Love in Hiding – As Santa Barbara’s hills are staked for profit, Creek uncovers new truths about Pony’s hidden life in Last Light, P.5
Elephants on State – Tightrope walkers, runaway pachyderms, and sneak-out sons marked circus days in early Santa Barbara, P.16
A lovely Color the World Gala, page 11
Nothing Serious – Singlehood isn’t a disease, but post-divorce timing might require a strict two-year moratorium, P.22
DAVID WEBB PLANTS ROOTS AT ROSEWOOD MIRAMAR, BLENDING NEW YORK ATELIER TRADITION WITH MONTECITO ELEGANCE (STORY STARTS ON PAGE 14)
22 Years Strong
Goodwin & Thyne mark 22 years with 300 guests and a measured outlook on Montecito’s evolving RE market, page 12
Field to Fork
Chef Daniel Kim cooks straight from the harvest, previewing Monte’s farm-driven future on Coast Village Road, page 29
U.S. Premiere of New David Lang Commission Danish String Quartet and Danish National Girls’ Choir
Charlotte Rowan, Conductor
Fri, Apr 10 / 7 PM / Granada Theatre
“Hull is as good a songwriter as a mandolin player, and could give Bill Monroe a run for his money on the latter.” Isthmus
Six-time International Bluegrass Music Association
Mandolin Player of the Year Sierra Hull
Thu, Apr 16 / 7:30 PM UCSB Campbell Hall
“One of the finest piano players to emerge in decades.”
All About Jazz
Celebrating Two Jazz Giants Emmet Cohen Quintet
Miles and Coltrane at 100
Sun, Apr 12 / 7 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall
“No one can generate the roof-raising power from a Steinway that she does.” San Francisco Classical Voice
“This is one of those orchestras in which all are stars.” The Guardian (U.K.)
Must-see Classical Highlight One of Today’s Most Captivating Musicians in a Dual Role Yuja Wang & Mahler
Chamber Orchestra
Thu, Apr 23 / 7 PM / Granada Theatre
Laura Drake Schultheis discusses using native plants as fire mitigation and defensible spaces in the face of climate change.
March 11 | 5:30 p.m.
Miscellany – This week saw a talk on weaponizing space, firefighters discoing on the dance floor, and Caesar & Cleopatra belting it out on stage
Bytes – New board member for Cottage Health, a Wildlife Care Network Meet/Greet, Los Padres Forest updates and other tidbits
to the Editor – A reader’s views on budgets and staffing for the Sheriff’s Department Tide Guide
Hues – Surprise gospels, an Enchanted Library, and Storyteller supporters filled Rosewood with color
On Business – Goodwin & Thyne & 300 well-wishers packed the Harbor Restaurant in celebration of the partnership’s 22 years
Society Edit – David Webb comes to Rosewood Miramar and a chat with their first-ever CEO
16 The Way It Was – The circus is coming! And with it… acrobats, elephants, loose toughs, and even fleas…
17 On Entertainment – Natural Light fills Camerata Pacifica, strumming with the Sphinx Virtuosi, and other sounds on stage
18 The Spoken Word – Personal Stories, TEDx talks, plus author lectures on art, Italian culture, and oil-fishery liaisons
21 Your Westmont – Talk captures the depth of Ansel Adams, and downtown lecture offers tips to fight fire with flora
Dear Montecito – Beatrice Tolan is back! Find what she’s been up to.
22 Montecito Musings – Singlehood isn’t a disease –but timing might be everything… The case for a two-year moratorium on post-divorce romance.
23 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – Understanding limited editions, print values, and the resurging market for postwar lithographs
26 Spirituality Matters – Volf’s Free of Charge at All Saints, cacao soup, redwood yoga, and other happenings to tickle the soul
27 An Independent Mind – Can military force dismantle both a weapons program and a regime’s ambitions?
Sheriff’s Blotter
Curator’s Choice – A specimen of the threeinch-long invasive Joro Spider
28
Foraging Thyme – Learn why 2026 is the year of the cabbage with this miso-glazed, tahinifinished cone cabbage dish
29 Petite Wine Traveler – An afternoon in Carpinteria reveals the farm-driven philosophy behind Montecito’s newest table
31 Robert’s Big Questions – When biblical literalism diverges from biblical teaching: faith, identity, and the politics of belonging
36 Calendar of Events – 1ST Thursday happenings, a bit of Bayou Bump, a Convergence of dance and more this week
38
Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales
39 Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles
Local Business Directory
Montecito Reads
Every now and then, a story comes along that refuses to stay put. It lingers on your nightstand. It sneaks into conversation. For us, Last Light in Paradise is one of those stories, and we’re delighted to let it loose, one chapter at a time, in the pages of the Montecito Journal. Well, at least the first six chapters for the time being – then you can purchase the book at one of our local beloved bookstores (Chaucer’s, Tecolote, and Godmothers) or from the QR code below.
This book marks a first for us… Last Light in Paradise is the inaugural book published by MJ Media Group. Yes, we’re dipping a toe – perhaps a barefoot run – into the world of book publishing, guided entirely by our belief in a novel that is as cinematic as it is soulful, as local as it is timeless.
Set against the luminous backdrop of 1930s Santa Barbara, this is a tale of love and loss, mystery and reckoning, populated by unforgettable characters and infused with the kind of atmosphere that feels both dreamlike and deeply true. We invite you to settle in, turn the page, and join us at the edge of paradise… just as the light begins to change.
Last Light in Paradise
by Michael C. Armour
Chapter Nine: Part 1
Creek had left Billy at the station. He knew there would be words, in private, over the use of firearms. Whites on the rez. Boys working for the council. A deputized nobody named Creek pushing the river until some powerful people wind up embarrassed.
It was three in the afternoon. The sea was dark teal now, and the sky above it scrubbed so clear Creek thought he could see wild boar on the beaches of Santa Cruz Island twenty miles distant. When a storm clears out in this country, he thought, it leaves a paradise.
He drove past his ranch, past the billboard with the gunshot Tom Horn and the blank-faced ingenue. He drove past the ranches of the land barons, three of whom had owned big acreage in these lion-hide and chaparral hills since the days of Spanish land grants. He hadn’t been this far north since Big West Productions put up its public gate. What he saw now shocked him. A few miles out from the movie lot, the markers appeared. Starting at the edge of the highway and spreading up the sloping foothills, down the following valleys and up again to the base of the mountains, was a sea of half-acre parcels marked by grids of wooden stakes, capped by bright cloth flags. Wild land, he thought, mile after mile of it, had now become a circus track of flags and hucksters.
Creek slowed as he saw a dirt road cut away from the highway, curl up to a bench a quarter mile inland, and end in a tiny shack Creek knew to be a sales kiosk. He pulled his truck to the roadside and shut it off. He hopped the fence and began walking through the lots. It was tumbleweed and lupine, shrub, manzanita, and random clumps of sage and poppy. But for the occasional eucalyptus and oak groves, it resembled high desert with its hard clay and ocher shale flecks.
And then, of course, standing at nearly any point, lay the final punch to any sales pitch: The Pacific Ocean, spread broader than any dirt plane, reaching to infinity.
He stood in the mock town of sticks and flags, trying to imagine how the developers might persuade a family to move away from the amenities of a town to live upon barren fields of cookie-cutter houses. Clearly the
Montecito Reads Page 344
Scan here for Chapters 1 - 8
Beings and Doings
Why I Am an Astrophysicist [for paul]
by Jeff Wing
A reader writes:
What inspired Jeff Wing to become an Astrophysicist?
––Demonstrably Disquisitive in Downtown Diner
Dear Demostrangmuh…
Dear Reader,
Thanks so much for your question. I don’t know how many of your fellow villagers are aware of my Astrophysicist status. Your published question makes it easier for me to broadcast this bit of personal triumphalism without the awkwardness of a sandwich board and bullhorn. Am I proud and pleased to be an Astrophysicist? Well, wouldn’t you be?
As for the origins of my cosmic circumbendibus (forgive my fancy astro talk), like any Astrophysicist worth a thimbleful of star dirt, I came early to the profound questions that have long haunted our species. Let me explain my journey, that it may inspire you to reach for your own stars while providing me the opportunity to talk about myself at length.
Drawn Inexorably
As a young man (I’m still quite young but was even younger back then, if you can imagine) I found myself drawn inexorably to the Mystery of Existence. It turns out that eight minutes or so pondering the Mystery of Existence is pretty exasperating, and looking to the stars for answers is about as effective as asking a rock for cooking advice. Despite the utter silence of the void, my yearning heart soldiered on. Why? Because a deeply embedded spirit of exploration infuses our very DNA. Hence the double-helix with its handy rungs and the
little guy at the bottom yelling through cupped hands “CLIMB! CLIMB YOU SONOFAGUN!”
You see, ever since Cave Man Times, when our hunched and repulsive forebears sat staring at the heavens in wonder, we have plumbed the depths of our collective imagination to understand all those twinkling lights and stuff. No, we didn’t get very far at first. Our stone age bafflement and frustration was such that we would often stalk angrily into a cave and furiously paint pictures of our own hands for, like, hours. From these embarrassing beginnings we began to fashion a crude cosmology, based largely on our hands, and on stick figures surrounding poorly drawn bison. We continued to stare upwards through the vast, starry vault to little avail.
A Glint of Silver
It wasn’t until 1963 and The Outer Limits episode “The Zanti Misfits” that the cosmos began to yield her previously hidden secrets, and I was stirred by the first spark of what it is to be an Astrophysicist. In the episode, Bruce Dern and his girlfriend (played by the strange and angular Olive Deering) drive carelessly into a restricted desert area, having just robbed a bank. A glint of silver descends through the sky like an inept special effect. It comes to rest on a hilltop, and Dern leaves the car and his date to shamble up and have a look. So it is that Dern quizzically approaches the smallish, silver conical spaceship, a little door pops open and out marches a
Beings & Doings Page 314
Curious bank robber opens can of worms. Sort of.
Have your outdoor cushions and pillows seen better days? Beat the long lead times and order your replacements now. Relax and know that your outdoor space will be fresh and ready for Spring gatherings.
| haywards1890.com
Montecito Miscellany
The New Space Race at the Channel City Club
by Richard Mineards & Friends
In its 80th anniversary year, the Channel City Club – known as Santa Barbara’s “Window on the World” –continues its mission of bringing global perspectives to our local community. On Wednesday, February 25th, the club hosted an extraordinary event at the University Club featuring Michelle Hanlon, executive director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi and co-founder of For All Moonkind.
The event was led by the Club’s new President, Daniel Crocker . As the emcee for the afternoon, I had the pleasure of introducing Hanlon for a timely discussion titled “Weaponizing Space: The Quiet Contest Above.”
The heart of Hanlon’s presentation centered on the concept of “Lawfare” –the strategic use of legal frameworks as a substitute for traditional military means. She argued that while space has been militarized since the launch of Sputnik,
Disco Fever with Cause
It was hot, hot, hot at the Bella Vista Estate on Sunday night as the Santa Barbara South Coast Firefighter Foundation (SBSCFF) hosted its annual “Disco Inferno” fundraiser. The Summerland estate of Ursula and Patrick Nesbitt was transformed into a scene of social gridlock and high-energy philanthropy, proving once again that the South Coast community knows how to kick up its heels for a vital cause.
the next great contest will not be fought with kinetic weapons, but through the power to define the rules of the domain.
Hanlon detailed a burgeoning “resource race” on the lunar surface, where the U.S.led Artemis Accords and the China-Russia International Lunar Research Station are competing to establish the first permanent outposts in search of water ice and Helium-3, located primarily at the lunar South Pole. The “quiet contest” is equally visible in Earth’s orbit; while there are cur-
rently over 13,000 active satellites, this is only the beginning. Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which operates over 8,000 Starlink satellites, has applied to launch one million. Not to be outdone, China is moving aggressively with its mega constellations and an ambitious goal to launch 200,000 satellites over the coming decade. As Hanlon warned, the nation that establishes the de facto rules for this crowded environment will effectively control the gateway to the solar system.
To join the Channel City Club and attend future events, please contact membership@channelcityclub.org.
by Colleen Graffy
The festivities ignited with an elegant outdoor cocktail hour, where guests mingled amidst a high-stakes silent auction featuring luxury items from local icons like El Encanto, Hotel Californian, and Jenavi Wines. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the energy shifted to “The Hangar,” which had been masterfully decked out in “Studio 54” style. Complete with plush white couches, red light “flames,” and fabulous foliage from Por La Mar Nursery, the atmosphere was a perfect 360-degree backdrop for the night’s celebrations.
The evening served as the perfect community welcome for the newly appointed Fire Chief of the CarpinteriaSummerland Fire Protection District, Dan Stefano, and his wife, Michelle As DJ Gavin Roy spun non-stop dance
The definitive biography of one of the most influential and innovative figures in the history of American finance who revolutionized Wall Street and whose story reads like a real-life Great Gatsby.
“ENTERTAINING... THE BARON OF WALL STREET HELPS TO RECLAIM A MAJOR AMERICAN FINANCIAL FIGURE FROM THE SHADOWS.”
–THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Written by local author William R. Loomis Jr.,
former chief executive of Lazard, a graduate of Harvard Business School and a former student of UCSB graduate studies in History.
Miscellany
Channel City Club President Daniel Crocker, speaker Michelle Hanlon, and past president and event sponsor Kevin Snyder (photo by Priscilla)
Channel City Club ED Judith Hill, speaker Michelle Hanlon, and emcee Colleen Graffy (photo by Priscilla)
News Bytes
Steven Weintraub Appointed to Cottage Health Board of Directors
by MJ Staff
Newly appointed to the Cottage Health Board of Directors is Steven Weintraub. He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with more than 40 years of experience in financial planning and investment management, bringing deep industry knowledge and governance experience to the Board. Weintraub is a partner in the Santa Barbara office of Cerity Partners, a leading independent wealth management and financial advisory firm in the United States. He provides comprehensive financial advice and oversight, with a focus on integrated financial planning and long-term wealth strategies. He holds a BS in Business Administration from Arizona State University, a MS in Financial Planning from San Diego State University, and is an adjunct professor there.
Wildlife Care Network Meet/Greet
The Wildlife Care Network is having an info session on March 10 at 6 pm at Carpinteria Library. They are a dedicated nonprofit volunteer organization rescuing and rehabilitating sick, orphaned, and oil-impaired wildlife across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The only organization serving from Santa Maria to Camarillo in this effort, they afford stateof-the-art hospital caring for over 4,000 wild animals annually, representing 200+ species, and have responded to more than 10,000 wildlife distress calls each year. 411: www.sbwcn.org Call: (805) 681-1080
Los Padres Forest Updates, Community Comment and Open Positions
The Los Padres Forest is currently over 125% of annual rainfall and trending to make it over 150% by the end of the season. Highway 1 through Big Sur has once again reopened following a brief closure during the rain the last two weeks. Thru-access from San Simeon to Monterey, including all those scenic Los Padres trailheads, is back open for business.
Community input is needed on the statewide California Trails Survey to guide the next update of the California Recreational Trails Plan, last updated in 2011. This plan directly influences trail funding and priorities in Santa Barbara County and across California.
LPF is hiring temporary Forestry Technician staff in all five districts, said to be excellent entry-level positions. 411: https://lpforest.org/
Chabad of Montecito Events Register Early
- March 2: Purim in Africa. Chabad of Montecito invites community to the Purim in Africa event. Program includes drum circle, Megillah reading, African Cuisine and Purim gameshow. Registration required.
- March 18: An Evening Together of Jewish comfort food, conversation, and connection, hosted by Doug and Abby Brown 411: www.jewishmontecito.org
Letter to the Editor
Concerns on Spending
Iam extremely concerned about the over-budget costs incurred by our Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Dept. As a tax paying, full-time resident of Santa Barbara County I am extremely disturbed to learn about the millions of dollars in overtime spending that has already cost our county dearly.
In these difficult times, with the withdrawal of much federal and state promised funding, everyone is being asked to “do more with less.” The county’s $66 million budget hole leaves our community with a multitude of unmet needs. Parks are being left in disrepair, potholes are unfilled and sidewalks are cracked and split resulting in a danger to young and old who can easily slip and fall when simply out for a stroll. In addition, badly needed health and human services are being reduced for our most vulnerable populations
That makes it especially sad to learn that these badly needed dollars are all being used to backfill the cost overruns of the County Sheriff’s Dept. Why isn’t the Sheriff being asked to tighten his dept? Instead, using the mantra of “inadequate staffing” he is asking for overtime costs this year which are expected to reach over $20 million. Twenty-nine employees earning more in OT than in their base salary sounds extreme. I was curious to learn that his dept. is less “understaffed” than many of our other county agencies. If they can do more with less, why can’t he? He has had an ok to hire additional officers but as of now says they are “not ready for the field.” Why not? What are they doing?
I personally am glad that Supervisors Capps and Hartmann have bravely called for a true audit and increased accountability for Sheriff Brown’s Dept. Now it seems that we are simply wasting badly needed money.
Thank you very much,
Beryl Kreisel Montectio, CA
YOUR LETTERS
Have thoughts on a local issue? Comments on one of our articles?
Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Joe DeMello
Features | Jeff Wing
Proofreading | Helen Buckley
Contributors | Scott Craig, Chuck Graham, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye, Elizabeth Stewart, Leana Orsua, Jeffrey Harding, Houghton Hyatt
Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz
Gossip | Richard Mineards
History | Hattie Beresford
Humor | Ernie Witham
Our Town/Society | Joanne A Calitri
Health/Wellness | Ann Brode, Deann Zampelli
Travel | Jerry Dunn, Leslie Westbrook
Food & Wine | Melissa Petitto, Gabe Saglie, Jamie Knee
Published by:
Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC
Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every
The Montecito Journal thrives on community input…
Helpful Hues
Storyteller’s Color the World Gala
by Zach Rosen
Storyteller welcomed more than 300 guests to its sold-out Color the World Gala at Rosewood Miramar Beach, raising over $600,000 to support Santa Barbara’s most vulnerable children. This year’s theme, “Hues of Love,” celebrated the transformative power of stability, early care, and community.
Guests began the evening on the lawn with a vibrant reception featuring a heart-themed canvas painted by Loan Chabanol alongside Storyteller students, symbolizing the restoration of hope through healing-centered education. A curated silent auction, bespoke poetry experience, and immersive aura readings layered reflection and connection into the evening.
Inside the Chandelier Ballroom, guests entered an Enchanted Library designed by Gina M. Andrews of Bon Fortune Style & Events. Amber-lit trees adorned with wooden hearts painted by students glowed among jewel-toned florals, velvet textures, and candlelight – a rich visual reminder that every child’s story can be rewritten.
A surprise performance of “All You Need Is Love” by the Inner Light Gospel Choir added some emotional tone to the evening. Gala co-chairs Carly Davis and Dani Moss Morse honored sponsors and spoke to love as the foundation of healing: safety, consistency, and dedicated educators who show up each day for children in need.
The inaugural Storyteller Award for Change was presented to the Teen Council for their remarkable first year of service, including pantry support, youth events, and raising more than $35,000 for families.
The program concluded with powerful testimonials, a spirited live auction led by Andrew Firestone, and reflections from Executive Director Dr. Gabriella Garcia on Storyteller’s 38-year legacy of interrupting cycles of poverty through therapeutic early education.
The evening stood as both celebration and call to action – proof that when a community leads with love, brighter beginnings are possible.
00976141
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So far I have had:
55 clients use my services twice; 33 clients use my services three times; 16 clients use my services four times; 9 clients use my services five times; 7 clients use my services six times; 2 clients use my services seven times; 4 clients use my services eight times; 1 client use my services nine times; 2 clients use my services ten times; 1 client use my services eleven times; and 1 client use my services thirteen times!
The Teen Council won the inaugural Storyteller Award for Change (courtesy of Valeria Sanchez Photography)
The evening raised over $600,000 to support Storyteller (courtesy of Valeria Sanchez Photography)
Tess Ortega, Carly Davis, Dr. Gabriella Garcia, and Daniela Moss Morse (courtesy of Valeria Sanchez Photography)
On Business Goodwin & Thyne’s 22nd Anniversary Celebration
by Joanne A Calitri
Kevin Goodwin and John Thyne III celebrated the 22nd Anniversary of their business, “Goodwin & Thyne Properties” with their team of Realtors®, Brokers and Attorneys. The celebration took place on Thursday, February 26, at the Harbor Restaurant, Stearns Wharf. When I arrived, the restaurant was filled with over 300 guests who came to congratulate Kevin and John and meet with like-minded business associates. The atmosphere was very upbeat, filled with live Spanish guitar music, open wine bar, champagne, food buffet, and a photo booth for guests to create a memory.
I met with John and Kevin and their team for a few photo ops. Noted guests were:
Drew “Mr. Santa Barbara” Wakefield; Steve Golis of the Radius Group; Pat and Ursula Nesbitt; Sean “B” Bogharyan, wealth manager with the Coast Village Group; and Wayne Cassriel, private wealth manager with TKG Financial.
Members of the Goodwin & Thyne Properties team attending included PJ Williams, Jim Vaughan, Danielle Seraphine-Williams, Marcos Lazaro, Caitlin Benson Targoni, Olesya Thyne, John Thyne III, Kevin Goodwin and his son Westin Goodwin, Joy Martin, Melani Guevarra, Jordan Robinson, and Nathan Conant
I asked John and Kevin for their remarks on the anniversary, and the real estate outlook for Q2-4 2026:
John Thyne: “Twenty-two years in
business is something we don’t take lightly. Kevin and I came from very different professional backgrounds, but we were aligned early on in how we wanted to treat people and represent our clients. Over the years, especially through moments like the 2008 financial crisis, we learned the importance of focus, loyalty, and staying with our clients through every market cycle. For our Montecito clients and our team, this anniversary reflects continuity, trust, and a shared commitment to doing things the right way.”
Kevin Goodwin: “When we started Goodwin & Thyne, real estate looked very different, but what hasn’t changed is that it’s a service business at its core. Technology has transformed the industry, but people still need experienced professionals who understand the nuances of neighborhoods, community, and lifestyle. Reaching 22 years is meaningful because it represents long-standing relationships with our Montecito clients, many of whom we’ve worked with for decades, as well as a team that shares our values and commitment to guiding people through one of the most important decisions of their lives.
As 2026 unfolds, the Montecito real estate market is showing signs of renewed momentum, shaped by a more balanced dynamic between buyers and sellers and a sharper focus on value. The 2026 market favors realism, preparation, and precision. Sellers who price strategically and present their homes in movein-ready condition are positioned for success. Buyers benefit from expanded choice and increased negotiating power, while still competing for the best properties in a market where true quality remains scarce.
Buyer interest is gradually improving, with more purchasers reentering
On Business Page 184
John and Olesya Thyne (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
Kevin Goodwin and his son Westin Goodwin (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
The Society Edit Welcoming Iconic Jeweler David Webb to Montecito
by Joanne A. Calitri
The newest happening this season is the historic jewelry brand David Webb opening its freshest retail location at Rosewood Miramar. It joins the brand’s locations in NYC, Doha, Qatar, and One Rodeo in Beverly Hills (by appointment only). The finely appointed 460-square-foot Montecito store is managed by Meredith Austin Brown, previously with Tiffany & Co., Martin Katz, and Harry Winston.
David Webb jewelry is known and worn internationally by the most elegant women and men, from red-carpet icons Scarlett Johansson, Helen Mirren, and Beyoncé, to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, and Webb’s first backer (in 1948), French socialite Antoinette Quilleret. The brand has created Gifts of State for Kennedy, Nixon, and Obama; the Vatican; the Moroccan Royal Family; and the Prime Minister of Japan.
The flagship store on Madison Avenue recently hosted a grand soirée during NYC Fashion Week, February ‘26. I couldn’t help but wonder… is Montecito Fashion Week in the mix for Spring/ Summer ‘27?
David Webb features sixteen collections: Ancient World, Bastille, Brocade, Colors, Crescent, 57th Street, Kingdom, Manhattan Minimalism, Motif, Nail, Repoussé, Streamline, Stud, Totem, Twilight, and Zodiac. Webb arrived in NYC at the tender age of 17 and crafted his animal line in 1957. The Zebra Bracelet, made of cabochon rubies, brilliant-cut diamonds, black and white enamel, 18K gold, and platinum, is the company mascot. Webb famously wrote in 1963, “…jewelry deserves to be regarded
as art and collected by museums.” Indeed, in 2018, the Zebra Bracelet entered the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Acquired in January 2025 by Middle West Partners (an investment platform founded in 2022), David Webb now boasts its first-ever CEO, James Weiss. Weiss has served as an advisor to David Webb since 2017. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an AB in Economics from Princeton University. This week, I had the honor of interviewing Weiss about his new appointment and what we can expect from David Webb Montecito.
Q. As the brand’s first-ever CEO, you are in a unique position to define your role and the company’s mission going forward. Kindly share. (Spoiler alerts allowed!)
Enter the new David Webb at Rosewood Miramar (courtesy photo)
The iconic David Webb Zebra Bracelet (courtesy photo)
Stronger Bones: Your Guide to Preventing and Treating Osteoporosis
Courtney Stull, MD Cottage Rheumatology Clinic
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
4 – 5 p.m. Register at cottagehealth.org/mtd
Ask your questions in a confidential setting. Learn about:
• Risk factors that increase your chances of developing bone disease
• Ways to protect bone density
• Current treatments for osteoporosis
• Medications that help strengthen bones
• Recommended screenings and when to get them
The Way It Was The Circus is Coming!
by Hattie Beresford
In the early 1850s, the dusty, crooked streets of Santa Barbara came alive with the cries “Vienen los maromeros!
Vienen los maromeros!” Excited citizens lined the streets as a colorful satin-clad troupe of spangled jugglers, acrobats,
The Paris Exposition Circus was originally brought to the West Coast by S.P. Stickley, who had been in the circus business since the 1820s and spent one season in the West, as the New York Times wrote somewhat derogatorily, “astonishing the miners and mule drivers” of California (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
and tightrope walkers paraded to the tent ground. The Circus from Mexico had come to town, and the night was suddenly filled with promise.
Writing years later, Katherine Den Bell, who was six or seven at the time, remembered that the circus tent was lit by tallow candles, and the show opened with the manic stumbles, bumbles, and somersaults of the clown as he kept up a steady stream of chuscades (jokes). Then came El Relampago, who ascended the pole like a bolt of lightning to dance and swing on the tightrope. Finally, two horses raced in, and the brightly sparking stars of El Lucero and La Centella danced and tumbled on the horses in acrobatic wonder.
Katherine was most taken with the boy in white satin, Chapulín , of whom she wrote, “He danced timidly and daintily on the rope, slipping down just in time to jump on a horse that rushed into the ring. A dash or two and then softly as a zephyr falls [and quickly as a grasshopper], he alighted in front of the audience…” A memorable event for a little girl, Mexican circuses continued to be a favored entertainment with Santa Barbarans well into the 1870s.
Santa Barbara didn’t have a newspaper during most of the 1860s, so the first published report of an American circus coming to town was in 1869 when Lee and Ryland’s Paris Exposition Circus planned to perform for three days and stayed for three weeks. Their equestrian acts were met with such enthusiasm that their seats were filled night after night. They even gave a benefit performance for all the churches in town.
In 1871, the New York Mammoth Circus of Kingsley and Thompson
Way It Was Page 244
Young tightrope walker and a rapt audience under the big top (photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
On Entertainment
Bruce’s Bountiful, Light-filled Commission for Camerata Debuts
by Steven Libowitz
Camerata Pacifica’s concert this Friday night at Hahn Hall boasts the world premiere of Natural Light, the ensemble’s latest commissioned work by David Bruce, and a sizable one for wind quintet. Bruce, a prolific contemporary classical music composer, has created imaginative works in both the opera and chamber music idioms. He’s received previous commissions from Carnegie Hall, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Proms, and Concertgebouw, among many other organizations, including one a decade ago for Cam Pac called Consolation of Rain Natural Light will be heard amid three other pieces, including Madeleine Dring’s “Trio for Flute, Oboe and Piano,” “Thème varié, Op. 89,” a set of variations for solo piano by French composer Cécile Chaminade, and David Jolley’s adaptation of Dvořák’s “Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81,” for piano and wind quintet, in the latest example of the organization’s imaginative programming. Bruce, who has lived in Britain most of his life, talked about the new work last week during an off day from rehearsals in town.
Q. The list of organizations who have commissioned works from you is mighty impressive. Camerata is pretty small in comparison. Why did you accept a second commission, and for a major piece?
A. I don’t need any persuading because it’s a unique and amazing organization that literally has some of the best players in the world. Every one of the winds is a remarkable soloist in their own right. So it’s absolutely a massive treat for me and makes me put my composing hat into top gear to write something worthy of them. I’ve written quite a hard piece, but we just had our first rehearsals, and they absolutely pull it off, with tremendous control and quality. There was a single note that the bassoonist played today and sounded so gorgeous.
Apparently, Musical America agrees with you. The magazine recently named founder/artistic director Adrian Spence to its prestigious list of Top 30 Professionals in Classical Music. Adrian can be an adventurous lad, too. I’m thinking of him calling you a sorcerer in the email promotions, complete with an AI-aided photo.
Let’s just say that composing can be quite a mysterious process for people. I think that’s where he was going. That’s part of why I started my YouTube channel about composition – to lift the cur-
tain and give people a glimpse at how things get put together.
He also talks about the way you come up with unique sounds through blending tones in imaginative ways. How does that show up here?
A lot of my music has a visual quality, and I like hinting at images or atmospheres, where the music is not just notes but also suggests other things. That’s what this piece is partly about, the shifting lights… It’s inspired by an artist, Brian Clarke, who works in stained glass but places the spirituality normally seen in cathedrals in non-religious contexts. My idea was to make a piece of music that in some way did the same. I repurposed Gregorian chants for the wind quintet, keeping the spiritual energy but in a different context… For Brian, there’s a fragility to stained glass. He’s interested in the light that comes through, that it’s ephemeral, a hazy outline of something rather than anything concrete, passing and transient. To me, they speak to hidden aspects of the universe that feel very deep. I wanted to reflect that in the music.
You know how stained glass is surrounded by lead to keep the pieces together? Some of Brian’s work switches that so the main part of the image is lead with small bursts of very vibrant color in the middle. So I made a movement which has a quite somber chant-esque section, which it keeps returning, but gets more distorted as the piece goes on, all contrasted with the zany clarinet.
Then you added Thai button gong into the mix. How does that fit?
It’s a very beautiful and gentle sound, not like the massive gong you might normally hear. It’s one pitch, a very deep resonant sound, which heightens the spirituality. It speaks to you in the same way that the light coming through the stained glass in the Sagrada Família (in Barcelona) speaks to you, even if you’re not religious. It’s played in the background, a very slow pulse about every 20 seconds or so, and comes across with a sense of ritual that we might not understand.
That wasn’t part of the original commission. How did that whole process work? Was there a lot of input from Camerata or the sponsor or more complete freedom?
The commissioner who was involved to fund this was keen to have a standard ensemble in order to give the piece a chance at a future life rather than having some bespoke, complicated lineup. The gong obviously changes that, but I’m playing it here, and it works just fine without it. Also, the clarinet has the most prominent line, a soloist first among equals. That and a length of 25-30 minutes were the parameters. Knowing that with Camerata there were people who can play the most challenging thing you dare to think up gave me a lot of freedom, which is great, because I don’t tend to know what I’m writing before I start writing. I find it on the journey.
How do you hope or imagine audiences will receive Natural Light?
A lot of the music is pianissimo, very quiet. I remember seeing a singer one time who held a note at the sort of absolute limit of quietness, and it was so noticeable how the audience sat up in their seats, and had to actively then listen and come to the music rather than it being pushed out to them. That delicacy is what I wanted in some parts, so I hope that’s how it lands. As a composer even if you imagine the color you can’t quite picture the life and breath and vividness of musicians playing it live. The rehearsals have been great, because I feel like this is what life should be about – people trying to make something beautiful and giving all of their passion and commitment to it.
Classical Corner: Camerata Continued
After the wind concert winds up at Hahn Hall, Camerata Pacifica will be back at the venue just two weeks later for the next installment of its “Beethoven 32” initiative, the three-year cycle featuring principal pianist Gilles Vonsattel performing all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in a hybrid blend of solo recitals and chamber programs. The Swiss-born American pianist will knock out one-eighth of the works in one fell swoop at the first solo recital of the series on March 20 when he’ll take on
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“ You will remember this novel–its hero and characters and scenes–for a long time. A big-hearted story of desperation and courage, crime and redemption, love and loss–it is as entertaining as it is moving. ”
Composer David Bruce and some Natural Light will be at Hahn Hall this Friday (photo by Dimitri Djuric)
the market after a period of caution. This shift has reintroduced meaningful activity, but it has also changed the rules of engagement. Today’s buyers are discerning, informed, and willing to wait. For the first time in several years, they have real choices.
Sellers, in turn, are being asked to respond to market conditions rather than aspirational pricing. Properties that are turnkey and truly move-in ready continue to perform well, often selling quickly and, in some cases, at or above asking price. Homes that require updates, deferred maintenance, or significant improvements are experiencing longer days on market and more frequent price negotiations.
Inventory remains constrained. While there has been some increase in available listings, supply has not expanded enough to eliminate the underlying shortage,
particularly in highly desirable pockets of Montecito. This limited inventory continues to support pricing, even as buyers exercise greater selectivity.
Value has emerged as the defining theme of the market. In Montecito, buyers are still willing to pay premium prices, but only for properties that clearly justify them. Homes offering exceptional views, strong construction quality, thoughtful design, and minimal immediate repair needs continue to command attention. Properties priced similarly but lacking those attributes tend to linger, reinforcing a widening performance gap between high-quality offerings and the rest of the market.”
The Montecito Journal congratulates Goodwin and Thyne!
411: https://gtprop.com/
The Spoken Word
‘Personal’ Pathways to Connection
by Steven Libowitz
We weren’t aware of the Personal Stories “reunion” arranged by longtime Montecito resident Maggie Mixsell that offered two shows as a oneoff benefit for Center Stage Theatre last Sunday and Monday in time to promote it in last week’s issue. The black box venue above Paseo Nuevo mall was the last home for Speaking of Stories, the terrific series of literary performances featuring local professional actors reading short stories. With audiences dwindling, and The Moth programs of true stories told by their authors, SOS then morphed into its Personal Stories phase, featuring firsthand narratives that blended evenings of writers learning how to read them live on stage with actors trying their hand at writing stories.
But gosh we sure wish we’d been able to preview the shows, as there were plenty of seats open for the Sunday afternoon and Monday night performances. These featured nine longstanding members of the SOS and Personal Stories family reading their tales to a fully receptive audience that filled about two-thirds of the house. The stories were alternatively touching and humorous, deeply moving and delightful – from the dedicated cast of characters that included well-known locals Gerald DiPego, Kathy Marden, Ed Giron, Anna Jordan, Rick Mokler, Gib Johnson, Tony Miratti, Carolyn Butcher, and Joe Spano
Mokler’s golf tourney yarn “To Hal and Back” – set to the meter and rhyming scheme of “Casey at the Bat” – evoked laughs for its over-the-top woes in a team trying to hold on to its seemingly insurmountable lead on the final hole. Meanwhile, Miratti’s “The Coach,” was about the life lessons imparted to him and others by the veteran track and field coach at SB High. His narrative sent shivers up the spine (mine, at least), and put a lump in Miratti’s own throat and brought tears to his eyes in the telling. Jordan’s “The One About the Bundt Pan” told of a domestic spat over cooking some 20 years ago that cleverly combined mirth and a morality tale. Spano’s closing “Dancing on Idiocy” was an exercise in memoir about prepping for the performance as a meta experience, complete with setting a 15-minute timer mirroring the max length allowed for the performance – which stopped in mid-sentence at the timer’s chime.
Directed by Mixsell, who helmed both versions of SOS for many years before the final installment in 2022, the event featured was as no frills as ever, with the readers simply taking the lectern and diving right into their self-penned tales. In this age of multiple digital distractions demanding and shortening attention at all times, the effect was to focus the audience on the power of words to make human connection. The power lay in allowing us to internalize and visualize the spoken stories, to go along for the ride with the narrators who had lived them. What a gift! Can we please find a way to bring back Personal Stories on a regular basis?
TEDxSantaBarbara Lands at the Library
Also making its return after an even longer hiatus, TEDxSantaBarbara – the local offshoot of the famous TED Talks conferences, videos and more – is hosting its first live speaker event since the pandemic put a pause to the gatherings. Producer-organizer Mark Sylvester – co-founder of the locally-originated,
The Goodwin & Thyne team
(photo by Joanne A Calitri)
high-end 3D graphics software company Alias|Wavefront – is a 35-year TED veteran with more than 250 talks and Salons in town to his credit. Sylvester will co-lead the community conversation on March 11, the first such event in more than five years. The live speaker is Dr. John La Puma, the two-time New York Times bestselling author, board-certified internist and professionally trained chef who created culinary medicine that is now taught at medical schools across the country. A small organic farm at his home on Santa Barbara’s upper west side is now home base for research, following decades of investigation into what nature, food, and movement actually do to the human body. La Puma’s new book, Indoor Epidemic (set for a late spring publication) argues that spending more than 90 percent of our lives indoors wreaks havoc on our biology.
The five-minute lightning talk from La Puma – who was on stage for the first local TEDx event in 2010 – addresses how time in nature can serve as a superpower. It will be accompanied by a curated sequence of seven classic TED/TEDx presentations offering different perspectives on living well and longevity through daily practice, weaving together science, story, and purpose. The two-hour gathering starts at 4 pm at the Faulkner Gallery, Santa Barbara Public Library, and includes an opening welcome, discussion, and reflection both at midpoint and following the final talk, plus a guided discussion aimed at an action plan. The bad news? All 100 seats have been reserved. But feel free to stop in to see if there are no-shows. The better news? The March 11 TEDxSantaBarbara Salon heralds a return to live events.
Visit https://tedxsantabarbara.com
Bethany Is Back in Town
Even at the tender age of 13, Bethany Hamilton was on a direct path to fame, as the teen was considered one of the premier female surfers of her generation, full of talent, spirit and blonde-hair blessed beauty. But then a 15-foot tiger shark attack in Hawaii cost her not only her left arm but very nearly her life, the injury depleting more than half of her blood. Surprisingly, not only did she survive, but Hamilton hauled herself back onto her surfboard within a month of the attack and went on to become one of the leading professional surfers in the world, after all – and recently inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame. The documentary about her life called Unstoppable brought Hamilton to Santa Barbara six years ago for the film’s local premiere at the Granada Theatre. She heads to the same venue again on March 5 through Network Medical Women’s Center for a presentation titled after her best-selling autobiography Soul Surfer , sharing her gifts as a motivational speaker, role model, and life coach to inspire others to lead their best lives.
Visit www.granadasb.org.
Justice for All: Journalism Still Matters
March 5 is also the date for the next event in UCSB Arts & Lectures’ Justice for All series featuring Caitlin Dickerson, the investigative journalist who has spent more than a decade covering deportation and migration, well before the issue became one of the biggest boondoggles and a controversial crisis in America today. Dickerson received the Pulitzer Prize in 2023 for her reporting on the forcible separation of children from their families, and her on-air work with NPR has also earned coveted Peabody and Edward R. Murrow awards. In Deported: The Price of Our Prosperity at UCSB Campbell Hall, The Atlantic staff writer shares how the current massive deportation scheme has affected millions in the United States, counting the cost of ICE’s work in a number of ways.
Visit www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu
Plath and Swift as Patriarchal Targets
Maggie Nelson, the critic, poet and award-winning author of The Argonauts and The Art of Cruelty, returns to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art on March 8 to read from and discuss her book-length essay The Slicks: On Sylvia Plath and Taylor Swift as part of Women’s History Month. The essay draws parallels between the poet Sylvia Plath and pop star Taylor Swift, arguing they are both targets of patriarchal criticism for being prolific, autobiographical female artists who “want hard, work hard, and pour forth.” Nelson examines how both women have been disparaged for turning intimate personal experience into public art. A book signing concludes the Parallel Stories series event.
Visit www.sbma.net
Oh to Be in Orvieto
Former Santa Barbara poet laureate Paul Willis reads from his book Orvieto at Chaucer’s Books on March 12 – the author’s latest volume in a career that includes 14 eight full collections and five previous chapbooks. Published in 2025, Willis’ book explores the walled medieval town of Orvieto in Italy, and he describes its art, churches, streets, monuments, and vineyards through a blend of history, nature and personal reflection. The collection functions as a poetic travelogue, merging ancient and contemporary themes with observations on art, faith, and the landscape. Willis is emeritus professor of English at Westmont College in Montecito.
Shared Waters: A Maritime Marriage
Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s Distinguished Speaker Series hosts Mary Nishimoto, PhD, for her talk Shared Waters: How Fishermen and Offshore Oil Work Together, the little-known story of the Joint Oil/Fisheries Liaison Office – a unique, 40-year communication model created in 1983 that has helped minimize conflict and disruptions in shared offshore waters. The March 19 program is especially timely as platform decommissioning moves forward in the Santa Barbara Channel and stakeholders weigh partial vs. full removal.
Visit www.sbmm.org.
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A. David Webb has always been exceptional – exceptional design, exceptional craft, exceptional clients, and of course, its exceptional history. I’ve inherited something magical, and I don’t take that lightly. My role, as I see it, is to be a steward of everything that makes David Webb irreplaceable – the New York workshop, the handcrafted techniques, the bold use of color and form that you simply don’t find anywhere else in jewelry – while building the operational and strategic infrastructure that will allow us to share that with a few more people, in a few more places. We’re expanding internationally, deepening our presence in the U.S., and telling this story more intentionally than ever before. The spoiler alert is that the next few years are going to be quite transformative, in the best possible way.
How did the brand decide on its fourth location being in Montecito, given the Beverly Hills location close by?
Beverly Hills is Beverly Hills – it’s a destination in its own right, and we have exceptional, long-standing relationships there. Montecito is altogether different.
It’s a community of people with deep roots, strong taste, and a real appreciation for things made with intention and longevity. People here invest in pieces that mean something, and that’s very well aligned with David Webb.
When you look at Rosewood Miramar Beach as a setting, it’s simply magical. It attracts exactly the kind of client who responds to David Webb, whether locals or visitors who have traveled from around the world. And honestly, the proximity to Beverly Hills is a plus; beyond the ability to manage the business regionally, these are two very distinct communities, and our client in Montecito is likely very different from the client walking into our Beverly Hills location, even if they’d love both locations!
Which of the brand’s 16 collections are available at the Montecito store?
As with all of our locations, Montecito carries a curated, rotating edit of our collections. We thought carefully about the local environment and selected pieces that speak to that context. You’ll find core David Webb pieces – our Nail Ring our Zebra Bracelet – as well as extraordinary color, such as our Totems, which make David Webb so unique. Of course, the full breadth of our collections is available through our flagship on Madison Avenue, and using our digital tools, our team in Montecito can access anything for a client who falls in love with a specific piece.
Kindly provide the top five signature pieces available for purchase in the Montecito store. Are you including pieces for men?
I’d point anyone toward our enamel cuff work first; that’s perhaps the most iconic expression of what David Webb does that no one else can. The combination of color, scale, and quality of the enamel work is unmatched. Beyond that, our animal pieces – the Zebra Bracelet, the frogs, the creatures Webb himself became famous for – are conversation pieces in the truest sense. I’d also want to share our Totems, Nail Ring,
Lasso Necklace, and Shoelace Cuff.
And yes, absolutely, for men. David Webb has always made extraordinary pieces for men, and that’s an area we’ll be leaning into more deliberately in the coming years. (Yes, brooches absolutely are back!!)
Will there be pieces specifically designed for or inspired by Montecito?
It’s something I’m excited for us to consider. David Webb was always steeped in the world around him – nature, art, culture. I wouldn’t want to get ahead of ourselves on specifics, but Montecito’s natural environment – the coastline, the light, the botanical richness – is the kind of place that inspires. Whether that manifests in bespoke pieces for clients (which we love designing) or inspired additions to our collections, I think the location will leave its mark on our work in one way or another.
Who is at the helm of the design process and workshop in NYC? Are there new collections in the making?
The workshop in New York, which has operated continuously for more than 75 years, is led by master craftspeople who, in some cases, have been with David Webb for decades. That continuity of hand and knowledge is not something you can replicate, and it’s one of the things I’m most proud of as we grow. The design vision is being developed carefully and intentionally, and yes, there is always work in progress. I’ll save the specifics for when we’re ready to share them properly, but what’s coming is very much in the spirit of everything that has made David Webb exceptional.
I’ve noted (pun intended) your keen interest in music…
As you’ve noted, music has been an important part of my life for a long time.
I’m familiar with the Music Academy of the West because years ago I spent a magical summer studying at the Aspen Music Festival, which shares similarities
with the Academy’s summer festival. That experience stayed with me. It’s part of what led me to join the board of the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and why getting my own kids engaged with music is something I care about deeply.
What would you love to share that we have not covered?
I’d want people to understand, particularly readers encountering David Webb for the first time, that this is not a brand built on marketing. It was built on the work. David Webb himself was obsessive about the quality of what left his workshop, and that obsession has been inherited by everyone who has carried the brand forward since his passing. People don’t usually fall in love with David Webb until they put it on. Sometimes they’re intimidated by the scale or form, but once they do, they realize this is real jewelry. The craftsmanship, the materials sourced at the highest level, the pride of the artisans – all of it comes through immediately. In a world where “luxury” is applied to almost anything, David Webb is real jewelry. And that matters to people more now, not less.
Are you planning a visit to the Montecito store?
Absolutely. Rosewood is gorgeous, and our team there is exceptional. I visit each of our locations regularly because you learn things on the floor with clients and staff that you simply can’t learn otherwise. That said, I genuinely love Montecito and don’t need much convincing to make a trip.
Till next week, loves – happy shopping! Xx, JAC
411: www.davidwebb.com
Instagram: @davidwebbjewels
Store Hours: Monday-Saturday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.); Sunday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Boutique: (805) 698-4537
James Weiss, CEO of David Webb, during NYC Fashion Week (courtesy photo)
The David Webb Totem pendant filled with sapphires, fire opals, and oh so many more precious stones (courtesy photo)
Your Westmont
Ansel Adams’ Lens Into LA Architecture
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
More than 100 people packed into the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art on Feb. 24 to hear Dennis Doordan, an architectural and design historian, analyze Los Angeles architecture through photographs Ansel Adams took on assignment there in the 1940s. The talk, “Looking at Ansel Adams Looking at LA,” contrasted Adams’ iconic nature photos with those he captured of Los Angeles’ industrial landscape.
“Ansel Adams’ heart is out there,” Doordan said of the gallery near the main entrance, containing the classic images associated with Adams, including Yosemite Valley, Monolith, the Face of Half Dome and Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico
“His wallet is in this room.”
Doordan described the photographs Adams’ took while on assignment for Forbes magazine, highlighting Adams’ discomfort with modernity and programmatic architecture, such as the Brown Derby.
While not in the current exhibition, Doordan passed around Adams’ wartime photos of Manzanar internment camp, taken in 1944. He compared them to Adams’ timeless nature images, emphasizing the troubling beauty and historical significance of his work.
“The difference is that Manzanar was not a timeless human settlement – it was a camp – and the huts are arranged according to the geometric order,” he said. “That is an alien intrusion on the land. So, I want to suggest that the photos don’t quite have the same quality of beauty. Or if they have a beauty, which the best of Adams’s work does, it’s an unsettling beauty. They are unsettling photographs first, because building those camps was a shameful chapter in
American history, and unsettling because we are building camps again now.”
Doordan, professor emeritus of the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture, graduated from Stanford University, earned a doctorate in the history of architecture from Columbia University, and serves as commissioner for Santa Barbara’s Historic Landmarks Commission.
“This is not a classroom, it’s a college museum gallery,” he said. “This is a learning space, and this exhibition is a terrific demonstration of what a college gallery can contribute to the educational mission of a college like Westmont. Issues are raised and questions are asked in a setting that supports discourse.”
Doordan said the exhibition is also a perfect place to talk about one of the major concerns of college students everywhere: how to pay the rent and develop their talents; and how to make a living and stay true to their ideals. “What can Ansel Adams teach us about answers to these questions?”
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Dear Montecito Back from Hiatus
by Beatrice Tolan
It’s been a while, Montecito Journal readers. If this is your first time reading the Dear Montecito column–welcome! This column serves as a space to uplift young community members, from middle schoolers to marine biologists, and put a spotlight on their passions and interests for the Montecito and Santa Barbara community.
As for myself, I’m a 27-year-old educator, visual artist, and social justice activist who lived in Montecito from 2005 to 2023. I went to MUS, Crane, and Laguna Blanca Highschool. Though I live in L.A. now, I write this column to broadcast emerging voices, to reconnect with acquaintances, and learn about what newcomers have brought to our community since I’ve been gone.
I took a few months off from writing this column to focus on my new career trajectory: social work. After working at an afterschool tutoring nonprofit for a year in Alhambra, a primarily 1st generation immigrant community in Los Angeles, I recognized my passion for not just helping children academically, but emotionally. It’s a particularly stressful time for immigrant and ESL communities, which only exacerbates the typical childhood stressors for children within those families.
So, back to school I go. Currently, I’m in the purgatory that is waiting to hear back from master’s programs. While I wait, to further research my interests I’ve decided to pick up a few classes at Pasadena City College: Introduction to the Justice System and Developmental Psychology. Taking classes and pivoting my career has opened the possibility for me to revamp this column.
I’m approaching this column with a new perspective: what are young people in Santa Barbara and Montecito up to that might surprise the older generations? Please contact me if you or someone you know is doing something off-beat, or has a budding business venture or passion they’re ready to share with the rest of us. I want to hear from all kinds of individuals and broadcast their impact on our community. I’m excited to be back.
Sincerely,
Beatrice beatricetolan@gmail.com
Beatrice Tolan is a fine artist, animator, and writer living in Los Angeles after residing in Montecito for 20 years. She is invested in building community through unique perspectives and stories. beatricetola @gmail.com
Singlehood: It’s Not a Disease. “Nothing Serious”: Part 1
by LeeAnn Morgan
I’ve been thinking lately about a common phrase men have used (with me, anyway) after being recently divorced, separated, un-partnered, etc. and figuring out how to approach dating again.
“Nothing serious.”
The subtext: “I’m not ready to have the same horrifying experience I’ve only recently endured with my last serious relationshit.”
Yes, you read that correctly. Say it with me: Relation-shit.
I get it, Divorced Guy. Seriously.
There are scores of recently single men out there (single for less than two years, say) whose lives have been dragged down and wrung out through an indescribably painful ringer. Imagine a cartoonish male body being slowly flattened out by one of those old-timey, crank-operated washing machines from the days before electricity. Be sure to throw his soul in there too, like a pair of underwear.
It’s why I have a little policy for only dating a divorced man who’s at least two years out from when the ink dried on the “D” decree.
Yes, even for the gorgeous man with all the right ingredients. Damn.
For me, two years is the minimum time needed for renormalization. To become a whole individual again.
The emotional turmoil needs to have subsided. Money and child support arrangements need to have long settled.
The new habits of single-parenting, separateness, and custody arrangements need to be in a comfortable groove for the man and any kid-lings still in tow who are younger than a college freshman.
But above all... Any feelings of failure need at least two years to morph into a comforting realization: that divorcing was the only way to save his most important non-material possessions – his sanity, his sense of purpose, his unbothered, funny self, his desire for deeper meaning in the cosmically brief time we have on earth.
And other ephemeral things too numerous to name.
But in a word: his peace. (And of course, his sports.)
A man trying to date too soon after a split from a long-term, covalent bond –before the above-described equilibrium has taken a foothold – is not doing himself any favors. His efforts to date someone new won’t be so much about moving toward a new person from a place of balance and healing.
Such effort will only be about forgetting his prior catastrophe, to “get over it.”
The new person would be merely a tool: a distraction from the residual emptiness that can set in after going through a long, slow, tearing of the heart. This is true despite any co-existing sense of relief. Pain and relief are not mutually exclusive and often run parallel.
For the new person pursued: she can sense it. He can’t fake it. Before two years, he’s not free enough from it. Ladies, trust your intuition. It’s your superpower.
So for me, this Two-Year Rule is an effective borderline between two countries: between his prior, chaotic emotional landscape with a woman he eventually realized was wrong to keep sticking it out with… and a peace-infused future country he hopes to build with a future person. Or without one.
To be fair, dating around before the two-year mark may have its place.
But only if his divorce date is disclosed to the other party, and her consent is first obtained. No crime in being social,
or out with friends. But her consent is a big deal. It means that Divorced Guy is actually required to be aware of where he’s at in the process of his return from the bottom. And to be willing to speak it out loud.
If he’s not… my thought-bubble is, “Gosh, Divorced Guy, I’m flattered, but feel free to circle back in, say, your Divorce Date + two years.”
Being social is a fair hedge against falling back into the dark, screaming abyss from which Divorced Guy has been trying to emerge. It’s an uphill battle for him, clawing his way to the surface, bleeding over the shards of broken dreams, like the prisoner in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave.” (I take some literary license here – Plato’s prisoner actually remains in the dark. One can only hope he eventually turns around.)
The Allegory may be the best short essay every divorced person should read. (If only for the incisive optics, where Plato describes the physics of light, illusion, and how these shape our understanding of reality.)
I’d give it the Oscar for Best Metaphor for Life ever written in under five pages. It’s either the Allegory, or Albert Camus’ “The Myth of Sisyphus.”
It may be a tie.
I’ve also been musing over a possible four-date minimum. Many establishments require a two-drink minimum… Why not explore a four-date contract, with a list of amusing provisions, a mutual escape-clause after Date 1, and an option to renew (or not) after Date 4? No hard feelings.
What’s the worst that could happen? (My motto for most of my life decisions.)
So yes, I’d support a four-date minimum if I were attracted to Divorced Guy + 2 years… because I’d like my next date (or four) to be hilarious.
Seriously.
(To be continued…)
A long time ago, in a land not so far away, LeeAnn Morgan taught English Composition and Literature at Santa Barbara City College. Her classroom style was a cross between Philosopher Queen, the Socratic Method, Composition Theory, Collaborative Learning, and Seinfeld imitations. Not necessarily in that order.
Elizabeth’s Appraisals
Lithographs
and Print Collecting
by Elizabeth Stewart
Young family guy RT writes that he likes 1940s lithographs in a realist style. He picked up two nudes online by Emil Weddige, Michigan, (1907-2001). RT wants to know why it has a fraction by Weddige’s name of “5/30,” and if he has purchased at a fair price for $500.
The piece is large at 32x28” and the paper is yellowed: it is a colored lithograph created in 1945. The theme is the horror of WWII and the peace found in simple things (the sound of the sea).
My younger clients are now buying vintage original prints in silkscreens, lithography, etchings and engravings, woodcuts, and serigraphs. This is a worldwide trend, as today the print market (not reproductions but original prints) represents almost one third of all auction purchases, mainly by younger buyers who covet the idea of a big name artist on their wall whom they can afford, and bought from a reputable auction house or dealer.
To have made a wise purchase, RT, you would have to know:
- The medium. What is a print?
Various print mediums allow the artist to make more than one image of the same work, again and again, in either an “open edition” (with no limit to the number of images made), or in a “limited edition” (that’s what the fraction on RT’s print means –he has number 3 of a “PULL” of 50 images from the same lithographic stone). Limited editions are expressed as a fraction in the margin (the blank space under the print itself) usually around the artist’s graphite signature (if she/he has signed it) or on the opposite side bottom. Often in older prints this is covered by the matting; in Asian (woodcut) prints (vintage) you will NOT see this done.
- RT would have known how to research value to make a wise buy. Because RT’s print is an original, it is unique. Its uniqueness, however, is in the context of being part of a series of 30 JUST LIKE IT (but possibly NOT alike in conditions or hand coloring). If his print has brothers and sisters, you can find prices paid on my favorite sites: ArtNet, Ask Art, ArtPrice, and Mutual Art. RT must know the name of the artist to access data, as these databases are NOT Google Image search-style, but listings of prices PAID.
RT asks: What is the trend? Will I be able to find more 1940s postwar prints? For sure! The print market is flourishing for all artists, first tier especially, and postwar and contemporary artists more so. Like everything else in the art world, prices are driven by an artist’s FAME and NAME, and once an artist’s work on canvas (always considered of greater value than his/her prints) sells for millions, the print market for that artist jumps.
Take Ai Weiwei for example, who uses his print studio as a sales arena for his international projects. He keeps his number of produced editions HIGH (making over 1,000 of the same image) and keeps the cost low. A young collector can own a piece for $2,600. Warhol’s highest price was for a print, a screenprint of Marilyn selling for almost $200,000,000. So today RT can buy a Warhol print but he will pay for the name; I would suggest he look into other strategic “buys,” Modern/Postwar artists such as Diebenkorn and Man Ray, and land art prints such as those by Christo.
There are some bargains today, but there is competition: print market sales have increased 49% since 2021. Buying online is relatively safe since prints have a verifiable publisher, are in a numbered edition, and are standardized. Young collectors without the means to buy a Lichtenstein or Haring might do what RT plans to do: specialize in an ERA and STYLE that is underrated (1940s realist prints).
Look for prints that are signed twice, once in the “plate” in the image itself, and usually in pen or graphite. Look for a fraction and look for a LOW
fraction. Better yet, look for the initials “AP” which means you have a work printed for the artist’s personal collection (there are often more than ONE AP in a series however).
The value of the work by Emil Weddige (1907-2001) is $500. Interestingly, Weddige was posthumously featured in a recent show at the Flint (Michigan) Institute of Arts’ Rust Belt Artists, where he was listed as Ann Arbor’s pre-eminent lithographer. An ad in Ann Arbor News in 1945, around the date RT’s image was created blatantly says: “A Possible Christmas Gift: Lithographs by Emil Weddige, $5 to $25, telephone 2-4956.”
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
Privatet respectful, low..-impact-no invasive crowds or parking issuest no rushed two..-day sales. no leftovers-just fairt competitive bidders from local and national buyers.
The 1945 colored lithograph by Emil Weddige
Look for the signature and pull number
arrived and, in true Circus form, proclaimed the superlative nature of their show. They had the most brilliant array of talent ever assembled. Three incredible clowns, the largest troupe of artists in the nation, and the greatest stud of trained and educated horses in the world . It promised to be a really big show
Circus Days
In 1873, Conklin’s Circus enlivened the streets with their procession and band, and the town’s children clamored to go. That night, two parents who had forbidden their child to attend the circus found him missing. Not sure whether to be angry or panicked they set out on an unsuccessful search throughout the town. They met back at home, disheartened and frightened. Before setting out again, they happened
to go into his bedroom, where they found their son fast asleep in bed. The newspaper report the following day said, “Neither one had thought of looking for a boy in bed when there was a circus in town!”
The following year, the San Francisco Circus strained all superlative verbiage in describing the attractions of their circus. One of these magnificent attractions was the most wonderful performing elephant in the world. On the day of the circus, the keeper of the baby elephant took him to the local livery stable to get a drink, and along the way he attracted the attention of a lot of small boys who teased him.
The boys followed the elephant to the stable yard where they kept up a barrage of harassment and ridicule while he drank his fill. With the keeper attending to other business, the elephant slowly turned to his tormentors and sauntered in their direc -
tion, swinging his trunk slowly back and forth. The boys were emboldened by the elephant’s seemingly peaceful demeanor and kept up their taunts and laughter. Suddenly the elephant let out a tremendous, terrifying roar and charged the boys.
Their laughter turned to screams of terror as they ran down State Street, the elephant in pursuit. Luckily, the keeper caught up with the elephant and managed to stop the chase.
Lock Your Doors
In October 1874, Montgomery Queen’s Circus came to Santa Barbara. It was a three-ring circus and featured Miss Mollie Brown, champion equestrian of the world, throwing somersaults upon her steed while riding at lightning speed.
The show disbanded for the year in Santa Barbara, and several members of
The Mexican circus, or La Maroma, was a synthesis of indigenous and Spanish entertainments and remained regionally popular into the early 1900s. Seen here are maromeros from Mexico at San Juan Capistrano in 1900. (photo courtesy of Digital Library of the California Historical Society, Title Insurance and Trust and C.C. Pierce Photograph Collection.)
This baby elephant is walking sedately with his trainer as part of the Lilliputian Circus (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
A poster overview of the acts that include clowns and acrobats with highwire rigging and horse stunts in the background (photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
This circus poster shows the incredible, most amazingly talented Livingstone, Davene and De Mora Troupe. What young boy wouldn’t sneak out to go see them when they came to Santa Barbara? (photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
High wire and trapeze acts thrilled audiences with their death-defying tricks (photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
was a
the company, having nowhere else to go, stayed in Santa Barbara, much to the annoyance of the local population. The day the Circus left for winter quarters, three “circus remnants” were arrested and fined for being drunk and disorderly on the streets.
One man wrote to the editor, “Santa Barbara’s exceedingly respectable reputation is jeopardized by a number of loose roughs and bummers who were left here when the circus disbanded and have drifted in from various quarters. It is actually becoming necessary to fasten our doors and windows at night and go abroad prepared for pickpockets!”
The circus left behind another member, who would become a favorite son of Santa Barbara’s. His name was Jerry Forney, and his comic act for the circus involved riding and falling off of a mule. Forney was a former slave who had liberated himself when forced to work in the California gold fields for his Eastern owner in the 1850s. He settled in Santa Barbara, opened a bootblack business, and became a famous and beloved member of the community. (For Forney’s incredible story, go to https://tinyurl. com/MJIncredibleJF)
When the Montgomery Queen Circus disbanded for the year in 1874, they left behind the inimitable Jerry Forney, who spent the rest of his life in Santa Barbara (photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
In July 1875, Wilson’s Palace Amphitheatre and Jackley’s Vienna Circus came to town. Word went out that a 17-year-old girl from Los Angeles
and Turkish
had been missing from her home since the Vienna Circus had left their town. It was thought that she eloped with the “young man who does the graceful somersaults” in the ring. Her parents were trying to get her back (and eventually succeeded).
One would-be wit wrote to the newspaper and asked, “What product of our farmers would properly designate the fate of the Los Angeles girl who tried to get off with the circus?” The answer was “cant-elope.”
Circus Train Days
In 1887, the rail line from Los Angeles reached Santa Barbara, and greatly expanded circuses arriving by train. Most included a menagerie, a sort of traveling zoo. In 1896, Sells Brothers and Forepaugh came to town and boasted that their sea lions and seals were the most brilliantly talented in the world. Interestingly, by coming to Santa Barbara, these seals were returning home. For many years, the great majority of seals and sea lions in the nation’s zoos and circuses came from the Channel Islands.
In 1900 and again in 1901, Ringling Brothers came to Santa Barbara and left all other circuses in the dust. The newspaper reported that the kids in town were saving their money for a circus ticket, so the candy stalls and peanut men were going broke. “One young Paderewski,” the paper reported, “has earned his ticket by learning gospel hymns for his grandmother at 10 cents a tune. He has learned so many to cover his ticket, so many for pink lemonade, so many for car fare, and one or two on the side for peanuts….” When the circus arrived, it set up in the Agricultural Park and Racetrack (today’s Railroad Square). Four large
trains carried the circus to town where the roustabouts set up a Big Top Tent with a seating capacity of 15,000. Schools closed so the kids could go to the circus. In 1901, the street parade was alliteratively reported as “The most superb display of processional pageantry and imperial splendor ever seen upon the streets of any city in the United States.”
The popularity of the circus remained unabated in the early part of the 1900s, and in 1922 a new type of circus came to town. Professor John Ruhl brought his flea circus to Santa Barbara, but no one wanted to offer him a site for the performance. His star flea, Bucyrus escaped, however, and remained in town while the rest of the circus jumped to Santa Cruz. Bucyrus’s specialty had been diving from a springboard 10 inches high into a thimbleful of water. A reward was offered for his capture.
The Depression years of the 1930s and rationing during WWII were hard on the circus business. So was competition from alternative entertainment 700
rail travel became
Classes
to appreciate and practice the benefit of Serendipity.
What
circus without a parade to draw the people in? This photo from 1900 shows the trainer and lion in the cage. As time went on, the circuses became traveling zoos and animal acts proliferated. (photo courtesy of Montecito Association History Committee)
Communing with his elephant in Santa Barbara in 1901 (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
After
possible, menageries of exotic animals became a staple of the circus (photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
Dromedaries
dress in the 1900 parade on State Street (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
Spirituality Matters A Volf with Sheep’s Grace at All Saints
by Steven Libowitz
Miroslav Volf, Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School and the founder and director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture, comes west for a special Sunday event at All Saints-by-the-Sea on March 14. The event, part of All Saints’ “A Living Room for the Community” series, consists of three lectures based on Dr. Volf’s book Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in an Age Stripped of Grace. The 2006 book posits that we are at our human best when we give and forgive, but we live in an increasingly graceless world in which it makes little sense to do either one. As the context is, “it’s all about the questions,” all are invited to bring their own queries to the 9 am to 1 pm gathering at the historic All Saints that has stood adjacent to the Miramar and just up from the ocean since 1900. Suggested donation is $25. Visit https://allsaintsbythesea.org
Music and Mindfulness in Montecito
The very first season of The Music Academy of the West’s Music & Meditation series is upon us, and the season’s second event brings two Jessicas to Weinman Hall on Friday afternoon, March 6. Following a 15-minute guided meditation led by series co-founder Jessica Kolbe to quiet the mind, Jessica Guideri – Concertmaster of the Santa Barbara Symphony (and newish music faculty member at UCSB) – joins co-founder
and pianist Antonio Artese in the heart of an immersive one-hour experience that blends live performance, guided meditation, and intentional silence. It’s a rare chance to hear Guideri, acclaimed for her expressive depth, technical brilliance, and dynamic artistry, in such an intimate and immersive environment. A maximum of 70 seated attendees will encircle the musicians, as Guideri collaborates with pianist Artese in selections by Bach, Brahms, Massenet, and Kreisler. The event, which sold out last month, closes with another brief meditation and time for sharing.
It’s a rare chance to hear Guideri, acclaimed for her expressive depth, technical brilliance, and dynamic artistry, in such an intimate and immersive environment.
Still to come: Harpist Laurie Rasmussen on April10, and renowned UCSB flutist Jill Felber on May 12. Visit www.musicandmeditationsb.com.
A Creative Path Through Grief
Art4Grief founder Daniel Kanow, a Certified Grief Educator trained in the methodology of world-renowned grief
Music from the American Songbook
expert David Kessler, leads a two-session Art 4 Grief support group over successive Monday evenings, March 9 & 16, at Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop. Kanow, who splits his time between Santa Barbara and Telluride, Colo., facilitates the two-hour group sessions that employ guided expressive art techniques to create a compassionate space where grief can be safely felt, visually expressed, and gently transformed. Through simple guided creative processes, the participants honor the rocky terrain of grief and give it form, color and voice; a process which may bring unexpected relief, insight and a sense of companionship.
The Art4Grief process is geared toward those navigating loss of a loved one, those in the midst of illness or serving as a caregiver, major life transitions, identity change, emotional overwhelm or burnout, and otherwise unprocessed or ambiguous grief. All art materials provided and, most importantly, you do not need to be an artist or even have any experience. Art is used as a tool for reflection, grounding and emotional release, not performance or critique. But do be willing to arrive exactly as you are.
The workshop fee of $75 covers both sessions.
Visit www.sbcaw.org/upcoming or https:// art4grief.com
Meditation in Midtown by Donation
Santa Barbara Yoga Center is offering two new donation-based medication classes on a weekly basis; Guided Meditation & Energy Alignment with Justina Vail Evans. A certified coach, hypnotherapist, NLP Master Practitioner, energy therapist, spiritual guide, and award-winning author, Evans has been teaching meditation since 2000. She leads a practice wherein new tools empower one to feel more grounded, centered and aligned, to be calmer and more confident, to more easily shift to positive states, raise vibrational frequency, and make manifest the life experience we desire. The 45-minute sessions are offered Wednesdays at 11:30 am and Friday at 12 noon.
Mindy Thomas ’ Happy Lotus Lunchtime Meditation, held Thursdays at 12 noon, are geared toward recharging participants via 30 minutes of guided meditation to foster deep relaxation and mindfulness covering a blend of ancient teachings, practical techniques and restorative silence. The session concludes with 15 minutes dedicated to questions and discussion, including how to carry the practice off the cushion and into the “real” world. The goal is to develop unwavering concentration, open the heart to compassion, and master the mind amid the chaos of daily life. Thomas has been a dedicated practitioner of yoga and meditation since 1989 and holds certifications in meditation and Qigong.
Visit www.sbyc.com/class-schedule
Darren Dives Back into Soup
Devotional Kirtan artist/Reiki teacher and sacred cacao practitioner Darren Marc Levene is back in town after a several month sojourn back East with family, and he’s got a double dose of events planned for the weekend of March 14-15 at Yoga Soup. Saturday’s 7 pm Heart Songs: Kirtan with Cacao is a gathering that weaves together sacred call-and-response singing of devotional music (aka bhakti), which invokes the transformational power of sound vibration to still the mind and awaken the heart center. The Kirtan practice will include a cacao ceremony and spiritual teaching to create a magical, uplifting experience. Montecito-raised percussionist Joss Jaffe and voice-sound-Crystal bowls healer Michelle Anise support Marc’s leadership.
On Sunday at 3 pm, Darren offers a deeper dive into the path of devotion in a workshop that explores what bhakti truly is, namely not offered as performance or perfection, but as a living, breathing relationship with the Divine. Through teaching, reflection and song, including devotional poetry writing and sharing, japa meditation, and even group devotional songwriting, the aim is to open into a more personal and embodied experience of devotion. No experience of any kind is required for the workshop, which will also have Jaffe supporting.
Visit www.yogasoup.com/events
Yoga in the Redwoods
Breathe deeply, move gently, and reconnect with nature amid Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s towering coast redwoods on Friday morning, March 20. Participants will be ensconced under the canopy of the majestic trees and held as well in a sensory bath comprised of the soothing scents of native flora and the gentle sound of Mission Creek. The special all-levels class blends mindful movement, breath work, and meditation. The aim is to help everyone reset the nervous system and start the day grounded and refreshed with support from facilitator Shelby Donald, an SBBG volunteer who has 22 years of yoga experience. Visit https://sbbotanicgarden.org/classesevents/yoga-in-the-redwoods.
Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage
An Independent Mind War Against Nuclear Iran
by Jeffrey Harding
Since my last column two weeks ago a lot has been going on in the world, but nothing as significant as the war against Iran. At the time of writing this article (Sunday) it’s moving too fast and it’s far too early to come to any conclusions as to its outcome.
Regardless of what you think about Trump, this is a war to prevent a nuclear Iran from being a worldwide threat. The war’s secondary goal is to stop Iran’s exporting of terrorism. We can argue about the timing and its impact on the mid-term elections, and the constitutionality of a president’s war powers, but this war was going to happen at some point. I understand the nuclear agreement under Obama was discarded by Trump, but according to many nonpartisan experts it would not have stopped Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Nuclear weaponry is an existential goal for the regime. The threat of a nuclear Iran is genuine. If the regime acquires nuclear weapons none of its neighbors will be safe. It gives Iran carte blanche to do whatever they want for fear that they may use these weapons. If they attain intercontinental missile technology, then they will be a danger to the world. Religious zealots are guided by bad ideas, not reason. A peaceful Middle East would be a long way off. Terrorism committed by Iranian forces or their proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, or independent actors) is a political tool used by the regime to control their Sunni Arab neighbors. They have killed many hundreds of people in the Middle East and the world. In 1983 they killed 63 people in our Beirut embassy and 241 U.S. soldiers and 58 French soldiers in their Beirut barracks. Terrorism is also a means to project an illusion of power. These medieval zealots have plagued Europe with bombings of the innocent and assassinations of Jews and dissidents. It’s not just Europe: they
Mhave murdered Jews around the world such as 114 in Argentina.
To understand why things are the way they are you have to start before 1914 and World War I when a good part of Arabia was controlled by the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). Their empire bumped up against Iran in the east and Egypt to the southwest. After WW I and the defeat of the Ottomans all the modern Arab states were created: Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. These states were created by Britain and France mostly by drawing straight lines on a map. Most of them became colonies or protectorates of Britain and France.
Iran (known as Persia) was ruled by monarchies for millennia. Since 1501 they have been a predominantly Shia Muslim country. The Arabs are mostly Sunni Muslims. In 1979 radical Islamic forces toppled the corrupt and repressive Pahlavi rulers and the Shah fled the country leaving the radicals in control. From a somewhat more modern society under the Pahlavis, the radicals changed it into a society based on a strict interpretation of the Koran harking back to medieval times. In other words, repression of civil liberties, repression of women, enforcement of strict religious behavior, top-down economic policies, and corruption. Their use of religion is a means of control and a justification for intimidation, violence, and repression. To maintain their control they give generous financial rewards and powers to the armed forces. They use Arab hostility to Israel to gain political support from their Arab neighbors. These actions and policies have run the country into the ground.
These corrupt and zealous rulers are violent hard-liners with messianic beliefs of the righteousness of their regime and its goal of domination in the Middle East. Aside from the failure of their domestic economic policies, their terrorism resulted in international condemnation and conditions have gotten much worse in Iran because of trade embargoes, financial constraints, and punishment by Israel and the United States.
SHERIFF’S BLOTTER
Mailbox Theft / 700 block Park Lane
Friday, February 20, at 08:59 hours
The victim reported theft of a package. The package’s value was $159. It was delivered on 2/19/26 to his mailbox and was stolen shortly thereafter. Victim reviewed his security cameras and believed a small white SUV with tinted windows was involved because it was the only vehicle in the area. A courtesy report was taken and forwarded to the US Postal Inspection Service.
The irony of it is that sophisticated urban Iranians are aware of what’s wrong with their society because they know what is going on in the rest of the world, especially Western Europe and the United States. These countries are examples of successful wealthy free democratic societies. They also know about the hundreds of thousands of Iranians who fled the country after 1979, most to the U.S. where they and their children have created successful lives because of our freedoms. This is why there is so much discontent in Iran.
It is not difficult to understand why Iran’s rulers pursue such destructive policies and actions. It’s the usual reasons for all dictators: money and power, and, in Iran, zealous religiosity. Their goal is self-preservation not the betterment of society. To deny the truth of their righteousness would be an admission of failure which would result in their demise.
As of this writing, the war is still being vigorously pursued with bombings of
military facilities and the eradication of regime leaders. Trump has appealed to Iranians to take over the government from the regime, a dangerous and unattainable objective. Trump says he is willing to talk. This has a familiar ring to it.
Trump believes in talk. But the only way to win this war is not through talk, but through victory. Victory in this case means surrender and the destruction of their nuclear weapons programs. It means a standdown of forces. It means a regime open to scrutiny, verification, and control of their weapons development by U.S. and western forces. It means vigorous enforcement with military consequences for cheating. It may mean permanent western military bases in Iran as watchdogs. Can victory be achieved with bombs? We will see.
The regime thinks they can wait us out. They look to Ukraine as an example of what they feel is America’s lack of resolve. Trump cannot let this happen or we will fail.
Curator’s Choice
Thisthree-inch-long Joro Spider (Trichonephila clavata) lurked in the manicured landscaping at a high-end coastal business in Santa Barbara County. Although harmless to humans, it is a potentially invasive species. There is some evidence it can outcompete native orb-weavers in southeastern North America. Native to east Asia, the species was observed in Georgia in 2014, the first reported sighting in the United States. Since then, it has spread west as far as Oklahoma and north as far as Maryland. The discovery of this one in Santa Barbara County in fall 2025 marked the first report west of the Great Plains. It is now a specimen in the Entomology Collection at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, overseen by Schlinger Chair of Entomology Alex Harman, PhD. “Insects and arachnids are easily transported unintentionally,” says Dr. Harman. This spider is a reminder to check imported vegetation and wood products for hitchhikers.
Preserved Joro Spider specimen
Want to learn more about local entomology? Visit our Santa Barbara Gallery next time you’re at the Museum.
Foraging Thyme Cone Cabbage
by Melissa Petitto
Ihave written about cabbage before, but I honestly believe 2026 in food is the year of the cabbage, so let’s highlight some of the colorful organic cabbages at Roots Organic Farm. The cone cabbage, savoy cabbage, and treviso are all in season and they are sweet, humble, crunchy, and wildly underrated when at their peak. The nutrition composition of this humble vegetable is varied and vast. Cabbage is a great source of vitamin C, which we know supports our immune system, skin health, and collagen production. It contains well over 100% of our vitamin K needs which is for proper blood clotting and bone strength. Cabbage is also a good source of folate, needed for cell repair, brain health, and essential in pregnancy. Vitamin B6 and potassium are also found in cabbage and aid our nervous systems. When cabbage is fermented, such as in sauerkraut and kimchee, it is probiotic gold for our microbiome. Its high fiber content also aids in feeding the beneficial gut bacteria that support regular digestion. Cabbage is great for lowering our LDL cholesterol with its fiber content, has anticancer properties, and is very low calorie. Let’s take it into the kitchen and make something delicious!
Miso Glazed Cone Cabbage
- PM 7:0010:00 FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AM7:0012:00AM SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY 7:30 AM - 10:00 PM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
1 large cone cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup mushroom or vegetable broth
1/3 cup tahini paste
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add oil and add the cabbage cut side down. Season each side of the cabbage with salt while searing. Sear the cabbage on both cut sides until charred and caramelized, about 3 minutes per side.
3. While the cabbage cooks, in a small bowl whisk together the honey, miso, and lemon juice. Drizzle over the seared cabbage.
4. Pour the broth around the cabbage and transfer cast iron skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cabbage is tender and golden.
5. While the cabbage is in the oven, make the tahini sauce.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, garlic, water, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup.
7. Spread the tahini on the bottom of a large plate. Top with caramelized cabbage and sprinkle with chives.
Melissa Petitto, R.D., is an executive chef and co-founder at Thymeless My Chef SB, was a celebrity personal chef for 16 years, just finished her 10th cookbook, and is an expert on nutrition and wellness.
It’s the year of the cabbage (photo by Rainer Zenz via Wikimedia Commons)
Petite Wine Traveler
Taking Root at Rincon Hill Farm
by Jamie Knee
There are places where you immediately sense that something important is being built, even before a single dish is served. On a clear Friday afternoon in Carpinteria, I walked the fields of Rincon Hill Farm as lettuces unfurled in jewel-toned rows, avocado trees punctuated the landscape, and pollinators traced quiet patterns through the air. The Santa Ynez Mountains rose behind it all, giving the scene a distinctly Californian sense of purpose.
I was there for An Afternoon at Rincon Hill Farm, hosted by Endwell Hospitality, the team behind One White Street, the MICHELIN starred, farm-driven restaurant housed in a historic townhouse in Tribeca, New York City. The occasion also marked a first glimpse of the group’s West Coast evolution, Monte’s, opening March 2026 on Coast Village Road in Montecito.
Rather than a traditional restaurant preview, the afternoon unfolded as something more revealing. Guests wandered the farm, spoke directly with growers, and tasted food prepared almost entirely from what had been harvested that morning. For someone who spends her professional life exploring the relationship between food, wine, and place, it was immediately apparent that Monte’s is being shaped from more than concept alone, but by the very land itself.
Cooking from the Farm Outward
Chef Daniel Kim worked in the open air beside the farm’s newly built event
space, cooking in rhythm with the afternoon. Multiple dishes came together at once. Mushrooms were fire torched until their edges charred and crisped. Salads were assembled straight from the fields. Fresh juices were poured, bright and alive. Inside the covered space, guests wandered between long tables, pausing to admire piles of just harvested produce on one and an abundant display of mushrooms on the other. The atmosphere was relaxed and generous, shaped by sunshine, appetite, and the simple pleasure of tasting ingredients at their peak.
When I asked Kim about the opportunity to cook so closely with the farm, his enthusiasm was immediate. “I’m really excited to show what we’re growing here on the farm and bring that directly to Montecito,” he said. For Kim, sourcing is not a talking point. It is the founda-
tion. “The produce we use at Monte’s will come from Rincon Hill Farm. It will all be freshly grown and harvested here at the farm.”
That clarity of purpose carried through on the plate. Lettuce tasted vibrant and alive. Citrus was floral and precise. Avocados were rich and clean, served with restraint rather than embellishment. There was no need for excess. The ingredients carried their own authority.
Reimagining a Proven for Montecito
For Ryan Sohn, managing partner at Endwell Hospitality, Monte’s represents a natural evolution of a model the group has already refined in New York.
“We’re excited to bring a true farm-to-table restaurant to Montecito,” Sohn told me.
At One White Street in Tribeca, a close relationship between an urban dining room and a dedicated farm has earned critical acclaim and a MICHELIN star. At Monte’s, that philosophy is being reinterpreted through a distinctly Californian lens. “The style and concept are very similar in that they’re both farm-driven,” Sohn said. “One White Street is a bit more upscale, while Monte’s is meant to feel more relaxed.” Monte’s, he emphasized, is designed to belong to its surroundings. “It’s meant to be a gathering place for the community,” Sohn said. “A lively bar, happy hours, and approachable food that people can enjoy regularly.”
It is a vision of luxury that feels particularly suited to Montecito; sun-soaked refinement, rooted in quality.
The Mushroom Table
If the vegetables set the rhythm of the afternoon, the mushrooms provided its most arresting moment.
Laid out across a long wooden table were pioppino, maitake, king trumpet, lion’s mane, oyster, chestnut, and shiitake mushrooms, cultivated on outdoor
logs just beyond the fields. Each variety carried its own character, from the feathery delicacy of lion’s mane to the dense, grounding presence of maitake.
Tim King , the farm’s mushroom farmer, spoke about them not as ingredients, but as living expressions of time and care. “Mushrooms are essentially the fruit of the organism,” he explained. “They’re like the apple on an apple tree.” Some varieties arrive quickly, others slowly. “Lion’s mane can take about ten to fourteen days,” he said. “Maitake, on the other hand, can take two to three months.”
For certain mushrooms, quality peaks after two flushes, a balance point where texture and flavor are at their best. At Monte’s, these mushrooms will anchor dishes with depth, umami, and a sense of place that feels unmistakably Californian.
A Living System, Not a Controlled One
Rincon Hill Farm operates on balance, with flowering plants attracting beneficial insects and predators managing pests. The ecosystem is allowed to regulate itself naturally.
“The goal is to create a habitat that supports its own balance,” King said. “When everything works together, the system takes care of itself.” Even setbacks are part of that philosophy. “That’s part of the ecosystem too,” he added.
The approach feels less like agricultural production and more like stewardship, a living system designed to endure.
As the afternoon came to a close, Sohn gathered the group to reflect on what the farm represents.
“We’re finally at a point where we can share the farm with the community,” he said. “We hope it becomes a place where people can gather, learn, and really connect to what’s happening here.”
Monte’s will arrive in Montecito with the quiet confidence of Endwell Hospitality’s New York pedigree, but its identity is already firmly rooted in this soil.
When the restaurant opens in March 2026, the food will tell a story that began long before the first guest walks through the door. And having walked the farm, tasted from the fields, and spoken directly with the people shaping it, that story feels not only grounded, but inevitable.
Jamie Knee is a Global Wine Communicator, Wine Media Personality, and International Wine Judge & Educator, named one of the “Top 50 Most Influential Women in Wine.” Follow her @petitewinetraveler.
An afternoon at Rincon Hill Farms
Chef Daniel Kim Toasting Mushrooms
The full bounty
sources such as motion pictures. There was also a growing concern over animal welfare which placed a different spotlight on the circus menagerie. By 1956, one writer predicted that kids would soon only hear about the big top from pictures and books. “Before WWII started, there were 26 railroad-car circuses operating in the United States,” he said. “By 1956, 25 had gone bankrupt. Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey [which had merged in 1919] was the only survivor among the traveling circuses.”
Much altered and after several hiatus years, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey are still in business today. And in 1969, Circus Vargas, a California-based circus, was established. Though still in business, it last came to Santa Barbara in 2019.
(Sources: Swinging the Censer by Katherine Den Bell, Wikipedia, contemporary newspapers, Doulton and Parrott family albums, Library of Congress, “To flea or not to Flea: The Curious History of Flea Circuses” by Gaia Mortier)
Hattie Beresford has been writing a local history column for the Montecito Journal for more than a decade and is the author of several books on Santa Barbara’s historic past
Ringling Brothers came in 1900 and 1901 to Santa Barbara (photo courtesy of newspapers.com)
Flea circuses, which had their origins in the 16th century with watch makers and blacksmiths, were extremely popular between 1830 and 1960 in the United States (photo courtesy of newspapers.com)
In 1896, Sells Brothers and Forepaugh brought a seal show to the circus grounds at the Agricultural Park and Racetrack (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
Ringling Brothers’ elephants parade past De La Guerra Street as Santa Barbarans look on (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
A platoon of pure white horses in the 1900 Ringling Brothers parade (photo courtesy of Montecito Association History Committee)
Robert’s Big Questions
Religion of Whiteness?
by Robert Bernstein
Our country seems very divided now. But who are the sides in this divide? It turns out that the 2024 election would have gone to Harris over Trump in a 58-40% landslide. If just one group were removed from the electorate.
Which group? White evangelical and born-again Christians. Of which, 82% voted for Trump. We secular humanists find this baffling and infuriating. These people claim to follow the principles of their lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Could anyone be more opposite to Jesus than Trump?
Our Humanist Society recently hosted a fascinating talk that may explain this. See my Edhat news column for the full report. The speaker was Rice University professor Michael Emerson
Emerson’s research sought out Americans who said that the Christian Bible is their one and only source of what is right and wrong. One part of Emerson’s survey involved showing them direct quotes from their Bible. For example, Deuteronomy 24:14 “Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.”
They were then asked how much they agree with this paraphrase: “Therefore, it is good to have laws to protect foreigners from being treated unjustly.”
Two other examples of paraphrases taken from the Bible for the survey:
“Therefore it is good to confess sins committed by me, my nation and my ancestors.” (Nehemiah 1:6)
“Therefore, it is good to listen to the complaints of ethnic minority groups and empower leaders within those minority groups to correct injustice.”
(Acts 6:1-7)
The majority of Asians, Blacks and Hispanics agreed with the Bible paraphrases. So did most whites. But 60% or more of the White Practicing Christians did not. These people claim that they strictly follow the Bible. But they deviate sharply from the Bible on these issues that matter right now. If they are not in fact following the Bible, what are they following? Emerson claims they have created a “Religion of Whiteness” (ROW). Religions have symbols. He identified three symbols of this ROW: 1) White Jesus 2) Merging of the Cross and the American Flag 3) Firearms.
Considering where Jesus lived, it is unlikely he was white. When ROW
people are shown images of Jesus that are not white, it makes them either angry or they just laugh. They “know” that Jesus was white.
In this ROW, Whiteness is seen as obviously superior in every way. God has clearly chosen Whiteness because white people dominate. They are the winners. (Forget about the Jesus who cares about the least among us in Matthew 25:40)
It is not just that Whiteness is superior. It is also defined as “normal”. In 1982 LA Police Chief Daryl Gates made this statement about Blacks dying in police choke holds: “It seems to me that we may be finding that in some Blacks when it is applied, the veins or the arteries do not open as fast as they do on normal people.” Implying that Blacks are not normal people.
Interesting that ROWs see Whiteness as normal. If “normal” means the majority, then Asian is normal – 60% of all people are Asian. By common standards (not well defined), only about 16% of people are “white.”
In Emerson’s survey, two-thirds of White Practicing Christians offered this “solution”: “The best way to improve race relations is by converting everyone to Christianity.”
Interesting, since most American Blacks are Christian. But that does not count. It has to be the ROW version of Christian.
As a child, my mother told me a story of a bigot being asked whether Black people could get into heaven. The answer? Yes, but God would make them white before they entered! This is a part of the original Mormon religion – teachings only rescinded in 2013!
Notably, Revelation 7:9 in the Christian Bible describes heaven as a place populated by people from “every nation, tribe, people and language.” Presumably, of every color.
Perhaps our country is not so divided? Maybe the Religion of Whiteness people are just confused about their religion? Maybe they just need some guidance from actual Christians?
Robert Bernstein holds degrees from Physics departments of MIT and UCSB. His passion to understand the Big Questions of life, the universe and to be a good citizen of the planet.
Visit facebook. com/questionbig
& Doings (Continued from 6)
not terribly threatening platoon of ants the size of prairie dogs, each with a little nose and attractive little kewpie doll lips one might find adorable if they weren’t affixed to ant heads.
The invaders step out onto conquered Earth in a stop-action goose step and kill Bruce Dern just by walking on his arm. It develops these guys are criminal Zantis from the planet… wait for it… Zanti. It’s that same ill-conceived sci-fi TV convention that gives us Vulcans from the planet Vulcan – a bit of screwy extraterrestrial nomenclature that would have people of our home planet called ‘Earths.’
Our Leaders Have Agreed with their Leaders
By previous arrangement, our leaders have agreed with their leaders (you know the drill) to allow the Zanti prisoner ship to land in a remote location where the Zantis will be provided a desert cordon in perpetuity. We probably also told them this g*dforsaken baked hill in the middle of nowhere was a popular beauty spot here on Earth, keeping Hawaii and La Jolla secret. “Secure for us your most beauteous place for exile, Earths!” Okay, you dumb ants. Here are the coordinates. Happy landings!
When the Zantis realize they’ve killed Bruce Dern by just walking on his arm, they are emboldened. They fly their little ship to a nearby army base and attack! What the Zantis don’t realize is that –though they are frightening menaces on the planet Zanti, on this planet their kind are picnic pests squashed in their thousands as we drowsily chew baloney sandwiches. They are thus quickly defeated by young NCOs in khaki, who waste no time dispatching the uppity space bugs with pistols, grenades, clubs, and (yes) the soles of their army-issue shoes.
humans. It seems executions of even the most hardened criminals are illegal on the awkwardly named but comparatively merciful planet Zanti, where delicate little lips are considered wildly menacing – one of a handful of cultural presuppositions that made the Zanti jailbreak a short one.
“Humans are expert executioners,” the smarmy Zanti Leader says on the radio, causing Olive Deering to take a pull on her cigarette in foreground and say “expert executioners” with an arch little leer of judgement. Whose side are you on, Deering? Yet again Earth’s hapless accountants, ball players, chefs, thoracic surgeons, and polo champs – the whole sorry lot of us, that is – get thrown under the bus by a “Leader.” It’s a template.
By episode’s end we have learned –through the exhausting exposition of a distant Zanti explainer on the shortwave space radio – that the Zanti prisoners were sent here deliberately by their overseers to be killed by we bloodthirsty
What we Astrophysicists know is intergalactic invasion. I’ve spent a lifetime studying Zantis, Triffids, towering Martian tripods, Body Snatchers, and Michael Rennie in silver underwear. These deep-space boobs are always asking to be taken to our “Leader.” It’s always “Leader” this, “Leader” that. I don’t know what the sitch is out there on the planet Zanti (*sigh*), but down here our Leaders are inevitably the least of us, conferring in back rooms, daubing their chins with makeup, instructing us who to hate, eating takeout with saturated fats, and throwing us into the fray. This is the lesson we Earths only vaguely absorb, even as the heavy machines clear the smoldering rubble away for the umpteenth time. Reader, thanks again for your question. As your resident Astrophysicist I feel I have the expertise and authority to offer this piece of advice regarding intergalactic diplomacy. Next time some hotshot space squid in a crash helmet descends the ramp of his ship and haughtily asks to be taken to your leader, you know what to say.
“You’re looking at him.”
Tough Looking Zanti Misfit. Those lips could use some product [photo copyright of MetroGoldwyn-Mayer]
Silver lamé: the intergalactic traveler’s perennial favorite
Beethoven’s beloved “Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 ‘Pathetique’” and “No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, ‘Appassionata,’” as well as “Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1, ‘Sonata quasi una fantasia,’” and “Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-flat Major, Op. 26,” the third movement of which was played during Beethoven’s own funeral procession. Visit www.cameratapacifica.org
DEI Still Gets its Due: Sphinx Rises Again in Town
Maybe the headline is a bit misleading, as some things have changed at the Sphinx Organization, the classical music umbrella founded in Detroit in 1997. Sphinx’s program initiatives include education, artistic development, and arts leadership, in addition to its more visible performing artists priorities, which includes the Sphinx Virtuosi, the nonprofit’s premier touring ensemble.
It’s only been two years since the 18-member ensemble made its Santa Barbara debut under the auspices of CAMA’s Masterseries at the Lobero. In that short interval, the organization that champions Black and Latinx musicians has excised the operative word in its mission statement about transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts.
It didn’t go unnoticed by Quenton Xavier Blache, the cellist-composer who has been a member of the group for almost five years, and whose piece “Habari” was a virtuosic highlight of the 2024 concert tour.
“Our statement now is transforming lives with the power of art,” said Blache, whose session credits include playing on the score for the current Oscar hopeful Sinners. “It is different from 2021, which was the year after George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement when you could feel a real surge of interest. But the tide has turned. The Sphinx people told us that something like $5 million in federal funding has dissipated due to the current political climate. It’s obviously not easy for an ensemble like us right now, but I do truly believe that times can swing the pendulum back. And I’m grateful to be able to play music by incredible composers of color and spread the love of that kind of music to audiences.”
NOTICE OF VACANCY
MONTECITO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT BOARD
The MONTECITO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT has a vacancy on its Board of Directors. Persons interested in applying to fill the vacancy should know the following:
▪ An applicant must reside within the boundaries of the Montecito Fire Protection District, and be a registered voter of the District. The district boundaries map can be found at montecitofire.com/district-boundaries-map
▪ The appointee must run in the General Elections in November 2026 to retain the appointed seat, and preference will be given t o those willing to run.
▪ Regular Board of Directors meetings are held on the fourth Monday of every month beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Fire Station 91 lo cated at 595 San Ysidro Road, Montecito, CA 93108. Directors are expected to be faithful in attendance.
▪ Directors are encouraged to serve on at least one Board Committee that meets monthly and may need to represent the District a t other meetings.
▪ Education and experience in finance, business, strategic planning, or related fields are desirable.
▪ Interested persons should submit a cover letter with a detailed resume to the Montecito Fire Protection District at Station 91 no later than March 16, 2026 by 4:00 p.m.
▪ Interviews for the position will be conducted by the Board of Directors at a public meeting on March 23, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., with the appointment being made no later than April 29, 2026.
▪ Cover letters, resumes/statements of qualifications and requests for further information should be addressed to:
David Neels, Fire Chief Montecito Fire Protection District 595 San Ysidro Road Montecito, CA 93108 (805)969–2537
Documents can also be emailed to: cgodlis@montecitofire.com
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PARTERRE; PARTERRE COFFEE, 220 W GUTIERREZ ST, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101. TERRACOTTA COFFEE LLC, 2108 N ST #14035, SACRAMENTO, CA 95816. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 3, 2026. 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 state-
ment on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2026-0000518. Published March 5, 12, 19, 26, 2026
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SEA VIEW LANDSCAPING, 1028 CRAMER RD APT A, Carpinteria, CA 93013. RODRIGO CRUZ CORTEZ, 1028 CRAMER RD APT A, Carpinteria, CA 93013. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 23, 2026. 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. 2026-0000180. Published February 26, March 5, 12, 19, 2026
PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS OR CITATION: CASE No. 25CV06248. Notice to Defendant: DAVID R. GAMPERL, an individual, et al.: You are being sued by Plaintiff: ANDREW
WOODWARD. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons is served on you to file a written response at the Superior Court of California, Santa Barbara, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default. If you lose, the court can order that your wages, money, or property be taken to pay this claim. Bring witnesses, receipts, and any evidence you need to prove your case. Name and address of the court: Superior Court of Cali-
fornia, County of Santa Barbara, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93121-1107. Filed January 22, 2026 by Terri Chavez, Deputy Clerk. Published February 12, 19, 26, and March 5, 2026
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GRANDLE CHIROPRACTIC PC; ALKI ART & WELLNESS INSTITUTE; ALKI CHIROPRACTIC; ALKI WELLNESS, 820 EAST MASON STREET, SUITE A, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. GRANDLE CHIROPRACTIC PC, 820 EAST MASON STREET SUITE A, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 30, 2026. 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. 20260000314. Published February 12, 19, 26, and March 5, 2026
The next installment of the “Beethoven 32” initiative enters with principal pianist Gilles Vonsattel (courtesy photo)
Fortunately, what hasn’t changed is the high level of musicianship among the ensemble’s players who tackle a wide-ranging repertoire and still champion work by historically excluded composers as well as new pieces it commissions. Among those is the latest from Blache that actually serves as the title of the current Sphinx concert program that will be performed at the Lobero on March 12: “Visions of Peace,” a moniker that could scarcely have better timing.
The title came with the commission, as did the other pieces on the program, which includes 19th century Afro-Cuban composer José White Lafitte’s “La Bella Cubana,” contemporaries Clarice Assad’s “Impressions” and Jesse Montgomery’s “Chemiluminescence,” violinist Randall Goosby’s arrangement of William Grant Still’s “Suite for Violin or Cello and String Orchestra” (with Goosby, one of last year’s Mosher Guest Artists at the Music Academy, as soloist), and Venezuelan violinist Rubén Rengel’s arrangement of “Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83, ‘Stalingrad.’”
“That gave me guidance on how my piece could fit in, but the freedom to figure it out by myself,” Blache said. “I immediately thought about the global conflicts that were happening at the time in Israel and Palestine, Ukraine and Russia, and so many other places throughout the world. You have to look to history to understand why these conflicts are happening. I vaguely remembered a quote about having to study the past in order to wish for a better future.”
That’s why, Blache said, there are motifs from the Baroque and Renaissance periods meeting modern elements, representing dichotomy and the duality of conflict and harmony, a reflection on the mosaic-like nature of peace, rather than simply a clear vision for peace.
“There’s even a prayer section a little more than halfway in, where after going through a lot of emotions with moments of tension and dissonance and lots of angst, there’s a serene landscape,” said Blache, who at 24 is still one of the youngest members of the Virtuosi. “I was influenced by the sterile beauty of Bach, Circle of Fifth chord progressions, and Gregorian chant, all of which are in there. And then the latter third of the work is what I call the epilogue, a recall of the very, very first violin motif, but in a more major tonality, the somberness of the beginning played a little brighter. It’s not instant peace, but evidence of hope. The piece was a perfect opportunity for me to put on paper what had been on my mind and what I’ve been feeling for so long.”
Blache is one of two of the Sphinx ensemble members who will participate in the free educational presentation on the morning of March 13 at the Music Academy’s Lehmann Hall. The cellist and violinist Alejandra Switala will coach local string students in a masterclass, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A. Visit www.camasb.org.
Also of Note: Friends of Friedenthal
The pop pick of the week in the club scene is surely George Friedenthal’s songwriter show at SOhO on March 5, when the ubiquitously in-demand keyboardist teams up with some of his frequent colleagues in Randy Tico, Maitland Ward, Donzell Davis, and Lorenzo Martínez to serve as the backing band for a list of local luminary singer-songwriters. Sharing the stage are Shawn Thies, Lois Mahalia, Zach Madden, Ejé Lynn-Jacobs, Kimberly Ford, and Michael Henszey, with Shawn Hickox as special guest. Madden, by the way, continues to host restaurant Roy’s Curated Songwriter Showcase most every Thursday night (except for March 5) where the longtime local selects four songwriters to perform 15-minute sets starting at 8 pm before performing from 9-11, solo and with special guests.
Other SOhO specials of the week include a March 7 date with the all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella that has been around for more than 20 years, 66%
longer than Led Zep itself lasted, and still boasts two original members; and “Nylon Roses,” the latest project from guitarist/bandleader Tony Ybarra, who fronts an ensemble of his GenZ students performing acoustic covers of hard rockin’ hits of the 1970s-90s, slated for March 11.
Comedy Is King? One-man Wacky Wonders
Santa Barbara local Dillon Yuhasz is an improviser, puppeteer, singer, and actor who was most recently seen in the title role in SBCC’s spectacular production of Young Frankenstein. But Yuhasz also has his own company called Not Half Bad Theatre that was co-created with Brittany Ragan to showcase his ambitious and high-energy one-man productions bent on extending the limits of the stage. To that canon (which includes Faces of Magic and All My Actors Are Dead ) he is adding The Story of War – which is meant to be much funnier than its title might imply. It’s Yuhasz’s fictionalized tale of Wathel Rogers – the former sculptor, model maker and animator for Disney actually credited as one of the inventors of animatronics – who goes on to fashion a chaotic, violent and satirical show covering the history of warfare. Yuhasz portrays both man and animatronic robot on a journey from the stone age to modern times – a strange tale of violence, greed, and dancing pirates. Performances are March 7 & 8 at the Community Arts Workshop. Visit sbcaw.org/upcoming
As transphobia gripped the courts, legislatures, amateur athletics administrations, the oval office, and elsewhere in recent times, Alok Vaid-Menon figured that was the perfect time to launch their career in Hollywood. Impeccable comedic timing or not, the multi-hyphenate ALOK has reached audiences with several literary/poetry works and stand-up shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and Netflix is a Joke Festival. Their first comedy special BIOLOGY! was executive produced by Christopher Guest, while the self-titled short documentary film, executive produced by Jodie Foster, debuted at Sundance in 2024 and played at SBIFF two weeks later. ALOK’s new standup show, Hairy Situations, heads to the Lobero, with bits that include being mistaken for the famous Brazilian DJ of the same name, botching TikTok makeup tutorials, and signing up for an appointment at the European Wax Center. Expect funny bits both flippant and fabulous – as well as the always-welcome merging of wicked sharp observations with the delightfully silly – at the March 10 show at the Lobero.
The one and only Sphinx Virtuosi (photo by Scott Jackson)
idea was to build a civilization tauntingly close to the new Hollywood with the Wild West burning in Technicolor right outside your door. He knew what would follow: stores, restaurants, hotels, gas stations. And lots of people. This view, he thought, this golden earth, to be carved up and offered for money by men who despised the idea, the feeling, the fundamental soul of open country.
He saw a bus coming up the highway and walked toward it, waving. It pulled over and cruised to a stop by his truck. The door opened, and Creek walked up to the driver.
“Dee Lambert. Hello,” Creek said, smiling.
“Mister Creek. You need a lift?”
“No. Just surprised by all this. Wanted to look at it.”
She looked out at the miles of markers. He knew by her face how she felt about it.
“You bring a lot of ’em up here?”
“No. They like to drive the customers up here. Big shot-like. Harder to say no when you’re not so certain the salesman’s giving you a lift back to town.”
Creek had an idea.
“A question,” he said, and she nodded. “You ever bring an Indian named Charlie Russell, or Pony, up this way, maybe to the reservation, maybe Santa Ynez? Man had a bad foot, and a half-lame arm.”
She smiled. “Several times. Funny you should ask. He and this lovely woman, they would ride up, and I’d let them out just north of here, up past the new park. Two of them came up once or twice a month for, oh, a couple of years. Stopped coming about six months back, when the movie construction started and all those no-trespassing signs began to go up. They stopped taking my bus. Haven’t seen either one since.”
“You pick them up on the return run?”
“Yup, when I came back through on the night run, they’d be there on the side of the road by that big magnolia, standing in the dark. ‘Charlie Russell.’ I never knew what he was called.”
“The woman with him. Did you know her?”
“No. She was Indian. And kind of sickly. She had a kid with her, not always, but sometimes. That man was a gentleman. I knew that, and he was good to her. Sort of sweethearts, I think. I never saw a wedding ring. Creek, I’m running late and need to push on. Say hello to that big Scot of yours.”
“Thank you, Dee.” But Dee hesitated after Creek stepped out.
“He still with that rez woman, Missy?”
“I think so, Dee.” He knew she’d held feelings for Norman.
She smiled, pulled the door lever, beat the tall shift into first, and drove back onto the main road headed south.
As he turned to go back to his truck, Creek noticed two men standing off in the distance. They framed both corners of the back border of the lot, a quarter mile apart, and both men looked posted, rifles in hand, as if for patrols. He wanted to walk up to the salespeople and ask why they needed guards on scrub dirt with no houses, but he figured he’d been pest enough for one day. One of the men was looking over at him, his gun across his shoulder. The bluster of a job in the Depression, Creek thought. And a wealthy employer.
He saw the hare stand up, twenty yards distant, sniffing something. The man who’d been staring at him suddenly leveled his rifle. The hare bolted. The man tracked it, gliding the gun ten feet past Creek, then fired. The rifle pops missed the hare, spit dirt randomly, and the hare went to ground alive. Creek stayed where he was, shaming the fool for bad shooting just by his witness, then went to his truck, turned it around, and drove homeward.
There was a nasty atmosphere in this town. Maybe it was the times, the desperation of a broke country. Maybe it was men shamed so long that the lift of any sponsorship gave them an excuse to brag or bully or get even. Pony was a quiet man, but he was no fool and no quitter. Then again, he was anything but worldly. But there was a woman. That was a high note. Maybe his. That was something, even if he had to die before anybody seemed to know about it.
Late that evening, he began thinking about the man-boy Charlie Russell; about the woman called Ranny Starbuck who might be sly as well as beautiful; about the crack of lightning that flashed through Creek’s heart when he saw that he had brought to his aging father and a small neighborhood of Indians the blue car with the three lanky
hopheads and two heavy thugs. Had one of them killed Pony, or had Pony done something rash, some echo of his parents’ foolish streak, and died by a harsh sea?
After dinner, Creek had dug up the scrapbook and taken it to the porch. He turned to the photograph of Pony standing beside Creek out on Santa Rosa Island in the summer of 1914, the protean hulk and frazzled face of the boar that might have killed them staring at the lens between them. Creek thought the most glamorous time of his life was that first summer on Santa Rosa. John Penbrook had put him in the main house those many years ago because Norman had saved Sonora’s life and had refused John’s money, asking only if he might one day take on his son as a worker. A few years later, Creek had been invited over. He’d been told at the outset that he was to be a guest of the family, not some kid sent across to learn “cowboying” like he was at a dude camp. Creek had said camp was just fine and anything about horses and steer was even finer. Knowing he would take some licks from the regulars who bunked at the huts down by the corrals, Creek had gone at his chores jaw set and head down. The men had taken to him, seen him work past quitting time, never whimper or grouse when the splinters went deep or the skin bubbled up on his hands from rope burns. He rode better than most because he had never not been with a horse. He saw how cows thought because he had spent hours with his mother among her animals. He knew how they drifted, how they forgot where they came from when the sweet grass clouded out all memory of impassable thickets.
The men saw this. And then, on the proudest day of his life, they took him completely into their pack. Tingo Silver told the story of the day six men and Pony and Creek had been taking coffee and biscuits on a flat patch of grass beside an arroyo when they heard the huffing. Fast as lighting and too fast for any man to register how it got there, a rogue boar came over the lip at full speed. It came straight at them, and Creek had his gun out so fast, they flinched at the roar of his shot.
They had watched slack-jawed as he nailed the animal four feet from them. The tusks locked in soil, and the fierce body looped up over itself and landed on his boots. Without hesitating, Creek had leaned in and held the barrel an inch from the boar’s head but saw no twitch or sign of life, so he let off the hammer and holstered his gun without another shot. Neither fear nor boast nor uncertainty had prompted another shot. Not once had Creek let go of his hold on Pony whom he had grabbed and slung behind him in one move. Not one man had so much as cleared his weapon, and here was this fourteen-year-old, who drew his pistol with the speed of a whipsaw, put the shot in the beast’s forehead, and still didn’t shift when the damn thing cartwheeled nearly on top of him.
That’s how Tingo Silver told it for the hundredth time, and every time Pony was nearby, he would look proudly at Creek. Creek knew from that day forth that there was an unspoken obligation between them—the one to protect, the other to love—and in the intervening years Creek had let that slip away.
He listened to the night waves booming below him. He had willed himself to begin a different life, simpler, maybe a little nobler. Here he was, in the summer air above a glimmering sea, upon his simple patch of land, and goddamned if that boy whose life he saved wasn’t trying to drag him back to the swamp.
Tune in next week for Chapter Nine: Part 2 of Last Light in Paradise
Michael C. Armour is author and original artist of bestselling Smithsonian children’s books Orca Song and Puma Range, and has been an award-winning writer/director for CBS documentaries, and many print and TV commercials for Honda and other companies. He comes from three generations of ranching, has been a horseman and motorcyclist most of his life, and has worked for years with released inmates under the direction of the Santa Barbara Superior Court and the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office.
Scan the QR code to purchase the full book online, or pick one up at your local bookstore: Tecolote in Montecito, Godmothers in Summerland, or Chaucer’s in Santa Barbara.
he asked. “And for all of us who live in and love California, what is the fate of the great American spaces Ansel Adams captured so eloquently and made us see so deeply?”
Beyond the Wilderness: Ansel Adams in 1940s Los Angeles is on view at the museum through March 28.
Ecologist Shares ClimateSmart Planting Strategies
Westmont ecologist Laura Drake Schultheis shares her research about plant flammability and defensible spaces in the face of climate change in a Westmont Downtown Lecture on Wednesday, March 11, at 5:30 pm at Westmont Downtown | Keith Center, 29 W. Anapamu St. The talk, “Rooted in Resilience: Adaptive Planting Strategies in Wildland-Urban Interfaces,” is free and open to the public. Parking for the lecture is available at either Santa Barbara City Parking Lots 4 or 5. No tickets are required; the limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please call (805) 565-6051.
“I will share examples of native plant restoration and efforts to improve community defensibility in fire-prone areas like Santa Barbara,” she says. “I hope people are encouraged by the conversation and empowered to get involved in the work being done to restore our native ecosystems and reduce fire risk in our own communities.”
Schultheis, a Westmont alumna who earned a master’s degree in ecology and a doctorate in plant ecology from UC Santa Barbara, has played an integral role in the restoration of a fire-resilient oak woodland west of Westmont’s campus. She and her students have planted about 60 native coast live oaks where Montecito Fire removed dead and dying eucalyptus trees in the summer of 2023.
“Anytime you can plant an oak, you create another potential way to stop a spreading fire,” says Schultheis, a Westmont assistant professor of biology.
“While no plant serves as a complete barrier to fire, there is some evidence that healthy, mature oak canopies can slow the spread of fire compared to non-native species like eucalyptus.”
Last summer, Schultheis and student Isabella Garcia (’25) presented a paper, “Purposeful Planting: Characterizing Plant Flammability Using Functional Traits for Defensible Space,” at the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, one of the largest ecology conferences in the nation.
Other research has analyzed the structural and functional traits that contribute to the flammability of 20 Santa Barbara native plant species. This summer she and a team of Westmont undergraduates will expand on this work through a collaboration with researchers at UC Santa Barbara.
Schultheis has also published a paper on the effects of drought and opportunistic fungi on big berry manzanita shrubs.
The Westmont Foundation sponsors the talk, part of Westmont Downtown: Conversations about Things that Matter.
Craig
Miscellany (Continued from 8)
hits, professional dancers Alexandr Ivanov and Tammy Valladares led the charge, keeping the electronic light-up dance floor packed until the final song.
Thanks to the Firefighters and Founding board members Arlene Montesano, Ursula Nesbitt and Gail Kvistad and committee member Greg Hons, as well as attendees like Teran Davis and brother Tom, Nina Terzian, Sheila Herman, Lisa Scibird, and Mitch Morehart, the sold-out crowd ensured the event was a resounding success. By the time the last disco ball stopped spinning, it was clear that the “Disco Inferno” had successfully fueled the foundation’s mission to protect and serve the South Coast.
by Gail Kvistad
A Night of Song and Caesar
Opera Santa Barbara’s new production of Handel’s Caesar & Cleopatra reshaped the Lobero stage into a luminous vision of ancient Egypt under director and designer Josh Shaw
Framed by Helena Kuukka’s sculptural lighting and Stacy Logue’s opulent costumes, Shaw’s staging balanced Baroque spectacle with exotic locale. Props by T. Theresa Scarano and makeup by Heather Sterling completed the immersive aesthetic.
At its center stood Colin Ramsey’s Cesare, commanding and vocally
assured, navigating Handel’s demanding writing with amplitude and control. Anastasia Malliaras’s Cleopatra proved agile and dramatically quicksilver, tracing the queen’s shifting identities with musical imagination.
Kelly Guerra ’s poised Sesto and Christina Pezzarossi’s warmly burnished Cornelia added emotional depth, while Logan Tanner, Matthew Peterson , Alexandra Bass , and Christopher Walters rounded out a cohesive ensemble.
Conductor Emily Senturia led with rhythmic lift and transparency, sustaining the opera’s tension between public power and private feeling. By curtain call, the Lobero once again became what it can be at its best: an intimate civic theater transformed into mythic space.
Schultheis (center) with student researchers at the botanic garden
Laura Drake Schultheis
Scott
is manager of media relations at Westmont College
Getting ready to get down on the dance floor (photo by Priscilla)
The cast and crew taking in the final applause (photo by Priscilla)
The night of boogie helped raise funds for the Santa Barbara South Coast Firefighter Foundation (photo by Priscilla)
Julia Lieberman, Kostis Protopapas, and Jessica Hetrick (photo by Priscilla)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Calendar of Events
by Steven Libowitz
THURSDAY, MARCH 5
1st Thursday – No reason the concept of something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue has to be limited to weddings, right? So that’s the overlay for my view of March’s madness known as the monthly downtown art and culture self-guided tour. Under old standbys we have Sullivan Goss (11 E. Anapamu St.) which celebrates the opening of Sarah Vedder: State of Grace, the artist’s first solo show at the gallery in more than two decades, with Sidney Gordin, Phoebe Brunner, and the Spring Salon still on view. Also, Santa Barbara Historical Museum (136 E. De La Guerra St.), where the museum that keeps an eye on our local past tries something new with Santa Barbara “Street Names” Bingo. Visitors can play for prizes while learning local history, and also check out the latest exhibitions, The Gift: Recent Additions to Our Story and Ludmilla Pilat Welch: Serene Santa Barbara New to 1st Thursday is Waterlight Studio (18 W. Micheltorena), a location that extends 1st Thursday to its northernmost point to exhibit handcrafted ceramic vessels by Suzanne Schwager, whose intricate glazing technique is emergent from almost five decades of artistic practice. Also joining in for the first time is UCSB’s downtown destination at 410 State St., where officials from the uni will be on hand with conversation and beverages while soliciting community input as UCSB explores opportunities to bring academic, cultural, and research activities to the downtown area. Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners flagship location (14 W. Gutierrez St.) joins 1st Thursday with Night at the Cleaners, a whimsical peek behind the “seams,” allowing visitors to explore the local institution’s history, admire costumes from local theater productions, and watch seamstresses working their magic…
Borrowed are a bunch of vacant storefront spaces for artistic displays in a new “Window Beautification” program as part of State Street’s revitalization efforts. HQ for tonight’s reception is at 428 State St. where visitors can enjoy a glass of wine, listen to music, explore the available storefront, learn about leasing opportunities, and visit with the artists whose works can be seen as the initial locations (Brad Betts here at 428 State, Alli Berry at 1235 State, Miles Shapleigh at 913 State, and Elisa Rodriguez at 811-H Paseo Nuevo)... As for blue? We don’t know for sure, but it’s beyond likely that since the theme of this year’s Summer Solstice parade and festive weekend is “WAVE!” at least a few entries in the Solstice Poster Arts Reception (419 State St.) will feature our paradise-inducing Pacific. Enjoy light refreshments and cast your vote for your favorite.
WHEN: 5-8 pm
WHERE: Lower State Street and side streets
COST: free
INFO: (805) 962-2098 or www.downtownsb.org/events/1st-thursday
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
‘Family” Affair – The absurdly prolific British playwright Alan Ayckbourn – he’s about to open his 92nd theatrical work in England – was at one of his sharpest edges with 1987’s A Small Family Business, a fabulously funny farce that takes acute aim at the Thatcher administration of the era. The scrupulously honest Jack McCracken takes over his family’s furniture company and tries to run it with integrity only to discover the business is riddled with corruption to the nth degree, leading him and his family down a path of moral compromise and crime. As he uncovers affairs, embezzlements, extortion, corporate shenanigans, and other dishonest practices, Jack’s hold on his morality may be pushed past the breaking point, showing how minor ethical lapses can escalate into serious wrongdoing –perhaps too quaint in our own country’s current crisis. At the end of the day, will “family values” win out? SBCC’s department head Katie Laris directs the Theater Group’s production, with a cast a baker’s dozen strong that includes Anikka Abbott, Justin Stark, Jenna Scanlon, Raymond Wallenthin, and Nick Woolf WHEN: Opens 7:30 pm tonight, continues through March 21 WHERE: Garvin Theatre on SBCC’s West Campus, 721 of Cliff Dr. COST: $16-$29
INFO: (805) 965-5935 or www.theatregroupsbcc.com
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
Six-year Surf Film Surfaces – Perry Gershkow’s latest surf film Keeping in the Shadows, six years in the making, follows Santa Cruz superstar surfer Noah Wegrich on a globe-spanning journey through five countries, joined by an eclectic crew of talented surfers and close friends. The visually rich surf odyssey moves between moody landscapes and glowing, dreamlike sunset sessions, along the way incorporating travel chaos, early morning expeditions, long days in the water, and moments of intimate, unscripted conversations filled with humor, reflection and honesty. The result is a documentary that shows that while the talent among the crew runs deep, the camaraderie runs deeper. Keeping in the Shadows steps out of the shadows to go into the dark of the Alcazar Theatre for its Santa Barbara County premiere two weeks after its first screening in – where else? – Santa Cruz. A Q&A session with Gershkow follows.
COST: $20 general INFO: (805) 684-6380 or www.thealcazar.org
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
Sandoval Soldiers On – Cuban jazz superstars Chucho Valdés and Arturo Sandoval were to appear together at UCSB’s Campbell Hall as part of the Legacy Quintet, celebrating the remarkable accomplishments of the pair of performers more than 40 years since they last shared the stage as co-founding members of the legendary Afro-Cuban fusion group Irakere. Due to “unforeseen circumstances,” Valdés will be unable to appear in the planned late February, midMarch concerts. The Campbell Hall show was one of several that had ostensibly been rescheduled for June dates. But now comes word that trumpeter Sandoval – a 10-time Grammy Award winner, 2013 recipient of the Presidential Medal of
Rangers Expand Theirs – It’s been just shy of 14 years since the Steep Canyon Rangers brought their then-new collaboration with actor, comedian and accomplished banjoist Steve Martin – at the time a Montecito resident – to a sold-out show at the Granada Theatre. The intervening years have brought a whole lot more from the bluegrass band whose members hail from both the Appalachian and Piedmont regions of North Carolina. The Rangers have since incorporated myriad musical genres from the region into their former traditional-only approach, neatly sidling into the broader category of Americana songwriters. The band now boasts a catalog 14 albums strong, a Grammy award (along with two nominations), and two more collaborative recordings with Martin, who has periodically joined them on tour. He’s not scheduled to appear at tonight’s show at the Lobero, but since Martin still calls Santa Barbara his summer home, who knows?
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $45 & $55 ($107 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
Freedom and 2024 Kennedy Center honoree – will indeed still appear with the Legacy Quintet. The one-time protégé of Dizzy Gillespie and longtime Santa Barbara favorite will lead the ensemble through a remarkable array of music that evokes his (currently besieged) homeland and far beyond, honoring Cuba’s rich musical heritage with bold new compositions and inspired arrangements.
INFO: (805) 893-3535 or https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu
SUNDAY, MARCH 8
Bayou Bump – It’s Mardi Gras on a Sunday, albeit two weeks after the main event, as the Santa Barbara Jazz Society presents Bayou Bump, a New Orleans jazz/second line/R&B band based in Los Angeles. The octet – boasting collectively seven vocalists, three horns, four percussionists, guitar, banjo, accordion, piano, bass, drums and even a rubboard – bring the flavor of the Crescent City to the Society’s standard Sunday afternoon SOhO gathering, with zydeco coming under the genre’s banner today.
WHEN: 1-4 pm
WHERE: SOhO Restaurant & Music Club, 1221 State Street COST: $10-$25
INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11
Convergence Coalesces at Hatlen – The UCSB Dance Company, the 14-member pre-professional performing ensemble under the artistic direction of Delila Moseley, has put together its annual spring show, this time entitled Convergence: into the center. The richly varied concert of contemporary dance, six months in the making, serves as a showcase that boasts premieres by four guest choreographers, one faculty member, and an emerging choreographer. Seda Aybay (untitled), Ashley Lindsey (Shedding), Monique Meunier (Aura) and Meredith Ventura (Cadavre Exquis) all present new pieces, while the dancers will also perform a re-staging of choreography by Joshua Manculich (The Rate in Which I Am, originally commissioned by DanceWorks Chicago; he also dances the solo), Sophie Berls (CALL FOR:/ call 4) and alumna Annalise Evans (We Were Light).
The on-campus performances are offered as a prelude to the ensemble’s two-week plus tour of Europe and Asia next month, reaching new territory for the UCSB Dance Company via shows in Istanbul, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
WHEN: 8 pm tonight-Saturday, 2 pm Sunday
WHERE: UCSB Hatlen Theater
COST: $22 general, $13 seniors, children & students in advance; $25/$15 at the door
INFO: (805) 893-2064 or www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu
NOTE TO READERS
This entertainment calendar is a subjective sampling of arts and entertainment events taking place in the Santa Barbara area for the next seven days or so. It is by no means comprehensive. Please also see my feature stories elsewhere in this issue for more events. In order to be considered for inclusion in this calendar, please submit information – including hi-res photos –by 12 noon Wednesday eight days prior to publication date. Email: slibowitz@yahoo.com.
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