Pony’s Story – As storms batter the coast, Creek hears Pony’s origin story and a life shaped by loss and rescue in Chapter Three of Last Light, P.5
Welcome A-Board
New board leadership, power upgrades, Lotusland safety plans, and community concerns shape the Montecito Association’s January meeting, page 10
Pruning Perfection
Garden Club members join Master Rosarian Dan Bifano at Casa del Herrero for a morning of rose pruning, history, and horticultural wisdom, page 14
5 Montecito Reads – As rain lashes the coast, John Penbrook reveals the haunting origin story behind a life shaped by water in Chapter Three of Last Light in Paradise
Beings and Doings – From The Sound of Music to Shōgun, Emmy-winner Frederick E.O. Toye has made good on his dreams. And that’s just the S’s.
Montecito Miscellany – Five concertos, two nights, one triumph… Santa Barbara Symphony’s Beethoven marathon earns rave reviews
Meeting at MA – New board leadership, SCE power upgrades, Lotusland safety plans, and leaf blower debates shape MA’s 2026 agenda Tide Guide
Our Town – Despite fierce storms, over 100 volunteers document 178 bird species during Santa Barbara Audubon’s 126th annual count
The Society Edit – Master Rosarian Dan Bifano shares
On Entertainment – Doublewide Kings go Southern, jazz giants unite, comedy hits the Lobero, and classical heavyweights return
18 Your Westmont – The President’s Breakfast presents Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Bret Stephens, and a professor works to keep MLK’s dream alive
19 Spirituality Matters – Sound healing, soul awakening, visioning, and Buddhist teachings anchor Santa Barbara’s winter spirituality offerings
20 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – A vintage hammer, a broken heart, and the surprising museums that collect objects infused with personal loss
22 Library Mojo – Meet the librarian behind Hot Off the Press, SBPL’s wildly popular adult crafting program now expanding countywide
24 Foraging Thyme – Escarole shines in winter, especially in this bright lemony white bean soup
25 Far Flung Travel – High cliffs, close calls, and conservation success mark an unforgettable meeting with Sespe’s elusive desert bighorns
27 State News – Nearly 800 new California laws take effect in 2026, reshaping housing, wages, food, AI, and everyday life
30 The Giving List – A foster-first rescue saving dogs from euthanasia through intensive care, training, and a 100% rehoming success rate
32 Petite Wine Traveler – Sparkling wines for every table – from Dry January-friendly bubbles to Champagne moments worth savoring
35 News Bytes – Environmental honors, a beloved owl remembered, conservation leadership, tribal stewardship, and new community board
36 Calendar of Events – Impressionist masterpieces, blues-rock legends, mariachi milestones, bold choreography, and boundarycrossing performances fill the 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 – Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer
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 Three
In the night, the rains became scatter-shot on a serious wind. Not for the last time, Creek wondered how deep the pilings to the pier were driven, how thick the screws in the cleats were, and how strong the knots holding Harvey’s lines were. And then he remembered that Harvey and John had left hours ago, and wondered if the old diesel was still a match for these big seas.
He gathered up his sleeping bag for warmth and walked to the kitchen. He poured a cup of cold coffee, sat in the big chair, put the bag across him, and listened to the house stand up to the storm.
John had been waiting when Creek returned, and Creek had seen from his expression the old man’s reticence to know any more than what he’d already imagined. Creek gave him the soft report and said he would bring the body over for burial in a day or so, when Sheriff Wade released it.
After a long silence, John spoke. “I’m not a man to brood on the Maker’s thinking, so much. Seen enough from ranching half a century to know my plans have little bearing on what fate decides is fair or not fair. But the irony is not lost to me – that a boy nearly dead came to us by water has now left us for good by the very same waters.”
Creek had asked what he meant by that. John cocked his head inquisitively, then stood and walked to the window. He stared down at the dock for a long minute.
“You ever heard the full story?”
“Maybe not,” Creek said.
“But you know how he came to us. I mean the three of them.”
“Versions. I’ve heard versions.”
Now, after a couple hours of sleep, John’s story haunted Creek. Penbrook had a lullaby voice, but in the telling there was so much sadness at the loss or the imagined reason for the loss that Creek became angry over the essential injustice of making such a good man have such heartache. He knew John’s wife, Sonora, would hurt worse, for she had
Montecito Reads Page 314
Scan here for Chapters 1 & 2
Beings and Doings
The Fred Toye Shogunate
by Jeff Wing
Meeting one’s hero can be perilous. On paper, anyway. “I wrote him a letter,” Fred Toye explains. Let’s call Fred’s outreach a
Message in a Bottle. The earnest missive was written, after all, to Robert Wise – storied Hollywood director of The Sound of Music, West Side Story, The Sand Pebbles, The Day the Earth Stood Still. Wise edited Citizen Kane. You get the idea.
The likelihood of Fred’s dispatch reaching Mr. Wise was that of a sealed note hurled blindly into mountainous seas. It’s as if Fred’s mother hadn’t raised the young man to understand the curtailing limits of this plain brown wrapper we call Life. Right? Excuse me, but it’s not all red carpets, sky-sweeping Klieg lights, and-and-and… fancy little statuettes, is it? Um…I guess I should let Fred talk a little.
“This was in ‘88 or something like that. I sent him a handwritten letter. You know, ‘Hi, my name’s Fred Toye. I want to meet you someday. I’m a huge fan of your work. This is what I experienced in watching your movie. I want to be a director someday, too.’”
Spoiler alarm (or whatever It’s called). Toye is today an Emmy-winning director, having been handed the statuette for his work on the resplendent FX series
Shōgun. In fact, by the end of the 76th Emmy ceremony, Shōgun had made history as the most awarded single season of television in Emmy history. Forgive the exclamatory italics, but c’mon.
But it’s 1988. Fred is not an Emmywinning director with a lockjaw-producing CV, but a fledgling Production Assistant. In a Century City movie theater, he’d taken in a lengthy film he alone in all the world seemed to have missed on the first couple of go-rounds. By the time Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews are cresting the wildflower-strewn Alps with the Von Trapp kids, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” soaring like a benediction, Fred has been emotionally and
creatively delaminated by the film. Loosely following Spielberg’s famous unannounced appearance at the Malibu door of Ben-Hur director William Wyler in the late seventies (“Well, come on in Steve. Let’s talk movies…”), Fred pours himself into a letter to Robert Wise, who will welcome the wonderstruck young fan with similar grace, sharing with Fred – over many visits – inside Hollywood anecdotes, career guidance, and burgeoning friendship. The whole episode still stuns Toye.
“It was all because I wrote that letter. I just stuck it in the mail. Two weeks later, the phone rings and it’s Robert Wise.” Fred mimes putting the phone to his ear. “’Hello?’ ‘Fred, it’s Bob! I love your letter! Come in and talk to me! I’m on Robertson! Why don’t you come on Tuesday?’” Recalling that first visit, the Emmy winner’s eyes widen. “He had the little marionettes from the The Sound of Music on his desk.”
Red Carpets and Sky-Sweeping Klieg Lights.
The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards find the Television Academy’s membership besotted. Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series ( Hiroyuki Sanada ),
Hills are Alive! The great Robert Wise with future director Frederick Toye. That’s Wise on the left (courtesy photo)
“These aren’t the ‘bots we were promised...” Fred shooting Westworld (courtesy photo)
Montecito Miscellany
Beethoven Marathon at the Granada
by Richard Mineards & Friends
Over two remarkable days at the Granada Theatre, the Santa Barbara Symphony achieved something genuinely rare: a complete traversal of all five piano concertos by Ludwig van Beethoven, performed with sustained intensity, clarity, and cohesion – and embraced by audiences with near-unanimous enthusiasm.
The Beethoven Piano Concerto Marathon this past week drew nearly sold-out houses both nights, with 540 patrons committing to the full two-concert journey. That level of attendance alone signaled anticipation; what followed exceeded it. Listeners described the experience in superlatives – “mind-blowing,” “thrilled and completely absorbed,” “flawless and moving,” and even “one of the Symphony’s best-ever performances.”
The ambition of the format was central to its success. Five concertos over two days demand not only virtuoso soloists but extraordinary stamina and focus from the orchestra. Under the steady, galvanizing leadership of Music & Artistic Director Nir Kabaretti, the Symphony met the challenge with vigor and tenacity. Musicians navigated five distinct sound worlds – youthful sparkle, lyrical introspection, heroic grandeur – with precision and expressive unity, never sounding fatigued, always sounding engaged.
Equally compelling was the caliber of the young guest pianists, each an international competition winner or medalist. From the dramatic urgency of the C minor Third
to the radiant authority of the “Emperor,” audiences marveled at the depth, individuality, and maturity of these emerging artists. Rather than feeling episodic, the weekend unfolded as a cohesive narrative –Beethoven’s evolution rendered in sound –thanks in large part to Kabaretti’s shaping hand and the orchestra’s responsiveness. What lingered most after the final E-flat chords was a sense of shared accomplishment: artists and audience participating together in an event of scale, risk, and reward. The Marathon was not merely a programming feat; it was a statement of artistic confidence and vision. For Santa Barbara concertgoers, it proved exhilarating – and for the Symphony, affirming – a reminder of what is possible when ambition meets excellence. by Renee Cooper
Richard sends his thanks for your many cards and good wishes, they are deeply appreciated. He reports that he’s improving every day, though there’s plenty of therapy ahead. Please continue sending your news and updates to his ever-helpful sidekick, Priscilla (805city@gmail.com).
Howard Jay Smith, Jennifer Miller Hammel, Kathryn R Martin, and Nir Kabaretti (photo by Priscilla)
Kim Kebler, Robert Adams, Gretchen Lieff, Kathryn R Martin, Rodney Baker, Robert Ooley, and Janet Garufis (photo by Priscilla)
Meeting at MA
New Board and More at January Meeting
by Houghton Hyatt
The Montecito Association held its Annual Meeting and January Board Meeting on January 13, 2026, welcoming community members, announcing election results, and hearing updates from key agencies and partners on issues impacting Montecito.
The meeting opened with the 2025 Montecito Association Annual Meeting, during which prior minutes were approved and board actions ratified. The president reported on 2025 accomplishments, including the formation of a Safety Committee, ongoing efforts to secure a local sheriff’s substation, and the expansion of community meetings and advocacy efforts. The treasurer shared that the Association’s finances are strong, with membership increasing each year and membership contributions increasing 31%.
Election results were announced, with 643 ballots cast by members. Newly elected directors include – Mindy Denson, Patrice Serrani, Rock Rockenbach, Chris Albertson, Cliff Ghersen, and
Heather Sourial Craigie. Five directors were elected to three-year terms, and one director was elected to a one-year term.
2026 Officers were also announced – President: Bill Macfadyen; First Vice President: Leslie Lundgren; Second Vice President: Patrice Serrani; Secretary: Mindy Denson; Treasurer: Bill Herting
Three directors – Doug Black, Andrea Newquist, and Cheryl Trosky – completed their terms of service to the board. We also bid farewell to Melissa Miller, who had to step down from the board for personal reasons. They were all thanked for their time, leadership, and dedication, which have made meaningful impacts on our organization and the broader community. We are deeply grateful for their commitment and the thoughtful contributions they brought to the board.
During the January meeting, representatives from Southern California Edison (SCE) presented plans to modernize Montecito’s electrical infrastructure by upgrading circuits from 4KV to 16KV, increasing capacity and reliability. The project will also include removal of the Schoolhouse Road substation, anticipated
by 2029. SCE explained that the upgrade will better support modern energy needs such as EV chargers and ADUs and improve overall system resilience. While undergrounding is not currently planned for Montecito circuits, board members raised questions about costs and feasibility, and SCE noted that targeted undergrounding has been approved elsewhere and could be advocated for locally. The project is expected to be completed by 2028, and SCE will need access to residential properties to inspect equipment and move the work forward.
Representatives from Lotusland shared updates on fire safety and infrastructure improvements. Tree removal along Sycamore Canyon was completed with county permits to reduce fire risk and improve safety. Replanting efforts are underway and will include native oak woodland, hedgerows, and rare plant species. Lotusland also outlined plans for on-site water storage and biofiltration systems, including underground reservoirs to capture and manage runoff. The iconic pink wall, originally designed by George Washington Smith, will be repainted as part of the improvements.
A resident raised concerns about the noise and environmental impacts of gas-powered leaf blowers in Montecito. While the City of Santa Barbara has a ban in place, enforcement and regulations differ in unincorporated areas. County representatives shared that Supervisor Roy Lee’s office has experience addressing this issue, including helping pass a ban in Carpinteria, and is supportive of exploring solutions for parts of the county. Board members discussed possible approaches, including decibel limits and time-of-day restrictions. The issue will be discussed further with relevant county departments, and residents working on this topic will be connected to collaborate.
Community Partner Reports:
- Montecito Fire (Chief Neels ): Reported approximately eight inches of rain from recent storms with no residential flooding and announced the
Montecito Tide Guide
annual chipping program beginning in February (information below).
- Santa Barbara County Sheriff (Lt. Brittingham): Warned of a recent scam that defrauded a resident of $27,000, noted towing enforcement at Hot Springs, and shared that construction is underway on the Miramar sheriff’s substation.
- Montecito Sanitary District: Introduced new sanitary Board President Rock Rockenbach and announced the first-rate study since 2016.
- Montecito Union School District: Reported strong literacy outcomes, plans to hire a new music teacher, and cost-saving measures to build reserves.
- Supervisor Lee’s Office: Provided updates on Butterfly Beach drainage, vandalism concerns at Hot Springs, and ongoing negotiations related to the Montecito Association’s facility lease.
The Board will hold a January retreat to set priorities for 2026. The 2026 budget will be reviewed at the retreat and brought forward for approval at the next board meeting, in February. Our members receive a weekly community email – not a member? Sign up at www. montecitoassociation.org.
newspaper
Executive Editor/CEO | Gwyn Lurie
gwyn@montecitojournal.net
President/COO | Timothy Lennon Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net
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 Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary)
expert edifiers at 1206 Coast
EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net
Back: Heather Sourial Craigie, Tom Bollay, Candy Hedrick, Cliff Ghersen, Jillian Whitman, Greg Prince, Mindy Denson (Secretary), Bill Herting (Treasurer), Houghton Hyatt (ED), Rock Rockenbach, Joe Pennino; Front: Chris Albertson, Patrice Serrani (2nd VP), Leslie Lundgren (1st VP), Bill Macfadyen (President), Jacqueline Duran, Laura Bode, Dorene White
Houghton Hyatt is the Executive Director of the Montecito Association
Ian Shaw AND Joseph Nixon
Our Town
The 126th Annual SB Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count 2026
by Joanne A Calitri
As we go to press, Libby Patten, head of the Santa Barbara Christmas Bird Count (CBC) reports 178 species of birds were found in our National Audubon designated area, including rare species of Brant, Caspian Tern, and Black-legged Kittiwake. Volunteer birders were out over the course of seven days counting birds in extreme weather conditions, which affected the number of species counted this year. Patten explains it in regard to bird species missing in the annual count, “The weather was the most challenging we’ve ever experienced on any CBC, with very high winds, several inches of rain on top of record-breaking rainfall in the preceding weeks, flooding, and road closures. Many mountain areas were inaccessible and our boat for the pelagic bird counting could not go out because of dangerous conditions. All of these factors reduced our species total to the lowest number in more than 40 years, so many species we typically get were missed. Still, the heroic efforts of many talented birders allowed us to count more species than seemed achievable considering the harsh conditions.” Patten reminds everyone who cares about birds to, “Plant native plants in your garden, don’t use pesticides, and put out sources of fresh water.”
The SB CBC Team leaders this year were:
Libby Patten, who heads the SB CBC, and is a coordinator/compiler for North SB and the Boat team; Steve Hovey, coordinator and compiler for South SB and Montecito; Glenn Kincaid, scouting coordinator, head data coordinator, and the compiler for the Mountain teams; Wim van Dam, coordinator for the Mountain teams; Judy Chen, coordinator/compiler for North Goleta; and Ben Byerly, coordinator/compiler for South Goleta.
Joining with Patten, Hovey, van Dam, Chen, and Byerly were over 100 volunteers counting birds across the designated area. Of the 100 peeps, five
Our Town Page 264
Libby Patten
Glenn Kincaid at Kinevan Road
PROTECTING YOUR HEART THROUGH CANCER TREATMENT UNDERSTANDING
THE ROLE OF A CARDIO-ONCOLOGIST
Elizabeth Hutchins, MD, PhD Cardiology, Cardio-Oncology Cottage Cardiology Clinic - Santa Barbara
Thursday, February 19, 2026
4 - 5 p.m.
REGISTER AT:
cottagehealth.org/heartmtd
Join us for a free virtual Meet the Doctor to learn how to keep your heart healthy during and after cancer treatment.
Dr. Elizabeth Hutchins, our region’s only cardiologist specializing in cardio-oncology, will share how she partners with oncologists to deliver comprehensive and personalized care.
• Understand why hear t health matters before, during and after cancer treatment
• Discover how coordinated care between your oncologist and cardiologist supports better outcomes
• Get practical tips on how to protect your heart through treatment
• Ask your questions in a confidential setting
The Society Edit
Rose Pruning with Dan Bifano
by Joanne A Calitri
Master Rosarian Dan Bifano – Montecito’s internationally renowned rose expert –shared his sage knowledge about everything roses at Casa del Herrero (CDH) in conjunction with the Garden Club of Santa Barbara (GCSB), on Monday morning, January 19. The collaboration with Bifano, GCSB, and CDH was initiated by Mari McAlister , member of GCSB and prior board member at CDH.
Bifano has been featured in my news column for the Montecito Journal. He is known and respected for his expertise in cultivating spectacular roses via his signature plant fertilizer mix, pruning tips, and of course his intuitive relationship with roses.
At the event, CDH Executive Director Natalie Sanderson shared, “The legacy of Carrie Robb Howard Steedman’s (1874-1962), the wife of George Fox Steedman (1871-1940), passion for gardening and the power of nature we continue to honor with
the rose cutting garden and all the beautiful gardens at CDH. It was such a delightful and educational time pruning the roses with Dan Bifano’s skillful instruction and the help from the wonderful women of the Garden Club SB who were here today. We are so grateful for their ongoing hands-on support at CDH.”
The Garden Club of SB President Vicki Hough explained the GCSB was established in 1916, as an official chapter of the Garden Club of America. The local chapter has done volunteer gardening at CDH over the years, including the Arizona Garden. Hough has been a member of the club since 2013. Members helping to prune the roses with Hough, Bifano, and Sanderson were Mari McAlister, Betsy Bingham, Susanne Tobey, and Elizabeth McGovern, and CDH Head Gardener José Aguilar. Bifano is originally from the East Coast, and at six years old, his family moved to the Montecito home of a retired botanist said to be filled with many gardens. The rose garden there had 100 species of roses, and thus Bifano’s passion for roses began.
Where Mountains Meet the Sea
Paintings
by
Ann Shelton Beth | Nancy Davidson
Rick Delanty | Camille Dellar | Rick Garcia
Derek Harrison | Wyllis Heaton | Ray Hunter
Craig Nelson | Ann Sanders
Thomas Van Stein | Ralph Waterhouse January 22, 2026 through March 29,2026
His pro tips for our readers:
1. Location, location, location! Plant all roses in the sun.
2. Prune by the geographical location. Here in Montecito, Bifano says he usually prunes three to four feet high on a single cane that doesn’t have too many laterals, removing as much old and non-productive growth to make room for new, strong growth.
3. He advises to trim above the bud.
4. Try to cut off the older canes as much as possible, which are grey and less colorful, to make room for new growth; however, don’t overdo it.
5. Trim the leaves off on January 1 and prune the canes a few weeks later.
Dan Bifano demonstrating how low and where to prune rose bushes (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
José Aguilar, Mari McAlister, Betsy Bingham, Vicki Hough, Dan Bifano, Natalie Sanderson, Elizabeth McGovern, and Susanne Tobey (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
Dan Bifano guides Natalie Sanderson on pruning more colorful rose bushes (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
On Entertainment Kings of Playin’
by Steven Libowitz
If you haven’t heard or at least heard of the Doublewide Kings, you must be living under the proverbial rock, and not the kind that has fueled the Montecito/Santa Barbara-based classic rock ensemble for the last two decades or so. DWK has been DIY-ing it better than ever in the last few years, going from basically a pub and party band that focuses on boisterous and harmony-filled roots-rock, Americana, country-blues and, mostly, the glory days of ‘70s FM radio to one that fills the city’s sizeable concert halls and music rooms, and almost every possibly organized outdoor venue.
Over the last three autumns, the Kings have even created a whole new thing for our little burg in its collaboration with the Santa Barbara Symphony that reached a pinnacle in November 2025 with a sold-out salute to the psychedelic era (Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, Procol Harum, etc.) complete with original and well-known arrangements of the classic songs of the era. (“I don’t know how we’re going to top that one,” admitted Palmer Jackson Jr., the Montecito guitarist-singer who co-founded the band way back when. “But we’ve got some ideas that are rolling around.”)
No doubt, but probably not rolling around as rapidly as the sextet shows up at important gigs throughout the year, with a résumé over the last umpteen months that includes venues from SOhO to the Lobero to the Marjorie Luke to Carpinteria’s Alcazar Theatre, not to mention the Bellosguardo Estate at the top of the eastern end of East Beach. Then there’s the festivals, which run from Fiesta to the Stow House, Avocado Fest, and even Elings Park.
This time around, the Kings are returning to conquer the Marjorie Luke Theatre again on Saturday, January 24, in a fundraising concert supporting the final phase of the Luke’s LED lighting project, an initiative that reduces the theatre’s environmental footprint, lowers operating costs, and enhances the lighting quality for artists and audiences alike. It’s their first-ever Southern Rock special, an evening devoted to music from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker Band, Allman Brothers, Outlaws, and the like, a guitar-centric, rowdy night. They might even dip into their original catalog for a South-leaning song called “High Water Blues.” The “six fairly nice guys [with] one big mean sound” (their words) have a trio of special guests joining in: George Friedenthal on keys, Claudia Taylor on flute, and Bill Flores on pedal steel, sax, and assorted other instruments.
VIP tickets include premium seats, an invitation to the pre-event sound check, and admission to a private post-event party with the artists at Arnoldi’s Café.
Here are excerpts from a tongue-tucked-lightly-in-the-cheek interview with Jackson, the Montecito man who just happens to also be the executive chairman of the Granada Theatre and Symphony board member (hence the Granada-Symphony collab) as well as managing trustee of the Ann Jackson Family Foundation.
Q. You’ve done Southern Rock songs in your regular sets before. Now it’s a whole night.
A. One of the reasons we do these shows in general is it forces us to go learn new music and prepare it which often becomes part of our repertoire. We’ve done “Sweet Home
Entertainment Page 294
The Doublewide Kings head to the Marjorie Luke for some Southern tunes (photo by Baron Spafford)
Next Generation Jazz Legacy Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane
Miles Davis and John Coltrane Centennial
Tue, Jan 27 / 7:30 PM / Granada Theatre
“Drawing on her formidable range of vocal color, DiDonato captures the drama within each song, and across the cycle.”
The Guardian (U.K.)
“With their staggering technique and freewheeling genre-crossing, it’s hard not to be swept up in the force of their contagious energy.”
NPR on Time for Three
“For an hour the audience sat spellbound by a display of focused virtuosity that was so extraordinary it shouldn’t have been possible.”
The Times (U.K.)
HHHHH
Emily – No Prisoner Be
Thu, Feb 5 / 7 PM / Granada Theatre
FREE for all students (with valid ID)
Debut Performance of U.S. Tour Nicola Benedetti, violin Director, Edinburgh International Festival
Wed, Jan 28 / 7 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall
“Liu can do the impeccable glitter, but his playing is more than pyrotechnics. It is powerful, polished, and emanates from a disciplined mind.”
The Telegram
Winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition Bruce Liu
Thu, Feb 12 / 7 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall Program includes: Ligeti, Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Ravel, Albéniz and Liszt
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Your Westmont Breakfast Features Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
World-renowned journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Bret Stephens will offer a morning of inspiration and stimulating insights at the 21st annual Westmont President’s Breakfast on Friday, February 27, from 7-9 am at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.
Tickets, which cost $150 per person, go on sale Friday, January 30, at 9 am at westmont.edu/breakfast. With high demand and limited seating, tickets will sell quickly on a first-come, firstserved basis.
Stephens, whose distinguished career has focused on global affairs, domestic politics, and culture, will offer a panoramic view of America’s place in a rapidly shifting world. He has worked as a journalist for more than three decades, including four years as the Wall Street Journal ’s deputy editorial page editor and foreign affairs columnist, which earned him the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.
Before that, at age 28, he was editorin-chief of the Jerusalem Post, where he oversaw the paper’s news, editorial, digital, and international operations, and also wrote a weekly column.
He wrote the provocative bestseller America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder, which examines the consequences of the
United States stepping back from its traditional role of global leader. His fearless commentary has earned him numerous accolades: three honorary doctorates, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and a lifetime ban from entering Russia in 2022 for his searing critiques of the invasion of Ukraine.
Stephens, who was raised in Mexico City and educated at the University of Chicago and the London School of Economics, brings a global perspective shaped by lifelong engagement with international issues. He serves on several academic advisory boards and co-founded the Renew Democracy Initiative, devoted to strengthening democratic principles worldwide.
The Westmont Foundation, which sponsors the breakfast along with generous local businesses and community members, creates dynamic forums for engaging today’s most pressing ideas in the Santa Barbara community.
Past President’s Breakfast speakers include the late Gen. Colin Powell, the late David McCullough, the late Daniel Kahneman, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Condoleezza Rice (twice), David Brooks, David Haas, Walter Isaacson, Thomas Friedman, Robert Gates, Gen. Stan McChrystal, Gen. Michael Hayden , Peggy Noonan , Nancy Koehn, and Michael Lewis.
BMO is this year’s Lead Sponsor. Special thanks to U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management. Gold sponsors include Baker Hill, Alfred and Mary Barbour, Davies, David and Anna Grotenhuis, HUB International Insurance Services Inc., La Arcada Plaza, MATT Construction, and Reicker Pfau.
For information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Steve Baker ,
Westmont Page 284
Bret Stephens (courtesy photo)
President Gayle D. Beebe at last year’s breakfast
Spirituality Matters
Time, Intention, and Sound for the Soul with Thomson
by Steven Libowitz
Montecito’s Ragan Thomson, who has for years led a mission-driven enterprise dedicated to global healing, conscious impact, and spiritual transformation, conducts regular spiritual teachings and events as well as one-on-one sessions to help individuals awaken to their true essence and align with their highest purpose.
In addition to opportunities at her Montecito estate and online, Thomson runs a Rapid Healing with Mantra and Meditation session every fourth Sunday of the month at 12 pm at Unity of Santa Barbara Spiritual Community Center. The events are timed to support rest and reflection and provide opportunity for deeper integration to anchor the week ahead in peace, clarity, and alignment.
That concept expands with a special event slated for the same space on the evening of Friday, January 23, with “Divine I Am: Awaken the Soul Within,” a one-day immersive retreat designed to support participants at the beginning of the new year with an invitation to pause, release what no longer serves, and align with the deeper truth of your being. The intention is to turn away from the noise of daily life to enter into a field of profound healing, clarity, and soul awakening to step fully into the threshold of the new year.
The retreat is organized to be both grounding and expansive, weaving together guided practices, sound, movement, and stillness to ease access to your highest inner truth. Activities include guided intention and gentle practices; a guided infusion of pure, loving light; simple breathwork and supportive sound; grounded practices that honor the planet’s energy; steps to move from insight to integration; and anchoring in community and belonging through shared intention and gentle reflection to strengthen your commitment to living from the soul.
“Divine I Am: Awaken the Soul Within” also features a special musical guest in Ojai’s The Brothers Koren, Isaac and Thorald, who once experienced the glitter and glory of the pop music world in their band called The Kin, which enjoyed a Gold Record, arena tours as a support act, and songs on major movie soundtracks. But the siblings eventually traded chasing approval for supporting others in finding and expressing their true voice and
authentic nature in music through a variety of projects and workshops.
More than simply offering songs, this artist will serve as a co-facilitator of awakening through sound, weaving music as a channel for healing, activation, and transformation throughout the day. And The Brothers Koren will also lead a one-hour immersive “Voice as Portal” experience, one that bypasses the thinking mind and opens the heart directly. Participants are invited to enter a shared field of vibration and harmony, as music becomes medicine and sound becomes a bridge between heaven and Earth.
The experience is similar to what the Koren siblings do with their own workshops.
“It’s an introduction on how to quiet the small voices in our heads – the ones that say not to do things, like sing in public – in order to discover your big voice,” Isaac Koren explained years ago for a similar event.
For more details about the event, and to register, visit https://raganthomson.com/divine-iam-awaken-the-soul-within
The proceeds from “Awaken the Soul Within” will be split between Your Big Voice Foundation, the Brothers Koren’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit devoted to bringing the healing power of music and authentic expression to underserved communities around the world, and Unity Spiritual Center of Santa Barbara.
Unity also hosts a timely gathering on February 4 called “Where is Hope” part of the Vibrant Living Series with Hollister Rand, whose books include Everything You Wanted to Know about the Afterlife But Were Afraid to Ask. Rand will address such questions as, “Where is hope? How do we find it? Can the spirits help us experience hope in our daily lives?” by providing spontaneous messages from loved ones in spirit, ancestors, and guides, and sharing simple ways to access the hope of the spirits to sustain us during challenging times. Visit www.santabarbaraunity.org
Get Board to Grow
Sure, the year is already three weeks long, but it’s not too late to try your hand at a vision board to provide guidance and support in keeping intentions and growth goals at the forefront for 2026. Amisha Sera Luna, who regularly leads community singing circles both indoors (every 1st and 3rd Sunday resuming in February) and periodically at local parks, hosts a January 24 Vision Board
Creation gathering at the studio at 209 Anacapa Street, adjacent to Yoga Soup. Participants will create collages with magazine art, paint, drawing, and words with intention and creativity to serve as an always available visual guide through the year. Some magazines are provided, but creators are invited to bring images that are personally meaningful if desire. Scissors and glue sticks will also be available at the free event, although more tools and donations are also accepted.
Visit www.amishaseraluna.com
The Bodhi Path Lineage
Santa Barbara Bodhi Path Center’s resident teacher Dawa Tarchin Phillips leads an introduction to the Bodhi Path lineage, which is rooted in the authentic Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and grounded in the Mahayana path of wisdom and compassion. The evening class on February 12 offers an opportunity to learn how these lineage teachings cultivate right view, ethical conduct, and altruistic motivation, and how they can be meaningfully integrated into everyday life for the benefit of all beings.
The two-hour session also offers an excellent pathway into the first weekend workshop of the year in the ongoing, rolling Bodhi Path Santa Barbara’s MultiYear Curriculum, which is designed to offer western lay students a comprehensive foundation for dharma study and practice. “Karma and Its Results with Phillips,” which takes place February 21-22, explores the Buddha’s teachings on karma as precise guidance for understanding how volitional actions give rise to results. Participants will see how insight into karma naturally expresses itself as beneficial conduct in daily life and, in turn, supports and deepens meditation practice.
Visit www.bodhipath.org/sb for details, other events, and future curriculum dates
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Elizabeth’s Appraisals Vaughan Claw Hammer
by Elizabeth Stewart
has a vintage Vaughan claw hammer, a “California Framer,” circa 1940, and she has used it this January for a very specific reason. This Christmas, she was given a handmade wooden birdhouse from her husband, who has begun the New Year with another woman. The hammer was responsible for knocking down the birdhouse (no birds harmed!) and JE feels just a little bit better. JE, who lives in Santa Barbara, wants to know if she can donate the hammer to a museum now that it has “done its work.”
Likely the strangest request I have ever received, however, JE, there is a museum which will gladly accept the 20” hammer: The Museum of Broken Relationships, both a physical place and a touring exhibition of objects that have spurred personal narratives of break-ups, losses, divorce, and heartbreak. Although the museum’s permanent home is in Zagreb, Croatia, JE may offer the hammer to this museum as it regularly tours the large cities of the world: Tokyo, San Francisco, Berlin, Paris, London, and Shanghai. In Berlin, heartbroken people donated many items as the show opened. In total the museum contains 3,500 items donated by individuals from around the world, and these objects must include a memento or a story to be accepted into the collection.
The museum’s brilliant premise was the result of a broken relationship: two Croatian lovers, Olinka Vistica and Drazen Grubisic, two artists, fell in love over 20 years ago, and broke up in 2003. Olinka gave away all the trinkets he had given her, to friends, but when Drazen suggested they form a museum of their gifts to each other, all friends
Join Jamie Knee, Petite
sent back the objects. Thinking it a fun lark, the two friends, no longer lovers, toured the collection through the coffeehouses of Zagreb. Surprisingly, other brokenhearted people offered to donate objects and stories to the tour; friends lobbied the cultural council for a permanent museum space, but were laughed off. So the non-couple bought a space for a private museum of their own in Zagreb in 2010. The museum opened a second permanent location in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2024.
The museum is a great success, and now JE may donate the Vaughan hammer with her story; there are two ways to donate – one is to actually send the item, which is called a “donation of material remains,” and this method must come with locations, details, stories (where and when and what). The other way to donate and immortalize one’s pain is to upload images and documents, including pieces of the personal collection around the object.
The mission statement of the museum is to document the fragility of human relationships, and to think about it, our relationships carry political, cultural, and social mores and customs; our stories and woes tell of our identities and our catharsis.
Details of the hammer? JE wants to know if she is giving away a valuable piece of Americana: it is worth $50, and is the result of the Vaughan & Bushnell Manufacturing Co., founded in 1869, priding itself on using only American labor. The logo on the hammer does not tell us its age because the company has used the same one for years.
If The Museum of Broken Relationships will not accept the hammer or if it is just too far to send the hammer to Zagreb, JE might think about a donation to a museum closer to home (Culver City), The Museum of Jurassic Technology, which I personally visited years ago with my mother, a very logical mathematician/musician who did not understand why a museum would show unreal displays like Pronged Ants, or photos of horned humans, and a culinary display of Mice on Toast. In fact, mom was insulted because a museum should be – she thought – about facts not fiction. The museum, run by David Wilson, is a work of genius for the very reason that my mom was insulted. The place makes you question the role of museums, and indeed role of TRUTH, and how TRUTH is presented. If you are interested, visit, but before you go read Lawrence Weschler’s Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder (1995) riffing on the foundation of our modern museum as a cabinet of curiosities, a rich man’s passion born in the 15th century. I love this material: it makes me question illusion, bias, the reason for collecting, and the desire to display. JE will let me know which museum she chooses for her hammer, a great memento.
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
The vintage Vaughan claw hammer
“Last Light in Paradise is drop-dead perfect. In all my years of investigating for the United States and the President–this is the kind of novel you go to for truth, heart, and the deep pleasure of a master storyteller.”
– Richard C. LaMagna
Former Director of Counternarcotics White House National Security Council and former Deputy Chief of Intelligence DEA HQ
– Fannie Flagg
Now available at Chaucer’s Books, Tecolote Book Shop and Godmothers
Library Mojo Hot Off the Press
Q&A with Elizabeth McFadden
by Jace Turner
In January 2025, Santa Barbara Public Library (SBPL) launched a pilot crafting series for adults titled, Hot Off the Press (HOTP). The purpose of the program was to offer library-goers trendy, elevated crafting workshops that would give adults the supplies and cutting-edge machines from the Library’s Maker Space to let their creativity flourish. Past workshops included constructing miniature bookshelves from laser-cut wood, crafting jewelry with custom-designed acrylic charms, decorating alarm clocks with silicone glue to look like whipped cake frosting, and making stained glass fairytale images. The program has grown a large following, with workshops usually filling up within an hour of registration opening, making HOTP a staple adult crafting series in downtown Santa Barbara. This year, HOTP is expanding to SBPL’s Montecito and Eastside branches, bringing unique and imaginative crafts to a wider community. During Valentine’s Day week, Montecito Library will host “Love at First Sniff” on Wednesday, February 11, from 10 am to 12 pm. Participants will learn how to make scented candles inspired by their favorite love poem or romance book. The best part about HOTP: the program is free and all supplies are provided! Registration is required and can be completed online through the Santa Barbara Public Library events calendar.
We caught up with HOTP program creator, Library Technician Elizabeth McFadden, and asked her a few questions.
Q. What was the inspiration behind HOTP? What did you hope to accomplish with this program?
A. I was inspired by emerging trends in DIY crafts on social media. There was a lot of demand from the community, with calls coming in asking if we had anything artsy and fun for adults. So I got to work developing a series of workshops that would make these viral crafts accessible to the public and allow adults to unwind, meet new folks, and feel creative after work. Library staff would provide the instruction, all the supplies, and a mini lecture or presentation. I wanted people to make crafts that they didn’t need prior skills or knowledge about but that they could complete within two hours, feel proud of, and keep as a testament to their creativity. For example, at one of our earliest
workshops, we made book brooches from scratch and people painted their favorite book cover on the front. Several adults expressed hesitation, saying they had never painted anything before. By the end of the workshop, they had all produced amazing mini book brooches, and everyone walked out of the library feeling like they had accomplished something. To this day, I see several program participants on the street wearing their brooches or displaying them on their bags. A regular HOTP participant even said that they had been asked where one could purchase their book brooch, to which they replied, “You can only make this at SBPL!”
If you had to pick a favorite HOTP, which was it and why?
Ooh that is a hard one! There are two workshops that really stand out to me. In April of 2025, we had a special edition workshop led by local artist Barbara Martinez (@ahappymush). Participants decorated analog Alice in Wonderland alarm clocks in the decoden style (a Japanese craft trend that manipulates silicone to look like frosting). Everyone was having so much fun, laughing and talking, and the creations that came out of that workshop were mind-blowing. Each person made something completely different and new with their clocks. My second favorite HOTP workshop was our 2025 SB Reads edition memory altar workshop. I collaborated with Children’s Collections Librarian and master quilter, Gwen Wagy, to teach hand-sewing skills to participants who then constructed custom pocket altars
out of felt and notions. One patron came on her birthday with her entire family and said she was grateful the library could give a full-time mom the space, time, and materials to make something meaningful!
I know HOTP programs get glowing reviews. Anything about the feedback surprise you?
A patron once told me they were thrilled to learn new artistic skills and another said they loved meeting new people at our workshops. I’ve seen folks exchanging phone numbers and making friends. Being around other creatives has proven inspiring for a lot of adults. It made me realize that this is the true beauty of the program – to inspire folks and build a sense of community through artmaking.
Looking ahead, can you give us some hints about upcoming HOTP programs? Inquiring minds want to know.
Our Valentine’s Day special, called “Love at First Sniff,” will be held at the Montecito and Central Libraries in collaboration with Montecito Poetry Club and Romance Book Club, respectively. The event at Central will be HOTP’s first English Spanish bilingual program, so I’m super excited about that! Registration opens in late January, and I have a feeling that these workshops will be a huge hit! Patrons will get to put special labels on their jars and package their candles to give as gifts. I’m designing some other cool and engaging crafts later in the year, so stay tuned!
Announcements
All SBPL locations will be closed on Monday, February 16, for Presidents’ Day.
Events at Montecito Library (1469 East Valley Road)
Montecito Poetry Club – Wednesday, February 18, 10 am - 12 pm (first meeting): Join us every other month to explore the lives and work of poets you know and love – and some who will be new to you!
Knit ‘n’ Needle – Thursdays, 2-3:30 pm: Join us for a weekly gathering of fiber artists, open to all skill levels!
Stay & Play – Tuesdays, 9-10:30 am: Drop by to learn and play, sing and share stories with other young children and enjoy the company of other caregivers. Best for children ages 0-5.
Montecito Book Club – Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 2-3 pm: Join the Montecito Book Club every fourth Tuesday!
This column is written in collaboration by the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation, Friends of the Montecito Library, Friends of the Santa Barbara Public Library, Members of the City Library Board – In partnership with the Santa Barbara Public Library.
Elizabeth McFadden, Library Technician for the Santa Barbara Public Library
“The dancers and musicians manage to combine a high-gloss finish with a convincing air of spontaneous excitement.”
The Independent (U.K.)
“Sheer physical energy and beauty.”
The New York Times
The National Dance Company of the Republic of Guinea Les Ballets Africains
Fri, Feb 6 / 7:30 PM / Granada Theatre
Special Double Bill Taj Mahal and Patty Griffin
Tue, Feb 17 / 7:30 PM / Arlington Theatre
“A multi-instrumentalist wizard… While often described as a blues musician, he’s more of an international griot.” Datebook on Taj Mahal
“Sometimes with tenderness, with family and loss, sometimes with fierce poignant critique, her wordplay is profound, challenging and unrivaled.” – Robert Plant on Patty Griffin
“[Jlin creates] something frenetic and physical but also heavy with emotion, like chamber music breaking out on the dance floor.” Stereogum
“Third Coast Percussion is blurring musical boundaries and beguiling new listeners.” NPR
“Tiler Peck’s dancing is distinguished by its musicality, speed and precision.”
The New York Times
West Coast Premiere of New Piece by Jlin
Thu, Feb 19 / 8 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall
Only West Coast Performance Two Nights! Two Programs! Ballet Festival: Jerome Robbins Curated by Tiler Peck
A Joyce Theater Production
Tue, Mar 3 & Wed, Mar 4 / 7:30 PM / Granada Theatre
Foraging Thyme Escarole
by Melissa Petitto
Ilove winter greens and escarole is looking incredible at The Garden Of. This pleasantly bitter green is often found in Italian cuisine, yet originates in the East Indies and is a member of the chicory family. Its botanical relatives are the curly endive, radicchio, and frisee. This high fiber green contains copper, folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. The fiber content in escarole is both soluble and insoluble. The former helps feed the friendly bacteria in our gut and helps our digestion, the latter helps keep us regular. The vitamin A in escarole is great for our eye health, helping to prevent macular degeneration and other age-related eyesight declines. Escarole also contains some powerful antioxidants, helping our bodies to fight inflammation and fight oxidative stress. The vitamin K content in this bitter green help with normal blood clotting. This underused bitter green is … underused! And it is so delicious. Let’s go make something wonderful with it!
Lemony Escarole and White Bean Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red chili flakes
½ pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
3 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
6 cups vegetable broth
1 head escarole, washed and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY AM - 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. In a large stockpot over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, and garlic, and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes or until translucent and softened.
2. Stir in the thyme and chili flakes.
3. Add the potato and cook stirring for 1 minute.
4. Add in the broth and beans and increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Add in the escarole and stir to ensure it’s submerged.
6. Simmer for 5 minutes until the escarole is wilted.
7. Season with salt and pepper, lemon juice and zest and serve with some crusty sourdough!
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.
The bitter green escarole is part of the chicory family (photo by Oceancetaceen – Alice Chodura via Wikimedia Commons)
Far Flung Travel Bounding Bighorn
by Chuck Graham
All it took was a crumbly shard of shale cascading down a steep cliff face forcing me to look upward into the blue skies above the rugged Sespe Wilderness, part of the Los Padres National Forest.
It was a majestic desert bighorn ram nimbly traversing toward me. Suddenly, I forgot how exposed I was on a precarious three-foot-wide ledge. Its gaze captivated and its gregariousness knew no bounds as it approached to within 25 feet of me.
Still, hunger was a priority for the burly ram. It quickly grew bored with me and easily turned its attention to a steady diet of birch leaf, mountain mahogany, Hooker’s primrose, holly leaf cherry, and spiny rush, a pantry of backcountry flora fit for nimble-hoofed herbivores.
Soon, he joined 13 other bighorn sheep, and it became apparent it was his herd. There was one other smaller ram in the group, but the rest were ewes. In between feeding, the dominant ram sniffed each female to see if they were in estrus. It was backcountry bliss until it was not. A rocket launch from Vandenberg Airforce Base sent a far-reaching shockwave across the Sespe Wilderness, inducing the bighorn herd to take immediate flight.
As disruptive as that sonic boom was to all things wild in the Sespe, it was astonishing how powerful and nimble those bighorn sheep were. For the most part, they all leapt vertically in two huge strides. It was evident that lofty perches with the advantage of utilizing open space was key to their survival.
Sespe Haven
For over 100 years desert bighorn sheep had been extinct from the Sespe Wilderness. The usual suspects: hunting pressure, disease from livestock, and critical habitat loss wiped out the iconic desert dwellers by the late 1800s.
However, in 1985 and once again in 1987, California Fish and Game
performed two separate translocations of desert bighorn sheep totaling 36 animals. The translocated bighorn arrived from Cattle Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains. As the California condor flies, that mountain range lies 60 miles to the southeast. The Sespe Wilderness has always been the furthest west in desert bighorn sheep’s historic range. They were released near the south slopes of San Rafael Peak at 6,634 feet high and Mutau Flat.
And although the initial translocation was successful with 28 of those bighorn sheep fitted with VHF radio collars, the aftermath was not. Following the two translocations, powerful windstorms scattered the small herds far and wide away from vital escape terrain like the sparsely vegetated San Rafael Peak, Unfortunately, by 1989 16 of those bighorn sheep were confirmed dead, likely by mountain lion predation.
“Monitoring efforts for this population were extremely difficult in the 1990s and early 2000s with a small population in highly inaccessible terrain,” said Dustin Pearce, an environmental scientist with California Fish and Wildlife, and who is the unit biologist in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties covering the Sespe bighorn sheep population. “By 2003 the population was considered extremely reduced/extirpated.”
Then the Day Fire happened in September 2006. The blaze consumed
Far Flung Page 284
Where, oh where are those bighorns at?
This desert bighorn living up to its name
volunteers counted birds at night; five counted birds at sea; and 10 were not locals to the area.
The SB CBC is three days before and after the officially set date of January 3; the bird counting was done on Wednesday, December 31 to Friday, January 2, and Sunday, January 4, to Tuesday, January 6.
Our area for SB/Montecito covers a 15-mile diameter count circle, cen-
tered at Hwy 154 and Foothill Road. Approximate count circle boundaries are: San Ysidro Road on the east, Paradise Road on the north, Coronado Road on the west, and five miles offshore on the south by boat. The count includes sea birding onboard a boat, as well as night birding with volunteers trained in each type of area.
And my CBC report would not be complete without the guidance
from Santa Barbara Audubon Society Executive Director Katherine Emery, who shares, “My favorite thing about the annual Christmas Bird Count is that even when it’s wetter than wet, our SB Audubon community members show up rain or shine with smiles on their faces, persevere, get the job done, and have fun. It’s amazing to be part of a community science tradition that’s happened for 126 years, where over 100 volunteers dig in, put their binoculars up and scopes out – to count birds, record data, and study the change in numbers
and diversity of birds over time. Then, thanks to the SB Museum of Natural History and fearless CBC compilation leaders and dinner event coordinators, everyone comes together to share a meal over checked red and white tablecloths and Zoom to recap the day’s sightings, shortfalls, and abundance. We honor trailblazers who led the CBC in the past and applaud the next generation who will diligently protect birds and their habitats into the future (our youngest cheery birder this year was five months young!). Thank you, all.”
Birds are key to providing data regarding the status of our ecological systems. CBCs have an over 100-year history, and span globally. Data of prior year counts are on the local website, and the National Audubon Society website, available for researchers.
411: www.santabarbaraaudubon.org
Ben Byerly
The NCOS Birding team (photo by Santiago Lupi)
Wim van Dam
SB CBC birders at Tucker’s Grove (photo by Betsy Mooney)
State News
Nearly 800 New Laws for California Starting
in 2026
by Joanne A Calitri
There were 794 state laws signed into effect for 2026 by Gov. Newsom last year. The top categories were in healthcare, environment, immigration, animal protection, AI – and in housing, the not so locally popular SB79 to permit housing developments in residential areas near transit lines, presented in the Montecito Journal twice in 2025. If you were keeping up with the cat fur tossing in the California State Congress, estimated 800 to 900 bills were proposed overall.
According to Fiscal Note [link in 411], “…over 135,500 bills went before statehouses, up 55% from 2024:
The roundup of laws include: $16.90 minimum wage; $35 caps on insulin; and “all-gender” restroom requirements for new K-12 schools (Senate Bill 760).
AB 506, AB 519, and SB 312: Puppy mill pipeline laws to include the animals’ full disclosure of origin and health, and laws on selling animals.
SB79: Transit-oriented housing development: Requires each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term
general plan for the development of the county or city, and specified land outside its boundaries, that contains certain mandatory elements, including a housing element.
AB628 Housing: Landlords to provide working refrigerators and stove/ovens in rental units.
AB1264: Bans on ultra-processed school foods, requiring schools to begin phasing out restricted school foods and ultra-processed foods of concern by no later than July 1, 2029.
AB-592 Business: Retail food establishments. Basically, makes permanent some of the lax outdoor dining rules created during the social-distancing requirements of the Covid pandemic. It also gives restaurants more leeway for open-air layouts such as folding doors, windows and similar features.
SB68: Adds sesame to the list of major allergens and requires chain restaurants (20+ locations) to provide written allergen information (including sesame) on menus starting July 1, 2026
AB 1830: Mandates the fortification of corn masa flour and wet corn masa products with folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) in newborns. i.e., read your ingredients before buying.
SB1053: Bans point of sale carryout bags made of plastic, non-recycled paper, or other materials. Consumers may purchase for no more than 10 cents a 50% plus recycled paper bag as defined by said law. The money
collected from the sale of said bags is to be used by the store to cover the cost of providing the bags.
SB576: Volume on Ads: On and after July 1, 2026, a video streaming service that serves consumers in the state may not transmit the audio of commercial advertisements louder than the video content the advertisements accompany, as specified. [Not a louder volume than the programs they accompany.]
AB715: Creates a new California Office of Civil Rights to assist public school districts in recognizing and addressing cases of discrimination. The Office of Civil Rights will primarily manage complaints and questions about discrimination relating to antisemitism, religion, sexuality, and gender identity.
AB1207: California Cap-and-Invest Program updated to be effective through January 1, 2046; provisions on emissions leakage to be zero by 2030, and provisions for consumer credits from public utility companies.
SB518: Establishes the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery.
AB 621: Directed at AI, expands
penalties for parties involved in creating or distributing pornographic deepfakes.
AB 489: False AI Medical Advice: Developers of AI systems that misrepresent themselves as licensed healthcare professionals and give medical advice are now subject to punishment by an enforcement agency or medical licensing board.
Fed Law No Tax on Tips denied in California. Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez announced January 8, the introduction of her bill, to, “…bring California’s personal income tax law into conformity with recent federal changes affecting the taxation of tips and overtime pay. The bill would allow taxpayers to deduct qualified tips and qualified overtime compensation from their California taxable income for a limited period. For taxable years beginning between January 1, 2026, and January 1, 2029, the measure would adopt modified federal income tax provisions allowing these deductions to be taken in addition to the standard deduction, ensuring eligibility regardless of whether a taxpayer itemizes.”
associate vice president for advancement at Westmont, at (805) 565-7156.
Professor Keeps King’s Dreams Alive
Wendy Eley Jackson, assistant professor of English and film studies at Westmont, recently joined the board of directors for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Santa Barbara. She was instrumental in bringing Leah Weber King, the widow of Dexter Scott King, to serve as keynote speaker for MLKSB’s 19th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day program January 19 at the Arlington Theatre.
“Dr. King’s life and work remind me that leadership is not merely a position, it’s a responsibility to courageously advance truth, dignity and humanity, especially when doing so is inconvenient or uncomfortable,” Jackson says. “His belief in the moral power of nonviolence and strategic coalition-building continues to inspire my own commitment to civic engagement, community uplift, and intergenerational mentorship.
“MLK taught us that justice requires both vision and discipline; that transformation happens not only through speeches and protests, but through systems, institutions, and policies that honor the value of every human being. His legacy pushes me to think beyond the present moment and consider what future our actions make possible.”
Jackson, who co-founded the Montecito Student Film Festival at Westmont and serves as its executive producer, has more than 30 years of experience in film and television broadcasting. She is the founder and executive producer of Auburn Avenue Films and has worked with major media companies such as
SONY Pictures Television and Turner Broadcasting.
She produced the acclaimed feature length documentary Maynard , which chronicles the life and legacy of Maynard Jackson Jr., the first Black mayor of Atlanta and Jackson’s father-in-law. She is currently developing a film about Ella Fitzgerald, and recently served as executive producer on the documentary Facing the Falls . She also co-wrote the feature 30 Days a Black Man
“Dr. King’s vision should resonate today as a challenge and a compass,” she says. “The challenge is that his dream remains incomplete – inequalities persist in education, economics, health, and citizenship. The compass is that he offered a blueprint for how we move forward: through empathy, courageous truth-telling, structural change, and a radical belief that our destinies are intertwined.
“In a society marked by division and polarization, MLK calls us to choose community over chaos, to build bridges rather than camps, and to insist that freedom is not selective. His vision asks us to remember that equality is not an abstract aspiration – it is a practice, a policy agenda, and a moral obligation we must advance every day.”
160,000 acres burning through the chaparral-choked Sespe Wilderness. However, it was just what the Sespe bighorn needed. Bighorn sheep rely heavily on their keen eyesight for spotting apex predators, mainly mountain lions.
When the two translocations occurred in the 1980s, their habitat surrounding San Rafael Peak was overgrown allowing predators to pick off unwary bighorn. However, the Day Fire leveled the playing field for prey and predator, enabling desert bighorn in the Sespe to increase their numbers. It also allowed hikers and backpackers to occasionally spot bighorn traversing steep cliffs and narrow canyons in their wide open, arid habitat.
As those sightings increased, bighorn survey efforts began anew with an intensive collaring effort that took place in 2017. In all, 19 animals were radio collared, providing new information on their home range and habitat use. In 2019 the population estimate was 119 bighorn sheep with a confidence interval of anywhere between 88-150 bighorn.
And there is optimism that these desert bighorn sheep will continue expanding their range in various regions of the Sespe. Unconfirmed reports include sightings of bighorn near Thorn Point several miles west of San Rafael Peak, and there are confirmed reports of them east to McDonald Peak at 6,870 feet high.
Confirmed Sighting
They were resting on a steep, west-facing slope on a nameless potrero between San Rafael Peak and the narrow spine of Johnson Ridge. Ten desert bighorn sheep basked in the morning sun.
A couple of us were armed with
binoculars, and that’s when Jerry blurted out, “there’s some bighorn right there,” he said, pointing in their direction. We all gazed at the same sweeping slope, amazed at what we were seeing. They were at least a mile away from us, and about four miles north of the Sespe River.
The ram sat above the band of sheep no doubt keeping a keen eye on his herd that included two lambs, a great sign that their numbers continue to grow in the Sespe. While descending Johnson Ridge, we kept tabs on the sheep as they enjoyed mild, mid-winter, 60-degree temps in the backcountry. During our last rest stop on an exposed ridge, we watched the small band of bighorn rise, stretch, and gradually saunter eastward into a narrow ravine that descended several hundred feet below into a shaded creek. They vanished into the dense chaparral, their tan fur easily melding into the seemingly impenetrable backcountry biome.
“Since 2019 we have not had any helicopter surveys for this population but have had ground surveys, when possible,” continued Pearce. “The population does appear to be healthy, but we will need additional information soon on vital rates (survival, reproductive rates) and specifically genetic diversity.”
Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer based in Carpinteria, where he also leads kayak tours and backpacking trips in Channel Islands National Park
Wendy Eley Jackson
Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College
In the Sespe Gorge in search of sheep
This family isn’t sheepish
Alabama,” but we get to go deeper into Skynyrd songs. Marshall Tucker Band is a favorite, and we’ve worked up two or three new ones for us to play. We’ve also got some Southern Rock adjacent songs, like Little Feat’s “Dixie Chicken.” It’s fun for us and the audience.
You all have regular day jobs. How do you even have the time to prepare and play all these shows? Do you all hate your day jobs or your families? What’s the story?
That is such a fair question. People might think we’re nuts, but maybe it’s kind of like wanting to get this all in while we still can. For me at least, the more we play, the better we get. So it’s kind of addictive. Every new genre of music that we play forces us to get to be better musicians and to play better together. So we’re addicted to working out.
I know you guys rehearse once a week, more when there’s a new show. How is it you’ve lasted so long with largely the same personnel?
We all do get along really well. I mean, we argue on stuff, but in general, we really enjoy being together. That helps. So does the wine.
What made you guys decide to play at the Luke again?
Playing there last year blew our minds because none of us had ever been there before. Even though we knew about the renovation, we figured it’s at the Junior High, so how great could it be. So we went in with low expectations, and we came out really impressed with how well equipped it is and how the staff is so professional. It’s on par with the Lobero, so we’re happy to help.
Finding a New Tune
Trumpeter Miles Davis and saxophonist John Coltrane, two monumental musicians who turned out to revolutionize jazz and beyond, happened to both be born in 1926. A century later, as their influence continues to reverberate in ways even they couldn’t have imagined, two of today’s visionary giants in Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane come together for a special performance at the Granada Theatre on January 27 that is equal parts tribute and transformation, appreciation and adventure. Backed by an exceptional ensemble, Blanchard and Coltrane, who was a toddler when his famous father passed away, come together in a concert that celebrates jazz’s rich past while embracing its future.
Meaning it’s anything but an attempt to recreate the masters’ voices.
“That’s not what those guys would want us to do,” Blanchard told UCSB Arts & Lectures’ Charles Donelan in a recent podcast. “I think it would be kind of disrespectful and intellectually lazy to just try to recreate what those guys have done… Miles went and found his own voice, man, and did his own thing and carved out a niche for himself based on what it was that he felt honestly about music… He was a very forward-thinking musician.”
The same goes for his co-leader on the concert tour, Blanchard said.
“Even though his last name is Coltrane, Ravi is not looking back at the past. He has his own approach and his own identity, and that’s the thing that I really love about him.”
Laughs at the Lobero
When the world seems to be turning upside down even faster than it’s rotating on its axis, throwing back your head to laugh out loud is a lot more fun than throwing up your hands in exasperation. (Of course, you can do both.) The Lobero has two top comics coming our way on successive nights to help us cope with crises, perhaps showing us that stand-ups are the saviors.
Former Saturday Night Live cast member Rob Schneider (1990-94), who also scored three writing Emmy nominations along the way, has had big roles in a number of Hollywood hoots including Big Daddy and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo but also stayed in touch on the stage. His mixed background (Filipino and Caucasian ancestry, a Jewish father and Catholic mother) has been a common theme in his comedy acts but his current tour, called Rescue Husband, gets even more personal as it’s largely drawn from his life as a dad to two young girls.
Schneider’s show on Thursday, January 22, is followed immediately by another SNL alum in Janeane Garofalo, just as she did on the iconic sketch comedy series, although she only lasted a single season over 1994-95. Emmy has also smiled on the comic actress, including for stints on The Ben Stiller Show and The Larry Sanders Show as well as roles on Mad About You and the final season of The West Wing (which would be wonderful to re-watch right about now). Garofalo, who has also starred in a number of popular movies, and was involved in the early days of Air America Radio, the liberal antidote to Rush Limbaugh, which also launched fellow SNL colleagues to Entertainment Page 334
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Meghan Webley, RDHAP
The Giving List
Atlas Animal Rescue
by Steven Libowitz
Atlas Animal Rescue appears in the new Santa Barbara Giving List book for the first time under the clever headline “A New Leash on Life.” But one can’t help wonder: What is a dog rescue agency located up in Paso Robles doing in a book connecting philanthropists with local nonprofits, especially when there are any number of shelters and other services for the abandoned, abused, and otherwise unwanted animals?
That’s actually an easy one. Atlas has carved out its own niche, one that has attracted attention in our community more than 120 miles away.
Here’s why.
Atlas is a foster-based organization, one that at the moment doesn’t even have a shelter facility, although they’d like to change that soon. All of the dogs they rescue from a wide area both north and south of Paso are ones that are facing euthanasia, typically animals that are on the “kill list” at high-risk shelters or have otherwise been deeply affected by abuse or neglect. And the nonprofit successful-
ly rehomes all of them, which is the most amazing part.
“They’ve been selected for euthanasia for any number of reasons, from medical needs, difficult behavior, or simply just overcrowding because there’s just not enough space in most shelters,” explained Emily Everett-Nelson, who launched Atlas at the height of the pandemic after spending time volunteering at her local shelter and across the world at a shelter called Slaughterhouse Survivors in China. “We go and rescue those dogs that desperately need it.”
But Atlas doesn’t just plunk the dogs in a cage and hope that someone will want to take them home. Rather, the organization has a list of foster homes with people who want to care for the animals while they undergo a rigorous process of rehabilitation.
“They’re vet techs, trainers, or even just average people that really want to help a dog in need,” Everett-Nelson said. “We have a list of pre-approved fosters that we contact when we’re ready to go to a shelter and rescue dogs and we find out who might be able to help save them.”
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Which means all of Atlas’ dogs – currently about 25, and four times that many over the course of a year – live in foster homes where they’re getting that one-on-one time, learning everything like potty training, leash work, and medical help.
“It’s a better way to kind of get them decompressed after the stress of the shelter where everything’s so high anxiety, an environment that can set dogs off. It gives them that clean slate to decompress and for us to kind of get to know them a little bit better, their personalities, their medical needs, and spend some one-on-one time with our vets for in-depth treatment.”
a happy, thriving animal. Because we’re such a small mom-and-pop shop, we’re able to pull at the heartstrings of people who have maybe been teetering the idea for a while.”
But given the current issue of overcrowding at shelters everywhere that has only exacerbated since the pandemic, Atlas isn’t willing to simply rest at their current level of achievement. There are two main goals for 2026 that, given Everett-Nelson’s passion and purpose-driven innovative ideas, might come true sooner than later.
Atlas’ process for rehabilitation is a rigorous one that includes working oneon-one with a trainer, complete temperament testing, and almost concierge-like medical care including a battery of bloodwork and X-rays.
“They get as deep of medical attention as you could imagine, because I want to make every adoption a good experience,” Everett-Nelson said. “We bust our butts for our dogs. They get the basics of potty training, crate training, everything else. And we really get to know them, learn their triggers, their temperament, their personality, everything that sets our adopters up for success.”
Eventually, the dogs are adopted out to their permanent homes, which is every shelter’s dream but Atlas’ approach and individualized dog care – not to mention some smart use of social media – results in a 100 percent success rate.
“It’s such a great tool because we can share our dog’s stories,” Everett-Nelson said. “When people see the transformations we’ve been able to accomplish, we can show people what fostering can do. They get to see how this dog that was going to have their life ended has become
“We really want to set our eyes on fundraising or finding another way to get a sanctuary shelter space,” EverettNelson explained. “I get probably 50 urgent calls a day, ‘This dog’s going to die today.’ Having a shelter would allow us more time to say yes to dogs with special needs, to coordinate the fosters, and also serve as a safety net if a foster has an emergency. But it wouldn’t be a typical dog shelter. All of our dogs would get the same care they do now, with large runs, lots of walks, and training sessions every day. We’d get to see how they’re going to be good with the other dogs. We’d use it for educational purposes, too, to bring in more people that would want to foster and learn how and what we do.”
In the meantime, there’s also a more urgent matter, one regarding the Atlas van, which ironically, unlike the dogs, needs to go on to its greater reward.
“It’s a huge tool, but we’ve had it for 10 years and she’s starting to kick the bucket,” Everett-Nelson said. “That happened on a trip to L.A. to rescue some dogs off the kill list when it started to break down with eight dogs in the back on the way back in crazy traffic. It made it home, but that poor van has 250,000 miles on it. We need a new one.”
Visit www.atlasanimalrescue.org
With a 100% success rate, Atlas gives each dog training, medical attention, and a new hope to help find their forever home (courtesy photo)
Montecito Reads (Continued from 5)
found the boy and made him theirs. Now, listening to the wind and rain move around the house, he let himself travel back to John’s voice and the telling of the story.
“Well, it kind of goes back to the beginning. Up there in Mexican Water. Well, maybe earlier, when the priests packed a bunch of Chumash kids into an open railcar and trained them up to the Grand Canyon for a big Jesus fest, there at the rim. Indian Nation kids from all over. This was 1890. A boy from our rez named Henry Fish met Abagail Navada, a Hopi full-blood, and I don’t think the two of them heard much preaching that week. They found a fondness for each other and played a little hooky. He asked her to marry him, and she said okay, but he’d have to wait till she turned sixteen and come and ask her pop in person. A year later, Henry walked the full distance from Santa Ynez to Mexican Water in northeast Arizona and married her. He put her on a train and brought her back to Santa Ynez, and a few months later, both of them came over on Tingo Silver’s recommendation and began working on Santa Rosa. Abagail took up second fiddle in the kitchen, he groomed and gardened, and, a year later, little Pony was born. Named Charlie Russell after the great artist, he was short, quiet, sweet, ungodly willful, and though not many saw it, smart as a damn coyote. And the single best mutton-buster cowboy who ever lived.
“And then one day, Henry Fish and Abagail loaded up on liquor, got a fancy to be in a boat, set out in a daysailer with little Pony, and never came back. It was the blow of 1900, and that storm slammed us so fast, so hard, it blew out our water tower.
“Come a few mornings after, Sonora and Maria found the boat on Dingle Bay, lying up in the rocks, just shattered. Pony lay twisted nearby, and Sonora and the help worked on him a day or two. Had a man here who was a medic’s helper, and he stitched the boy. Third day, the boy opened his eyes and smiled up at us, and I knew Sonora wasn’t ever going to let him go. A week later we saw how it was – his leg was crooked, he kind of had to drag it, but he could walk. And his left arm never mended right. Hands called him ‘ditch’ ’cause he left a small trough where he walked. He’d smile and say it’s how he got water to the garden.
“So, we adopted him, Creek, and fixed him a bunk in the big tall grain silo. Sonora, well we couldn’t make children at that time, and this boy gave new life to her. She just blossomed. Called him her little saint. I let him tend the barn animals when he turned ten a year later, next the lighthouse, and then the garden. He knew the name of every animal we had out there, was a little wizard at those things. That boy earned every dollar of his pay.”
for the horizon and a place as vague as childhood, ignorant of all skills for the passage but the will to find it.
Tune in next week for Chapter Four 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.
Love at First Sniff
John suddenly broke off, hung his head, and said again, “every dollar… ,” then broke fully, and Creek thought the sobbing might actually break something in the old man’s frame. Creek went to refill their coffees. When he returned, John had stood abruptly and reached for his coat. Creek walked him down to his boat and stood in the abated rain and wind, watching as Harvey pulled out and headed the stock boat into the night sea. Creek stayed until its mast light disappeared in the darkness.
Now, sitting inside in the dark, Creek listened to the storm rummage through the night like a frightened horse in a back room. Reflecting on John, he realized why the old man had gone back across. Creek had seen how people ran from the grotesque, as if chased by demons. At the dock John had turned to him.
“We never found their bodies. His parents. I believe Pony was bewitched by the sea, thinking one day they might appear. Any time you’d come on him, he’d be looking out there, fixed on the horizon. He lived so quiet, Creek, you just didn’t always notice him, like you don’t always notice the landscape. And then this god-awful thing. He was a flawless soul. Though willful, he never harmed a thing on earth. If there’s more to it, some late-innings thing that might spoil a whole life of being decent, just leave it alone. For Sonora’s sake. And, I suppose, for mine.”
Creek held his eyes, nodded, and said, “Sure, John. Of course.”
A Poetry Club x Hot Off the Press Collab
“Thank you for doing this,” Penbrook said. “For bringing him over for burial. I just, I didn’t want it to be the last I saw of him.”
And then, as the joists quieted, Creek felt himself wondering if a man could carry a yearning through all of his life without mentioning it to anyone. Could do that and then one day buy a boat and set sail, aiming
Hot Off the Press presents a special Valentine’s Day candle-making workshop inspired by your favorite poem! Create a scented soy candle and add a special label. Registration is required and opens on January 21st
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Petite Wine Traveler
New Year Sparkle for Every Table: Sparkling Wine Picks for
New Year and Dry January
by Jamie Knee
Just before the clock struck midnight, I was back in the studio at KEYT News Channel 3-12, glasses lined up and bubbles ready, sharing my favorite sparkling wines for the New Year. Now that the confetti has settled and the calendar has turned, one thing feels certain: there is still plenty of room for sparkle.
As a luxury wine travel writer and KEYT News Channel 3-12’s resident wine and wine travel advisor, I spend much of the year exploring how wine reflects place, culture, and the way we choose to celebrate. January, perhaps more than any other month, invites a quieter kind of intention, one that is less about excess and more about how we want to feel moving forward.
The notion that bubbles are reserved for only one night of the year feels increasingly outdated. Sparkling wine has a way of marking moments both big and small, whether that means a holiday toast, a weekend brunch, or the pleasure of opening something special on an ordinary evening.
The goal of my New Year wine segment was simple and meaningful: to create a table that includes everyone, every budget, every lifestyle, and every kind of toast. Today’s wine culture is beautifully diverse, and the bottles we choose should reflect that richness.
We began with a non-alcoholic sparkling, because the ritual of the toast should never
AMENDED ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV060204. To all interested parties: Petitioner ROBYN SUZANNE ROSAS-RENNER filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to ROBYN SUZANNE ROSE. The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed January 13, 2026
feel like a compromise. Bolle Rosé, made in Austria, begins its life as real wine before the alcohol is gently removed, a distinction that matters greatly in both texture and taste. The result is crisp, dry, and genuinely wine-driven, with balance and structure rather than sweetness. Bolle Rosé has earned rare recognition in the wine world, including a record-breaking 93-point score from Wine Enthusiast, the highest ever awarded to a non-alcoholic wine, along with Best of Show honors at the Monterey International Wine Competition, where it competed alongside traditional sparkling wines. It has also received Platinum medals at major competitions and is served in Michelinstarred restaurants around the world. This is not a symbolic alternative, but a thoughtfully crafted bottle for designated drivers, mindful drinkers, and anyone seeking a Dry January wine alternative that still feels refined, intentional, and celebratory.
Dry January has become more than a trend. For many, it is a reset and a pause, a chance to reconnect with clarity and intention after the holiday season. Others choose it out of curiosity or wellness, not because they dislike wine, but because they want to be more conscious about when and why they drink. That is where bottles like Bolle Rosé truly shine. You are not opting out of celebration; you are choosing a different expression of it, one that still invites ritual, beauty, and connection.
From there, we stayed local with a Central Coast favorite. Laetitia Vineyard
by Sarah Sisto. Hearing date: February 13, 2026 at 10 am in Dept. 4, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published January 22, 29, February 5, 12, 2026
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV06655. To all interested parties: Petitioners Cynthia Hawkes and Paul Arria filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing their daughter’s name from --Arria to Leila Summer Hawkes-Arria
The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to
and Winery Brut Rosé from the Arroyo Grande Valley is a wine I return to again and again. This is not just a pretty pink bottle; it is a consistently strong performer, earning Gold medals at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition across multiple vintages. I happen to be a judge in that competition, and no, the fix is not in. These tastings are blind, which is precisely why the medals matter. In the glass, this wine is fresh, joyful, and endlessly food friendly, making it ideal for grazing tables and relaxed gatherings that extend well beyond the holidays.
Next, we headed north to Napa Valley with Paula Kornell Brut, a California sparkling wine made in the traditional Champagne method. It recently earned a place on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list, a well-deserved recognition. This is a wine with polish and confidence, celebratory without being showy, and versatile enough to pair effortlessly with everything from oysters and sushi to fried chicken and truffle popcorn. And then, because some moments still call for a little extra magic, we went straight to Champagne. Champagne Billecart Salmon Brut Réserve is timeless, refined, and quietly luxurious. This historic house is consistently praised in blind tastings by publications such as Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast for its balance, finesse, and remarkable food
be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed January 12, 2026 by Stephen Rebernik. Hearing date: February 23, 2026 at 10 am in Dept. 5, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published January 22, 29, February 5, 12, 2026
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original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20260000040. Published January 15, 22, 29, and February 5, 2026
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friendliness. The soft pop, the steady stream of bubbles, and the pause before the first sip remind us that Champagne has a way of marking time like nothing else.
What I loved most about presenting these wines was not just the lineup, but the message behind it. Celebration does not have to look one way, and it certainly does not need to end on New Year’s Eve. Whether you are pouring non-alcoholic sparkling during Dry January, opening a Central Coast bubbly with friends, enjoying California craftsmanship, or saving Champagne for a moment that feels worth pausing for, the best bottle is the one that fits your intentions. There is still time to pop bubbles, in January, in winter light, and in quieter rooms, with a little more thought and a lot of joy. And that, to me, is always worth celebrating.
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.
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV075566. To all interested parties: Petitioner MARILYN CLAIRE DRAGHI filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to CLAIRE DRAGHI KEMP. The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed December 23,
2025 by Sarah Sisto. Hearing date: February 9, 2026 at 10 am in Dept. 5, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published January 1, 8, 15, 22, 2026
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SHENNIE SMITH AND ASSOCIATES THERAPY GROUP, 30 W MISSION ST, SUITE 4, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. SHENANDOAH SMITH MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST, INC, 30 W MISSION ST SUITE 4, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on December 23, 2025. 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. 2025-0002921. Published January 8, 15, 22, 29, 2026
Jamie back at it in the studio at KEYT News Channel 3-12
(courtesy photo)
run for U.S. Senate. There’s no title for her Friday night frolic on January 23, but you can expect her usual incisive and smart comedy to raise your spirits.
Classical Corner: Take Two with the Takács
The Takács Quartet has been in residency at the Music Academy of the West for many years, but their appearance on January 22 as part of the Up Close and Unforgettable series of benefits has taken on added poignancy as cellist András Fejér, the foursome’s sole remaining original member, has announced that he is retiring at the end of this milestone 50th season. While the Hahn Hall concert, with the audience seating on stage, is an intimate affair with just a single piece of Dvořák’s “String Quartet No. 13 in G Major, Op. 106,” the limited tickets start at $500. For the less financially fortunate, the Takács, who will soon have just one member with more than eight years with the foursome, is also playing on Friday, January 23, for the St. Mark’s-in-theValley series in Los Olivos. With the Dvořák augmented by Beethoven’s “Quartet in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2,” and the commissioned Nokuthula Ngwenyama’s “Flow.”
Hahn Hall is back in action on January 24 for the Santa Barbara recital debut of Aristo Sham, the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Gold Medal Winner – as if seeing five recent winners of other piano competitions collectively performing all of Beethoven concertos with the Santa Barbara Symphony didn’t sate us for seeing rising stars early. Sham will perform single works by Bach and Chopin and multiple pieces by Brahms.
In between those dates, the crowning concert of the week brings the return of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to the Granada via CAMA on January 23, once again under the baton of its esteemed Music Director Emeritus for Life Riccardo Muti. The program includes Brahms’ “Symphony No. 4” and Stravinsky’s Suite from The Fairy Kiss before closing with Ravel’s “Boléro,” which the Music Academy’s fellows orchestra performed with amazing aplomb last August. Aren’t we lucky to enjoy such riches?
Closing out the week, UCSB presents violinist Nicola Benedetti, the Grammywinning Scottish violinist and director of the Edinburgh International Festival, who will offer her signature blend of passion and virtuosity in an intriguing new ensemble featuring guitar, cello, and accordion, the latter in the person of old UCSB Arts & Lectures friend Hanzhi Wang. The foursome will feature reimaginings of beloved classical works by such canonical figures as Clara Schumann, Vaughan Williams, and Niccolò Paganini through the unique instrumentation at Campbell Hall on campus on January 28.
Focus on Film:
Looking SBIFF-y as the Festival Nears
With the start of the 41st annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival less than two weeks away as this issue hits newsstands, you’d think the folks over at SBIFF might be a little bit too busy to be booking special screenings. Nope. On January 29, a mere six days from opening night, the Riviera Theatre will show The Librarians, an important documentary about how the folks who run libraries are showing as “first responders in the fight for democracy,” standing firm against sweeping book bans across the U.S. that threaten our First Amendment rights by aiming to control the flow of ideas. The film focuses on how librarians are the first line of defense against the extremism fueling censorship efforts, facing down harassment, threats, and laws
aimed at criminalizing their work. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Kim A. Snyder. Visit https://sbifftheatres.com.
Meanwhile the folks at the Fund for Santa Barbara have also been busy evaluating SBIFF’s Social Justice Film Series, a slate of six films that aim to educate and effect change in the areas of economic, environmental, political, racial, or social justice that will screen during the festival, furthering the concept that movies make movements happen. The Fund was slated to announce the winner on January 15 from among the half-dozen entries – all of which are well worth seeing – which cover the critical importance of investigative journalism (Steal This Story, Please!), the ongoing fight to address the devastating impacts of the fossil fuel industry (Gaslit; This is Not a Drill), the psychological toll of war and conflict (Cuba & Alaska), the rebuilding of urban environments degraded by structural racism (Saving Etting Street) and the historic abuse of native communities (What We Carry). The movies all mine the same theme that individual action can spur profound change.
Elsewhere, the Carsey-Wolf Center at the Pollock Theatre at UCSB continues its cinematic capers with a screening of Billy Wilder’s 1950 classic film industry indictment Sunset Boulevard in a special 75th anniversary 4K using a surviving 35mm duplicate negative and an exceptional new 5.1 audio mix. Charlotte Barker, director of film restoration and preservation at Paramount Pictures, joins moderator Kelsey Moore of UCSB for a discussion following the January 22 screening… Filmmakers Yasha Levine and Rowan Wernham will be on hand for a discussion following a January 27 screening of Pistachio Wars, their 2024 doc that follows journalist Yasha Levine as he investigates a small-town water deal and uncovers a hidden side of California’s healthfood industry personified by billionaires Stewart and Lynda Resnick of the Wonderful Company (Wonderful Pistachios, POM Wonderful, and Fiji Water). Shockingly it turns out the farmers own much of the state’s water, more than the entire city of Los Angeles, fueling the state’s growing climate injustices, from worsening droughts to increasingly destructive megafires. Visit www.carseywolf.ucsb.edu.
Janeane Garofalo is here to deliver some much-needed laughs (courtesy photo)
The Riviera Theatre will show The Librarians on January 29 (courtesy photo)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (the implausible Anna Sawai) – Shōgun is sweeping. A week prior to the Primetime Emmys, Shōgun had taken 14 categories at the Creative Arts Emmys, which recognizes costumers, sound designers, camera operators, set builders; tech and craftspeople without whose mastery production is a caterer’s table and dog-eared script.
That Creative Arts evening had already bagged Shōgun the distinction most Emmys ever won by a program in a single year. When the following week Fred and co. grasped four additional statues, once reliable superlatives began to wilt in the heat.
Finally, Jane Lynch announces the candidates for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series {Stephen Daldry, The Crown; Mimi Leder, The Morning Show ; Hiro Murai , Mr. & Mrs. Smith; Frederick E.O. Toye, Shōgun; Saul Metzstein, Slow Horses; Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Winning Time}. Brendan Hunt – Ted Lasso actor/ co-creator and Jane Lynch’s amusing foil tonight – opens the envelope. It’s Fred! A grinning Mr. Toye rises from his seat, and before some seven million television viewers turns to his wife and longtime pal, Sandy. Their eyes lock and she glares at Fred with an expression that could tease a throat-cramping, stifled sob from the most jaded awards
telecast habitué. These two have walked through fire. Fred strides through raucous applause and climbs the small set of stairs to receive his Emmy – a winged Muse yearning skyward en pointe and bearing aloft an atom; television as the fusion of art and technology. He murmurs something to Jane Lynch as she hands him the prize and she throws back her head and laughs.
At the daïs Fred thanks “my mom and my dad, and my sister, who’s here, my three daughters and my wife, Sandy…” At that, the camera cuts to the evening’s Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Hiroyuki Sanada. Shōgun’s fearsome and taciturn Lord Toranaga –decked out tonight in a classic Dior tux and Allen Edmond shoes – nods vigorously and grins at Fred’s mention of family; giddy emoting that would surely have cost him dear in the wild 17th century melee that is Shōgun’s heart-twisting engine. Fred ends his acceptance speech by name checking his heroes: David Lean, Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Wise, and Akira Kurosawa.
Sometime later we’re chatting on the shade-dappled Corner Green, the Upper Village’s Pocket Central Park. Toye is describing the youthful moment of epiphany that lit his creative fuse and prompted him to dash off that letter to Robert Wise.
“There used to be a theater in Century City called the Plitt Century Plaza. I was there by myself and saw The Sound of Music in 70 Millimeter. The memory is very clear, and it was pretty straightforward. ‘I’m going to find a way to do that.’”
“…you need to think for both of us…”
One imagines with wonder the writer’s pitch to FX brass. “Set in the year 1600 –” (gathered TV execs clear throats and rustle papers) “– a cranky and not terribly likable Englishman is shipwrecked in pre-modern Japan, where he is swept up in byzantine court intrigues and a nuanced power tango with a doomed
regent, the whole thing presented with the sort of expensively layered veracity that makes historians stammer with joy. Oh! And about 80% subtitled.”
In fact, Shōgun has more in common with Heinlein’s classic sci-fi novel Stranger in a Strange Land than with any costume drama you will have seen, and is as thrillingly mind-blowing. But let’s pivot now to the fountainhead of self-discovery and pugnacious determination that brought Frederick E.O. Toye to this pass.
An ‘89 graduate of UCSB’s Film and Media Studies program, the guy has a CV like the tail of a comet. Editor, VFX Supervisor, Producer, Director, Toye has worked on Watchmen, Lost, 11.22.63, Snowpiercer, Westworld, The Walking Dead, The Boys, Fallout, The Good Wife, American Gods, Chuck, Alias, Hawaii Five-O…this is a sampling.
“What brought me to visual storytelling was I watched a lot of TV when I was a kid,” Toye explains. “So all the seventies and eighties TV that I’m sure you watched as well. Of course at the time it’s like, ‘you’re wasting your life watching all that TV!’” The vaunted director laughs. “But television in that era was not like it is today. For a TV show to survive it was all about character. M*A*S*H is a character drama. It’s Hawkeye and BJ, and All in the Family is Archie Bunker…”
The instinctual treasures absorbed by the young TV fiend would later be contextualized by higher ed’s set-top rabbit ears, which tuned the signal to a comprehensible discipline, that of Directing.
We’ve done all of this. What is the intent of that scene?” Fred’s passion for classic cinematic minutiae is nonpareil. The question’s rhetorical nature and my cluelessness combine to keep me silent.
“She’s putting on display the fact that their relationship meant as much to her as it did to Rick. And when she says, ‘You need to think for both of us,’ it provides the pivotal moment in the story for Rick to be able to say, I’m going to do the right thing for everyone; for you, me, and the Western world.’ Big scene, big moment. But if that scene is about, oh, she’s got to be crying, and oh, the lighting has to be like this – well, you’ve lost the point. As long as you know the scene and you have the central sense what it’s doing in the story, then you can just start layering and layering and layering.”
How to Form Chops: 140, 50, 15
Speaking of layering, Fred Toye’s ascent to Directorial eminence is a story of formal education, adoration of craft, and constant progress along that continuum typically described as time in the trenches.
“I’ve directed 140 episodes of television, and edited 50 or so before that, and worked on 15 movies before that. It was just a lot of exposure.” For once, “exposure” isn’t code for “millstone-hauling.” Fred walked into his onerous “dues-paying” Production Assistant phase with his footwear already several feet above the floor. The Emmy-hoisting, Director’s Guild of America-winning Hollywood maestro projects the enigmatic calm of Tom Hanks in Big.
“It was like, I love being a production assistant! It was really fun, really super fun,” he exults. “I’m meeting all these people and helping them and going to recording studios and delivering scripts to actors’ houses and getting hamburgers for famous actors. What could be more fun than that?” (commas expunged to more accurately reflect interviewee’s outburst). “I could say to myself, ‘This sucks. I want to be a director.’ But it didn’t suck!” Buoyed by workplace wonder, Fred Toye rose.
“UCSB was the right choice for me because it was a cinema studies program, and we watched movies and wrote papers. That was the program. We weren’t learning how to use the camera.” He elaborates by mapping a scene from a beloved classic to its narrative constituents. “That scene in Casablanca where Ilsa comes to Rick and says, ‘You have to think for the both of us.’ Okay, beautiful moody lighting, we’ve already set up the intrigue of Casablanca, French Morocco, and the Vichy government.
Fred on set of The Terminal List: Dark Wolf (photo by David Stockton)
UCSB grad finds satisfying work (photo by Jae C. Hong/Invision/AP)
Sandy and Fred tearing up the Emmy red carpet four years earlier for his Westworld nomination (courtesy photo)
Fred Toye and unpaid agent/mom (and MJ writer) Sigrid (courtesy photo)
“After production assistant, I started working on set as assistant to a Visual Effects Supervisor. This was the original Addams Family. I was also a production assistant on Dances with Wolves...”
Loving the experience but fearing it was not nourishing the storytelling instincts he knew were central to his becoming a good Director, Fred leaned into editing and was fortunate to be counseled by two greats: Dede Allen (Little Big Man, Slaughterhouse Five, Dog Day Afternoon, Bonnie and Clyde…) and Arthur Schmidt (Coal Miner’s Daughter, Back to the Future, Forrest Gump…).
“Dede knew I wanted to learn. ‘Fred, come in here, let me show you this. This is what I’m going to do.’ And I kind of was like, oh my God, what?” A second revelation awaited Fred Toye – or maybe a 50th revelation. Who’s counting? “The director shot all these performances, and Dede’s saying ‘… this isn’t fast enough, this isn’t slow enough. Where’s the music?’ And I was like, oh She’s telling the story. It came clear to me in those moments, I needed to be an editor to be a storyteller. And then Santa Barbaran Artie Schmidt invited me to work with him as editing assistant on Forrest Gump. That was edited here in Montecito, by the way.”
Family Plot
Fred’s coming into his own as an artist seems to have been a long series of revelations, and on-the-fly mentors grateful to have an insatiably curious mentee willing to grasp the torch. “Fred. Fred! C’mere, kid. Have a look at this.” And then there is the Positive Parent Trap.
“My mom’s nonstop encouragement is key to this very day – always there,
always watching, always comfortably seated in the first row. And of course my dad, an amateur documentary filmmaker, had the foresight to give me my first camera when I was five. Granted, it was made with a squirt gun and toilet paper roll.
“My own daughters Jayna, Sabrina, and Melody are all amazing artists themselves, and each carving their own path. I’m so lucky to be close to them. It was Sandy’s idea to move to Santa Barbara 15 years ago and my daughters have the good fortune of living in a small town in our beautiful SB… a block from my parents, and I am so grateful for that as well.”
Still happily haunted by the glance Fred and Sandy exchanged at the Emmys, I mention it. For those several seconds in that sequined auditorium, her expression telegraphed both this momentary culmination of their shared history – and her mighty effort not to go to pieces on TV. At my mention of Sandy, Fred’s demeanor throws sudden gamma.
“She and I started dating when I was a Production Assistant on the first Addams Family movie in 1990,” he says with a boyish grin. “She has helped me and supported me with great cheerleading through all of it. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Jeff Wing is a journalist, raconteur, autodidact, and polysyllable enthusiast. He has been writing about Montecito and environs since before some people were born. He can be reached at jeff@ montecitojournal.net
News Bytes Call for Nominations for Environmental Steward Awards
by MJ Staff
Explore Ecology invites everyone to submit their nominations for an Environmental Steward Award online by January 31. Categories are: Teacher Award, Grades Preschool to 6th grade Teacher Award, Grades 7th to 12th Class or Club Award, Grades Preschool to 12th Student Award, Grades Preschool to 6th Student Award, Grades 7th to 12th School Support Staff, Grades Preschool to 12th
This year is the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s 100th Anniversary. Kicking off their events list is a symposium by entomologist Doug Tallamy on January 31 from 10 am-1 pm. The event is part of the garden’s annual Conservation Symposium presented by the Nakashima-Rennie Family. Titled, “Planting with Purpose,” it will present how public and private landscapes can be imagined as both beautiful and ecological. Tallamy will be awarded for his work with the 2026 Honorable John C. Pritzlaff Conservation Award.
Max, the beloved Great Horned Owl, has passed away, he was 27 human years old. Max served as an Eyes in the Sky Avian Ambassador for the SB Museum of Natural History. A celebration of his life is on Saturday, February 7, 3-5 pm, at the museum’s Fleischmann Auditorium. Max remained in captivity his whole life as he had fallen from his owl nest at an early age and was “imprinted with humans” thus making his life in the wild at risk. Adopted by the museum, Max fostered orphaned Great Horned Owl chicks helping them return to the wild, as well as being in the museum’s education programs.
Tribal Chairman Kenneth Kahn said in his press release, “Our tribe is proud of our Team Members’ contributions of both time and effort to keep the areas around our resort clean, while also volunteering to support larger causes that are focused on improving the environment. Being named a Clean California Community is a testament to our resort’s leadership and the great work of our Team Members who understand the importance of being stewards of the land.”
Jayna, Sabrina, Melody, Anna Sawai, Sandy, and Fred in full glam (photo Victoria Toye)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Calendar of Events
by Steven Libowitz
ENDING THIS WEEK
Impressionist Angst: ‘Monet to Matisse’ Moving On – It’s your last chance to experience the beauty and innovation of 19th-century French art at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art through a pair of exhibits from both near and far. The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse traces the origins of the Impressionist movement through works by Monet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Morisot, and others who helped shape modern art. Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first Impressionist exhibition, the show – told entirely through the Dallas Museum of Art’s exceptional holdings that are on loan in a very limited tour – invites visitors to reconsider these now beloved artists as the scandalous renegades they were at one time. Meanwhile, SBMA has mounted its own companion show called Encore: 19th-Century French Art from its own collection, boasting more than 40 works, including pieces by Monet, Matisse, and Degas as well as other works of famous Parisian sites, including the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and the bohemian enclave of Montmartre. Together, these exhibitions highlight both the artistry and the lasting cultural impact of the period in place and time and while.
WHEN: Closes January 25
WHERE: Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State St.
COST: $21-$30
INFO: (805) 963-4364 or https://tickets.sbma.net
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23
20 Years of ‘Cat Dances – Beth Amine originally started booking shows at the Wildcat Lounge downtown simply to provide a space for her fellow belly dancers to perform in public. Over the years, the periodic performances have evolved into an homage to a wide array of dance forms and styles, with performers and approaches
‘Fair Trade’ Finale – The exhibit in the gallery at Santa Barbara City Hall features photography by longtime friends and colleagues Patricia Houghton Clarke and Brett Leigh Dicks, documenting taquerias and diners across Santa Barbara County and Western Australia, respectively. The connections between the locations thousands of miles and
more than a dozen of time zones apart is considerable, as the pair put their own perspectives on the modest eateries that dot the landscapes in far apart lands. The commonality includes compositional aspects, capturing of signs and even coordination of colors as well as approach and empathetic emphasis that celebrate the everyday spaces where food, culture, and community intersect, evident when the show first ran at the nearby Architectural Foundation Gallery last spring. Friday’s closing reception features appearances by both artists – Carpinteria’s Houghton and former local Dicks, who returns from Australia – plus a live poetry reading organized by current City of Santa Barbara Poet Laureate George Yatchisin featuring works by local poets, including former laureates Melinda Palacio and Chryss Yost as well as Natalie Damjanovich-Napoleon, who is also Dicks’ wife.
WHEN: Through January 23
WHERE: SB City Hall Gallery, 735 Anacapa St.
COST: free
INFO: (805) 568-3994 or www.sbac.ca.gov
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24
BFG a BFD at Lobero – It’s not every day that the founder and still leader of a legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame trio inducted more than 20 years ago drops by our charming former opera house in town. Yet, here’s William Frederick Gibbons, better known as Billy, who launched ZZ Top in Texas way back in 1969, wielding his blues-rock guitar chops for a gig fronting with the latest version of his solo trio known as Billy F Gibbons and the BFG Band. The still bearded wonder – who by the way shares a birthday with both Beethoven and yours truly – will be joined by two other veterans of the iconic Texas blues scene in drummer Chris “Whipper” Layton, a founding member of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble and current stick man for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, and Hammond B3 organist Mike “The Drifter” Flanigin, who also sings, writes and produces and has collaborated with Stevie Ray’s brother Jimmie Vaughan Consider yourself Lone Star State lucky if you can land some ducats.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $60-$95 ($150 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
changing with each show. Tonight marks the 20th anniversary of Amine’s Wildcat Lounge Dance Variety Show, this time featuring Flamenco, fusion, aerial, pole dancing, Latin, and more in addition, of course, to the foundational belly dancing. Audiences at the always-hopping downtown watering hall are known for their passion and support of the performers at these events, so expect a lot of energy and excitement as the evening unfolds, and stick around to shake it up on the dance floor when it’s over. Visit www.dancingwithtime.com for more on Amine’s activities.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Wildcat Lounge, 15 W. Ortega St.
Grace-ful Book Launch – The Grace Fisher Foundation (GFF) Inclusive Arts Clubhouse hosts a book launch party celebrating We Are Resilient, a collection of voices highlighting perseverance, creativity, and strength in the face of adversity. Co-authors Sissy Taran and Tiffany Howard will be joined by chapter authors who will share their stories, engage in meaningful conversation with the community, and celebrate the power of resilience, inclusion, and lived experience. Fisher is the book’s cover artist and is featured in the first chapter, setting the tone for the deeply personal and empowering stories that follow in the book where each chapter and interview is accompanied by an interactive worksheet, inviting readers to reflect, engage, and apply the themes of resilience to their own lives. All proceeds from book sales directly support the GFF’s inclusive arts and education programs.
WHEN: 1-3 pm
WHERE: 120 S. Hope Ave, F118
COST: free
INFO: (805) 448-6873 or www.gracefisherfoundation.org
COST: $20
INFO: (805) 962-7970 or www.wildcatlounge.com
SUNDAY, JANUARY 25
Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival – What with ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! frequent offerings of the musical Mexican genre in its free monthly academic year series (including last weekend), and various other venues jumping into the fray, nobody has to wait until August and Fiesta to experience the distinctive sounds of the traditional folk music that combines brass and string instruments with vocals. Tonight’s event celebrates 60 years of mariachi history with a two-hour
live performance by Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán, whose six-decade history since its founding in Guadalajara in 1965 by brothers José “Pepe” Martínez (1941-2016) and Fernando Martínez (1946-1998) remains alive through today’s 15-member ensemble. Expect rancheras, sones, huapangos, boleros, and classically influenced favorites that represent the Martínez family tradition, who still represent in today’s band. The event from the Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival also holds its first-ever Vocal Competition, where the winner will earn the chance to open the 29th annual Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival on August 8 at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Viva! WHEN: 4 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $30-$50 ($100 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
California Debut for Koubi Conquering Choreography – The 19 dancers of Compagnie Hervé KOUBI are renowned for an electrifying fusion of street dance/ hip-hop, contemporary movement and martial arts, which come together through founder Hervé Koubi’s creative choreography to fashion performances that are at once physically exhilarating and deeply poetic. In the new Sol Invictus, love is the guarantor of peace, and despite fracture, communion emerges as humanity’s saving grace. The music score includes a composition by Swedish composer Mikael Karlsson, with excerpts by Steve Reich and digital composer Maxime Bodson New York critics raved in reviews in advance of the California tour, with The New Yorker waxing rapturously: “The dancers… could be mistaken for gods. They glide, spin, toss one another in high arcs through the air, exhibiting an uncanny mastery of the body and a gravitas that renders their movements into poetry.”
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street
COST: $85-$110
INFO: (805) 899-2222/www.granadasb.org or (805) 893-3535/https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu
TUESDAY, JANUARY 27
Palermo’s Onetime Prodigy Performs – Italy’s Matteo Mancuso was immersed in music from an early age under the guidance of his father, Vincenzo, a respected guitarist and producer. Matteo began performing at jazz festivals by age 11 focusing on gypsy jazz style made famous by Django Reinhardt and later earned a scholarship to Berklee College of Music after a standout appearance at the Umbria Jazz Festival. The now acclaimed guitar virtuoso has moved into modern jazz and jazz fusion that has won him acclaim from the likes of Steve Vai, Al Di Meola, and Joe Bonamassa for his acuity and astonishing clarity, precision, and genre-defying versatility delivered via a distinctive fingerstyle technique. Still touring behind his debut solo album, The Journey, released in 2023, Mancuso’s music reflects his wide-ranging influences and artistic evolution, celebrating the genres and mentors that shaped his sound.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $30-$40 ($75 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
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