MA Board Briefs – Monthly updates covered record test scores, reliable water, wildfire safety, and eucalyptus concerns shaping Montecito’s future, P.10
Avo Art – From Wall Street Journal illustrations to guac-inspired graphics, Westmont professor Scott Anderson’s work takes center stage at Avo Fest, P.12
green with
Rock & Respond – From Nashville to Montecito, One805LIVE! unites country, rock, and community spirit in support of Santa
Casa
Centennial
Fundraising goals were exceeded in style at Casa del Herrero with surprises, tributes, and a standing ovation-worthy donation, page 14
Stronger Together
Seventeen-year-old Hannah Hedrick turns fire and mudslide memories into a children’s book teaching resilience and coping skills, page 22
Barbara’s heroes, P.20
Going
CEC’s gala, page 23
SATURDAY,
Step
SUNSET SWINGS AND COASTAL SIPS
Join us at Sandpiper Golf Club for a relaxed evening on the coast. Play nine holes in a fun scramble format on our oceanfront course, with on-course wine stations along the way from local wineries.
$75 per person — includes golf, wine, and light bites.
Where golf meets wine and the ocean is your backdrop.
Big – With no pro teams in town, UCSB basketball brings
Beings and Doings – There are indeed words that must not be uttered lest we face utter destruction. We’re on the same page, right?
16 CRI Report – Climate Rights International releases a report on the Sable pipeline and urges Gavin Newsom to halt it
18 Community Voices – Jeff Giordano’s final part on affordable housing and looking at what can, and should, be done
20 On Entertainment – One805LIVE! is this weekend, program ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara!, and the SB Indie Film Fest
22 ‘Side by Side’ – SBHS senior Hannah Hedrick writes children’s book to help process emotions around natural disasters
23 The Giving List – Get green and resilient at the Community Environmental Council’s upcoming gala
26 Brilliant Thoughts – War… what is it good for? That is debatable but these are the words that have sprung from conflict.
30 Spirituality Matters – How District216 was launched and its upcoming events, plus seminars on sacred shapes and self
31 Your Westmont – Stargazers to glimpse Saturn, women’s soccer scores a win against Cal Lutheran, and volleyball set to return home
38 Far Flung Travel – Despite the lack of rain this year, the giant coreopsis made a colorful appearance this season
39 News Bytes – Annual Coastal Cleanup Day, City of Carp’s 60th, the Condor Trail Fundraiser, and more Curator’s Choice
40 Calendar of Events – Going inside Heaven’s Gate , Songs of the Sea , the Spectrum of Sound , and other happenings this week around town
42
–
27 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – An old washboard tells of early domestic tasks and the ongoing saga of laundry
28 Rescue Roundup – From live rescue demos to Santa Maria-style BBQ, this event offers a festive way for the community to support SBC Search and Rescue
Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales
43 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
Dream Big UCSB Coach Joe Pasternack Brings Lessons to Crane School
by Tiana Molony
On Tuesday, September 16, UCSB men’s basketball coach
Joe Pasternack and two of his players, Luke Zuffelato of Santa Barbara and Koat Keat Tong of South Sudan, visited Crane Country Day School for an all-school assembly to share life lessons and encourage students to dream big.
The main theme of their talk was “attitude” and its importance both on and off the basketball court. “The way we define attitude is how you respond when you don’t get what you want, or something bad happens,” said Pasternack.
He stressed that the right attitude, responding positively, persevering and persisting, is essential for overcoming obstacles and achieving success. “It’s not about the result,” he said. “It’s all about how are you going to respond and get back off the floor and persevere and persist to the next test.”
To show that message in action, Pasternack brought Zuffelato and Tong as living examples of the balance between athletics and academics. Zuffelato shared how his own dream of playing college basketball required him to stay disciplined in the classroom. “And so we wanted to show them college players that had these dreams just like them,” Pasternack said.
That connection between lessons and lived experience will continue beyond the assembly. Later this season, the entire Crane School, from kindergarten through eighth grade, is scheduled to attend a UCSB home game, a chance for students to see their role models on the court and to feel part of the college sports environment.
Pasternack said making games fam-
ily-friendly is part of that effort. Start times have been moved from 7 pm to 6 pm, and food will be available at the arena. The earlier tipoff, he explained, is meant to help families with young children attend. “Seven o’clock was considered too late for young kids and families,” he said.
With no professional sports teams in Santa Barbara, Pasternack sees UCSB’s basketball program, as well as Gaucho pride in general, as an opportunity to unite the community around something positive. “It’s a great environment,” he said, “for families to bring their children to campus and watch student-athletes up close.”
He hopes those experiences, whether in a school gym or an arena, leave children inspired to take on challenges of their own. He shared his personal story: He even shared his own story of being a fifth grader and dreaming of becoming a college basketball coach but was told he was “too small, too short, too slow,” and that he didn’t “look like a basketball player. Clearly whoever told him that had never seen Muggsy Bogues, at 5’3”, play basketball. ”
Despite those doubts, he kept pushing. His message to the students was simple, “Don’t let anybody ruin your dreams.” He urged them to “persevere, persist until you ultimately achieve what you go after in life.”
And for the Crane students, that message may resonate most clearly when they see Zuffelato and Tong take the floor this season, proof that discipline, determination, and attitude can turn childhood dreams into lifetime realities. For Pasternack, the hope is that every young fan leaves not just with memories of a game, but with the belief that their own goals, no matter how lofty, are worth chasing.
Visit ucsbgauchos.com for tickets and upcoming games
just a few people or a private party for 100 of your co-workers...
Coach Joe Pasternack speaking to the audience at Crane (courtesy photo)
Beings and Doings
The Sauce Whose Name Shall Not Be Spoken
by Jeff Wing
You’re the top, you’re Mahatma Gandhi. You’re the top, you’re Napoleon Brandy. You’re the purple light of a summer night in Spain. You’re the National Gallery, you’re
Garbo’s salary. You’re cellophane.
Cole Porter’s famous lyric was surely written about the human race. Yeah, we’re the top! [cut to outdoor shot –two strangers on Coast Village Road ecstatically perform a leaping high-five in slow motion]
But… let’s talk. I want to take this opportunity to broach a sensitive topic that binds us all, despite our having conquered all. Let’s publicly identify and confess it here. Yes. [deep breath]
Sweet Onion Sauce? We shatter your manacles today!
Humankind Has
Made a Good Show of It
Yes, humankind has made a good show of it, and in short order. We began walking upright about seven million years ago, acquired our IQ-and-languagebequeathing thumb dexterity two million years ago, and began naming objects and swapping gossip about 175,000 years ago. Whew! What’s the hurry?
Shrimp have been on the planet for about 500 million years. By now they should be piloting vast interstellar space arks and traversing the fog-shrouded labyrinth of time itself. Instead, their greatest advance to date has been our rebranding them as Sea Monkeys® and selling them from the back of a comic book. You’re welcome, shrimp. Try harder next eon.
If the movies are to be believed, the Middle Paleolithic featured grunting,
crouched humans gesturing balletically at the night sky in heavy-browed wonder. Look how far we’ve come! Today we say “autoclave,” “imprimatur,” “synergy,” “ideate,” and a host of other gibberish-adjacent things our pets strain to comprehend. Unless you give your dachshund a strip of bacon every time you say “autoclave!” you’re likely to get zero canine reaction. Okay? We own autoclave, as we own this world! [awkward cut to the leaping slo-mo high-five again].
There is just one problem. You know darned well what it is.
A Hideous Sibilance
In our magisterial rise to the top, humans have developed some 7,164 languages. This “Planet Blabbermouth” reputation is likely the reason we have not been visited by small-talk-averse extraterrestrials. A topic for a later essay, perhaps.
The real problem is that some of these highly evolved word combinations are so delicately articulated, so ghastly in their sibilance, they may as well be spoken by a giant crab, with its dozen moving mouth parts and clicking locution. Words like “sizzle” and “sassafras” drive us mad, don’t they?
This is not a Sweet Onion dispenser (after René Magritte, sort of)
Comparatively gigantic human family observes their captive Sea Monkeys®
Montecito Miscellany
Legends of the Stage
by Richard Mineards
The venerable Granada Theatre was socially gridlocked when it held its 9th annual Legends gala with 100 people recognizing the John C. Mithun Foundation, the Lobero Theatre, and esteemed Santa Barbara Symphony maestro Nir Kabaretti.
The tony event, which raised around $400,000, was emceed by the ubiquitous Andrew Firestone and co-chaired by Susan Jackson and Maria Schmidt
Dan Oh presented the award to Mercedes Millington and Susan M. Torrey for the foundation, while Charles de L’Arbre lauded the historic Lobero, and Montecito Bank & Trust head honcho Janet Garufis awarded Kabaretti while members of the State Street Ballet performed colorful scenes from The Little Mermaid and Miriam Dance sang Joni Mitchell’s “Coyote.”
The 1967 Beatles hit from Sgt. Pepper, “With a Little Help from My Friends,” sung by the gathered throng, serenaded the award to Kabaretti.
Among the glitterati filling the capa-
cious stage were Palmer Jackson, Anne Towbes, Gretchen Lieff, Brooks and Kate Firestone, Marcia Constance, Mary Collier, Mary Dorra, Stefan Riesenfeld, Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey, Judi and Harry Weisbart, Peter and Kathryn
A Panel Discussion on Prostate Health
, Kostis Protopapas, and Dan and Meg Burnham
On Heroes & Hospice
It was a complete sell-out when Santa Barbara Hospice threw its 13th annual Heroes of Hospice lunch for 350 guests at the Rosewood Miramar raising a hefty $300,000 for the 51-year-old organization.
Jesse Brisendine emceed and welcomed prolific author and grief specialist David Kessler as key speaker while Isabella Darke spoke emotionally about death’s effect on young people.
CenCal Health won the Medical Award, while YouthWell won the Partner Award, and Angel Flight West got the Volunteer Award.
Supporters included David Selberg, Gerd Jordano, Anne Towbes, Roger
Now part of
Martin
and Robin Himowitz, Leslie Sinclair von Wiesenberger, John and Ellen
Some familiar faces celebrating this year’s Legends (photo by Priscilla)
Man of the evening, maestro Nir Kabaretti, with his family (photo by Priscilla)
Dan Oh (center right) helped present this year’s awards (photo by Priscilla)
Meeting at MA School Attendance, Groundwater
Monitoring, and More at Board Meeting
by Houghton Hyatt
The September Board Meeting of the Montecito Association provided important updates on community priorities, featuring reports from law enforcement, local schools, the water district, Caltrans, and the fire department. The Sheriff’s Department began with an update on public safety, noting recent red flag days and continued enforcement of parking restrictions at Hot Springs Trail, where ticketing remains active. Deputies also reported on the ongoing outreach efforts at homeless encampments below the cemetery, and the absence of any recent mail theft from the Montecito Post Office.
The Board also heard significant updates from Montecito’s schools. Montecito Union School reported a notable increase in enrollment, with 396 students this year across 24 classes, including two transitional kindergarten sections. Superintendent Anthony Ranii highlighted strong academic achievement, with the school posting
its highest test scores ever in math and language arts. He also outlined recent campus improvements, from new painting to fitness equipment and a mindfulness pathway, and noted new programs designed to welcome families into the school community. However, a major challenge facing the district is a lawsuit tied to allegations from the 1970s. While no current staff were employed during that time, the case presents substantial financial risk despite ongoing settlement discussions. At Cold Spring School, Superintendent Amy Alzina shared that enrollment stands at 191 students, including 17 in transitional kindergarten. She highlighted the school’s focus on personalized learning and its leadership role in integrating artificial intelligence responsibly into education.
As a member of California’s AI Task Force, she emphasized how Cold Spring is modeling adaptability and excellence for public education statewide.
Montecito Water District General Manager Nick Turner presented an encouraging report on water supply, noting that outlooks remain favorable
with no shortages projected. Turner also described ongoing maintenance, including a fire hydrant cleaning and painting initiative that has completed 100 of the district’s 900 hydrants, and shared updates on groundwater monitoring that shows levels are well above historic lows.
Transportation updates came from Caltrans representative Kirsten Ayars, who reported that five of eight segments of the Highway 101 improvement project are now complete, including major work in Carpinteria, Summerland, and at the Olive and San Ysidro roundabouts. Construction in Montecito is focused on full freeway replacement, storm drain improvements, and bridge widening. Key changes are set for September 19, when the southbound off-ramp at San Ysidro Road will reopen and the Olive Mill Road southbound off-ramp will close, with detours provided. While acknowledging the inconvenience caused by the construction, Ayars emphasized the long-term importance of the project for safety.
Another major topic was the potential removal of 62 to 69 eucalyptus trees along East Valley Road in Birnam Wood. Homeowners are weighing the risks and costs of removal due to safety and fire concerns, including the hazard of trees exploding in fires or falling. The Montecito Fire District has confirmed these risks, and a high-pressure gas line beneath the trees raises further concerns. Of the 16 homeowners surveyed, many supported removal, though the project would require extensive environmental studies costing about $50,000 before moving forward. Tree removal bids have come in at $822,000 to $923,000, while trimming costs – at $17,000 per tree –making maintenance a costly alternative, especially as eucalyptus grow back quickly. If removal proceeds, replacement with native species would be required.
Public safety and wildfire prevention were also addressed through updates from Fire Chief David Neels. He outlined a new county ordinance allowing vehicles to be towed from Mountain
Montecito Tide Guide
Sept 26
Drive, Ashley Road, and Riven Rock Road during red flag warnings, with new signage now in place to help drivers understand the restrictions. Neels clarified that while access to county roads can be restricted, the National Forest itself cannot be closed. Additionally, Neels shared that the Montecito Fire Department transitioned to the new Regional Fire Communications Center in May following the closure of South Coast Dispatch, a move designed to streamline emergency response across jurisdictions. The department has also discontinued its after-hours answering service due to liability concerns.
While many updates reflected positive progress in our community – such as strong school performance, stable water supplies, and enhanced parking enforcement – the meeting also acknowledged ongoing challenges that will require continued community attention. We invite all community members to join us at our monthly Montecito Association Board Meetings to stay informed and take part in these important conversations. The Board meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, and agendas are posted on our website prior to the meetings.
Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Jessica Sutherland, Joe DeMello
Contributing Editor | Kelly Mahan Herrick
Proofreading | Helen Buckley
Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz
Contributors | Scott Craig Ashleigh Brilliant, Chuck Graham, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye, Elizabeth Stewart, Beatrice Tolan, Leana Orsua, Jeffrey Harding, Tiana Molony, Houghton Hyatt, Jeff Wing
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 Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108.
How to reach us: (805) 565-1860; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast
EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net
A reminder on restricted parking for Montecito Hot Springs area
Houghton Hyatt is the Montecito Association Executive Director
CRIME IN THE ‘CITO Sheriff’s Blotter 93108 . . . .
Civil Issue / 3500 block Via Real
Monday, August 18, at 10:21 hours
Deputies responded to a civil issue.
E-bike Theft / 1281 Channel Drive
Monday, August 18, at 19:20 hours
Victim reported his e-bike was stolen from in front of Coral Casino. The suspect was described as a Hispanic adult male. The victim’s e-bike was a gray Rad Power Bike with a gray seat cover, black handlebars, and Clark brakes.
Illegal Camping and Narcotics / Butterfly Beach
Monday, August 18, at 23:10 hours
Deputies were patrolling the beach after a call was received about illegal camping. Deputies contacted the subject, who was found to have an active Santa Barbara County warrant for narcotic related offenses. Subject was arrested and transported to Santa Barbara County Main Jail without further incident.
Arrest / 1150 East Cabrillo Blvd
Tuesday, August 19, at 21:21 hours
Subject was contacted on the beach directly below the Santa Barbara Cemetery. Subject was found to have an outstanding warrant for her arrest. Subject was arrested and booked in Santa Barbara County Main Jail on the warrant.
Abandoned Vessel / Butterfly Beach
Sunday, August 24, at 22:53 hours
Deputies responded for an abandoned vessel.
Illegal Exposure / Lillie Ave/Evans Ave
Monday, August 25, at 19:13 hours
Subject’s genitalia was exposed while using an outside shower at the victim’s residence. The victim went outside and flagged down a CHP Officer, who then requested an SBSO response. Upon arrival, an investigation was conducted, and subject was arrested and transported to SBJ for PC 647(i).
Under the Influence / Temple St/Varely St
Tuesday, August 26, at 07:44 hours
Subject was found passed out in a running vehicle with open containers in plain view when he was contacted for a welfare check. After conducting SFSTs, subject was arrested for VC 23152(a) and consented to a blood test. Subject was arrested and booked at SBJ.
Paraglider Assist / Toro Canyon Peak
Monday, September 1, at 13:13 hours
Assisted with a downed paraglider at the top of Toro Canyon Road. Glider was located and airlifted out by H308 for minor injuries sustained during the crash.
Wanted Person / Hot Springs Trail
Monday, September 1, at 15:18 hours
Someone called to report a “wanted” person matching the description of a person in flyers on the trail was currently there. The flyers were clearly not from a law enforcement agency but showed a picture of a male and said to be cautious of him, since he was a sexual predator. The flyers said to contact SBPD Detective J. Brown if he was seen. The phone number listed on the flyer was to SBPD’s old recruiting #. Deputies hiked the trail to try and locate the male. Several hikers told deputies that they also saw the flyers and that they had seen the male up the trail, although he was not doing anything at that time. After about a mile+ hike up the trail, the original RP was located, who said the male left 35 minutes prior.
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Our Town
Westmont College Art Professor Wins 2025 Avo Fest Design Contest
by Joanne A Calitri
Scott Anderson , MFA, professor of art at Westmont College for 27 years, is the winner of the 39th Annual California Avocado Festival’s Art Design Contest for its posters and t-shirts. The reveal was done on Thursday, September 11, at the Carpinteria Farmers Market where the Avo Fest set up a booth.
I met Avo Fest Director Olivia Sorgman at the reveal, and she shared with me for our readers, “We had so many entries this year and if you want to get a glimpse of them, check out our Instagram video. All the entries were really good, from little kids to adults. Also, this was the first year we received AI art. We are so excited to have Scott Anderson as our winner. He is a Westmont College professor of art which is so cool, and he’s been published in the Village Voice and Hollywood Reporter! We did the reveal of the winner today and are selling the t-shirts and posters as we speak. We also have a new line of merch that is avocado themed, designed by Ben Mascari, who is on our board. He owns Serigraph Resort Wear and the Carpinteria T-Shirt Co. The California Avo Fest is October 3 to 5 with hours expanded to Friday 10 am to 11 pm, Saturday 10 am to 10 pm, and Sunday 11 am to 7 pm.”
Anderson’s winning design features an avocado resting on a beach towel with a beach ball and umbrella at the Carpinteria Beach with the Channel Islands in the background. Anderson
also rendered the typography fonts and color choices. I asked him about his inspiration for the design and he explained: “We live in a beautiful coastal community and that seemed to be the obvious solution is to have an avocado at the beach. The typography color palette is taken from the colors of avocados. The design is digitally painted. I’m available to sign posters and t-shirts! I’m happy to contribute to this Santa Barbara County tradition. Carpinteria Beach was part of my childhood. My grandfather retired from NYC to Carpinteria and lived on Ash Street. I would go to my grandfather’s house for the weekend and the Carp beach on Sundays for family beach day.”
At Westmont College, Anderson’s specialties are Illustration, Painting, Drawing, Computer Graphics, and Graphic Design. He received his MFA in illustration from the University of Hartford, and an MA in illustration from Syracuse University. His illustration work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, L.A. Weekly, the Village Voice, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, MAD Magazine, and created book covers for the popular “Who Is” series from the Grosset & Dunlap division of Penguin Books. He is a gold and bronze award recipient from the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles. Anderson exhibits paintings with Sullivan Goss Gallery in Santa Barbara. Check out his work at www. scottandersonstudio.com
411: www.avofest.org
Artist Scott Anderson with Avo Fest Director Olivia Sorgman and Co-president Gary Dobbins (photo by Joanne A Calitiri)
The Society Edit
Casa del Herrero Centennial Gala
by Joanne A Calitri
This week’s Society Edit is bringing you the exclusive report on the Centennial Gala of Casa del Herrero, held on Saturday, September 6. As the only press person requested by the organization to cover the event, here are the illustrious details!
I arrived early to meet with the Casa del Herrero (the Casa) Board of Trustees and their event committee for photo ops outside in the front courtyard. Volunteers and docents were adding finishing touches to the décor details. Guests parked at El Montecito Church and were properly escorted to the Casa via black limo vans. Dressing for the black-tie gala for women was an event in itself, as pairing a gown with flats is a permitted foray to sport designer sneakers from Paris, which is quite the “thing” now. Unless, of course, one is a slim model height for designer strappy flat sandals.
The reception in the fountain gardens yielded Jenavi Vineyard wines donated by its co-founder Jenna Jobst
Reichental, who is on the gala committee. There were specialty cocktails, champagne, and Duo Catering’s bites served with cocktail napkins handprinted with various artwork from the Casa. The 10 artist-made birdhouses were displayed on individual pedestals for bidding, and Silhouettes by Candice made each guest or couple their personal silhouette cut from black paper sealed on white craft paper. As guests conversed, background music from a century ago played. From there, we were escorted to the backyard area to be seated for dining, presentations, and dancing. A live band on the back porch of the historic house played a mix of tunes from pop to jazz standards. Program speakers were matched with each course of the elegant dinner, set with china and gold tableware.
Up first was the Casa’s Executive Director and Head of Curation Natalie Sanderson She welcomed everyone and thanked them for their support of the Casa’s mission to preserve, protect, and continue for another 100 years. Sanderson lauded her board of trustees and volunteers. She presented awards to
staff members for their 30-plus years of service as follows, Chief Gardener and Head of Facilities Jose Aguilar, the first docent Jane Defnet, Garden Expert and tour leader Duke McPherson, and floral designer Diane Sassen
Speaking next were descendants of the family who owned the Casa. They were Albert P. Hinckley Jr. and Katherine Pharibe Wise , grandson and granddaughter of Carrie and George Fox Steedman; and George Fox Steedman Hinckley Jr. and Annalisa Hinckley Savin , great-grandson and great-granddaughter of Carrie and George Fox Steedman. They spoke
about the house, their memories, and why it is important to them to have donated and to fund the Casa to be open to the public to enjoy for centuries. Their comments drew much appreciation from guests.
Just before dessert, we were treated to David Bolton , executive director and CEO of the California Missions Foundation, leading the Ask. He provided remarks about his organization implementing and administering the matching federal grant of $750,000 titled “Save America’s Treasures Grant”
Society Edit Page 294
Advice for what matters most, when you need it most
Congratulations to Stephen Hepp for being named to the Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” 2025 list, published on April 8, 2025. Rankings based on data as of June 30, 2024.
The JJD Group
Stephen Hepp
Managing Director Wealth Management Advisor Senior Portfolio Manager
805.963.6362 stephen_hepp@ml.com
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management 1424 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805.963.6302 fa.ml.com/jjdgroup
2025 Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list. Opinions provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due-diligence meetings that measure best practices, client retention, industry experience, credentials, compliance records, firm nominations, assets under management and Firm-generated revenue (investment performance is not a criterion). SHOOK’s rankings are available for client evaluation only, are not indicative of future performance and do not represent any one client’s experience and available for investor help in evaluating the right financial advisor. Compensation was not received from anyone for the study. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Details available at the SHOOK Research website. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S) is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, and Member SIPC. Bank of America, N.A., Member
and MLPF&S are
of Bank of America Corporation. The Bull Symbol and Merrill are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. A Senior Portfolio Manager can help clients pursue their objectives by managing on a discretionary basis his
Casa del Herrero Board of Trustees (missing are Miles Hartfeld and Jami Voulgaris) (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
COMMUNITY REAL ESTATE FORUM
The State of Our Market: An Evening with Industry Leaders
The State of Our Market: An Evening with Industry Leaders
Are you ready to gain the insight you’ve been waiting for? This forum brings together respected speakers to discuss the local market today , reveal how insurance and wildfire issues are influencing decisions, and share a Southern California overview for the broader context. An open Q&A ensures you leave with clarity and confidence.
Thursday October 16th
GUEST SPEAKERS
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
A FLAVOR FIELD GUIDE
18, 2025
This one-of-a-kind tasting experience transforms our forested campus into a living field guide to your palate with 100% of the net proceeds going towards our science and nature education programs.
CRI Report International Org Urges Halt on Sable Pipeline
by Tiana Molony
In a September 10th report by Climate Rights International (CRI), authored by researcher Trevor Stankiewicz, the organization urged Governor Gavin Newsom and California regulators to halt Sable Offshore Corp.’s plans to restart the Las Flores oil pipeline system in Santa Barbara County.
In the report, the group called for a full environmental review, public hearings, and enforcement of existing environmental laws, referring to the potential pipeline restart as “an accident waiting to happen.”
Brad Adams , Climate Rights International executive director, sees the possible pipeline restart as “a test” of Governor Newsom’s climate leadership. Adams stated that Governor Newsom’s claims to be a climate leader are contradicted by his actions regarding oil extraction and new California legislation.
He points out that while Newsom “has positioned himself as a national and global leader on climate change,” he is also making decisions that allow for new oil extraction and delay stricter environmental protections.
Under California’s new Senate Bill 237, which is currently awaiting Governor Newsom’s signature, oil pipelines that have been shut down for five or more years will soon face much stricter safety and environmental reviews before they can be restarted. However, the law postpones the start of these tougher requirements until January 1, 2026.
Adams says this gives operators such as Sable Offshore a short window to apply for permits or restart their idle pipelines under the older, less demanding rules; after that date, they must comply with the new, more rigorous standards. However, Adams explains that Sable would still need approvals from the State Parks Authority, the fire marshal, and the Coastal Commission before restarting the pipeline.
Adams believes that failing to block the pipeline would undermine California’s leadership on climate issues and set a precedent that could weaken environmental protections nationwide. “If California can’t hold a line on refusing permits for new oil extraction,” he says, “then we can’t expect any state in the United States to pull one – and here we have a clear and present danger to the environment.”
The Las Flores pipeline, which caused the 2015 Refugio oil spill that fouled 150 miles of coastline and resulted in nearly $870 million in damages, has remained idle ever since and was previously thought to be permanently shut down.
Adams believes that failing to block the pipeline would undermine California’s leadership on climate issues and set a precedent that could weaken environmental protections nationwide.
In 2022, ExxonMobil acquired the facilities from Plains All American Pipeline, the company responsible for the spill, and in 2024, sold them to Sable Offshore, a start-up primarily financed through an Exxon loan.
Rather than build a new pipeline, Sable began repairing the corroded line – flagged with 164 serious flaws – without obtaining permits or conducting environmental reviews (Sable asserts that the work fell under existing 1987 permits previously issued by Santa Barbara County and the California Coastal Commission).
The California Coastal Commission has issued multiple cease-and-desist orders and a record $18 million fine, and a Santa Barbara judge has temporarily blocked the restart ahead of a trial set for October 15, 2025.
Adams criticized the possible pipeline restart as “shockingly unprincipled to even consider” allowing the pipeline back online and says it’s “purely for whatever short-term political calculation Newsom has in mind.”
The new legislation is designed to increase the state’s oil output by allowing Kern County to approve as many as 2,000 new oil drilling permits each year. Adams sees it as inconsistent with California’s climate leadership.
“Newsom needs to decide,” declared Adams, “is he a climate champion, or is he a politician who speaks out of both sides of his mouth?”
The Montecito Journal reached out to Sable Offshore Corp. for comment, but hasn’t received a response.
The Fountain of YOU.
Community Voices PART III: A Roadmap for Affordable Housing & Positive Change
by Jeff Giordano
In this, the last part of the series, I wanted to focus on certain hopeful, albeit early, steps that the Council, our award-winning city Housing Authority, and downtown property owners have taken to build affordable housing and improve the downtown corridor. Together these folks believe in a soaring State Street future and are spending real dollars to prove it.
I sat with our Housing Authority CEO Rob Fredericks to gain his insight. You see, in a 2023 op-ed he wrote: “Relying on the building of expensive, new market-rate-housing projects with only 10-20% affordable units won’t help our lower income local workforce – nor is it a realistic long-term solution.” In our discussion, he pushed back a bit on his written words but did grant that increased density helped to energize the affordable mandate, saying “we can’t just use a hammer approach” and should also provide “incentives.”
What everyone agrees on is that the 10% affordable mandate has not fulfilled its promise, and I believe the reason can be found in a commissioned analysis last updated in 2019 by Keyser Marston & Associates. KMA is a respected firm so it’s curious that their assumptions were so absurd, ultimately, leading them to conclude that the 10% mandate was “feasible.”
This conclusion was based on the very flawed idea that developers would work on a 5% Return on Cost (ROC) profit margin. Speak to just a few experts and/ or do a smidgen of research and you’ll find the real-world ROC target – its universal – is 10%. Fact: If KMA had used a 10% ROC it would have revealed what years of reality has verified, that a 10% mandate was NOT a singularly scaled solution. Numeric games and wasted time.
Anyway, Mr. Fredericks proposed innovative solutions to permanently fund the construction of 100% affordable units including adding just $7.50 to a $250 hotel room (3% TOT increase) or creating an Enhanced Infrastructure Finance District. These are solid ideas but require a Council that finds consensus and doesn’t default to “NO.” Priorities!
In 2024, our Council approved a Local Housing Trust Fund. First introduced in the 1980s, the genius of these funds can be found in their ability to multiply each city dollar (if CA helps) by 8x. Establishing the Fund was innovative but now comes the hard
part; finding sustained funding that doesn’t include raiding our Reserves, which four of seven councilpersons recently voted to do. Financial planning requires, well, PLANNING and building housing requires the fiscal leadership of a Council majority. I sat with our impressive Finance Director Keith DeMartini, who can provide solid advice. Fact: Budgets are about choices – let’s make some because our much-maligned private sector alone ain’t getting it done!
November 2026 will be a consequential month in our city’s history as we will need to fill three open/termed-out Council seats and decide on our next mayor.
Another positive change is the public-private partnership between the city and our 386 downtown property owners, the Downtown SB Improvement Association (DSBIA). This nonprofit will find funding through a mandatory property assessment and is dedicated to supporting the downtown business district with a focus on homelessness, safety, and cleanliness where 70% of their more than $2M annual budget will be spent. Because the City, the County, and the Housing Authority are property owners, they too will be assessed albeit not at the level of the owners who will be contributing the lion’s share. The truth is that it costs more to keep a fully closed State Street clean than the city budget envisioned. Many of these owners are multi-generational with a deep pride of ownership and genuinely want to see things shine. Me too!
November 2026 will be a consequential month in our city’s history as we will need to fill three open/termed-out Council seats and decide on our next mayor. These seats carry five-year terms so to all my vitamin D complacent friends I say, “GET INVOLVED.” The Council needs to exhibit professional collaboration because our once world-class town is facing huge challenges. We need to stretch for “EXCEPTIONAL” and build a vision where everyone is elevated. Forget your individual world view (no one cares!) and solve issues. Good luck!
Jeff Giordano, Santa Barbara County resident
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On Entertainment
Last Chance for One805LIVE! Tix
by Steven Libowitz
The first three One805LIVE!
Rock for First Responders benefit concerts at Kevin Costner’s Summerland-Carpinteria estate – created to continue to support the first responders of Santa Barbara County in the aftermath of the Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flows – were smashing successful affairs. Past artists have included P!NK as You+Me, Maroon 5, John Fogerty, Kevin Costner, Kenny Loggins, Alan Parsons, Joe Bonamassa, Danny Seraphine of Chicago, Elliot Easton of The Cars, and Costner’s band, among many others.
But if you take a closer look at the roster of artists who have appeared at the annual concert, they all have something in common. Every single one either lives in the area, from Carpinteria to Santa Ynez Valley, so has a stake in supporting the local fire and police departments, or they reside somewhere in the Los Angeles environs, and are very familiar with Santa Barbara and/or have experienced wildfire and other disasters
where our local heroes were among the responders.
That’s why the 2025 Rock for First Responders, slated for this Saturday, September 20, is something of a departure. The headliner is Trisha Yearwood, the country music superstar who lives in Georgia and Nashville. Yearwood has won three Grammy Awards, multiple CMA and ACM honors, and sold more
than 15 million albums worldwide.
But what she hasn’t done is performed live in Santa Barbara.
“This year, I wanted to get artists that we’ve never seen before here and bring them to our show,” explained Kirsten Cavendish Weston-Smith, cofounder and CEO of One805, who has been behind the scenes booking the talent for the fundraiser since the start. “I really thought that we needed to switch things up.”
The key, of course, was persuading someone with no connection to the area to come and perform the one-shot show, albeit one for a good cause.
That last part is the key, WestonSmith said.
“The phrase ‘first responders’ means something on the planet,” she said. “Most of these artists have a big desire to give back, and they’re willing to help raise money to support this cause even if it’s not in their own backyard.”
Yearwood was the perfect country artist to perform at this year’s concert as a representative of the genre, WestonSmith said.
“Country has become very hip everywhere, and from what we’re about, there’s something rather wonderful about country music just in the simplicity of the way that they use the narrative. Trisha is country rock, she’s party time, and she sings songs that have a lot of empathy.
SATURDAY
SEPT. 27
7:30PM
She hits on a lot of buttons.”
Yearwood is just one of the artists performing at this year’s concert that represent a younger generation than most of the bands and singers and previous show.
“We’ve this wealth of yacht rock on this coast,” Weston-Smith said. “They’re all great, but they’re also somewhat saturated in the area. And we’re also trying to reach a little bit of a younger demographic.”
That was a sudden realization at last year’s One805Live! show when a first responder turned to her during Kenny Loggins’ set and said, “My grandfather used to listen to this.”
So this year’s concert also features Good Charlotte, who have scored several multi-platinum anthemic hits; alternative rockers The Fray, whose breakout single “How to Save a Life” appeared several times on episodes of the TV series Grey’s Anatomy, surf-rocker Donavon Frankenreiter, and special guest DJ Bad Ash. While the Kings of Chaos (with Sammy Hagar, Kevin Cronin, Nuno Bettencourt, and Matt Sorum) had to pull out, Motown legend Thelma Houston (“Don’t Leave Me This Way”) and board member and music supervisor Alan Parsons were added, as was previous performer Elliot Easton of The Cars. Also on the bill: John Kay,
Country music superstar Trisha Yearwood headlines One805LIVE! (courtesy photo)
Gramophon e and Musical America Artist of the Year Daniil Trifonov, piano
Tue, Sep 30 / 7 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall Program includes Taneyev, Prokofiev, Myaskovsky and Schumann
“[Daniil Trifonov] is a star whose playing can be compared with Rachmaninoff’s own.” – Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times
Arrive early to raise a glass to the new season, pick up a commemorative season poster and enjoy festive mocktails and light bites.
Five-time Grammy-winning Jazz Vocalist Samara Joy
Thu, Oct 2 / 7:30 PM Granada Theatre
“A classic jazz singer from a new generation.” NPR
Bluegrass with a Punch Noam Pikelny and Friends
Sat, Oct 18 / 7:30 PM
UCSB Campbell Hall
“One of the best banjo players in the world.” – Steve Martin
Winner of the 2025 Grammy Award for Classical Instrumental Solo Víkingur Ólafsson, piano Opus 109
Wed, Oct 22 / 7 PM
UCSB Campbell Hall
Program includes
J.S. Bach, Beethoven and Schubert
“A breathtakingly brilliant pianist.” Gramophone
‘Side by Side’ High School Senior Teaches Children About Coping Mechanisms
by Tiana Molony
Seventeen-year-old Santa Barbara High School senior Hannah Hedrick was volunteering at All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church following the Palisades Fire when she had an epiphany.
Sorting through donated clothes and books for victims of the fire that burned down an entire community, including her cousins’ and aunts’ houses, she had a sense that she could make a bigger impact. “This doesn’t feel like I’m doing enough,” she recalled thinking. “I need to do something more.”
Thus, Side by Side, Stronger We Stand was born: a children’s book aimed at helping children who’ve experienced natural disasters firsthand, cope with the mental aftermath. It’s a rhyming story for young children about four animal friends – a raccoon, an owl, a dog, and a bunny – who lose their home to a fire.
Hedrick applied coping strategies, such as leaning on friends and taking deep breaths, from her own personal experience living in Montecito through the Thomas Fire and the subsequent mudslides.
Event Design by Merryl Brown Events
She was in fourth grade at the time, and recalled waking up to her mom screaming and calling the fire department, seeing a bright yellow sky and thick rain, and hearing boulders flying through the air.
The next morning, she saw the destruction in her neighborhood – houses destroyed, trash on the beach, and the National Guard having to rescue them after their car got stuck in the mud. She channeled her experience of those natural disasters to create something that children could lean on in hard times.
“I don’t want kids to feel alone,” she shared while sitting outside of her Montecito home next to her mother, Candy Hedrick. “I want them to have coping strategies to deal with all the big emotions they’re feeling that they might not be able to even name.”
The book is printed in black and white, allowing children to color it in and make it their own, while also keeping costs down, as Hedrick self-published. She specifically chose animals as her characters for the book, recognizing they’d be more approachable for children and grab their attention.
Hedrick modeled the main character, Tucker, a German Shepherd, after her own beloved dog. Before Tucker’s passing a few months ago, Hedrick took him to her
book readings at schools like Montecito Union School and All Saints-by-the-Sea Parish School. “I would read stories,” she recalled, “and he would lie next to me, and then all the kids loved petting him.”
Hedrick and her family are still getting to know their new German Shepherd rescue, Poppy, and are happy to have a furry friend around again. But it’s hard not to think about Tucker. After losing him, she thought about writing a children’s book about grief, specifically about losing a pet. But that’s a conversation for another time – right now, she’s knee-deep in college applications.
Hedrick is still focusing on Side by Side, offering readings in bookstores and elementary schools around town. You can grab a copy from Godmothers in Summerland or on Amazon. She wants to be an educator one day and loves seeing that her words are making a difference. After a recent reading, a teary-eyed child approached Hedrick asking if he could take home a copy of the book. “And I was like, wow,” she remembered. “This is actually having an impact on kids – it was amazing to see that I was actually helping kids.”
Tiana Molony is a journalist who writes for the Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC. She has also written for Backpacker Magazine, Mountain Gazette, and the Santa Barbara Independent.
Hannah Hedrick with some literary fans (courtesy photo)
The Giving List
Community Environmental Council
by Steven Libowitz
The Community Environmental Council (CEC) signature fundraising event, known as the Green Gala, is returning to the Bakery Block, the newest event venue in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, for its 2025 event on Saturday, September 27. The Green Gala brings together an influential group of community leaders, philanthropists, and climate activists to help fill the coffers of the longstanding organization and ensure that California’s Central Coast remains a leader in climate resilience and sustainability.
CEC has been around since shortly after the 1969 oil spill devastated the Santa Barbara waters and led to the creation of Earth Day. The organization puts on our big local festival in Alameda Park every spring, but the Green Gala is fast becoming an even trendier gathering that marks an important date on the annual calendar.
“We’re going back to the Funk Zone because that area is really aligned with our mission of redeveloping and revitalizing,” explained Darlene Snow, CEC’s director of development. “What was once an industrial area has become one of the most happening areas in Santa Barbara. It’s a good fit for the Green Gala.”
Indeed, the Bakery Block, on Gray Avenue, stands on the site of the original Weber Bread Company but now serves as an event space with a large outdoor area that is operated by Acme Hospitality’s world-class events team.
This year’s theme, Resilience, takes note of the historic strength of the Santa Barbara community in the face of ever-increasing environmental challenges. The Matilija poppy – which was reportedly used medicinally by the Chumash to treat stomach aches as well as skin and gum problems – serves as a symbol, because the flowering plant is known for its drought tolerance and ability to thrive under harsh conditions. The theme serves as a reminder of the urgency and determination needed to face future climate challenges head-on.
The Green Gala helps support climate leadership programs, youth workshops, and free public events at its Environmental Hub (courtesy photo)
“The Matilija poppy is generally the first plant to pop up after a wildfire,” Snow said.
That distinction isn’t accidental, as wildfire response and recovery are a focus of this year’s Green Gala, because of the importance of communities and first responders coming to each other’s aid during these climate related extreme weather events, which are becoming more and more frequent, Snow said.
“Community is in our name, and that concept becomes even more vital in these turbulent and unsettling times,” she said.
To that end, CEC is welcoming Los Angeles County Fire Department Public Information Officer Captain Sheila Kelliher Berkoh to deliver this year’s keynote address, where she will provide a firsthand account from the frontlines of the recent L.A. fires and the community’s inspiring response. Her remarks will underscore the importance of preparedness and collective action in the face of climate-related crises.
“People will recognize Captain Sheila because she was the spokesperson during the L.A. fires and was on the news giving press briefings every day,” Snow said. “She became the face of the fires for almost a month.”
Indeed, Berkoh presented Beyoncé with the Album of the Year award for Cowboy Carter at the 2025 Grammys –the first time the superstar singer who has been nominated for 99 of the record industry’s Oscars had claimed the prestigious prize. Berkoh, a Texas A&M alum, gasped as she opened up the envelope, and paused dramatically before announcing Texas-native Beyoncé’s triumph.
At the Green Gala, Captain Berkoh will share inspiring stories from the frontlines of how communities including Santa Barbara provided resources and refuge during the devastating fires.
“Fire may test us, but resilience defines us,” Berkoh said in a CEC press release about the Green Gala. “Every challenge is an opportunity to rebuild stronger, to reconnect with each other
Giving List Page 324
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Miscellany (Continued from 8)
Kitnick, David Kessler, David Selberg, and Leslie Sinclair von
Pillsbury, Nigel and Connie Buxton, Laura Capps, Mindy Denson, and Fred and Sarah Kass.
A Full House of Heart
Heart of New House, which helps drug and alcohol addicted people, welcomed 220 guests to its 9th annual lunch at the Hilton, raising $135,000 for the charity.
Executive Director Adam Burridge presented Hero awards to Demetrio Espinosa and Alex Vandenbelt, who went on to study at Berkeley and New York’s Columbia University where he
attained his master’s.
The 9th annual Heart of New House award went to David Vartabedian, a former prison inmate, who credited New House for “saving my life.”
Ubiquitous KEYT TV reporter John Palminteri emceed the event.
Kool & The Humane Gang
Santa Barbara Humane went to Studio 54 for its annual gala themed Glitter Paw Disco at the Cabrillo Pavilion with a sold-out 160 guests raising around Miscellany Page 344
Vintage Hermès Sz. 28 Kelly Handbag
GIA Certified 10.03ct Diamond 18kt Gold Solitaire Ring
Antique English 16k Gold & Sapphire Studded Bangle
Van Cleef & Arpels Lapis 20 Motif Alhambra Necklace
GIA 6.52 Carat Colombian Emerald Diamond & Onyx Ring
Dana VanderMey, Jill Nida, Gary Simpson, and Mindy Denson (photo by Moni Photography)
Heroes Award winners: Rachael Steidl (YouthWell), Jeff Moorehouse and Russell Stearns (Angel Flight West), and Marina Owen from CenCal Health (photo by Moni Photography)
Jill
Wiesenberger (photo by Moni Photography)
Some of the New House supporters enjoying the luncheon (photo by Priscilla)
Brilliant Thoughts War Words
by Ashleigh Brilliant
One thing wars are good for (if anything) is the spawning of new words and expressions. Soldiers are particularly involved in this, especially when they’re far from home, and have chances to leave their own form of calling-card. In World War II, one of the most widely spread expressions inscribed, usually by American troops, was “KILROY WAS HERE.” One theory is that in a certain ship-building yard, there was an Inspector whose job was to check on the work being done by welders and other girder-making workers. Having approved a certain job, he would chalk his name there. And his name, of course, happened to be Kilroy.
Another actual word which was widely circulated in World War II was “BLITZ,” which is the German word for lightning, and is often teamed with the German word for Thunder, as in “Donner und Blitzen.” You may remember that, in Clement Moore’s famous poem, “A Visit from Saint Nicholas,” those are the names of two of Santa’s Reindeer.
But the Nazi Army gave Blitz a more sinister meaning, when Hitler spoke of his tactics in invading France in 1940 as a “Blitzkrieg,” or “Lightning War.” The British, who then had to suffer a series of huge air raids by German bombers, called it “The Blitz,” – and, looking back long afterwards, that was how they still referred to it.
You may know that, in the early months of World War II, there was very little fighting, and the American press dubbed it the Phony War. But some inspired reporter came up with a new term, and called it a “Sitzkrieg.”
When those events gave rise to the large-scale fearful departure of civilians from a threatened area, this became known as an “Evacuation,” and the people involved –especially children – were referred to as “Evacuees.” But, before that, a more general term for people seeking more or less emergency shelter and comfort, not necessarily in a wartime context, but from any disaster, has been “Refugee.”
Another word often connected with modern warfare has been “Propaganda.” I
think the first time I heard it used it was at home, by my own Mother, during World War II. She used it disparagingly, to dismiss some of the things I had been hearing about the war at school. But it was also used in a positive way, about ideas and information disseminated by a Department of our own Government, which were supposed to help our side win the war. One such usage, often encountered by children, was in promoting the sale of bonds and stamps.
This was a way of lending money to the Government.
Another interesting war word is SHRAPNEL, for dangerous bomb fragments, which is named for a British Army Officer who developed a type of bomb more than 200 years ago. That combination of steel and explosives has been an unhappy part of world history for longer than America has been a country. Hand-thrown grenades were so popular in the British Army that a whole Regiment was known – and celebrated in song – as the British Grenadiers.
And our own National Anthem celebrates a major event of the War of 1812 in which an American-held Fort withstood a siege and bombardment from the sea. As no doubt you know, the words feature “the rockets’ red glare,” and “bombs bursting in air.”
Some other wartime words were associated with shipping. One was “Blockade,” a tactic used to close an enemy port by preventing any ships from going in or out.
This, of course, was a much better way of sealing off a country or region before the development of aviation.
Then at sea, particularly in the North Atlantic, which most important shipping routes crossed, the most effective method of dealing with the menace of U-boats was the convoy system, in which a large number of ships sailed together, some whose purpose was to protect the others.
I have some personal knowledge of this aspect of World War II – since my own Father, though a civilian, was a passenger on a British merchant ship which was torpedoed and sunk. But, thanks to the convoy system, he was rescued by a lifeboat from another ship.
Many years later, meticulous German record-keeping told me that the crew of that U-boat had been captured and held in a Canadian P.O.W. camp. After the war, the Captain rejoined his family in Germany, where he resumed a successful business career – and he out-lived my Father by several years!
Ashleigh Brilliant born England 1933, came to California in 1955, to Santa Barbara in 1973, to the Montecito Journal in 2016.
Best-known for his illustrated epigrams, called “Pot-Shots,” now a series of 10,000. email: ashleigh@west. net. web: www.ash leighbrilliant.com.
Elizabeth’s Appraisals
Laundry Time Over the Ages
by Elizabeth Stewart
What are these objects I list here, and what were they used for? Washbats, washboards, a washbox, washing dollies, peggylegs, possers, poss sticks, dolly pegs, peggy, maiden, plunger, ponches, and punchers – all of these were used to wash clothes with or without a wash-tub, and sometimes at the edge of a stream or river, or inside a public washhouse, or off a boat, or in the public fountain.
J.E. has an early 20th-century washboard, and this is the American cousin of the objects listed above, in use by 1860s across the nation but invented in 1833 by Stephen Rust of New York, who patented a wood frame that held a fluted piece of tin, iron, or zinc. These ridges dislodged dirt from clothing. Advertisements for these things can be found in the mid-19th century, but by the later part of the 1800s, the boards were “improved” by a Hermann Liebmann of Chicago who replaced the metal plate insert in the board with ridged glass or porcelain. This is the version JE has.
Laundry day was an ordeal which for years was done by specialist washerwomen, if the family could afford such help. In many parts of the world getting clothes and linens clean was done once a week, or once a month, or once a year depending on the item. Usually the day was MONDAY, especially in those traditionally Catholic countries, because in many cases it took quite a few days to wash, dry, and fold the linen, and the family wanted peace and no work on Sunday. So easy today to think that a garment is dried in the dryer, but even a warm room was hard to find in some
parts of the world. Where most of the year was rainy and cold, laundry was an ordeal; and sometimes done only in the sunlit months.
Before the washboard, there were washing bats, flat wooden ridged boards with a long handle, which could be used to beat and/or agitate, and to lever clothing from a tub or river. Decorative washing bats could be found in the 18th and 19th centuries in Finland, Norway, and Italy. Tilted boards with a slope for the water to drain mounted on legs were found in England, and used by the side of a river or side of a tub.
J.E. also sent me a painting of washing day in France, in the Impressionistic style, with an illegible signature. But this shows us the early tradition of riverside washing day in France, a subject beloved of French artists. You see two washerwomen, one in a tub or in a three-sided box, and the other on a ledge, with a pile of linen to wash in the foreground which appears to have been soaked in bluing or lye. A French tradition was the three-sided box lined with
straw in which washerwomen knelt at the side of the river; the box kept the skirts dry. Across the front at an angle the women held a washboard or bat. One of the women appears to be ON the water, and this was done as well in a small wooden tub at the river edge, and some washerwomen in Continental Europe washed on washing benches that could be set in shallow water. The object was to pulverize the fabric. Different bats and boards and plungers (like a toilet plunger) were used depending on the strength of the fabric. The object was water flow. Fabrics when wet were heavy: washerwomen were VERY strong.
One travel writer, John Price Durbin, wrote Observations in Europe 1844 noting the “sturdy washerwomen (the job was physically demanding) by the side of French rivers with a washerwoman’s ark (a little wooden raft) or a bench at the side of the water; the bench was used to souse the clothes which would be beaten with a washing bat after soaking in the river...” I love the old word “souse,” which means to drown or make sodden, today associated with a “drunkard”!
Communal washing day amongst washerwomen was common throughout Europe, either at river-edge, in a village washhouse, or at the public fountain in the main square. In France, the bateau lavoir was a communal laundry boat moored close to the riverbank.
J.E.’s washboard is common as an antique as most American homes had one, even after the invention of the mechanical washing machine with a drum in the 1860s, and of course not every American household could afford such a thing, so washboards and tubs were de rigueur. The value today is $50.00.
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
J.E.’s washboard was a common sight in 19th-century American homes
The Impressionistic French painting of washing day
Residential, New Home Construction, Fencing, Closets, Kitchens, Decks, Balconies, Doors, and All Types of Remodels. BEFORE AFTER
Rescue Roundup Upcoming Fundraiser to Support Search and Rescue Volunteers
by Jason Copus
Santa Barbara County residents will gather on Friday, October 10, for an evening that combines celebration with a serious purpose: supporting the all-volunteer Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue (SBCSAR) team. Rescue Roundup 2025, set for 6 to 10 pm at the Santa Barbara Carriage Museum, promises lively entertainment, memorable food, and unique demonstrations of rescue skills.
A Festive Evening with a Purpose
GUTIERREZ STREET (805) 962-5466
SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY 7:30 AM - 10:00 PM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM D’ANGELO
At the heart of the evening will be an award-winning barbecue dinner prepared by none other than the Search and Rescue team itself, who earned top honors at this year’s “Battle of the Badges” cookoff. Guests can expect a hearty spread of Santa Maria-style barbecue, paired with local favorites and served in a convivial, family-friendly setting. A live DJ and line dancing lessons, led by the Santa Barbara Line Dancers, will keep the crowd moving, ensuring that the evening blends both celebration and community spirit. The entertainment extends beyond the dance floor. Attendees will witness live rescue demonstrations showcasing the remarkable skills and equipment that SBCSAR relies on in real emergencies. Demonstrations will include K-9 search dogs, off-road utility vehicles, and technical rope rescues, offering the public a rare inside look at the team’s training and readiness. A silent auction and raffle will provide additional ways for supporters to contribute, featuring a range of prizes donated by local businesses and organizations.
Voices of Leadership
Supporting Life-Saving Work
Funds raised from Rescue Roundup will directly support the SBCSAR team’s operations. Proceeds will go toward expanding the K-9 program, acquiring new technology such as drones and mountain bikes for faster, more effective searches, upgrading medical supplies, and covering the costs of training academies for new recruits. Contributions will also support the maintenance of essential rescue vehicles and provide uniforms and safety gear, ensuring that team members are fully equipped to respond at any time.
SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY AM - PM 7:0010:00 FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AM7:0012:00AM
The evening will also highlight voices from across the community who understand the importance of preparedness and service. Sheriff Bill Brown is slated to speak about the critical role the Search and Rescue team plays in safeguarding lives across Santa Barbara County. Also taking the stage is Scoutmaster MJ Hey, a UCSB professor who recently participated in a successful rescue and credits his Search and Rescue training for the outcome. Rounding out the speakers will be Amy Weaver, CEO of Direct Relief, the Santa Barbara-based humanitarian organization known globally for its disaster response efforts, reinforcing how local volunteerism and global preparedness are linked.
SBCSAR is composed entirely of volunteers, roughly 50 highly trained men and women who dedicate countless hours to training and operations without pay. The team responds to over 150 calls each year, ranging from lost hikers in the backcountry to technical cliff rescues, swiftwater emergencies, and disaster response during fires and floods. They work in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, dispatched through the 911 system, and their services are always provided free of charge.
Volunteers on Call, Day and Night
Members are trained in technical rope systems, alpine operations, swiftwater rescue, emergency medicine, drone technology, and more. Their K-9 handlers and dogs undergo rigorous training to locate missing persons quickly in wilderness or disaster scenarios. In addition to missions within the county, the team has been deployed to assist elsewhere in California during wildfires and floods.
Rescue Roundup Page 324
SBC Search and Rescue on the job (courtesy photo)
for the Casa to complete needed renovations, and thanked Board of Trustees member Mari McAlister whom he said is responsible for and instrumental in the grant. Casa del Herrero is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark since 2009. His emcee efforts drew approximately $110,500.
To the surprise of everyone present, Pharibe Wise next took the microphone and read a letter to the Casa from the family members of the estate of George Steedman Bass (Bass passed in 2023), while holding back tears. She announced their donation of $1,829,000 to the Casa to continue its preservation. A standing ovation ensued.
The Casa not only met, it exceeded by over $1 million the $750,000 needed to obtain the matching Save America’s Treasures Grant. Elizabeth Esrey, whose table I was seated at for dinner, was still taking in the funding Bolton amassed and now this newly added donation. She exclaimed, “That is truly an act of
selfless kindness and now we have to work really hard to honor the generosity of the family.”
Indeed.
Centennial Gala co-chairs are Elizabeth Esrey, Marc Normand Gelinas, and Nathan Vonk; their committee members David Bolton, Mari McAlister, Jenna Jobst Reichental, Gonzalo Sarmiento, and Isabel Wendt; and the Honorary Chairs Donald H. Benson, Heather Biles, Laura Bridley, Karen Jones Clark, Joan Jackson, Susan Jackson, Charlie Knight, Travis Kranz, and Meghan Stoll
Casa del Herrero Board of Trustees are Elizabeth Esrey, president; Isabel Wendt, vice president; Marty McDermut, treasurer; Mari McAlister, secretary; Heather Biles (former board president); Susan Budinger; Marc Normand Gelinas; Miles Hartfeld; Albert P. Hinckley, Jr.; Kevin O’Toole; Annalisa Hinckley Savin; Nathan Vonk; Jami Voulgaris; Carolyn Williams ; and Katherine Pharibe Wise.
And that’s a wrap till next week! Do email me if you have society news or an experience we can do together! Xx JAC
Joanne A Calitri is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@ yahoo.com
Albert P. Hinckley Jr., Katherine Pharibe Wise, Annalisa Hinckley Savin, and George Fox Steedman Hinckley Jr. (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
Paul Wendt, Natalie Sanderson, and Elizabeth Storm McGovern (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
Spirituality Matters
District216
by Steven Libowitz
It was the pandemic that caused Jacob Tell, who founded the Oniracom brand strategy and marketing agency in Santa Barbara in 2001, to create LoDo Studios out of his now nearly empty headquarters. Named SoHo-style for its location in the lower downtown area, the place turned into a studio and event space.
But it was emotions beyond commercial viability that led him to create District216 in the wake of the continued fallout from the COVID-19 lockdowns in late 2022.
“We started the place out of the isolation and loneliness epidemic, and the need to build more community and connection,” explained Tell, whose experience runs from collaborating with UCSB’s technology management program to producing music festivals to working in the cannabis industry. “I’ve been a community builder who’s brought together all sorts of different folks in and around a lot of topics.”
But Tell has also been a devout believer in the power of psychedelics, ever since the former D.A.R.E. kid during the “Just Say No (to Drugs)” era first experimented with plant medicine more for recreation than healing as a student at UCSB, he then realized how his mind and consciousness was getting expanded at the same time.
Over time, Tell said, the concept for District216 – named for its address on Gutierrez Street – was to create a membership-driven psychedelic social club that’s centered around community, healing, learning, and consciousness expansion through art, music, cannabis, and psychedelics.
“It’s kind of an amalgamation of all the different things that we’ve done, thrown into a blender,” Tell said, then pointed to the 15 different qualities in District216’s manifesto. “But it’s the value system that matters most.”
The guts of the in-person gatherings are the weekly events on Wednesdays at
The District House that range from workshops to round table discussions to interviews and film screenings. Tell curates the events, vetting the presenters for experience and engagement as well as alignment with District216’s values. In keeping with the guiding principle of healing in community, the more interactive the better.
“We want to do something tactile and engaging where you interact with the people around you, something cool and special and unique,” he said.
Upcoming weekly topics include “Finding Your Guide: What to Look for in a Psychedelic Facilitator” with speakers Jessalyn Maguire and Denise Rue on September 24, a Conscious Connections Roundtable on “Accessing Our Inner Artists” on October 1, “Authentic Relating Games Night” with facilitator Eric Adler on October 8, and “Unlocking Energetic Healing: A Journey Through the Body’s Hidden Language” with Pearly Montagu on October 16.
Each event starts with 90 minutes of social networking and ends with another hour of post-presentation connection.
“We’re just really trying to connect people,” Tell said. “It’s great for those just wanting to meet people in the community or see what’s available, or just chat with people.”
As indicated by the events, not everything has psychedelics at its center.
“It’s what we’re about, but our goal is normalization, not pushing people to do things they don’t want to do,” said Tell, whose official D216 title is Chief Dreamer. “If you want to know more about what’s available or how to get started or share your experience, that’s great. But if you’re not called in that direction, that’s fine too. Everyone is welcome into the space regardless of your personal relationship with the medicines – seasoned psychonaut, a wellness seeker, or simply curious.”
But the big event on the calendar is decidedly connected to District216’s core: “Death & Psychedelics.” The next quarterly Marquee Event is the tenth since D216’s founding in January 2023. The five-hour gathering delving into plant medicine’s role in dealing with dying is a wide-ranging gathering that includes fireside chats, discussion panels, interactive workshops, live music, visual performances, and experiential activations, as well as a curated vendor marketplace and dinner provided by The Blue Owl.
“We’re missing a lot of the conversation around death and dying in our culture,” Tell said. “We don’t really have a lot of history the way indigenous cultures do. So we’re hoping that this gives people some tools and perspectives so they can approach the subject of death more proactively with some tools and some tactics and less fear.”
Celebrating 60 years of beautification
President’s Award: Plaza del Mar Band Shell
Heritage Oak Award for Lifetime Achievement: Brian Cearnal AIA
Moreton Bay Fig Award for Body of Work: Jeff Shelton Architect
Playa De Santa Barbara for Environmental Stewardship: Santa Barbara Audubon Society
Single Family Home, Large Lot: 155 Santo Tomas Lane
Business in Art Award presented by The City of Santa Barbara Arts Advisory Committee
Voted Best of 100 Years of Santa Barbara Public Art Award, presented by Nathan Vonk, Sullivan Goss
A schedule, full descriptions of the activities, bios of the presenters (including EntheoMedicine Santa Barbara co-founder Jacqueline Lopez) and tickets are available at:
https://events.humanitix.com/district216-death-and-psychedelics-marquee-event “Everyone is invited to the marquee events or any Wednesday,” Tell said. “If you’re new to psychedelics or a total psychonaut, it’s a place to learn, grow, share, and connect. It’s a very open, great welcoming group of people that we’ve curated over the last three years.”
Sunday Seminars: Sacred Geometry or Moving Energy
Artist Craig Hanson , who has spent half a century studying Sacred Geometry – the concept that fundamental geometric shapes, patterns, and proportions hold profound spiritual, symbolic, and universal meaning in that they connect everything – leads a special workshop called “The Dance of Venus” at Sunburst Sanctuary on Sunday, September 21. The gathering will examine Venus, the planet revered by ancient cultures, who tracked its movements to align themselves with nature and to create calendars. Venus’s orbit draws a five-petaled pentagram in the sky, considered a symbol of Sacred Geometry and cosmic elegance. Participants will create a mandala illustrating the Dance of Venus as seen from Earth. Visit www.sunburst.org.
Brent Kee returns to Unity of Santa Barbara to once again offer his “How to Move Energy 101” workshop, also on Sunday, September 21. Geared toward those who are feeling tired, constantly run down, or battling chronic health issues – or simply seeking to deepen connection with source and self – they will learn how to cleanse and energize from the inside out. The experience is meant to offer invaluable insights into addressing health and energy concerns on a quantum scale.
Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage
Your Westmont Viewing Features Celestial Lord of the Rings
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
The ringed gas giant Saturn comes into focus at Westmont’s stargazing event on Friday, September 19, beginning at sunset and lasting several hours. The solar system’s HulaHoop champion will start low in the evening sky, but will be visible later in the evening after 8 pm.
The Owl Cluster, Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, and the Black Swan Cluster will also be highlights of the free, public viewing.
“I hope the night sky reminds everyone of God’s beauty, faithfulness, creativity, and grace,” says Jennifer Gee, director of the observatory and assistant professor of physics, who helped launch Westmont’s astrophysics minor last year.
The Westmont Observatory opens to the public every third Friday of the month in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, whose members bring their own telescopes to share. The observatory houses the Keck Telescope,
which has been one of the most powerful public scopes on the Central Coast when it was installed in its current home 16 years ago. The computer-controlled telescope has served as a versatile instrument for Westmont faculty and students who have used it for a variety of research projects and coursework.
Free parking is available near the observatory, which is between the baseball field and the track and field/soccer complex.
To enter Westmont’s campus, please use the Main Entrance off of La Paz Road.
The lower entrance off of Cold Spring Road is closed to visitors after 7 pm.
In case of cloudy skies, please call the Telescope Viewing Hotline at (805) 5656272 and check the observatory website to see if the viewing has been canceled.
Women’s Soccer Beats Cal Lutheran
Sophomore midfielder Ellie Gilbert scored in the 86th minute to give
Westmont Page 334
Westmont Observatory
Westmont Women’s Soccer Team
and the environment, and to move forward with purpose.”
The L.A. County Fire PIO will be introduced on the podium by one of our local heroes who will be part of a special table honoring Santa Barbara first responders, a large number of whom provided critical assistance during the L.A. fires. The table is hosted by Pat McElroy, the retired Santa Barbara City Fire Chief.
“You’ll hear more about the concept of mutual aid,” Snow said. “In these times of crises, it’s going to take everybody helping each other. So we want the night to be inspiring about resilience and the importance of the community.”
The 2025 Green Gala is a seated dinner of climate-smart cuisine by Seasons Catering, complemented by curated cocktails and local wine. The evening will include a live auction offering exclusive and one-of-a-kind experiences, and ample opportunities for guests to connect and network with like-minded individuals, including at a pre-event cocktail party and VIP reception.
Among the reasons why CEC is bringing the Green Gala back to the Funk Zone for a second consecutive year involves a concerted effort for the veteran nonprofit to skew a little younger in its signature fundraising event.
“The Green Gala is our opportunity to introduce the cause to a different audience, some of the up-and-coming or emerging community leaders, as well as the younger philanthropists who are committed to supporting social causes,” Snow said.
While CEC Board Member Geoff Green served as last year’s MC and auctioneer, those roles will now be handled by recent Santa Barbara resident Duane Henry, the British actor known for his role as Clayton Reeves in the hit TV show NCIS as well as appearances in The Dark Knight Rises and Captain Marvel, who believes in using his voice and celebrity for causes
he cares about. His partner Tina Ballue will serve as auctioneer.
“They’re highly engaging and they tag team really well,” Snow said.
“They bring in a different energy, which is part of making the Green Gala the fundraising event of the season, the fun and chic event that’s appealing and engaging for the next generation of philanthropists.”
Along those lines, CEC has added an after party, a “big blowout” after the formal program ends, with live music by The Academy, the young Santa Barbara-based band founded by Augustine and Jake DeTar of DeTar Music Studios. Attendees at the Green Gala can seamlessly roll into the after party, and people can also buy tickets to the after party separately, Snow said.
The $35 suggested donation is a way to make the event more accessible.
“It’s a great way to get introduced to the Community Environmental Council and the Green Gala,” Snow said.
All funds raised go to support CEC’s vital work, including its climate leadership programs, such as CEC’s Climate Stewards course, youth workshops, and free public events at its Environmental Hub as well as wildfire resilience projects designed to prevent and reduce the risk of wildfires, heat action plans to ensure outdoor workers are safe from extreme heat events, and personalized assistance through CEC’s Electrify Your Life program to ensure disadvantaged communities have access to affordable EVs and green technology, and advocacy for an oil and gas phaseout in Santa Barbara County.
CEC – which was recognized as a 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year and a City of Santa Barbara Climate Hero – also walks its talk at the Green Gala: This year’s event will be powered by a Solaris Trailer, a battery powered, solar generator on wheels.
For more information and tickets to the 2025 Green Gala, visit https://cecsb.org/green-gala
Rescue Roundup (Continued from 28)
Behind every rescue is a significant investment of time and resources. Volunteers purchase much of their own gear, and the team relies heavily on community donations and fundraising events like Rescue Roundup to remain operational. Without these contributions, maintaining the high level of readiness required to respond to emergencies would not be possible.
How to Join the Effort
Tickets for Rescue Roundup 2025 are now on sale. General admission is
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LUMIO, 1187 Coast Village Rd, 1-172, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. STUDIO LUMINOUS, LLC, 500 Maple Ave STE 4, Carpinteria, CA 93013. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 11, 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. 2025-0002131. Published September 18, 25, October 2, 9, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SALON MAXINE, 130 S. Hope Avenue, Suite 126, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. KELLY HEWLETT, 424 E. Sola Street Unit B, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 & REBECCA DILKS, 802 Jimeno Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 20, 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. 2025-0001990. Published September 11, 18, 25, October 2, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 29, 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. 2025-0002064. Published September 11, 18, 25, October 2, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NOVUS BUILDING SYSTEM, 4661 9TH ST, Carpinteria, CA 93013. QUANTUM CONSTRUCTION SB INC, 4661 9TH ST., Carpinteria, CA 93013. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 04, 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. 2025-0001840. Published September 4, 11, 18, 25, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20250002000. Published August 28, September 4, 11, 18, 2025
$250, while VIP tickets are available at $500 and include special perks such as reserved seating and exclusive gift packages. Space is limited at the Carriage Museum, and organizers expect strong demand given the popularity of the event and the importance of the cause.
Tickets can be purchased online at sbsarfoundation.com/rescueroundup2025
Jason Copus is the Public Information Officer for Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BOUGIE BARKERY SB, 919 Roble Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. KARLA A PARKER, 919 Roble Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 2, 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. 2025-0002070. Published September 11, 18, 25, October 2, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LUMINA NOSTRI, 6580 Stagecoach Rd, Santa Barbara, CALIFO 93105. Sarah ER Ahlers, PO BOX 1083, Goleta, CA 93116.
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LAMAR, 808 Alston Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. Christine V Quach, 808 Alston Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 27, 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. 2025-0002036. Published September 4, 11, 18, 25, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: La Fleur Living; La Fleur Living Co, 1187 Coast Village Rd, 1-113, Montecito, CA 93108. La Fleur Weddings & Events, 1187 Coast Village Rd, 1-113, Montecito, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 21, 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.
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV05018. To all interested parties: Petitioner Thomas Nicholas Petosa filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Thomas Petra. 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 September 5, 2025 by Terri Chavez. Hearing date: October 27, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 5, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published September 18, 25, October 2, 9, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV03247. To all interested parties: Petitioner Mira Yang filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Mira Lee. 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 August 22, 2025 by Narzralli Baksh. Hearing date: October 22, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 3, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published September 11, 18, 25, October 2, 2025
Westmont women’s soccer (0-3) a 1-0 exhibition victory over Cal Lutheran on September 13 at Thorrington Field. The contest was considered a countable game for the Regals.
Gilbert was fouled with less than five minutes remaining in the game, setting up a free kick from 40 yards out, which was taken by sophomore defender Madison Ford. Sophomore defender
Grace Rhodes received the service at the left side of the box and sent it to the opposite side of the goal where Gilbert finished with her right foot.
“I’m really proud of our group for their buy-in, energy, and the determination to find a way,” said Westmont’s head coach Lauren Matthias. “We still need to continue growing in our ability to trust the process and each other, but I’m proud of the fight to get it done today.”
The late game winner was only possible because of an outstanding save on a penalty kick in the 49th minute by Westmont goalkeeper Katie Lannon
The Warriors will host three games in a row, beginning Monday, September 22, against UC Merced at 3:30 pm. They face Stanislaus State on Thursday, September 25, at 12:30 pm before opening PacWest competition against Concordia on Thursday, October 2 at 12:20 pm.
Volleyball Hosts Home Match
Westmont volleyball (4-3) opened the season unbeaten in the Sunbird Classic hosted by Fresno Pacific, beating UC Merced, Stanislaus State, and Chico State. But the Warriors ran into some stiff competition at the Nighthawk Classic in Nampa, Idaho, dropping three of four matches
to Seattle Pacific, Colorado Mines, and Westminster (Utah).
“I’m proud of the team and the way we continued to fight,” said head coach Ruth McGolpin. “It’s been a good non-conference season, and we look forward to getting home.”
The Warriors will face Biola in La Mirada on Friday, September 19, before returning to Murchison Gym for PacWest Conference action against Menlo on Saturday, September 20, at 7 pm.
McGolpin returns only two seniors this season: middle hitter Alexis Dennick and opposite hitter Nariah Prescott Sophomore outside hitter Maddie
PUBLIC NOTICE COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA STATE OF CALIFORNIA
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA (“COUNTY”) intends to enter into a Real Property Acquisition Agreement, (“Agreement”) and accept the Temporary Construction Easement (“TCE”) for the purpose of facilitating the construction of the Emergency Storm Damage repair on Alisal Road Site No. 23STM1-3J13/Federal-Aid Project No. 15J7(089) (“PROJECT”) from The Palmer Gavit Jackson Trust as community property with right of survivorship, owners of the property located at 555 Tepusquet Road, Santa Maria, California, also identified as 081-020-008 and 081-020-018.
The Agreement and Certificate of Acceptance for the TCE will be executed on behalf of the County by Chris Sneddon, Director of the Public Works Department, pursuant to Santa Barbara County Code Section 12A-11.1. The Agreement and Certificate of Acceptance will be executed at the Office of the Director of the Public Works Department, located at 123 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
Responses to this notice will be accepted at the Office of the Manager of the Transportation Division, at the following address:
Public Works Department
Transportation Division
Attn: Transportation Division Manager 123 E. Anapamu Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
DATE OF POSTING: Thursday, September 18, 2025 Montecito Journal
Finnegan leads the team in kills (69) and sophomore defensive specials/libero Rylee Elias is tops in digs (115).
Westmont
Goal scorer Ellie Gilbert
(photo by Collin Jackson)
Westmont Volleyball Team
Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College
$200,000 for the charity’s new $64 million development in Goleta, its first since the 1960s.
The organization, founded in 1897, has looked after more than one million animals in that time, says CEO Kerri Burns, decked out in a voluminous wig and Elton John specs.
Disco balls decorated the venue as guests sparkled in Gucci, Pucci, and
Fiorucci as ubiquitous DJ Darla Bea spun the disco hits at the fun fête co-chaired by Ruth Ann Bowe and Denise Sanford
Other disco fans included Amanda Allen, John Corby, Joye Dellheim, Liv Gonzalez, Denyce Gardner, Caitlin Hensel, Jessica Hines, Olivia Lutz, Anais Pellegrini, Michelle Russell, Marissa Miller , Susan Rodriguez , Heidi Stilwell, J.V. Vallejos, Paige Van Tuyl, Amber Weir, Nicole Wichowski, and Olivia Young
A truly sparkling evening....
Home Sweet Home
Prince Harry is back home at his Riven Rock estate after a successful fourday visit to the U.K. during which he had a 55-minute audience with King Charles at London’s Clarence House after he flew back from Balmoral Castle in Scotland, their first face-to-face in more than 19 months.
The Duke of Sussex attended the WellChild Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel and was at a number of other charity events, including one at which he donated $1.5 million to the
SCAN ME!
New House staff and awardees (photo by Priscilla)
Who’s ready for some disco? (photo by Priscilla)
These attendees are! (photo by Priscilla)
Tina Ballue rockin’ the auction (photo by Kimberly Citro)
BBC’s Children in Need. He also made a visit to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, to see the grave of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, who died three years ago.
Harry also made a side trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, flying to Poland and then traveling by train after Russia pounded the city with its largest air strike since the war started in February 2022.
He also visited the country in April when he traveled to Lviv to meet war victims. He served in the British Army for 10 years.
Who’s on the List?
The battle is on to be the world’s richest man with the annual publication of the Forbes richest billionaires list.
Tesla tycoon Elon Musk , 54, with $428 billion is ranked No. 1, but Oracle software magnate Larry Ellison , 81, who has homes in Santa Barbara, is biting at his heels with $387.6 billion.
The total worth of those on the list is $6.6 trillion and, of course, our rarefied enclave is well represented.
Google tycoon Eric Schmidt, 70, who lives on Eucalyptus Hill, is No. 36 with $26.8 billion, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, 82, whose NFL team does summer training in Oxnard, is ranked No. 50 with $19.6 billion.
Herb Simon, 90, is placed at No. 224 with $6.5 billion on par with Ty Warner, 81, owner of the San Ysidro Ranch and the Four Seasons Biltmore.
Fellow hotelier and real estate developer Rick Caruso, 66, owner of the Rosewood Miramar, is No. 255 with $5.9 billion and Star Wars dynamo George Lucas, 81, is ranked No. 280 with $5.4 billion.
An Inter-National Ensemble
Ensemble Theatre Company has announced a groundbreaking partnership with the U.K.’s National Theatre to bring National Theatre Live productions to our Eden by the Beach beginning in the 2025-2026 season.
This exciting collaboration will offer local theatregoers the opportunity to experience productions from one of Britain’s most prestigious theaters without leaving the Central Coast.
The partnership launches with screenings of three exceptional National Theatre productions, beginning with Oscar-nominated Rosamund Pike leading the cast in the new play Inter Alia on October 21. This will be followed by a new production of Oscar Wilde’s timeless comedy The Importance of Being Earnest with Tony nominated actress Sharon D. Clarke in the role of Lady Bracknell on December 8.
The series will close with the multi-Tony Award-winning production War Horse on February 23.
The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree
Gwyneth Paltrow’s mini-me daughter Apple Martin has landed her first major fashion deal at the age of 21.
She is working with London-based fashion house Self-Portrait.
“It captures the effortless, confident, and self-expression spirit of a generation of young customers that continues to inspire the fashion house and its designer,” says a press release.
The collaboration between Apple and Self-Portrait will evolve and unfold in the coming months through a series of fashion portraits, films, and activities.
New Roles at A&L
UCSB Arts & Lectures is building the next generation of cultural leadership with two key appointments in its development team.
Heather Silva has been named managing director of development and Elise Erb has been promoted to senior director of development.
In her new role, Silva will oversee the A&L development team provid -
ing strategic leadership and direction in close partnership with Meghan Bush , the new Miller McCune executive director.
Erb will continue her valued contributions as senior director bringing proven experience and continuity to the team.
Sightings
Oscar winner Kevin Costner at Lucky’s... Conan O’Brien checking out Pierre Lafond... Weakest Link host Jane Lynch at Montecito Country Mart.
Pip! Pip!
From musings on the Royals to celebrity real estate deals, Richard Mineards is our man on the society scene and has been for more than 18 years
Heather Silva (courtesy photo)
Elise Erb (courtesy photo)
FROM THE SANTA BARBARA DAILY NEWS, FEBRUARY 13, 1926
Surf Razes Yacht Club
Crumbling under the bombardment of the second highest tide of the year, the Santa Barbara Yacht Club’s clubhouse at the foot of State Street plunged into the turmoilous surf this morning, and four members of the club attempting to rescue furniture and equipment narrowly averted being caught in the collapse. The house is a total loss.
At Miramar a large body of men are struggling to prevent the loss of nearly a score of houses when the tide again comes in tonight.
From
The Sunflower [Lily Dale, NY, 1905]
With perhaps the exception of San Diego, Santa Barbara Valley is considered the finest and most equitable climate in California. Here at Montecito we have the coast range on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. Montecito? Our post office address is essentially a county neighborhood. But Santa Barbara, a town of 12,000 inhabitants, is only a few miles away; and then the valley, in every direction, is thickly dotted with cottages, some of which are owned and occupied by millionaires.
Horseback riding is the fad of the hour. Men, women, and children go racing along at breakneck speed as if “Auld Nickie Ben” was after them…”
The tormenting “She sells seashells by the seashore” compels a lawn furniture-hurling mania, does it not?
Of course the emperor of sibilant horror is the Subway™ sandwich sauce “Sweet Onion.” At a given moment in my life I had to give up this utterly delicious sandwich sauce. Why? Because I couldn’t bring myself to say it aloud. My early, anguished attempts to silently mime “Sweet Onion” proved alarming to the young sandwich workers. I have tasted the bite of the Subway® Taser.
Oh, lemme guess: I should see a therapist, right? Hawhaw! Why? So you can feel better about being able to say “Sweet Onion” in a public space? Excuse me, but who’s the loony tune in this picture? Hawhaw!
The Guy in Front of Me
sweet onion sandwich sauce (by Sigmund Freud via Public Domain)
So the guy in front of me orders his footlong Italian sub and its accompanying sandwich sauce. It’s that sauce I absolutely love, but whose delightfully tangy flavor I have – as already laboriously explained – long since had to forgo. That damnable sauce and its phonetic suggestion of fussy, doomed humanity!
We didn’t claw all this way up from the trilobite just to stand in a little line and delicately ask that Sweet Onion dressing be applied with a squirt bottle to our Black Forest Ham sandwiches. DID WE? Who wants to be illuminated so strikingly on the Cosmic Mortality Radar? Like you, I order mayonnaise now. The word is comparatively robust. It can sound on repeat murmurings like the name of a charming little French village with a water pump in the town square. “Sweet Onion” by contrast is an incantation so alive with hissing sibilance and preening destruction it collapses the Moment. Buh Bye Sweet Onion!
“Sauce?”
“Mayo.”
But this guy in the line ahead of me – he orders my favorite sauce without stammering or blanching, simply because he wants it on his sandwich! As if that’s reason enough. Oh… look at
his neatly trimmed beard! He just wants to taste the sauce on his sandwich, never mind that he has to pronounce the sauce’s name aloud to our common shame. He would rather have a great tasting sandwich than his pride. If only it were that simple.
For him – this knap-sacked specimen with his tidy beard and helpless staring inspection of chilled lunch meats through curved glass – it is that simple. And he is the worst of us. He has no inkling that saying “Sweet Onion” aloud brings to bear on the fragile human condition all the ruin this realm can offer! He doesn’t know what you and I know, reader! Neatly Trimmed Beard Guy is not subject to the overwhelming interiority that rises and rises and overruns its banks – a flood tide of extrinsic shame and self-abnegation. He enviably lacks the self-immolating subjectivity that hobbles you and I when we are ordering sauces or buying chewing gum or shirts; that autonoetic Self which stands separate and leers over our every sandwich order.
What about the watchbands we lean over and choose with such deliberation?
How about our carefully sat-through haircuts? At the end of that pitiable ceremony, the beautician holds a little mirror behind the head that we may be assured. Why the terrible little mirror?! What do the 95 moons of Jupiter care if the little haircut looks lousy from behind? Oh, okay. And I need a therapist?
“Sauce?” asks the wall-eyed kid in his visor.
“I’m gonna do the Sweet Onion.” YOU FOOL! YOU FOOL! YOU RECKELSS FOOL! I double over, gasping. The sandwich kid eyes me lazily and turns back to beard guy.
“What kinda bread?”
What can it matter, young sandwich-maker?! WHAT CAN IT MATTER? THE CHAOS IS LOOSED UPON US! My skin jumps once and begins to crawl in earnest. I grasp the vestigial little ledge that is offered by the sandwich bar. Who in his right mind would say that? Move on to another sauce, you dumb brute! As I gasp and wince and gesture, the two security folk round the corner. They are familiar to me now. “Begone, sauce-shouters!” I cry with a banishing sweep of the arms. The taser darts leap at me trailing their little wires. I am flung into the air and the electrical charge briefly illuminates my cartoon skeleton.
I shall remain undaunted.
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
Freud’s helpful illustration – what is at stake when ordering
Miming “sweet onion” to jittery sandwich workers draws establishment ire
the Montecito-based founder of Steppenwolf, who will perform the signature ‘60s hit “Born to Be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride.”
As always, funds are earmarked to directly support first responders throughout Santa Barbara County by funding vital equipment, training, and mental health resources.
Those local heroes will get a different sort of honor on site this year, said Richard Weston-Smith, Kirsten’s husband and co-founder of One805.
“Every year, we have about 400 first responders in the audience with their spouses or partners, but nobody knows who they are,” he explained. “So we came up with this idea to give them glow sticks on lanyards when they arrive, and then they’ll all crack them open to activate them at dusk. Suddenly all of these lanyards will glow red all through the audience.”
For details and tickets, visit www.one805.org
¡Viva la A&L
For most of its history, the UCSB Arts & Lectures-produced program ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! operated under the radar of the usual A&L events. That wasn’t an accident.
The idea was always to cater to the Spanish-speaking segment of the community, one that frequently might have been overlooked not only by A&L but also most of the arts organizations in town. A single free concert grew into a weekend of three performances that then also over the years added additional outreach opportunities, such as assemblies and workshops with the artists within the schools. The program was designed to not only serve but be driven by the community itself.
“We wanted to offer more of an educational component,” said Jenna Hamilton-Rolle, director of education and community engagement at A&L now entering her third season in the role. “It’s about meeting not only a cultural gap but also a curriculum
gap in Santa Barbara County schools.
Traditional Latin American or Latin music styles, instruments, terminology that goes along with cultural practices, aren’t taught in your regular day in and day out curriculum in public school.”
Hamilton-Rolle said ¡Viva is all about keeping Mexican American and Latino traditions alive in the present.
“The artists not only represent more classic styles of music and dance, but also modern takes on those classic styles to show that the culture is not static. It’s ever evolving, it’s ever changing, it’s growing, and it’s part of now.”
But the concerts weren’t often promoted outside of those communities.
That’s changed quite a bit as ¡Viva gets ready to celebrate its 20th anniversary with a new five-concert series of shows, each of which features performance at four different venues around the county.
“My perspective is that Latino households are more than half of the households in our county,” Hamilton-Rolle said. “So there’s no point in putting things under the radar. We may as well market to the largest demographic in our county. And while it’s true that the people who have the familiarity with these artists are going to largely be our Latina community, it’s just as important to welcome everybody through the doors.”
The 20th season also adds a new venue to the trio of existing concert sites with Thursday dates set for Carpinteria Vets Memorial Building along with Isla Vista Elementary on Fridays, Guadalupe City Hall on Saturdays, and Marjorie Luke Theatre on Sundays.
“We know that we get a lot of folks coming to the Sunday shows from Camarillo, Oxnard, and Ventura as well as Carpinteria,” Hamilton-Rolle said. “So since we’re about responding to the community, why not serve the southern portion of our county?”
First up in the 2025-26 ¡Viva season is Grupo Bella, led by Grammy-winning vocalist Vanessa Ramirez – who fronts a group that blends mariachi roots with Mexican pop, boleros, huasteco, and even American classics – performs September 18-21. Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and producer Gaby Moreno, who blends Latin pop, rock, and Americana in her music, performs November 6-9. Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, an all-female band that has served as a trailblazer in a long male-dominated musical genre, extends its 30-year history with shows January 15-18. Las Cafeteras, who remix roots music in a sonic explosion of Afro-Mexican rhythms, electronic beats, and powerful rhymes, are due March 19-22 before the season comes to a close April 16-19 with Ballet Folklórico del Rio Grande, a 30-member ensemble of professional dancers who have performed across the Americas, including at the Kennedy Center.
Admission to all the concerts is free. All of the performances are followed by a reception with the artists that is open to everyone.
We’re still more than four months away from Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the behemoth 11-day giant of a cinematic confab affectionately known as SBIFF that stages its 41st annual event from February 4-14. But there’s another festival that could go by that acronym, but has wisely chosen to sidestep the moniker, that holds its third annual event this weekend. The Santa Barbara Indie Film Festival, a three-day celebration of independent and youth filmmakers that aims for a much more niche audience in offering a grassroots adjunct to SBIFF, returns to historic Alhecama Theatre on September 19-21.
The festival was created by Dave Haws, a Santa Barbara native who worked at Metropolitan Theatres while still in high school, which spurred the movie lover to get involved in the film industry. After majoring in cinema arts at Cal State Northridge, Haws stuck around L.A. and has worked in the camera and lighting departments on movies and other video projects, with credits that include Star Trek, the movie version of the TV show Deadwood, and CSI: Miami. Haws also directed shorts, music videos, and commercials.
The Indie Fest arose after he moved back to town with his family.
“We wanted to create a festival that’s truly independent, something to showcase small filmmakers who might not have a voice anywhere else, and to give student filmmakers an outlet to have their work seen that’s more about the art of storytelling on film than a platform like TikTok or YouTube,” Haws explained on the eve of the fest’s first year.
Now in year three, the event continues to grow as a celebration of fearless filmmaking. The festival’s slate now runs a full 41 films, with a few narra-
tive and documentary features mixed in with short films spanning multiple genres plus a dedicated category highlighting local filmmakers. With only a single screen available in the intimate Alhecama, the shorts are organized into genre-specific blocks, including dramatic, horror/thriller, sci-fi/fantasy, comedy, animated, and local filmmakers. Q&A sessions with filmmakers are held after every screening block, and awards ceremonies are held each night after the screen goes dark.
A feature film holds down an evening slot, and the festival closes out with a locally-produced feature, Jorrit van der Kooi’s The Golden Hours, a coming-of-age story with a twist that stars Aislinn Wilson, who just graduated Dos Pueblos High School and was a finalist in February’s Santa Barbara Teen Star competition.
Other locally connected highlights include Ventura Nights, a 30-minute doc about car racing at the Ventura Raceway and fairgrounds over several years.
True to its concept, the Santa Barbara Indie Film Festival sports very affordable admission fees, with each film block accessible for $15, or $35-$45 per day, with a weekend VIP pass set at $100.
Visit www.sbindiefilmfest.com
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and producer Gaby Moreno performs November 6-9 (courtesy photo)
Jorrit van der Kooi’s The Golden Hours is a coming-of-age story (courtesy photo)
Far Flung Travel
Among Giants
by Chuck Graham
The seabirds must’ve seen what I was seeing and were reveling in the explosion of late season winter rains and consistent fog drip on Channel Islands National Park. I was enjoying the best giant coreopsis bloom I could remember on the southeast end of Santa Cruz Island, mostly from the seat of my kayak.
It was surprising, really. With no rain to speak of last November and December 2024, or January 2025, most wild places experienced drought-like weather conditions. If it were a wet winter, if there was enough moisture, giant coreopsis was typically one of the first wildflowers to bloom, especially out on the islands.
However, nature sometimes works in mysterious ways. In February 2025 there was some rain, and by March there was some more rain. But no way did I think it would be enough for giant coreopsis to begin blooming on Scorpion Rock or anywhere else across the Northern Chain.
Weathered Crags
Scorpion Rock is an important seabird nesting site half a mile east of Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island. California brown pelicans used to nest there but haven’t since the late 1990s.
Still, they love roosting there, with many, if not all of them being young pelicans. Once the coreopsis began blooming, the gawky seabirds seemed to gravitate toward the vibrant, yellow blooms, huddling within the high concentration of flowers. Some pelicans even roosted on top of the coreopsis.
Western gulls reacted to the coreopsis the same way. Being a smaller species of seabirds, they could vanish within a “forest” of coreopsis, or just like the pelicans, some gulls enjoyed roosting atop the coreopsis. The combination of the brilliant coreopsis and the staggering seabird numbers was something I’d never witnessed before on Scorpion Rock.
While paddling around the islands for 30 years, the perspective from the water has always been something I’ve appreciated. There were beautiful moments with mating pairs of black oystercatchers on the crumbly crags, colorful coreopsis in background – another first for me.
I also wanted to be level with the intoxicating blooms and squadrons of seabirds flocking to the fleeting wildflowers. Recently, after leading a kayaking tour, I paddled to a little pocket beach just inside and to the southwest of Scorpion Rock. I brought my trail shoes along and then scrambled up the steep cliffs opposite Scorpion Rock. From there another unique perspective unfolded before me.
Just behind the apex of Scorpion Rock, the mass congregation of seabirds, and the teeming East Santa Barbara Channel were the daunting, striated cliffs of the Topatopa Mountains. Part of the Transverse Ranges, these are mountains that extend in an east-west direction. The proximity of such diverse biomes to one another, with only the 20-mile-wide channel separating them, is a striking juxtaposition.
North Bluff Trail
While on a recent early morning trail run, I happily kept pace with a playful island fox just ahead of me on the North Bluff Trail between Scorpion Anchorage and Potato Harbor. As I trotted along with the largest land predator across the northern Channel Islands, I stopped when it did to forage, mice and invertebrates always on their minds.
Just before the sun rose due east of the Santa Monica Mountains on the coastal mainland, the edge of the sheer cliffs of Santa Cruz burst into a stunning display of island flora. It was the best coreopsis flowering I’ve ever seen along the 250-foot-tall cliffs.
After the cheeky island fox gave me the slip, I continued my trail run toward Cavern Point to the east. As I followed the narrow, rocky, serpentine-like trail, the diversity of island flora expanded. Flourishing among the giant coreopsis were the creamy colors of island
paintbrush, bushels of golden yarrow, and hardy seaside daisies.
Once reaching the overlook of Cavern Point, a peregrine falcon called out from the windswept cliffs. Somewhere nearby it lurked, easily concealing itself in the weathered crags. The overlook at Cavern Point almost always looks like a moonscape, but every spring it’s amazing seeing seaside daisies in full bloom sprouting right out of the rock.
While running toward Scorpion Anchorage, Scorpion Rock came into view. From afar, I could already see the tops of the offshore rock outcroppings cloaked in coreopsis, glowing in another epic island sunrise.
A trail run has always been a great jumpstart to another day on the islands. Despite the lack of moisture, the surprise of an island floral display induced more pace in my stride, but also more pace in my paddling stroke on the water.
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
California brown pelicans tending to their garden
The flock of coreopsis out for a windswept stroll
Black oystercatchers are quite the anthophile
The cheeky island fox taking a moment to tie his running shoes
News Bytes Annual Coastal Cleanup Day
by MJ Staff
The International All Volunteer Coastal Cleanup Day is Saturday, September 20. Locally, Explore Ecology heads its operations for Santa Barbara County beaches. In Montecito, Youth leader Pyp Pratt, 17, will once again be stationed at Butterfly Beach with his dad Paul to lead the volunteers and manage the cleanup.
At Hammonds Beach (end of Eucalyptus Lane in Montecito), the cleanup will be managed by Laguna Blanca School teachers and parents. Pyp has helped lead cleanups at Butterfly Beach and Laguna School at Hammonds Beach for the past six years. They ask for your help, even if only an hour. Cleanup supplies are provided at each site and participants are encouraged to bring reusable gloves, buckets, and water bottles to help keep the event zero waste.
Explore Ecology coordinates the event locally, in partnership with the County of Santa Barbara Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division. The California Coastal Commission organizes the statewide event, and the international event is organized by the Ocean Conservancy. Coastal Cleanup Day data has helped pass landmark policies, like the plastic bag ban (2016) and CA Senate Bill 8 (2019) banning smoking on beaches and in state parks. Last year, 1,059 volunteers collected 2.65 tons of litter in one morning – most of it plastic. Sign up in advance or at the location.
The City of Carpinteria invites all locals to celebrate its 60th Anniversary with celebrations commencing at the Carp City Hall on Monday, September 22, at 5:30 pm. The weeklong events are:
September 24, 1-4 pm: Carpinteria Valley Museum of History
September 25, 1 pm: Veterans Hall and 6 pm Carp Beach Cleanup
September 26, 4 pm: Lynda Fairly Carp Arts Center community painting
September 27, 11 am-1 pm: Carp Library arts performances and costume contest September 29, 5:30 pm: Veterans Hall State of the City Address
Condor Trail Fundraiser
The Los Padres Forest Association is holding a fundraiser event for their Condor Trail on Thursday, September 25, at the Balboa Building, 735 State Street. The event keynote is a presentation by Addison Jerlow, who set record time in March hiking the 400-mile trail with a vertical gain of 69,000 feet. He did it in 21 days, 5 hours, 31 minutes, and 0 seconds. Jerlow is sharing his experience with a talk and slide show, suggestions on how to navigate the trail, gear needed, and logistics. Brian Sarvis will also be speaking. He has thru-hiked the Condor Trail once in each direction, as well as completed numerous section hikes to research and write his book, The Condor Trail Guide. The event includes a happy hour and raffle for only $10. Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/LPForest-Fundraiser
Annual Child Car Seat and Booster Free Check-Up Event
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Trauma Services is holding its annual Child Car Seat and Booster safety check on Friday, September 19, from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Goleta Valley Community Center – in conjunction with City of Goleta, Beep! Beep! Car Seat & Baby Proofing, County of San Luis Obispo, Safe Kids Santa Barbara County, County of Santa Barbara EMS Agency, and Fire Department. The event is free and no prior registration is required. People who transport children are urged to have their vehicles checked for proper child safety. The team ensures that no citations will be issued, and guidance is provided. Bring the car with your current child safety seats and your child.
FYI: California state laws require that children under two years of age shall ride in a rear-facing car seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds OR is 40 or more inches tall (California Vehicle Code Section 27360). Children under the age of 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat. Children who are 8 years of age OR have reached 4’9” in height may be secured by a booster seat, but at a minimum, must be secured by a safety belt (California Vehicle Code Section 27363).
YMCA Youth & Family Services ApplicationsOpen for CSEC Position
Youth and Family Services is accepting applications for a new Case Manager position dedicated to supporting youth impacted by Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). They explain, “This role will be instrumental in advancing trauma-informed care and ensuring coordinated, compassionate support for some of our most vulnerable youth. The Case Manager will educate staff, families, and partners on best practices for screening and supporting CSEC-affected youth; guide best practices in trauma-informed, evidence-based care; monitor high-risk youth through the First Responder Identification Tool (FRIT); lead multidisciplinary coordination with agencies like Child Welfare, Probation, Law Enforcement, and Victim Witness; ensure accurate documentation and reporting; and build strong relationships with youth, families, and community partners to ensure access to safe, supportive service.”
Info: https://tinyurl.com/YMCA-CSEC
Montecito Fire Updates
Montecito Fire Chief Neels and his Montecito Fire team honored the First Responders and their loved ones, and all who suffered the tragedy of the 9/11 NYC Twin Towers on September 11 at both Montecito fire houses with a memorial service. Neels said, “This morning, firefighters and community members gathered at our fire stations to honor the lives lost on this day 24 years ago. As we reflect, we remember the importance of unity, the strength found in community and the enduring spirit of resilience that defines us as a nation. We vow to never forget.”
SB Transition House Online Fundraising Ball
The SB Transition House’s “No Ball Ticketing” online fundraising event is now live for people to submit their donations and to sponsor a child under their care. There is also an online auction.
Afew are missing, but this skull has places for 50 teeth: the most of any terrestrial mammal in North America! These abundant and diversely shaped teeth served an adaptable, opportunistic animal: the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana). First introduced to California in 1910, they are now seen year-round in much of our region. Their abundance is partially due to their ability to forage on just about anything. Sometimes they scavenge roadkill and may fall victim to cars while dining in the danger zone. Their toothy, squat skulls – about 5.7 inches at the longest – are unmistakable. It’s a good one to know, given their widespread presence and high mortality. This skull is among the 44,000+ specimens curated by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Department of Vertebrate Zoology, overseen by Curator of Vertebrate Zoology Krista Fahy, PhD.
When you next visit, don’t forget a longtime favorite exhibit, our Mammal Hall. Find the Opossum and observe something unique about its behavior.
Virginia Opossum skull (photo courtesy of the SBMNH)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Calendar of Events
by Steven Libowitz
ENDING THIS WEEK
Sunset Sessions at The Band Shell – This inaugural series at the newly refurbished space in Pershing Park across from West Beach winds up four weeks of free community performances spanning a variety of genres. Poetry and short story readings by the local imprint authors in the Gunpowder Poetry Group brings the magic of words on Sept. 18, before the series comes to a close with stand-up comedy by Don’t Tell Comedy, the group that brings locals and L.A.-based funny folk to various venues around town. Lawn chairs and blankets encouraged as well as picnicking (but no alcohol). Food will also be available for purchase.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Pershing Park, 100 Castillo St.
COST: free
INFO: (805) 564-5573
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
‘Spectrum of Sound’ – Blind Fitness, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals who are blind or have low vision through adaptive fitness and inclusive wellness programs, has arranged an inspiring afternoon concert full of music, community, and purpose. Featuring talented local musicians, the event celebrates the power of diversity, harmony, and inclusion, values at the heart of Blind Fitness. Performances that reflect the beauty and richness of life’s many spectrums include “Someone Else’s Eyes” from Up with People sing-outs, Spanish and Mexican songs with live guitar and vocals, classical piano works by Bach and Mozart from Skylar Covich , poetry and meditative readings with harp accompaniment, and more. The closing performance by the high-energy street band The Brasscals will propel the audience to dance and stroll out to the labyrinth for the post-concert reception. Proceeds from
ENDING THIS WEEK
Ventura LIVE – Rubicon Theatre Company’s month of non-stop entertainment featuring more than 30 shows in 30 days comes to a close with four final events. Wild Night takes on Van Morrison ’s timeless classics, with singer Jason Feddy leading the tribute octet (Sept. 18). That is the Question! brings a late night of trivia where wit meets wine, and every answer could earn you free swag, hosted by Dillon Francis downstairs at Rubicon covering subjects from Shakespeare to sitcoms, and pop culture to the preposterous (Sept. 18). Hard Travelin’ with Woody Guthrie is a one-man multimedia play featuring the music and artwork of America’s iconic folksinger (Sept. 19). With a book by Tony-winner Robert L. Freedman ( A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder ) and a score by Broadway’s rising stars, the new musical Witnesses gives voice to five Jewish teens whose words and dreams were captured in journals during the Holocaust. Five different songwriting teams composed the music for the contemporary theatrical event conceived by Jordan Beck , with the show serving as a benefit for Rubicon’s Innovation Fund, which supports new work (Sept. 20). Rubicon then goes dark for less than a month before Million Dollar Quartet opens the 2025-25 theatrical season.
WHEN: All shows at 7 pm, trivia 9:45 pm
WHERE: Rubicon Theatre, 1006 E. Main St., Ventura COST: $23-$59.50
INFO: (805) 667-2900 or www.rubicontheatre.org
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Bridges Goes Back to the ‘Gate’ – Back in 1979, Susan Bridges was granted unparalleled access to photograph the making of the movie Heaven’s Gate by Academy Award-winning director Michael Cimino ( The Deer Hunter , Thunderbolt , and Lightfoot ), as well as the producer and cinematographer. While the movie itself was a huge critical and box office disaster – a legendary bomb that some say led to the sale of the studio United Artists – Heaven’s Gate was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction/Set Direction. Bridges, whose husband, Jeff Bridges , was one of the film’s stars (and was Lightfoot in the earlier film), was able to document the grand sets and remarkable natural scenery of the movie set in 1890s Wyoming as well as much more of the goings-on, capturing, in a very personal and candid manner, the full scope of the experience of the making of the epic film. Bridges, who lived with her family in Montecito from shortly after the Northridge Earthquake until the debris flows in 2018, has worked as a special still photographer on several other feature films including The American Success Company and Cold Feet , and photographed many iconic artists including Orson Wells, Clayton Moore ( The Lone Ranger ), Arnold Schwarzenegger , Bud Cort , and Peter Fonda. Now the show brings the exhibition of the photos that survived both disasters to a special show at Tamsen Gallery called Inside Heaven’s Gate: Behind the Scenes . After today’s official opening, the gallery will also host special programs and artist talks throughout the exhibition’s run.
WHEN: Today-December 31
WHERE: Tamsen Gallery, 1309 State St.
COST: free
INFO: (805) 705-2208 or https://tamsengallery.com
the event will directly support Blind Fitness programs.
WHEN: 2-4 pm
WHERE: Trinity Episcopal Church, 1500 State St. COST: $35
Acoustic Alchemy – SB Acoustic has hosted live music by more than 100 of the world’s great string players since 2016, even with its founder having left town for a brief period a couple of years back while recovery from the pandemic was slow. As noted on the website, the community is so fortunate to have such talent amongst us who are able to perform as professional musicians on acoustic instruments – “the timeless sound of nature and resonating materials – wood, bone, gourd, gut, and skin.” The new fall series at SOhO brings the return of the Transatlantic Guitar Trio who have played for SBA going back to 2019. The stringmen come from very different backgrounds: Richard Smith is an International Fingerstyle Guitar champion from London, Joscho Stephan shapes modern gypsy swing with Latin, classic, and pop music influences; and Nashville specialist Rory Hoffman is a master of many instruments from guitar to keyboards, accordion, harmonica, and all reed instruments. Their repertoire combines jazz ballads, gypsy swing standards, pop songs, and original compositions to create a broad palette. Coming later this year: Hawaiian and slack key duo Leokāne Pryor & Kimo West , fingerstyle soloist Alberto Lombardi , and the Andres Vadin Flamenco Trio.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State St., upstairs in Victoria Court
COST: $35 ($95 includes dinner & VIP seating)
INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19-SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
‘Songs of the Sea’ – The Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara launches its fall and winter season with a lineup of shows that includes sea-chantey singalongs, a visit from an international Scottish fiddle master, more Irish songs, and much more over four sets of shows. The Folk Orchestra was founded in 2017 by musician-singer-educator Adam Phillips with a unique vision to share the power, beauty, and excitement of folk music from around the world through live performances by an ensemble of high-caliber Central Coast-based musicians. Currently 28 musicians strong, there is a full orchestral string section plus flute and harp with both common and specialized folk instruments, ranging from guitars and mandolins to accordion and bagpipes to xiao and hurdy-gurdy, among others. Phillips arranges all of the selections to fit the ensemble, and each concert focuses on a different world region or era. Songs of the Sea kicks things off this weekend with maritime music spanning the globe and featuring such well-known shanties as “The Water Is Wide,” “Haul Away Joe,” “The Wellerman,” and “The Navy Hymn,” plus a healthy dose of songs for Spanish, Italian, and other heritages.
WHEN: 7 pm tonight & tomorrow, 4 pm Sunday
WHERE: The Chapel at El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, 123 E. Canon Perdido St. (Friday); St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley in Los Olivos (Saturday); Live Oak Unitarian Universalist, 820 N Fairview Ave, Goleta (Sunday)
COST: $35-$45
INFO: (805) 260-3223 or https://folkorchestrasb.com
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Dawes as a Duo – We first saw Dawes in town at the now-defunct tiny coffeehouse Muddy Waters, long before the band went on to prove popular enough to perform two years running at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Now, brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith have put out an album featuring mainly the singer-songwriter-guitarist and drummer in a collection both introspective and accessible, serving to honor 15 years of Taylor and Griffin’s musical relationship, as well as the next era of their band. The pair are also on tour in that format, an experiment that lets them find new ways to present material from their entire catalogue, distilled down to only the most essential ingredients. WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $59 & $69 ($122 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
‘MisCast Cabaret’ – A joint fundraiser between Center Stage Theater and Out of the Box Theatre Company, this cleverly titled special event celebrates 15 years of musicals that the wildly ambitious and independent company has performed – 28 in all! – on the CST stage. The show features local performers and special guests in a walk down memory lane via a setlist of contemporary musical theatre songs from Broadway show Floyd Collins, The Book of Mormon, The Last 5 Years, Hamilton, Rent, Newsies, The Wild Party, and others. The benefit also offers unique auction prizes, cocktails, and concessions treats, starting with a pre-show cocktail hour with tunes spun by DJ and OOTB alum Bill Egan
All money raised will go to supporting Center Stage Theater and Out of the Box Theatre Company’s upcoming season, which boasts the Santa Barbara debut of Jagged Little Pill and a revival of Assassins
WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: Center Stage Theater, 751 Paseo Nuevo, second floor
COST: $30-$75
INFO: (805) 963-0408/https://centerstagetheater.org or www.outoftheboxtheatre.org
WAR OF THE WORLDS
Adapted by JOE LANDRY
Carnie Wilson, Wendy Wilson, Chynna Phillips, Rob Bonfiglio, The Honeys, Don Randi, Lola Bonfiglio, Leo Knutson, Nelson Bragg, Randell Kirsch, Carly Smithson, Alisan Porter, Hunter Hawkins, Rosemary Butler, Ken Stacey
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At OsteoStrong our proven non-drug protocol takes just ten minutes once a week to improve your bone density and aid in more energy, strength, balance and agility. Please call for a complimentary session! Call Now (805) 453-6086 AUTOMOBILES WANTED
We Buy Classic Cars Running or Not. Foreign/Domestic Chevy/Ford/Porsche/Mercedes/Etc. We come to you. Call Steven - 805-699-0684 Website - Avantiauto.group
Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575
Local tile setter of 35 years is now doing small jobs only. Services include grout cleaning and repair, caulking, sealing, replacing damaged tiles and basic plumbing needs. Call Doug Watts at 805-729-3211 for a free estimate.
PET/ HOUSE SITTING
Do you need to get away for a weekend, week or more? I will house sit and take care of your pets, plants & mail. I have refs if needed. Call me or text me. Christine (805) 452-2385
Carpet Cleaning Since 1978 (805) 963-5304
Rafael Mendez Cell: 689-8397 or 963-3117
PIANO LESSONS
Openings now available for Children & Adults. Piano Lessons in our Studio or your Home. Call or Text Kary Kramer (805) 453-3481
CONSTRUCTION
General Building Design & Construction Contractor William J. Dalziel Lic. B311003 – 1 (805) 698-4318 billjdalziel@gmail.com
BEACH CONDO FOR LONG-TERM LEASE
Two bedroom / two bath, furnished beach condo available September 1. Gated entry, two dedicated parking spaces. $ 10,500 / month. No pets. Call owner at (817) 307-8989 LOANS SOUGHT
Bridge Loan of $15,000 sought for busi-
$10 MINIMUM TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD
It’s simple. Charge is $3 per line, each line with 31 characters. Minimum is $10 per issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email Classified Ad to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860. All ads must be finalized by Friday at 2pm the week prior to printing. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex (3% surcharge)
10 min from State St. - NS, NP $2000/month Call (805) 964-1891 ATTENDANT AND PROBLEM SOLVER
Dad or grandpa need assistance w transport, outings, shopping, or companionship? Retired 62 y/old male can help. Verifiably spotless driving and personal history. 10-15 hours p/week. Rates by the hour. Text Pete B at 805-881-1115.
DONATIONS NEEDED
Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944
Donate to the Parrot Pantry! At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds’ best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies.
Volunteers
Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help. (805) 969-1944
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
K-9 PALS need volunteers to be foster parents for our dogs while they are waiting for their forever homes. For more information info@k-9pals.org or 805-570-0415
