as possible. They make you weigh the pros and cons of this, that and the other. And you’re like, just tell me this is the way and that’s all there is to it. Choices are a problem… But I am an insurance agent’s dream because I’m always asking if there’s anything else I could buy insurance for. Let’s keep thinking and brainstorming. Maybe there’s an umbrella that I can put over the umbrella plan?

Or maybe insurance for when the audience doesn’t laugh hard enough to hit a threshold on the decibel meter.

Great. Now I want that.

mission statement. I’m not riding around on a white horse with a banner that says, “Follow me to the land of clean.” Dirty is fantastic as long as it’s truthful and real and organic. But that’s not me.

Do you swear in real life? And are you one of those guys who’s always making your friends and family laugh? Or do you mostly save it for the stage?

Hang around one of my golf foursomes, and you’ll hear some pretty rough language, probably after my very first tee shot. As far as always being funny, the answer is definitely no. In fact, I can be amazingly unfunny if you hang around me long enough. I have the ability to think of funny things every now and then, which is good to do what I do. But I’m not Mr. Cutup. It’s mostly nose to the grindstone.

What is the process to come up with new routines? I know you try hard to avoid repetition on the specials and live shows.

I hope this doesn’t sound lazy, but it really doesn’t work well for me to sit down and try to come up with material.

It’s not how my brain works. I just do what I would normally be doing in life and every once in a while, I’ll see or experience something in a different way and I’ll wonder if it might have some legs on stage. That’s the process.

I read an interview with the Boston Globe travel writer where he mentioned that you called yourself adequate as a comic.

You really don’t seem to have the typical stand-up’s ego.

That was from a radio interview when they asked me to talk about the show to sell tickets. The best I could come up with was that I was adequate. I’ll let people decide if I’m better than competent…

Way back when I was still opening at clubs I got offstage and the owner told the headliner he did a great set. And then he pointed to me and said you did a journeyman set. I didn’t know what that meant. I assumed it was some kind of odd compliment. And then years later I decided to look it up and then I realized that it meant adequate. So that’s me.

You saying “gosh” earlier reminded me to ask about how you work “clean.” How did you make that choice?

When I first started, I wasn’t completely clean. I had some stuff in my act that would shock people today, but it was just a small percentage. I enjoy the challenge of seeing how hard I can get people laughing without hitting those four-letter words or buzz topics. But it’s not a

“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” – Mae Jemison

Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage

15 – 22 February 2024

Miscellany (Continued from 30 30))

The lineup of presenters and awardees (photo by Priscilla)

with her and gave her unique names like Snowpea, Daisy, and Butterscotch Swirl.”

Through interviews, cell phone footage and photos captured by those interviewed, Nine Lives illustrates how the cat impacted their lives and teaches profound lessons about love, resilience and the transformative power of unexpected connections.

The nearly nine-minute film is part of the current Santa Barbara International Film Festival and is showing at the Metro 4 alongside four other local films in. the Santa Barbara Documentary Shorts category.

Mariano Silva and Annalisa Zaccardelli from the Brazilian Cultural Arts Center of Santa Barbara (photo by Priscilla)

remember as crowds gathered outside on the sidewalk to catch the action.

Add to that musician Maitland Ward, Ballo Zingari Afro Funk, Baheyya El-Ghazal, and award-winning DJ Darla Bea, and you get the picture as the Mardi Gras King Will Pritchett was crowned, along with Bacchus and the Goddess of La Boheme.

Among the Carnaval crowd – noshing on Creole cuisine of gumbo and jambalaya prepared by the Big Easy Catering Company – were fun loving Franciscan friar Larry Gosselin, Donna Reeves, Michael Gutin, Adam McKaig and Melissa Borders, Kostis Protopapas, Jeep Holden, David Bolton, and Richard Payatt.

Quite the night...

New Series and Names Drop Diminutive author Truman Capote was a decidedly mixed up but adored character, amply exemplified in FX’s current eightpart series Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, his female New York socialite followers.

As it happens, I knew Capote, who died in 1984 aged 59, and a number of his society beauties including C.Z. Guest and Lee Radziwill, Jackie O’s sister, quite well.

C.Z., who lived in great splendor at Templeton in Long Island’s Old Westbury and tooled around Manhattan in her Jaguar with the license plate CZ1, was a good friend of the late Joan Rivers, whose TV talk show I appeared on for many years as resident gossip.

C.Z.’s daughter Cornelia, goddaughter of the Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII), was dubbed ‘Deb of the Decade’ in the late ‘70s when I moved to New York from London to become gossip

A Purrfect Project Montecito filmmaker Daniel DeVorzon, son of Oscar nominee Barry DeVorzon and his wife Jelinda, has found the purrfect project.

Daniel, who is also the producer and composer, has made Nine Lives about the connection between one free spirited cat and the humans who love her.

Despite a perilous start in life as a feral feline surviving in Utah, the cat had the good sense to find its way to Montecito.

“Alice began by wandering into neighbor’s houses,” says Daniel. “Many fell in love 15 – 22 February 2024

columnist on Rupert Murdoch’s newly-launched entertainment magazine Star.

We would have fun partying at the legendary nightclub Studio 54 and I vividly remember the Breakfast at Tiffany’s author, drunk as a skunk, attempting to vigorously tango with me as I looked for help from his good friend the late producer Lester Persky, who made Equus, Yanks, and Hair.

Persky lived luxuriously in his penthouse at the Hampshire House on Central Park South opposite the apartment of opera legend Luciano Pavarotti.

Persky’s L.A. home in the ritzy enclave of Bel Air had one of British artist David Hockney’s designed swimming pools, one of only two in the U.S., after bidding $110,000 at a charity auction in 1991 for the privilege.

By coincidence the other pool is at Hollywood’s Roosevelt Hotel, the site of the first Oscars ceremony, where I would stay on occasion when I would fly out from Manhattan to do talk shows on the Royal Family, including The Leeza Gibbons Show at Paramount Studios.

Capote, played superbly on the FX series by British actor Tim Hollander, with C.Z. acted by Chloë Sevigny, and Radziwill played by Calista Flockhart, were joined by other members of the cast including Demi Moore, Diane Lane, and Naomi Watts as Babe Paley, wife of CBS founder Bill Paley.

Radziwill was escorted around town by Lord Eddie Somerset, brother of Bunter, former Marquess of Worcester and now Duke of Beaufort, who lives on his sprawling 52,000-acre Gloucestershire estate, Badminton House, where the racquet sport originated.

And I would often see them together at Mortimer’s, the Upper Eastside society watering hole.

Many of the TV scenes take place at La Côte Basque, another society hotspot on East 55th Street owned by Henri Soulé, which closed in 2004 after nearly half a century in business.

I remember fondly one time when I was having lunch with Chicago store and newspaper magnate Marshall Field’s daughter, Phyllis, and his grandson, Maldwin Drummond.

Phyllis was on crutches with a broken leg in a plaster cast and we got stuck in the eatery’s revolving door, being extracted after a few minutes by helpful staff.

As they say at Disneyland, a small, small world.

Thousands of Celebrities Sighted in Local Woods Nine Lives crew: Ben Nitka, Jessie Davidson, Trey Betts, and Daniel DeVorzon (courtesy photo)

Santa Barbara is front and center in a new National Geographic feature declaring “Whales and butterflies are the real celebrities” in our Eden by the Beach.

Condor Express owner Hiroko Benko talks to National Geographic (photo by Stacey J. Byers)

Writer Norie Quintos says the likes of Harry and Meghan, Oprah, and Gwyneth “aren’t the ones followed and fawned over,” but a rich diversity of wildlife like whales and monarch butterflies.

“With 300-plus sunny days a year and coastal breezes scented by eucalyptus and sage, this American Riviera is firmly connected to the outdoors and nature,” she writes.

Marine biologist Holly Lohuis at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, as well as Hiroko Benko, owner of the popular Condor Express whale watching vessel, are co-directors of the recently named Santa Barbara Whale Heritage Site, a roughly 100-by-25 mile swatch including the Santa Barbara Channel, the Channel Islands National Park, and their watersheds “Here, where currents whirl and nutrients swirl, a smorgasbord is whipped up for more than 25 residents and visiting species of cetaceans, including 20,000 Pacific gray whales.”

Monarch butterflies, once on the verge of extinction, have made a “stunning comeback” with the 2022-2023 season

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Montecito JOURNAL

37

Miscellany (Continued from 37 37)) tallying more than 12,000, with the current season more than doubling their numbers in the area around Goleta.

Invaluable international publicity...

Local House Off the Market Telecom billionaire Craig McCaw, ex-husband of Santa Barbara News-Press owner Wendy McCaw, has finally sold his 14,200 square foot Tuscan estate for $36.8 million.

The property includes a guest house, pool cabana, and tennis court on 3.31 prime acres.

It was originally listed for $43.5 million with two properties in October 2023, with 875 Park Lane listed separately for $37 million.

The buyer, according to Siteline, appears to have acquired the four-bedroom house next door as part of the deal.

Off to Invictus Celebration Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are jetting to Canada for Valentine’s Day. The Duke of Sussex returned to Montecito following a whirlwind visit to London’s Clarence House for a 45-minute visit with his father, King Charles III, due to his cancer diagnosis, after which the monarch helicoptered with Queen Camilla to Sandringham House in Norfolk to immediately begin his medical treatment.

The dynamic duo are attending the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 One Year to Go celebrations, according to Hello! magazine.

The forthcoming Invictus Games, which take place Feb. 8-16, 2025, is an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick active servicemen and veterans.

our Eden by the Beach the tony troupe went whitewater rafting, zip lining and hiking through a private primary forest reserve in the canton of San Carlos with trees up to 400 years old.

Among them were Peter and Kathryn Martin, Gretchen Lieff, Diana Jessup Lee, Murray Ray, Helga Morris, Cathy Cash, and Bruce McRoy.

The Many Stars of the Miramar Billionaire property developer and hotelier Rick Caruso is seeing stars!

His 158-room hosiery, the Rosewood Miramar, has been raking in the star ratings in the 2024 Forbes Travel Guide.

The ritzy hostelry, which celebrates its fifth anniversary next month, has been named a five-star property with Senso, dubbed a fivestar spa, and Caruso’s, with chef Massimo Falsini, a five-star restaurant.

It is one of only 15 properties globally and one of only five in the U.S. with the coveted triple Five Star title.

Well deserved...

Lowe’s Lament Actor Rob Lowe left a film crew feeling “rather embarrassed” when he let out a “loud passionate groan” during a racy sex scene with Demi Moore, only later revealing he had torn his ACL during a passionate clinch.

The Montecito resident, 59, and Moore, 61, played onscreen lovers in the 1988 hit About Last Night, which sees the duo trying to navigate a serious relationship with little

Gretchen Lieff, Maria McCall, and Kathryn Martin in the forest (courtesy photo)

Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub recently toured Costa Rica (courtesy photo)

38 Montecito JOURNAL

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Clementine Carter INC., 388 Bell Street, Los Alamos, CA, 93440. Clementine Carter INC., PO Box 334, Los Alamos, CA 94330. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 16, 2024. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL).

FBN No. 2024-0000091.

Published January 24, 31, February 7, 14, 2024

New Chief Artistic Officer Appointed

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 24CV00410.

To all interested parties: Petitioner Rafael Altair Romero by Ivy Wang filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Lance Joseph Wang.

The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter 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. Filed February 2, 2024 by Terri Chavez. Hearing date: April 3, 2024 at 10 am in Dept. 3, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published February 14, 21, 28, March 6, 2024

Nate Bachhuber joins the Music Academy (courtesy photo)

Montecito’s Music Academy has appointed Nate Bachhuber as Chief Artistic Officer.

He is recognized for his collaborative and strategic approach to artistic planning with prestigious performing arts organizations, including the L.A. Philharmonic, and St. Louis and Cincinnati symphony orchestras.

Bachhuber has wide experience in public relations and digital strategy at New York’s Carnegie Hall and degrees in voice and opera from the Curtis Institute of Music. His career has been marked by creativity and thoughtful innovation.

Welcome to the ‘hood...

Sightings

Costa Rican Escapades Maria McCall, founder of Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub, chose the perfect time to leave town and fly to Costa Rica to see the natural wonders.

During the torrential downpours in

County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20230002914. Published January 31, February 7, 14, 21, 2024

support from their friends, played by James Belushi and Elizabeth Perkins.

As with most romcoms, the film had several saucy sex scenes – one of which left Rob with a ligament injury so painful he groaned loudly and didn’t stop until director Edward Zwick said “Cut.” Zwick, 71, share the anecdote in his new memoir Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Forty Something Years in Hollywood.

“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” – George Washington Carver

Prince Harry in Las Vegas presenting an NFL award... Oprah Winfrey at the Grammys in L.A... Orlando Bloom, fiancé of warbler Katy Perry, shooting a new film Deep Cover in London.

Pip! Pip!

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 24CV00077.

To all interested parties: Petitioner Elizabeth Rose Good filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Rose Good Tubic.

The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter 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

From musings on the Royals to celebrity real estate deals, Richard Mineards is our man on the society scene and has been for more than 15 years

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.

Filed January 26, 2024 by Terri Chavez. Hearing date: March 13, 2024 at 10 am in Dept. 3, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published February 7, 14, 21, 28, 2024 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF BULK SALE (UCC 6105) Escrow No. BU-3392-YL Notice is hereby given that a bulk sale is about to be made. The name and business address of the Seller is: (1) The name of the Seller: EPMOV, INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION (2) Name of the Business being sold: THE GOOD PLOW (3) Business address(es) of the Seller(s) is: 5205 CARPINTERIA AVENUE, CARPINTERIA, CA 93013 (4) The location in California of the chief executive office of the Seller is: 765 HOLLY AVENUE, CARPINTERIA, CA 93013 (5) All other business names and addresses used by the Seller within the past (3) years, as stated by the Seller is: NONE (6) The name of the Buyer is: NOORMAND AND SONS INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION (7) The address of the Buyer is: 5205 CARPINTERIA AVENUE, CARPINTERIA, CA 93013 (8) General description of the assets of THE GOOD PLOW to be sold is described as: FURNITURE, FIXTURE, AND EQUIPMENT located at: 5205 CARPINTERIA AVENUE, CARPINTERIA, CA 93013 (9) The Bulk Sale is intended to be consummated at the office of: SECURED TRUST ESCROW, INC., C/O BELL SANTIAGO, ESCROW OFFICER, 21111 VICTOR ST, TORRANCE, CA 90503, TEL: (310) 318-3300; EMAIL: INFO@SECUREDTRUSTESCROW.COM; Escrow No. BU-3392-YL (10) The anticipated date of the bulk sale is MARCH 5, 2024 (11) The last day for filing claims by any creditor shall be MARCH 4, 2024, which is the business day before the anticipated sale date specified above.

(12) This Bulk Sale is not subject to California Uniform Commercial Code Section 6106.2.

D A T E : BUYER: NOORMAND AND SONS INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION ORD-2135696 MONTECITO JOURNAL 2/15/24

15 – 22 February 2024

Beings & Doings (Continued from 5)

Slater relaxing before a map of Liverpool (photo

by Alan Owens)

City That Never Sleeps nearly knocked Slater unconscious. “It was just like in a dream, just walking up Manhattan, Central Park on my right…” He found the backpackers’ hostel, checked in, dropped his pack and walked the city.

“I was thinking I was on this giant movie set. I’d only ever seen the place on TV and in the movies.”

In his several days in the city he would make it down to Greenwich Village, a place whose praises his father had sung to him when Slater was a kid.

“My dad was in New York City every few weeks in the mid-fifties, early sixties. He was a waiter on the Cunard line. The Cunard was very posh and exotic. It was quite something in those days.” Slater grins. “Liverpool fellas in the Cunard line used to go to New York and they’d come back all dressed like Americans with their suits and ties. ‘Cunard Yanks’ they called them in Liverpool.”

He would also intersect with a couple of tall Dutch guys on their way home after some months in California – walking the streets of Manhattan in board shorts, tees and tans. The three took in a movie; Fast Times at Ridgemont High. “I thought it was hilarious, and the Dutch lads were telling me, ‘You’ll love it, Rich. California is just like that!’” The three decided to toddle up to Harlem. “I remember walking up and I had a Levi’s jacket and jeans. The Dutch lads are in shorts and t-shirts, all tan.” On the way, they stopped a lady for directions. Slater did the talking. “Excuse me, ma’am.

How far away are we from Harlem?”

The lady looked them up and down.

“Two big white boys from Holland just in from the beach, and a little English guy in head-to-toe denim,” Slater says.

“Fellas,” the woman sighed, “if I were you, I’d turn around and walk the other way.” That they did.

His first hours walking the city, though, is where Slater’s American education began. Stopping in at a diner for breakfast, the jet lagged Liverpudlian perched himself on a stool amid the bedlam. The place was jamming, businessmen in their long coats glaring at the newspaper and slamming coffee before rushing out to their various mysterious posts around the city – all the while, the guy behind the counter barking with a bored expression. The deafening whirlwind put Slater on edge. “I think the man got a bit annoyed with me,” he says.

“I wasn’t ordering fast enough.” Slater ordered bacon and eggs. “HOW YA WANT YOUR EGGS?” “Fried, please,” Slater said. “WHAT KINDA TOAST?” “White,” Slater answered, thinking ‘what else is there?’ “YOU WANT HASH BROWNS?” the guy yelled. Slater hesitated. The guy leaned in, resting his forearm on the counter. “DO. YOU. WANT. HASH. BROWNS?!” Slater had no clue what hash browns were. “Yes, please,”

he answered.

Next week: surrealism in the panhandle, a hulking nightmare by desert moonlight, and other American terrors as Slater crosses the interior…

Jeff Wing is a journalist, raconteur, autodidact, and polysyllable enthusiast. He has been writing about Montecito and environs since before some people were born. He can be reached at jeff@ montecitojournal.net

ON THE SIDE A Lowe Moment

R

obert Downey Jr.’s celebratory evening at the Arlington Theatre to accept the Maltin Modern Master Award was, of course, a wall-to-wall lovefest.

Relaxed, self-deprecating, and flinging charm with the mad dexterity of the Actually Charming, the Bad Boy of Earned Career Resurrection killed it, 2,000 heads in the Arlington house tilted in defenseless awe – puppies in the presence of bacon. Ambling onto the Arlington stage mid-tribute, Downey Jr.’s old Santa Monica H.S. history class bro Rob Lowe took the dais to wittily riff on his and Downey Jr.’s long friendship, and on their later separate extrications from both hellish addiction and the Brat Pack. When Oppie costar and fellow Oscar nominee Cillian Murphy sidled out to shyly offer his own gentle and loving tribute to Downey Jr., the evening became a group hug. Lovely.

The Short, Silent Career of Greta Nissen

T

he arrival of sound in motion pictures (sympathetically skewered in Singin’ in the Rain) abruptly ended many a promising movie career when silent movie stars’ theretofore unheard voices were found ill-suited to the medium’s new innovation.

Greta Nissen was born Grethe Rüzt-Nissen in Norway in 1906, came to the states as a ballerina in 1924, nabbed a role in a Broadway musical by the legendary George S. Kaufman, and thereafter appeared in some twenty films. When sound came in, director Howard Hughes abruptly dismissed the heavily accented Greta from the film they’d been shooting.

She married an industrialist in 1941 and withdrew from public life altogether, passing away in Montecito in 1988. Ours is a many-splendored village.

Slater by Starlight – tableside service at the legendary Stonehouse Restaurant (courtesy photo)

15 – 22 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

39

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Calendar of Events

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20

by Steven Libowitz THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15 DJ Dishes – It’s likely that most folks will recognize DJ Jones more by his face than name. That’s because Jones has been a mainstay at Trader Joe’s on De La Vina for a good number of years, doing everything from stocking to manning a register to pointing shoppers in the right direction. But this week Jones takes on the mantle of author, as the Carpinteria resident has published his first book.

Colors of the Initial Noise takes place in the quaint surf town of Indigo Bay where an enormous cavern harbors a hidden city of unspeakable vice. The darkly humorous fantasy/psychological thriller came into creation via Jones’ writing forged – in his own words – in stolen moments before and after work; the output of an avid TTRPG (tabletop role-playing game) enthusiast who is also a fan of civilization histories, psychology, and philosophy. DJ dives deep into Colors of the Initial Noise and its denizens in an appearance and book signing at Chaucer’s.

WHEN: 6 pm WHERE: 3321 State St. in Loreto Plaza Shopping Center COST: free INFO: (805) 682-6787 or www.chaucersbooks.com FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16 Berlin by the Beach – Berlin Philharmonic principal flutist Sébastian Jacot makes his West Coast recital debut in a special program from Camerata Pacifica in February.

Jacot, hailed by one reviewer as a “rare combination of flutist who plays with copious virtuosity and…a tender, natural musicality that can make you cry,” has also been considered a “rockstar” flutist for his success across spectrums. Jacot will show off some of that versatility in a diverse and compelling program of solo and duet works with Irina Zahharenkova, Camerata Pacifica’s award-winning principal pianist, who has been noted for her “breathtaking technique.” The two will pair up for Bach’s FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16

“Flute Sonata in A Major, BWV 1032,” one of the gems of the flute literature, and French composer André Jolivet’s “Chant de Linos,” a virtuosic showpiece filled with technical gymnastics for both flute and piano. Jacot will also perform Rome Prize winner Christopher Cerrone’s “Liminal Highway,” a “supremely enchanting and hypnotic (work with) stunning harmonies” for flute (doubling on piccolo and beer bottles) and “immersive electronics.” Zahharenkova gets her own solo turns with Haydn’s “Adagio in F, H. XIV, No. 9,” an exquisite sonata for keyboard, and also demonstrates her harpsichord genius on Kryštof Mařatka’s “Melopa,” which the Czech composer himself describes as “a haunting and unpredictable gallop.”

WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: Hahn Hall, Music Academy campus, 1070 Fairway Road COST: $75 INFO: (805) 884-8410 or www.cameratapacifica.org SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Karla Bonoff’s home – It’s almost unfathomable to realize that the great, under-recognized singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff first penned “Someone To Lay Down Beside Me” back in 1976, the year Linda Ronstadt recorded the song for her album Hasten Down the Wind.

The gorgeous pop ballad absolutely aches with longing, both lyrically and melodically. Soon after, Bonoff released her own self-titled debut album, which included equally timeless songs on the challenges of love – “Isn’t It Always Love,” “I Can’t Hold On,” “Lose Again,” and “Home” – making the record one of the classics of the ‘70s singer-songwriter era. There have only been a handful of new studio albums in the years since, although Bonoff was also part of the brilliant early singer-songwriter supergroup Bryndle. But if quality transcends quantity, Bonoff can surely take her place in the singer-songwriter pantheon.

Fortunately for us, we also get to see her perform more often than most, as Bonoff has called Montecito home for several decades, and will once again grace the Lobero – where she also recorded her live album in 2007. Let’s not take this rare treasure for granted.

WHEN: 8 pm WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $39 & $49 ($106 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres) INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com

40 Montecito JOURNAL

Just Juber – Anyone who attended the spectacular 75th birthday concert for Alan Parsons at the Lobero last December has surely been disabused of the notion that Laurence Juber’s best days were as a member of Paul McCartney’s Wings. That’s because Juber jazzed up the jubilee with a stunning solo acoustic rendition of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” that mesmerized listeners who leapt to their feet at its conclusion. Publications ranging from Guitar World (“a stunning sense of space and fluidity”) to Downbeat (“clarion precision of his playing and his tasteful arrangements”) have sung Juber’s praises. Fortunately, Juber lives north of Los Angeles, so he makes frequent stops at SOhO, where he’ll once again put his solo chops on display.

Hopefully, we won’t get fooled again.

WHEN: 7:30 WHERE: SOhO Restaurant & Music Club, 1221 State Street COST: $25 in advance, $30 at the door INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com

Liebert at Lobero – The German-born guitarist-songwriter-producer Ottmar Liebert founded the first incarnation of his band Luna Negra back in 1989, and his world hasn’t been the same since. His strongly Spanish-influenced music was first heard on his debut album Nouveau Flamenco the following year, and the album was eventually certified platinum for selling more than one million copies. A five-time Grammy Award nominee, Liebert has received a total of 38 gold and platinum certifications in the U.S. as his mix of Spanish, Mexican and World Music elements, supported by strong melodies that are tinged with melancholy but balanced by upbeat rhythms, have continued to click with his fans worldwide. One of the most successful instrumental artists of the past decades, and a continuing star in the New Age genre over that same timespan, Liebert has almost exclusively performed in town at SOhO, but tonight steps up to the much larger Lobero, where the intricacies of his music will be heard early in the evening – and sans the clinking of glasses.

WHEN: 6:30 pm WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $44 & $64 INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19 Wall of Sound – Saskatchewan-born country singer-songwriter Colter Wall mostly draws his influence from the rootsier side of the genre, citing such artists as Johnny Cash, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Gram Parsons, and Townes Van Zandt over super-produced Nashville country pop, or even his countrymen Leonard Cohen and Gordon Lightfoot. Possessed of a gruff baritone befitting his background, Wall has looked

“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lou Holtz

15 – 22 February 2024

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12 From ‘Flowers’ to ‘Fancy’ – SBIFF for 2024 went by the wayside three days ago, but UCSB CarseyWolf Center’s Pollock Theater jumps right back into the film fray with Fancy Dance. Another important film from 2023 that stars Lily Gladstone, Fancy Dance didn’t get nearly as much attention as her Oscar-nominated turn in Killers of the Flower Moon, as the smaller film has yet to arrive in theaters after thrilling critics at Sundance. In Fancy Dance Gladstone plays a Native American hustler named Jax who reacts to her sister’s disappearance by kidnapping her niece (Isabel Deroy-Olson) from the child’s white grandparents. Jax then sets out for the state powwow in hopes of keeping what is left of their family intact. A love letter to the women and queer folks who work to hold Native American communities together in the face of ongoing colonial repression, Fancy Dance is the feature film directorial debut from writer Erica Tremblay, who will participate in a discussion of the film following the free screening.

WHEN: 7 pm WHERE: Pollock Theater, UCSB campus COST: free (reservations recommended) INFO: (805) 893-5903 or www.carseywolf.ucsb.edu/pollock

to the hills and byways since he first started recording in the mid-2010s, releasing albums titled Imaginary Appalachia and Songs of the Plains. It didn’t take long for him to reach a wider audience, as his songs appeared in the Americana-rural movies Hell or High Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and, more recently, several episodes of Yellowstone. Wall’s most recent album, 2023’s Little Songs, is his most personal to date, connecting a contemporary world to the values, hardships and celebrations of rural life. The record draws its title from one of its lyrics (“You might not see a soul for days on them high and lonesome plains / You got to fill the big empty with little songs.”). Rural life comes to Santa Barbara’s biggest indoor venue when Wall plays the Arlington as the film festival departs.

Indigenous East Texas singer-songwriter Vincent Neil Emerson opens.

WHEN: 8 pm WHERE: Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St. COST: $45-$95

INFO: (805) 963-9589 or www.arlingtontheatresb.com/upcoming-events

DISCOVER. INDULGE. CELEBRATE.

WORLD OF PINOT NOIR FEBRUARY 29 - MARCH 2, 2024

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 Meeting of the Minds – Once again, a UCSB Arts & Lectures event has been moved to the Arlington Theatre – but this time, not because of water damage at the Granada Theatre. Rather, popular demand drove the change of venue, as Campbell Hall couldn’t contain the clamor to hear Abraham Verghese in conversation with Pico Iyer. Stanford Professor of Medicine and National Humanities Medal recipient, Verghese has long been a top thinker in healthcare.

His TED talk “A Doctor’s Touch” has been viewed almost two million times, and he co-hosts the Medicine and the Machine podcast that examines how we utilize cutting-edge technology to advance medicine with a focus on the physical patient. Verghese is also the author of the mega-bestselling Cutting for Stone, which stayed on the New York Times list for more than two years, and 2023’s The Covenant of Water; each of his first two novels considered masterful literary works. Iyer is one of Santa Barbara’s most prolific authors and worldly thinkers whose latest book, The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise, is an immersive survey of the world’s holiest places. Iyer and Verghese’s conversation might be one of the intellectual and literary highlights of the year.

WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St. COST: $25-$45 INFO: (805) 893-3535 or https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu

15 – 22 February 2024

The World of Pinot Noir will feature more than 200 wineries, tastings, seminars and delicious pairing lunches and dinners at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara.

Use code: SBLOCAL for discounts on Grand Tasting tickets.

worldofpinotnoir.com

Montecito JOURNAL

41

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING (805) 565-1860 ESTATE/SENIOR SERVICES MOVING MISS DAISY

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Glenn Novack, Owner. 805-770-7715 info@movingmissdaisy.com MovingMissDaisy.com Consignments@MovingMissDaisy.hibid.com The Clearing House, LLC Recognized as the area’s Premier Estate Liquidators - Experts in the Santa Barbara Market! We are Skilled Professionals with Years of Experience in Downsizing and Estate Sales. Personalized service. Insured.

Call for a complimentary consultation.

Elaine (805)708-6113 Christa (805)450-8382 Email: theclearinghouseSB@cox.net Website: www.theclearinghouseSB.com

PHYSICAL TRAINING & THERAPY Stillwell Fitness of Santa Barbara In Home Personal Training Sessions for 65+ Help with: Strength, Flexibility, Balance, Motivation, and Consistency John Stillwell, CPT, Specialist in Senior Fitness 805-705-2014 StillwellFitness.com

GOT OSTEOPOROSIS? WE CAN HELP At OsteoStrong our proven non-drug protocol takes just ten minutes once a week to improve your bone density and aid in more energy, strength, balance and agility. Please call for a complimentary session!

Call Now (805) 453-6086 KNIFE SHARPENING SERVICE EDC Mobile Sharpening is a locally owned and operated in Santa Barbara. We specialize in (No-Entry) House Calls, Businesses and Special Events. Call 805-696-0525 to schedule an appointment AVAILABLE FOR RENT

TRESOR

We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry. Located in the upper village of Montecito.

Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation.

1470 East Valley Rd Suite V. 805-969-0888 MENTAL HEALTH & WELL-BEING

Photo Booth Rentals for any event or occasion www.TruMusicLighting.com Call or text Moi (805) 403-6275 Charming 2 bedroom mountain view Craftsman home in the heart of Santa Barbara near Mission, Downtown and SB Bowl. $5650/mo. Available mid-February.

Nancy 310 985-2278.

Michael Bolton, MD Harvard-Trained Board Certified Psychiatrist Specializing in Adult ADHD BecomeYourAuthenticSelf.

Com

42 Montecito JOURNAL

POSITION WANTED

We buy Classic Cars Running or not.

Foreign/Domestic Chevy/Ford/Porsche/Mercedes/Etc. We come to you.

Call Steven - 805-699-0684 Website – Avantiauto.group

US/Kiwi/Brit Estate Manager available to run your estate.

Celebrity references.

Please call 805.280.6515 stephen@cook.nu FOR SALE

AVAILABLE CAREGIVER I CARE! Caregiver, Companion, Gourmet Cook. 15 yrs of experience. Responsible.

Excl Refs. CA Registered. Please email Juliette at: caringsoul301@gmail.com Trusted, Experienced Caregiver, CA State registered and background checked. Vaccinated. Loving and caring provides transportation, medications, etc.

Lina 805-940-6888 PERSONAL SERVICES Tell Your Story How did you get to be where you are today? What were your challenges? What is your Love Story? I can help you tell your story in an unforgettable way – with a book that will live on for many generations. The books I write are as thorough and entertaining as acclaimed biographies you’ve read. I also assist with books you write – planning, editing and publishing.

David Wilk Great references.

(805) 455-5980 www.BiographyDavidWilk.com Ref. MJ 1-10 Ivan. I do Iridology, Dakini + Egyptian Astro. Readings; Cert. Hatha Yoga + Prana Yama Classes; I do Rebirthing. Ref N.Y.T. 1-9-24 Often at Pierre Lafond 805-883-8630 iamsoneone4841@gmail.com

Exclusive opportunity Superb “ocean view” internment sight.

Contact: 4589west@gmail.com PAINTING SERVICE Transform your home into a masterpiece with Casa Real Painting!

Call Cesar Real at (805) 570-1055 or email casarealpainting@gmail.com for a free estimate today. Let us show you how we can transform your space with color and creativity!

Your Space, Your Color, Your Creation!

DONATIONS NEEDED Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944

ELECTRICIAN Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575 TILE SETTING

REVERSE MORTGAGES ATTENTION SENIORS!!!

IS A REVERSE MORTGAGE RIGHT FOR YOU? • Access the equity in your home today • No monthly mortgage payments • You retain title to your home • Lump sum or monthly distributions • All inquiries are strictly confidential Gayle Nagy 805-448-9224 Gayle@dmfsb.com NMLS # 251258 / Company NMLS # 12007 Direct Mortgage Funding Santa Barbara Equal Housing Lender. Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act

AUTOMOBILES WANTED

CHARMING BRIGHT RIVIERA 1 BD + 1 BA Hardwood Floors. Updated kitchen and bath. Carrara marble. Ocean & garden views. Quiet Street. Rare opportunity. No Smoking. No Pets. $3,300. 310-795-3867

Local tile setter of 35 years is now doing small jobs only. Services include grout cleaning and repair, caulking, sealing, replacing damaged tiles and basic plumbing needs.

Call Doug Watts at 805-729-3211 for a free estimate.

$10 MINIMUM TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD It’s simple. Charge is $3 per line, each line with 31 characters.

Minimum is $10 per issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email Classified Ad to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860. All ads must be finalized by Friday at 2pm the week prior to printing. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex (3% surcharge) “The potential for greatness lives within us all.” – Wilma Rudolph

Donate to the Parrot Pantry!

At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies.

Volunteers Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help.

(805) 969-1944 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED K-9 PALS need volunteers to be foster parents for our dogs while they are waiting for their forever homes.

For more information info@k-9pals.org or 805-570-0415.

15 – 22 February 2024

Mini Meta

Last Week’s Solution:

By Pete Muller & Frank Longo For each of the first five mini crosswords, one of the entries also serves as part of a five-word meta clue. The answer to the meta is a word or phrase (six letters or longer) hidden within the sixth mini crossword. The hidden meta answer starts in one of the squares and snakes through the grid vertically and horizontally from there (no diagonals!) without revisiting any squares.

PUZZLE #1 1

2

3

4

1

5

C D R T H R U G O L A N L O OM S O N E A

P R Y O S H E A F L I C K F A S T S WH O

T H A T H U L A T E N T S W I T H O R S O

B A M U V E A G I R T H S A C R A N Y A D

G U C C I I S A A C B U N N Y B A D E S L Y

K I D D E N N U I S U R F S T R E F E L M S

TOON

WHO

HUNTS

BUGS

BUNNY

ELMERFUDD

PUZZLE #2

PUZZLE #3

2

1

3

4

5

6

7

6

7

8

7 9

Across 1 Their menus often include wraps 5 See 8-Across 6 "Do-Re-Mi," "ABC," or "1-2-3" 7 I, datewise 8 With 5-Across, "As you wish"

Down 1 People who don't appreciate pearls?

2 Actor Dinklage with four Emmys 3 Relieve 4 Vehicle in the annual 1,000-mile Yukon Quest 6 Hebrew for "good"

Across 1 Accommodation for an extended couples' getaway?

4 Electric starter?

7 Material in circulation 8 Attach, as a patch 9 Confidentiality contract, for short

PUZZLE #4 1

2

4

Down 1 Clerics' white vestments 2 Enzo Ferrari, for Adam Driver (appropriately!)

3 Not anonymous 5 What benevolent people do 6 Mode voiced by Brad Bird

1 5

6

Across 1 Google Earth display 4 Great many 6 Con game 7 Stay out of the shoulder, say 8 Lead-in to Grace, Highness, or Honor

2

1

4

2

3

4

5

6

5

7

8

6

8

9

7

9

Down 1 Do impressively well at, informally 2 "The Private Lives of ___ Lee" (Rebecca Miller novel and film) 3 Remove from the top of the feed, as a Facebook post 5 Bad thing to hit too soon 6 Prior to, to Prior

Down 1 Opener in a dentist's office?

2 Period of 365 jours 3 Its World Series takes place in Paradise 4 "American Dad!" airer 5 Part of FTW

META PUZZLE 3

7

Across 1 Smartphone's "brain," for short 4 Hair salon supply 7 With 9-Across, advantage 8 Its top part consists of the seven C's 9 See 7-Across

5

8

PUZZLE #5

3

3

4

6

8

2

Across 1 Cry from an upset kid, maybe 4 Cry from an upset kid, maybe 5 With 6-Across, Bao Bao, Bei Bei, or Xiao Qi Ji 6 See 5-Across 7 Tree in the birch family

Down 1 Put a permanent mark on 2 "60 Days In" network 3 Perfumery oil 4 Word after speed or drunk 5 Dean's list eligibility factor, in brief

Across 1 You're really drunk if you're under it 6 Elba who voiced Knuckles the Echidna in "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" 7 Scruggs's bluegrass partner 8 Savoir-___ 9 They can make waves

Down 1 Slight fights 2 Stevenson who served with Grover Cleveland 3 Matter for thought?

4 Bath water volume?

5 "Blue Bloods" co-star Will

LOCAL BUSINESS DIRECTORY

SB-LAX $ 39

WE BUY BOOKS Historical Paintings Vintage Posters Original Prints

805-962-4606

info@losthorizonbooks.com

LOST HORIZON BOOKSTORE now in Montecito, 539 San Ysidro Road

OEACH WAY

SUV $450 -----

PRIVILEGE

SB

(805) 280 5159 TCP 32411-A

TRANSPORTATION

Andrea Dominic, R.Ph. Emily McPherson, Pharm.D. Paul Yered, R.Ph. 1498 East Valley Road Montecito, CA 93108

Phone: 805-969-2284 Fax: 805-565-3174

Compounding Pharmacy & Boutique

Art Deco Furniture & Paintings

www.frenchvintages.net or jzaimeddine@yahoo.com

french vintages 15 – 22 February 2024

She’s Already In You

FREE DELIVERY ANYWHERE

Professional Coaching for Women Relationships Leadership Purpose

661-644-0839

GABRIELLATAYLOR.COM

Montecito JOURNAL

43

TAKE A TOUR TODAY

© 2024 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (BHHSCP) is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates LLC. BHHS and the BHHS symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. BHH Affiliates LLC and BHHSCP do not guarantee accuracy of all data including measurements, conditions, and features of property. Information is obtained from various sources and will not be verified by broker or MLS. Buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information.

at bhhscalifornia.com

1781 GLEN OAKS DRIVE, MONTECITO 6BD/4½BA • $16,000,000 Nancy Kogevinas, 805.450.6233 LIC# 01209514

1530 MIMOSA LANE, MONTECITO 6BD/6½BA; ±1.90 • $16,500,000 Nancy Kogevinas, 805.450.6233 LIC# 01209514

375 ORTEGA RIDGE RD, MONTECITO 3BD/5BA • $12,800,000 Nancy Kogevinas, 805.450.6233 LIC# 01209514

1514 E MOUNTAIN DR, MONTECITO 3BD/4½BA • $12,750,000 Cristal Clarke, 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

1556 LA VISTA RD, SANTA BARBARA 4BD/4½+½BA • $6,300,000 Nancy Kogevinas, 805.450.6233 LIC# 01209514

SANTA MONICA RD LOT 17, CARPINTERIA ±38 acres • $5,000,000 Kerry Mormann & Associates, 805.682.3242 LIC# 00598625

1395 PLAZA DE SONADORES, MONTECITO 2BD/2½BA • $4,200,000 Randy Freed & Kellie Clenet, 805.705.5334 LIC# 00624274 / 01434616

4613 VIA RUBI, SANTA BARBARA 4BD/4BA • $3,795,000 Josiah Hamilton, 805.284.8835 LIC# 01415235

1260 NORTHRIDGE RD, SANTA BARBARA 3BD/3BA • $3,495,000 Anderson Hurst Assoc., 805.618.8747 LIC# 01903215 / 00826530

1321 DANIELSON RD #A, SANTA BARBARA 3BD/2½BA • $3,400,000 Scott Williams, 805.451.9300 LIC# 00628741

3432 RICHLAND DR, SANTA BARBARA 8-unit multi-family • $3,295,000 Ken Switzer, 805.680.4622 LIC# 01245644

335 HOT SPRINGS RD, MONTECITO ±1 acre • $2,475,000 Cristal Clarke, 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

3241 LUCINDA LN, SANTA BARBARA 3BD/2BA • $2,000,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group, 805.565.4014 LIC# 01426886

1116 N MILPAS ST, SANTA BARBARA 4BD/3BA • $1,450,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group, 805.565.4014 LIC# 01426886

@BHHSCALIFORNIA