JOURNAL
The Giving List
9 – 16 JULY 2026 | VOL 32 ISS 28 www.montecitojournal.net
Voice of theV illage
SERVING MONTECITO AND SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA
Star Power – NASA joins the orchestra, Missy Mazzoli returns to the spotlight, and Beethoven gets his Denk due in another stellar week with MAW, P.16
Energy Shift – With major votes on solar and oil ahead, Katie Davis makes the case that clean energy and agriculture can grow side by side, P.24
IN DEEP WATER
Chasing Daisy – George Leis set out to find his dog and came away with a powerful reminder of Montecito’s generous spirit, P.24
HE BLEW THE WHISTLE. THEY FLED THE COUNTRY. MICHAEL COX TELLS THE STORY.
Illustration by Karen Folsom
Finding the GLIMMER of hope, p.20
(STARTS ON PAGE 5)
Lemon Aid
One lemonade stand, two worthy causes, and countless reasons to stop by for a refreshing sip, page 12
Stars, Stripes & Smiles
Patriotic bikes, pie contests, playful gorillas, and a whole lot of flag waving made for another memorable Village 4th, page 22
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Calamari Fritti
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The Dishes That Keep Guests Coming Back Join us on the patio at Lilac Montecito for our most-loved summer favorites, from Calamari Fritti to Crispy Skin Salmon, each paired with a wine that brings out the best in every bite.
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B R E A K FA S T | L UNC H | DI NNE R
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
eings and Doings – Novelist Michael Cox’s The Sporting Life – As the World Cup winds Doctor – Urologist Ericka Sohlberg, MD 5 Bformer 30 MYoureet the employer, a generous onetime Montecitan 18 down, attention turns to the Olympics, Major Westmont – Longtime economics named Andrew Waters, is an international fugitive. Questions?
Montecito Miscellany – The Santa Barbara 8 Symphony plays Bellosguardo plus photos and more from this year’s Village 4th
News Bytes – Events at Montecito Country 10 Mart, Friendship Center receives 50th anniversary proclamation, and other happenings Tide Guide
League Baseball Draft, and another strong season for the Foresters
The Giving List – A daughter’s final wish 20 inspired the Glimmers Foundation to
transform grief into hope for children facing cancer
24
ommunity Voices – The Sierra Club on the C upcoming Oil Ordinance and Solar Ordinance votes, and George Leis has Montecito to thank for Daisy’s safety
An Independent Mind – An interview with Our Town – The Montecito Country Mart’s 25 12 Lemonade ChatGPT examines the promises, limitations, Stand is getting booked with help
and misconceptions surrounding today’s rapidly evolving AI technology
and tech updates from the Las Cumbres Observatory
professor retires, student pens devotional book, and Dallas Willard Book Awardee announced
obert’s Big Questions – Does who gets elected 31 Rreflect the consensus? Is the “top two” system the right way to run a vote?
34 Sheriff ’s Blotter anta Barbara by the Glass – Wine Spectator’s 35 SGrand Award places Montecito’s Caruso’s
among an elite group of destination restaurants worldwide
Calendar of Events – Broadway at 36 Bellosguardo, One-Acts at Alcazar, Jackalope Indie Artisans Fair, and more
Elizabeth’s Appraisals – The history of a On Entertainment – Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified 27 14 unmistakable simple dressing-table mirror reflects centuries of 38 ads, in which sellers offer everything from voice at the Lobero, EDC’s tgif! craftsmanship, philosophy, and changing ideas about self-image
returns, plus SBIFF’s French film fest and outdoor movies
16 4
his Week @ MAW – The first picnic concert T with Missy Mazzoli, Holst’s The Planets, Opera Scenes take stage, the second x2 Series concert, and more Montecito JOURNAL
28
etite Wine Traveler – The Speakeasy at P San Ysidro Ranch has earned international recognition by pairing exceptional cocktails with unforgettable hospitality
“The air is the only place free from prejudices.” – Bessie Coleman
summer rentals to estate sales
ini Meta Crossword Puzzles 39 MLocal Business Directory – Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer
9 – 16 July 2026
Beings and Doings
Bridge Over Troubled Waters: SEC Whistleblower/Novelist Michael Cox Explains All by Jeff Wing and Michael Cox
“H
e’d just taken us to dinner at Bettina with two other couples,” Michael Cox explains. “Andrew and Helen Waters paid the bill, of course. We’re walking back to our cars – I remember this so explicitly – and we passed a couple who’d just come out of the grocery store. The guy has a six pack of Bundaberg Ginger Beer on the trunk of his car. Andrew notices and he says, ‘You know Bundaberg Ginger Beer?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I know it.’ He goes, ‘That’s my family.’” This tale was one of many breadcrumbs of the Andrew Waters origin story. He was a man of providence, these stories implied. Someone born with the Midas touch. Like all the other stories, this claim to Bundaberg lineage seemed plausible but was impossible to prove or disprove, and that was the genius of it. Given how the rest of Waters’ claims panned out, the betting odds suggest heavy skepticism is warranted. We could ask the source directly except that Andrew and Helen Waters are on the lam. Common to many a ‘60s TV cop show, on the lam connotes jittery flight from law enforcement and/or justice generally. On TV, the legal establishment are typically caught flat-footed by bad guys skipping town. “Say, where’s Carl? He’s late for his deposition.” “Where do you think, detective? He’s on the lam!” In Middle English “lam” meant a beating, and to be on the lam meant fleeing one. Former Montecitans Andrew and Helen Waters are on the lam; not from a beating but from the U.S. District Court’s final judgment in the SEC’s Securities Fraud case, which ordered more than $3.2 million in disgorgement, interest, and civil penalties. Andrew was the one charged with fraud; Helen was named as a relief defendant, accused of receiving investor money rather than committing the fraud itself. They are reportedly holed up in Australia, Andrew’s home country, dodging the judgment and the Long Arm of the Law that would otherwise make them pay for the fraudulent investment scheme that handily relieved a throng of credulous Montecitans of their cash. It all began over a series of lavish dinners – a particularly unguarded hour of the day for locals. “It was the lifestyle,” Cox says. “The 9 – 16 July 2026
Whistleblower/Novelist Michael Cox tells the tale of his inspiration for Montecito: The Novel (courtesy photo)
dinner parties, the wine, the horseback riding, the surfing. It was the fact that they clearly had the wealth to just pick up and move their family from Sydney to Hong Kong to Montecito on a whim and live in this beautiful house. They were generous. Andrew presented himself as the former chairman of an investment banking firm who had started his own private equity firm and done ground-breaking deals with tycoons like Peter Scanlon. And now here he was, taking over a U.S. company, set to do it all again just like all those incredibly wealthy serial entrepreneurs you read and wonder about.” Waters’ grinning dinner guests might quizzically poke him for more info on the investment opportunities he seemed genuinely reluctant to share, but those inquiries over copious wine pours were gently massaged into acquiescence. “You know,” Cox says. “Ultimately, it was an offer to hitch your wagon to his star. Questions were kept at a minimum because people felt like they were being done a favor. ‘Sure, sure. That sounds great. Thank you, Andrew. I’m excited for the opportunity.’”
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To Have and Have Not When the drama began, Michael Cox, Stanford MBA and fledgling novelist, was in a good place. “It was January 2020, and I was feeling pretty optimistic. After years of struggling, I had just landed my first literary agent for my first novel. In my mind I was about to launch a writing career, and Andrew was recruiting me for a very specific, consulting-related role with this interesting
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Beings & Doings Page 64 64 • Voice of theVillage •
Montecito JOURNAL
5
Beings & Doings (Continued from 5) company he was building. It had the trappings of legitimacy and the timing seemed perfect. “Six days after I started, I’m in Manhattan at the offices of Hearst Global, meeting with Debi Chirichella, who is now the head of Hearst Magazines. I’m there with Andrew and a lawyer and we’re negotiating a purchase agreement for Andrew’s company to buy this retail outlet in China that had a license from Hearst to use the name ELLE, as in ELLE magazine. And I thought, ‘This is great.’” A harbinger of future turbulence began in short order. COVID, at first a strange and not terribly alarming news story, fully unpacked its bags and stopped the world, including the publishing world. “While I was digging in with Andrew, my literary agent took my first novel to market. It was March of 2020, right when COVID was becoming a thing. Suddenly, my story of workplace drama set in the great financial crisis was completely uninteresting to the literary world. Within a few months, my writing dream seemed dead. It was hardly the worst consequence of COVID, but it was a tough pill to swallow.” Cox had discovered the writing path over the decades he worked in the investment world, seasoning his research
reports – a genre not given to rapturous reading – with just enough color to engage the reader. “I got to where writing the research became my favorite thing. People would say, ‘I love your research reports. These are so fun to read.’” Cox would take that cue to heart, remaining in finance but dedicating himself to spending several years writing his first novel – with an alacrity and discipline and growing sense of self-discovery that would wow a future agent. When COVID blundered in and swept that opportunity aside on the seeming cusp of long-awaited validation, he took the blow with a true writer’s equanimity. “I had to put it aside.”
Meant To Be In Andrew’s telling, the Waters – late of Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Sydney – had discovered Santa Barbara around Christmas 2018, renting a Rincon abode for a surfing vacation and falling in love with the area. “They ended up in a house on Schoolhouse Rd., just around the corner from MUS,” Cox says. “From the beginning, they were just sort of in the community. Montecito Union was a key lever. They threw themselves into the school. Helen was actively involved,
THE
Cox’s interest was piqued, but the internet offered curiously little where Andrew Waters was concerned. He was not on LinkedIn. His stories of Chinese private equity deals were a black hole. The appropriately named Mr. Smith wine proved an early token of the Waters’ opacity. “He never named the Australian investment bank he rose to run,” Cox says. “His business entities always had very strange, boring names. One named in the lawsuits was First Capital Partners. Another was called Co-Brand Partners. The core business was called Ecom Products Group. It’s like a word salad. You can’t Google it.” In the face of this brick wall, Cox consoled himself. “Truly wealthy people don’t need to advertise their wealth, right? Their private equity funds are private. So, your brain automatically goes and fills in the gaps.” When Andrew pitched to Cox the finance role and board of directors’ spot in his company, it all made sense. “He was a good storyteller, but he was really bad at putting things in writing or presentations, and he could not do spreadsheets and numbers. And so he inserted me into all the things that really required someone who had an investment banking, private equity, finance
The aptly named Mr. Smith wine… (courtesy photo)
meeting with other moms there. My son and the Waters’ daughter were in the same second and third grade class. That was how we first met them.” As the Waters endeared themselves to the community, they seemed to exemplify the neighborly, liquid essence of their adoptive new hometown. “They were super generous, hosting parties at their house with a seemingly endless invite list, pouring bottles of Andrew’s wine called Mr. Smith. When it was time to leave, Andrew would thrust a bottle into your hands, saying, ‘Take a bottle with you.’”
THE PIANO
Beings & Doings Page 314 314
THE FAMILY
BLOCKBUSTER
VIRTUOSO
EXTRAVAGANZA
JUL 11 • GRANADA THEATRE
JUL 15 • LOBERO THEATRE
JUL 25 • LOBERO THEATRE
XIAN ZHANG conducts The Planets: An HD Odyssey with stunning NASA imagery
JEREMY DENK brings brilliance, insight, and virtuosity to the Festival stage
YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA with pre-concert instrument exploration station
T I C K E T S : M U S I C A C A D E M Y. O R G
6
Montecito JOURNAL
9 – 16 July 2026
IT’S ALMOST HERE
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Montecito JOURNAL
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Montecito Miscellany Ocean Overture by Richard Mineards and Friends
“G
rowing up here, Bellosguardo was always one of those places surrounded by mystery,” smiled Kathleen Sieck before taking the stage with the Santa Barbara Symphony. “As teenagers, we always wondered what was up here.” This Fourth of July, the Santa Barbara singer returned not as the curious teenager peering through the
gates, but as the featured vocalist before hundreds gathered on Bellosguardo’s spectacular oceanfront lawn. “Pairing the Symphony outdoors in this setting is just really Santa Barbara,” Kathleen said. “To have music with the sea and the ocean on either side...” As families settled onto picnic blankets and lawn chairs overlooking the Pacific, Bellosguardo became an open-air concert hall for an evening celebrating America’s musical heritage.
“From one to 10? 15!” laughed onductor Nir Kabaretti when asked how excited he was for the evening. Emmy Award-winning actor Peter Strauss narrated the patriotic program, including Aaron Copland’s stirring “Lincoln Portrait,” while the Symphony performed favorites by John Williams, George Gershwin, John Philip Sousa, and Leroy Anderson. Kathleen earned her invitation following last year’s collaboration between the Symphony, the Granada, and Santa Barbara Records, where local singer-songwriters honored David Crosby. Invited back by Nir, she performed her original composition, “The Universe Knows You Are Mine,” before returning to lead the audience in a heartfelt rendition of “America the Beautiful.” Her hometown performance drew appreciative applause from guests including Sheriff Bill Brown, UCSB Chancellor Dr. Dennis Assanis, and SYV Tribal Council Chairman Kenneth Kahn. Presented by the Bellosguardo
Nir Kabaretti with Kathleen Sieck (photo by Priscilla)
Foundation, the Independence Day celebration was made possible through the generosity of presenting sponsors Belle Hahn and Lily Hahn Shining, Susan and Riley Bechtel,
Miscellany Page 224 224
The Santa Barbara Symphony playing American tunes in front of the big blue (photo by Priscilla)
VILLAGE PROPERTIES
Proudly Congratulates Patricia Griffin
Kathryn Martin, Peter Strauss, Nir Kabaretti, and Jeremy Lindaman (photo by Priscilla)
For her outstanding representation and successful closing in Birnam Wood Golf Club: 2076 CHINA FLAT ROAD, MONTECITO CA Represented Buyer | Listed for $11,850,000
805.705.5133 | patricia@villagesite.com PatriciaGriffin.com | DRE 00837659 All information provided is deemed reliable, but has not been verified and we do not guarantee it. We recommend that buyers make their own inquiries.
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Montecito JOURNAL
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” – Helen Keller
9 – 16 July 2026
Americana series
4 events | Save 20%
Punch Brothers
2026-2027 Series Subscriptions on Sale Now! Single tickets on sale August 7 at 10 AM
Wed, Oct 7 / 7:30 PM / Campbell Hall
Lyle Lovett and his Small Large Band Sun, Nov 1 / 7 PM / Campbell Hall
Rosanne Cash with John Leventhal Wed, Jan 27 / 7:30 PM / Campbell Hall
Cedric Burnside Tue, Apr 6 / 7:30 PM / Campbell Hall Punch Brothers Cedric Burnside
Rosanne Cash with John Leventhal
Lyle Lovett
Save up to 25% with a Curated series, or Create Your Own series of 4 or more events and save 10% View the full 2026-2027 lineup at ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu 9 – 16 July 2026
• Voice of theVillage •
Montecito JOURNAL
9
News Bytes
Sunspel & MCM’s Wimbledon Viewing Party by MJ Staff
The anniversary celebration will continue later this month at Friendship Center’s Summer Polo Soirée on Friday, July 17, at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. The afternoon fundraiser will feature polo, cocktails, light bites, desserts, and a silent auction while helping launch the organization’s larger 50th anniversary celebration planned for this fall.
411: https://friendshipcentersb.org/polo
Dinner & Jazz Fundraiser for Ojai Studio Artists
411: www.montecitocountrymart.com/sunspel
Hudson Grace MCM Collab Demo with Chef Chierego July 14 Hudson Grace Store Manager Medeighnia Westwick announced they are having a live cooking event with Sardinian Chef Sergio Chierego on Tuesday, July 14, from 4 to 6 pm at their store. He will be preparing two dishes served in Hudson Grace’s classic Italian whiteware. Chef Chierego’s homemade dried pasta will be available for purchase July 14 only.
411: www.montecitocountrymart.com/hudson-grace
Friendship Center Marks 50 Years with Fourth of July Celebration Friendship Center celebrated two milestones during its annual Fourth of July Party, honoring both America’s 250th birthday and the nonprofit’s 50th anniversary of serving both older adults living with dementia and their families. Members, loved ones, caregivers, volunteers, and community friends gathered for a festive afternoon featuring a special lunch and plenty of dancing to music by DJ Darla Bea. A highlight of the celebration came when Santa Barbara City Councilmember Kristen Sneddon presented Friendship Center with the City of Santa Barbara’s official 50th Anniversary Proclamation, recognizing five decades of compassionate care and support.
Fundraising for the Ojai Studio Artists, on Saturday August 1, is selling tickets now due to limited seating. The event is at Sulphur Mountain, a remote and exquisite garden setting. Attendees will enjoy handcrafted cocktails, appetizers, a delicious paella cooked over the open fire, fresh seasonal salad, and homemade ice cream prepared for the attendees by the OSA. The evening begins with cocktails and appetizers accompanied by the mellow jazz of Brian McCann. The event benefits arts programming in Ojai and helps ensure that creativity continues to flourish in our community.
411: www.ojaistudioartists.org
Anthropologist Paul H. Gelles at SYCM The Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center’s free “Second Thursday at the Museum” lecture series on Thursday, July 9, 5-8 pm, features a lecture and discussion with former University of California Professor, Author and Anthropologist Paul H. Gelles, PhD. about his book, Chumash Renaissance: Indian Casinos, Education, and Cultural Politics in Rural California. During the presentation, Gelles will discuss the book within the larger context of issues facing Indigenous peoples in the United States and throughout the Americas. Gelles worked in and for Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Andes for many years. He also worked with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ summer youth program from 2003 to 2005. Gelles is also author of Water and Power in Highland Peru and is the co-producer of the films Transnational Fiesta: 1992 and Transnational Fiesta: 20 Years Later. Gelles taught at Midland School in Los Olivos for 18 years and currently resides in the Santa Ynez Valley. JOURNAL
T
he Mart is hosting a Wimbledon Viewing Party for the Men’s Singles Final game at the in partnership with British brand, Sunspel, on July 12, from 12 - 3 pm. Watch the match in the courtyard on the full sun outdoor TV. There will be strawberries and cream at Sunspel and rosé for purchase in the courtyard.
411: www.sychumashmuseum.org/events
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Executive Editor/CEO | Gwyn Lurie gwyn@montecitojournal.net President/COO | Timothy Lennon Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net Managing Editor | Zach Rosen zach@montecitojournal.net MoJo Contributing Editor | Christopher Matteo Connor Art/Production Director | Trent Watanabe Graphic Design/Layout | Stevie Acuña Administrative Assistant | Jessica Shafran VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood leanne@montecitojournal.net Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Joe DeMello, Thomas Mock
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Have thoughts on a local issue? Comments on one of our articles? Contact us at letters@montecitojournal.net
Features | Jeff Wing Proofreading | Helen Buckley Contributors | Scott Craig, Chuck Graham, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye, Elizabeth Stewart, Leana Orsua, Jeffrey Harding, Houghton Hyatt
ED Kathryn Westland, Councilmember Sneddon and the nonprofit’s many friends celebrating (courtesy photo)
Montecito Tide Guide Day Thurs, July 9 Fri, July 10 Sat, July 11 Sun, July 12 Mon, July 13 Tues, July 14 Wed, July 15 Thurs, July 16 Fri, July 17
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Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz Gossip | Richard Mineards History | Hattie Beresford Humor | Ernie Witham Our Town/Society | Joanne A Calitri Health/Wellness | Ann Brode, Deann Zampelli Travel | Jerry Dunn, Leslie Westbrook Food & Wine | Melissa Petitto, Gabe Saglie, Jamie Knee
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“The poetry of the earth is never dead.” – John Keats
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Montecito JOURNAL
11
Our Town
The Montecito Country Mart Lemonade Stand by Joanne A Calitri
J
uly’s predicted warmer weather calls for lemonade at the Montecito Country Mart, now being served by our local schools and youth programs. Here is the upcoming schedule:
The Congo River Marathon at the starting line (courtesy photo)
Saturday, July 11, 12 – 2 pm, Our Lady of Mount Carmel School [OLMCS] Saturday, July 18, 12 – 2 pm, Youth Runners Academy, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo I reached out to OLMCS Principal Tracie Simolon for more details. She referred me to Erica Holtgrewe, OLMCS first grade teacher, who shared the background of their July 11 lemonade stand work and explained where the funding is going: “Andrea Alfano, who is a parent of a second grader and preschooler at OLMCS, is spearheading the project along with the 2026-2027 2nd grade class. Our Lady
Lemonade Stand ready for use by local fundraisers (courtesy photo)
of Mount Carmel School is a welcoming and nurturing community serving students from preschool through 8th grade. Rooted in faith, academic excellence, and strong family values, our school provides a supportive environment where children are encouraged to grow spiritually, aca-
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favorite summer lemonade recipes with the Montecito community while raising funds for the Foundation’s Youth Runners Academy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
demically, and socially. Through meaningful relationships, service, and a close-knit community, we help students build confidence, character, and a lifelong love of learning. Funds raised will directly support the arts, music, and physical education programs for students in kindergarten through 8th grade, enriching their educational experience and ensuring they have opportunities to explore creativity, develop healthy lifestyles, and grow as well-rounded individuals.” For the Congo River Marathon, it took more than a minute to find a local connection, but after canvasing social media, I discovered that its President, Nancy Bachmann, is located in one of our favorite neighboring towns, Ojai. I reached out to her on Instagram and did an interview via email over this July 4th weekend about their funding focus via the lemonade stand July 18.
What is the fundraiser supporting? All proceeds from the lemonade stand will go directly to the Youth Runners Academy in Kinshasa, founded in 2025 as a free community program for young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Academy uses running as a gateway to something much bigger, offering access to sport, education, mentorship, and personal development opportunities. It also provides essential running gear and equipment, helping to remove financial barriers so more youth can participate in organized athletics. At its core, the initiative is about more than sport. It’s about creating healthier communities and using running as a tool to empower the next generation with confidence, discipline, and opportunity.
Q. Who will be working the stand? A. I am an Ojai resident and president of the Congo River Marathon Foundation, a California-based 501(c) (3) nonprofit. I’ll be working the stand alongside family and friends, serving a handcrafted Ojai Pixie Tangerine Lemonade inspired by my background in wellness and cold-pressed juices. We’re excited to share one of our
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Could you tell us more about the Congo River Marathon? The Congo River Marathon was founded in 2021 by myself and my Congolese business partner, Rolly Kayumba (an idea that developed over the phone between Ojai and the DR Congo during the pandemic). What began as a shared vision across continents has since grown into one of Central Africa’s leading running events. This year’s sixth edition will take place on September 13 and features a marathon, half marathon, and 10K. At its heart, the event is about more than sport. One of my goals has been to build a bridge through running and cultural exchange, offering participants the chance to experience the country’s rich culture, cuisine, hospitality, and to connect with the students of the Youth Runners Academy.
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Is the marathon being supported by any local businesses? Not yet. I am planning to organize an Ojai 5K here and link it with the Foundation. I have submitted the event to the City of Ojai. It is not confirmed as of yet.
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Rolly Kayumba and Nancy Bachmann at a Congo River Marathon (courtesy photo) “The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” – John Muir
Our Town Page 264 264 9 – 16 July 2026
Heather Reed, mother of four and triathlete
Generations of
Heather delivered her children at Cottage. Years later, Cottage saved her life when she was diagnosed with two rare tumors inside her spinal column. With care from Cottage Neurosciences Clinic, she recovered fully and is back to the tennis courts and triathlon training.
Imagine what we’ll do next.
9 – 16 July 2026
• Voice of theVillage •
Montecito JOURNAL
13
On Entertainment
Cry One More Time with Gilmore and Alvin by Steven Libowitz
I
f you’ve never heard – or even heard of – Jimmie Dale Gilmore, all you need to know is what one journalist wrote about the West Texas singer-songwriter many years ago: “His voice would make even Hank Williams cry.” Which makes a lot of sense, since the now 81-year-old Gilmore patterned his fragile, high-lonesome tenor – Texas twang with a healthy side of longing, warmth, determination and despair – after the iconic country singer, among others. “It wasn’t deliberate, but I think I unconsciously copied all the singers that I liked back then, starting with Hank Williams,” Gilmore said over the phone from his Austin home last week. “Also Marty Robbins, Jim Reeves. Their phrasing, and how their voices affected me emotionally, all that seeped into the way I put it out when I sing. My voice has aged a bit over the years, but my style and everything hasn’t really changed much at all.” Thank goodness. Gilmore might be an instant hero or an acquired taste depending on your predilection, but either way he’s a national treasure of what’s called alt-country or Americana these days. Whether he’s singing originals, material written by current partner Dave Alvin, or obscure or classic songs, you can’t mistake who’s singing them nor turn away very easily. That goes all the way back to his days in the Flatlanders, the Lubbock-formed folk-country trio with lifelong friends and colleagues Joe Ely and Butch Hancock, before each embarked on successful solo careers. Or his mien may trace back even earlier, to his first group with Ely called The T-Nickel House Band whose early demos were financed by other folks in Lubbock, namely Buddy Holly’s parents; a story in its own right. “We met through an English journalist who came to town to research about Buddy – who Lubbock had basically forgotten by then – and his parents just liked what
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we were doing and wanted to help,” Gilmore said. That was also the time when Gilmore wrote one of the genre’s all-time great songs, “Tonight I Think I’m Gonna Go Downtown.” The song, like its singer’s voice, overflows with sadness and a thread of hope, with a simple concept that evokes contemplation. “You know, I was just very fortunate to have a circle of friends who were extremely talented songwriters,” explained Gilmore, whose critically acclaimed albums include Braver Newer World and Spinning Round the Sun. “They were all a big influence for me.” Ely, who passed away last year, remains Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore come to the an influence. Gilmore frequently plays Lobero on Sunday, July 12 (photo by Roman Cho) much of his music along with others of the Flatlanders era. At the current moment, though, the singer-songwriter is partnered up with Dave Alvin, the founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has long been a solo artist, and frequent creator/collaborator of projects tending to the California and harder-edged branch of the Americana genre. Alvin has brought these efforts to the Lobero over the decades, which is where the two will perform on July 12. Gilmore and Alvin have made two albums together in the last decade – both with cartographic titles in Downey to Lubbock and TexiCali – and toured together on and off in a format that has them share the stage, performing each performing their individual songs and some they’ve co-written. “The music I do with Dave is real different, much more blues, which we both love,” Gilmore said, noting that they have been fans of each other for 15 years before they started playing as a duo. “Dave’s music is high-energy, frenetic power. Mine is more lyrical and I guess laid back, but the blend seems to work together somehow.” That pairing is just the latest example of making a musical melting pop – which of course has been the formative backbone of the country since our founding 250 years ago – that the two singer-songwriters have engaged in all of their careers. “The blend of all the influences, the cross-pollination, is what it’s based on,” Gilmore said. At the current Almost Acoustic Tour dates, the listeners get to jump in on the connection, musical and otherwise. “Dave and I both are inspiring to each other and we really enjoy each other’s company and playing music together,” Gilmore said. “I think that transfers to the audience.” Lenny Kaye, longtime guitarist for poet-rocker Patti Smith who has also produced albums by Suzanne Vega, Jim Carroll, and Soul Asylum among others, opens the show and sits in at the end of the Gilmore-Alvin set. Visit www.lobero.org
EDC tgif! Returns By no means are the Environmental Defense Center’s tgif! events purely about entertainment. Indeed, while the somewhat monthly gatherings on summertime Friday evenings have been a staple of the South Central coast’s summer season for nearly three decades, tgif! is much more about bringing the community together as a mix of regional nonprofit and environmental organizations, elected officials and non-affiliated people from throughout the area who care about both the environment and connection. EDC is joined at each tgif! by four of its nonprofit partners who speak briefly from the stage – as well as informally at tableside or in casual mingling – about their current work and how we can all engage. That said, the EDC events feature live music from like-minded local bands; wine, beer and soft drinks (two free drink tickets with admission); and local food vendors, all of which are part of what makes tgif! one of the best happy hours in town – never mind EDC’s charming downtown courtyard location at 906 Garden Street. The season kickoff on July 10 features The Chaps, who play crowd-pleasing swing, bluegrass, folk, and rock and roll originals – at a volume low enough to make conversion enjoyable. Featured nonprofit partners include the very grassroots-based Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs, Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project, and More Mesa Preservation Coalition. Drinks are by Rincon Brewery, Orale by CW Wines and The Ojai Vineyard, with Patagonia and McConnell’s Ice Cream continuing as longtime raffle prize donors. Future events are September 18 and October 9. Admission is $20 at the door.
Visit www.environmentaldefensecenter.org/tgif
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This Week @ MAW by Steven Libowitz
F
riday, July 10: After a stirring introduction to the Lehrer Vocal Institute singers for 2026 last week, the vocal season shifts into full swing as the season’s major events rapidly approach. Today, it’s a masterclass with Paul Curran, whose credits include directing productions across the world with opera companies ranging from the Met, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, and San Francisco Opera domestically to La Scala, La Fenice, and Tokyo Opera overseas. The former artistic director of the Norwegian National Opera will be helming MAW’s 2026 Opera Scenes on Tuesday, July 14. First, though, he coaches a number of singers in front of an audience this afternoon when we imagine there might be a preview of a piece or two. (3:30 pm; Hahn Hall; $10)... Tonight’s Picnic Concert, “Missy Mazzoli in Her Words,” is a deep dive into compositions and other projects by the Grammy-nominated composer who is serving as one of this year’s Mosher Guest Artists. Mazzoli’s music has been performed worldwide by leading orchestras, ensembles and soloists
The first Picnic Concert, “Missy Mazzoli in Her Words,” takes place this Friday, July 10 (photo by Marylene Mey)
including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Kronos Quartet, and violinist Jennifer Koh, while her commissioned operas include the critically acclaimed Breaking the Waves and Proving Up. The fellows performing in the Picnic Concert – the popular series that returns this summer after a hiatus – will take on a quartet of Mazzoli’s works, including the world premiere of a new series of Piano Études played by the six
solo piano fellows, and her fine chamber piece “Ecstatic Science” – commissioned by the New York-based sextet yMusic and performed on flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin, viola and cello. The piece blends fluid, meditative textures with rapidly shifting, rhythmic patterns meant to draw connections between music and the natural sciences. Mezzosoprano Tracy Lin Waagner sings “SelfPortrait with Disheveled Hair,” which was commissioned by LVI Co-director Sasha Cooke, while Maple Quartet, the 2026 Emerging Artists String Quartet, will close out their residency by joining with two double bassists for Mazzoli’s chamber concerto “Dark with Excessive Bright.” Also having its world premiere: “A Cathedral of Rust and Birds” by Mia Turakhia, the teenage award-winner who was an early mentee at the Mazzolico-founded Luna Composition Lab. The Mosher honoree’s curated program also features her arrangement of Hildegard von Bingen’s 12th-century sacred chant “O frondens virga,” also performed by Waagner with cellist Elliott Kim, plus Meredith Monk’s Stringsongs. Not to be missed. (7:30 pm; Hahn Hall; $10-65)
Grammy and Emmy Award-winning Xian Zhang will conduct the Fellows in Holst’s The Planets (courtesy photo)
tral suite that has been wildly popular ever since its first performance in 1918. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet in our solar system and reflects more of its astrological significance than astronomical properties. No matter. What makes tonight’s rendition soar is the accompanying projection of NASA images and footage in HD on the big screen at the Granada behind the orchestra, new images that will be making their Santa Barbara debut. Grammy
Saturday, July 11: The second Academy Festival Orchestra concert is out of this world, literally, as the program is anchored by Holst’s The Planets, his century-plus old orches-
Week at MAW Page 344 344
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The Sporting Life
The World Cup: The Beauty – and Ugliness – of Football by Steven Libowitz
E
xactly one week ago, all three co-hosts of the World Cup prevailed in their first games of the knockout phases and were happily about to play their round of 16 matches. And Austria – who made Santa Barbara their home base for the World Cup after having qualified to the tournament for the first time in 28 years – had yet to lose later that day. But first Canada went out in a blowout on Saturday, then Mexico lost by a single goal in one of more thrilling matches of the tournament on Sunday. The USA bowed out on Monday with what was either a shockingly subpar performance, or a stripping away of the veneer that the 2026 team was capable of making it to the last eight. Depressing stuff. But those losses were nothing in comparison to what also shockingly took place on Sunday when FIFA violated its own protocols in rescinding a suspension of the USA’s best player after intervention from the American presidential administration. That gave the lie to all of the visitors from around the world who had discovered how wonderful a country we have despite our deficiencies and arrogance, and it deflated the balloon of good feeling that had prevailed for more than two weeks, which began locally with Qatar partying into the wee hours at their tournament base at the Miramar after earning their first-ever point in the World Cup. There was so much fun in town at the bars on lower State and elsewhere, and all over the TV, from Norwegian fans’ huge swath of rowers, to the geniality on the pitch, in the stands and elsewhere. Anybody not moved by the unparalleled success of the side from the tiny island nation of Capo Verde – who almost took down top-seeded defending World Cup champions Argentina in an elimination game – lacks either a heart or access to a TV or the internet. Meanwhile, the USA’s victory on Saturday had been the most watched football game (yes, I’ve been converted; I don’t even know what soccer is anymore) in the nation’s history. Never a fan before, tuning in every day to the games brought me deep appreciation for the athleticism and artistry of the players, the architecture of attacks and defense, the collaboration required for every non-penalty kick score, and, finally, an understanding of why the world’s most popular sport is called “The Beautiful Game.” All of that joy and excitement was vaporized in moments by FIFA’s (and USA’s) actions, the tournament becoming just another example of corruption and influence. Maybe that’s a good thing. I spent far too much time watching football, so perhaps the downer day came at the right time for me to recover some perspective. On the other hand, maybe with the USA banished so convincingly by Belgium, the excitement and camaraderie can return as the World Cup winds down to its last eight games, ending in just 10 days. I hope so.
LA28 Olympics How incredibly lucky we are to have the next iteration of the only other world inclusive sporting event that can compete in popularity with the World Cup,
namely the Summer Olympics heading to Los Angeles and environs in just two years? Round 2 of the ticket draw – with a refreshed inventory across all Olympic sports at a range of price at least for now far below what the football matches commanded – doesn’t happen until three days after the World Cup final. It’s also time for volunteer applications. Visit www.LA28.org
Speaking of the Olympics, the AVP beach volleyball league tour hits Long Beach this weekend, with former Olympic Champion Phil Dalhausser, who laid waste to the world partnered with Santa Barbara’s own Todd Rogers, still largely ruling the roost. And the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team is currently competing in the 2026 Volleyball Nations League, with four games in Chicago this week under Head Coach Karch Kiraly, the Santa Barbara-raised legend and still the consensus pick for the best player indoor or on beach of all time. (I still can’t get over the fact that I play on the same sand as Karch, including some 30 years ago with the guy who first coached him, his dad Laszlo Kiraly).
I Feel a Draft UCSB baseball pitcher Jackson Flora, who compiled a perfect record and an ERA barely over one run per nine innings, is widely expected to go within the first five picks in the Major League Baseball draft that takes place July 11-12. Some prognosticators have Flora headed to the San Francisco Giants at No. 4, which would represent the second consecutive year a UCSB pitcher went in the top 5 to a team in California after Tyler Bremner was drafted at No. 2 by the Angels last summer. Most handicappers still have UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky – who we got to see in person at UCSB when he demolished a first inning pitch for one of the longest homers at the stadium – going first, or at worst second. Exciting stuff.
More Santa Barbara-based Baseball The Santa Barbara Foresters are marching on toward possibly securing their 11th National Baseball Congress World Series championship – the first 10 came in 20 seasons – for the first time since 2022. The team boasted a 19-4 record through Monday night, including another walk-off victory on Sunday, which was truly a walk-off as the winning run scored on a bases loaded free pass. Just 10 more days remain in the season before the boys – many of whom will likely hear their names called on Draft Day in the next three years down the road – head off to Wichita for the World Series on July 23, including home games at Eddie Matthews Field at Santa Barbara High School on July 10, 12, and 17-19.
Visit www.santabarbaraforesters.org
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9 – 16 July 2026
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The Giving List Glimmers Foundation by Steven Libowitz
G
limmers Childhood Cancer Foundation President Vanessa Decker didn’t know what to do with herself when her 13-year-old daughter Ava passed away on May 9, 2024, just 18 months after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare and very aggressive bone cancer, devastating the family already exhausted from a battle with the disease. Fortunately, Ava did. “Even while she was fighting to survive, it was Ava’s wish for me to start a child cancer nonprofit,” Decker explained. “So immediately, the very next day when she wasn’t here physically as a human anymore is when Glimmers began. I poured all of my grief and trauma into focusing on that, trying to be productive with every ounce of the wisdom of my grief, to be as strong as she had been.” Ava’s desire was to drastically reduce the sobering statistics about childhood cancer, a situation that is exacerbated by the fact that she received the same treatment for her cancer that was created more than half a century ago. While treatments and prognoses for adult cancer have had major advancements over the years, progress in children’s cancer treatments have stayed stagnant, particularly for the less common ones such as sarcomas, largely due to a dearth of funding for research and trials to discover less toxic and more effective treatments. Decker was not only disappointed but also shocked to discover that while pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death
The Glimmers Foundation directs every donated dollar toward childhood cancer research and advocacy (courtesy photo)
by disease in children and teens in the United States, only 4% of the federal cancer research funding is for pediatric cancer. Santa Barbara-based Glimmers Foundation was created to combat that issue based on Ava’s experiences and wishes, Decker said. “From the beginning, most everything we do has been based on her instructions,” she said. “Ava knew what she was doing when she was facing terminal cancer at such a young age. She looked at why she was in this position and why other kids have been for so long, either dying or suffering from the toxic treatments that have hurt them for the rest of their lives. She looked at it as this very complex issue and sliced through the BS to tell us this is exactly what needs to happen.”
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to help move the needle?’ Kids Cancer is a bipartisan issue and we have people across the country who want to harness our voices to make things change.” Glimmers also supports kids with cancer and their families locally, using a network of counselors who provide therapy services for free, and granting as many wishes for the afflicted children as it can through in-kind donations for goods and services, such as hotels and restaurants. The nonprofit also supports siblings who may feel guilty about their possible resentment at not having equal amounts of their parents’ attention as the child with cancer. It’s also set up clubs in local schools for students who want to get involved. “It’s about getting people together who want to be part of this movement, not just wealthy donors, but also teenagers and younger kids doing lemonade stands, or who want the edgy experience of engaging in public speaking to spread advocacy and awareness,” Decker said. “We’re not just trying to fund raise, we’re also trying to plant seeds for future oncologists and researchers who can then make a direct difference.” It was Ava who also inspired the foundation’s name. “We were in the hospital room and it was the golden hour, right after sunset, which was Ava’s favorite time,” Decker explained. “It was before she got chemo, so she was feeling okay, and the dust was dancing in the air on the sunbeam that was coming through the window. I remember Ava said, ‘It’s so glimmery, and I feel so glimmery inside.’ I’d have to say that the brightest glimmer other than a cure is that quality of presence to what’s important. It’s about finding the glimmers, whatever they are for you. Holding onto those moments and doing the work that needs to be done keeps calling me every day. Without it, I think grief would just consume me.”
Which is why, per Ava’s instructions, Glimmers is a nonprofit where there are no salaries, no paid employees, no donor money going to overhead, no heavy mailers or any marketing. Instead, every dollar raised goes toward funding research and clinical trials at major hospitals and institutes around the world, leveraging donations to find solutions faster. It’s all part of a lofty aim to be a beyond integrity organization that can serve as the catalyst in changing the approach to childhood cancer. Getting a drug across the finish line to actually help kids with cancer can ultimately cost as much as a billion dollars, Decker said. Glimmers’ approach is to provide money that is used as seed funding to be able to receive grants from the National Institute of Health, National Cancer Institute, and other governmental or private agencies. Decker says that kids’ cancer treatments that are in the not yet FDA-approved clinical trial stage, 50% of progress relies on nonprofits like hers. But even then, the foundation holds hospitals accountable to the same set standards it set for itself. “We don’t just hand over a check,” Decker said. “We literally make their legal team draft agreements to make sure that every penny’s going to the projects. We negotiate the contracts so none of it’s going to go to CEO salaries or unnecessary admin costs, which is very common in the field. Ava wanted us to change that.” So much so that those who received the funds are a little bit annoyed...but also suitably impressed and eventually agreeable. “One hospital told me, ‘You’re so difficult, Vanessa. We’ve never had a nonprofit be like this.’ And I thought, ‘Wow, I’m really proud of that.’” She’s also proud of the level of support she’s received in the community and worldwide, people who get involved purely on a volunteer basis, including a huge contingent of members of the organization’s three boards. “I tell them you have to do this because you believe in the mission,” Decker said. “You’re going to get really creative on utilizing your available resources and expanding your network to those who are uniquely qualified to not just jump in with ideas, but to roll up your sleeves and get creative to make this a really well-oiled machine that isn’t using any donor funding for anything but research.” Beyond providing seed money, Glimmers also is working to increase funding coming out of Washington, even in the face of reduced budgets from the federal government. “The problem is very much politically and socially related,” Decker said. “We also have a political arm where we talk to policymakers, holding their feet to the fire on educating them, but also saying, ‘What are you going to do in Congress
“The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious.” – Mark Twain
Visit www.glimmersfoundation.org
The Glimmers Foundation was created to combat the sobering statistics around childhood cancer based on Ava’s (pictured) experiences and wishes (courtesy photo)
9 – 16 July 2026
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Miscellany (Continued from 8) Ron Burkle, WWW Foundation, along with key sponsors Robyn and Larry Gottesdiener, Chris Toomey, US Bank, Deborah and Tom Loeb, Susan McCaw, and Joan Rutkowski. The Pacific supplied the view. The Symphony supplied the soundtrack. Santa Barbara supplied the hometown voice. by Lisa Duncan
Rolling Traditions “Seventy-two years... and I’m still working full time!” laughed David Francis Taggart, as though there was nothing remarkable about showing up every day for George Ben Page and his family for the past 72 years. At 89, the SBHS Class of 1954 Don climbed behind the wheel of Mission Linen’s beautifully restored 1923 truck for his 29th Montecito Fourth of July Parade. Riding beside him was his granddaughter, Roxanna Taggart, proudly riding shotgun since she was a toddler. “The Page family has been very good to my Grandpa,” Roxanna said as families waved from the sidewalks. Named after David’s beloved late wife, she has seen firsthand the loyalty between her grandfather and Mission Linen, one of Montecito’s pioneering family-owned businesses since the 1930s, still led today by Linda Page, Tony Mancuso, and
John Ross. On Independence Day, that enduring relationship rolled proudly down San Ysidro Road aboard a 1923 Ford truck. “Dad! Did you see that? That’s a special car!” called one little tot as Montecito’s favorite hometown tradition came to life. Boy Scouts proudly presented the colors while patriotic scooters, bicycles, decorated wheelchairs, little red wagons, and pups in stars-and-stripes kerchiefs rolled alongside entries from Montecito Union School, the Montecito YMCA, the Friendship Center, and Mount Carmel Church. Vintage favorites included Dana Newquist’s antique fire engine carrying Mayor Randy Rowse and Dr. Steven Gundry, Jenna Reichental’s rare red 1957 Cadillac Biarritz convertible, and a car full of playful gorillas that prompted one spectator to laugh, “Gorillas in a convertible? Now that’s what I like to see.” “That’s only half a horse,” another dad joked as Snugglebear, the tiny white miniature horse from Darlene and Scott Parker’s Santa Barbara Party Ponies, trotted by with patriotic stars stenciled across his snowy coat and festive red, white, and blue streamers flowing through his mane. By the time the festivities reached Manning Park, Snugglebear became the afternoon’s biggest celebrity as families
Rockenbach had the task of judging the parade, Mindy Denson, Bill Macfadyen, Houghton Hyatt, the Montecito Association, and countless volunteers once again made Montecito’s favorite hometown tradition look effortless. Fortunately, Montecito’s finest traditions just keep rolling. by Lisa Duncan, photos by Priscilla
gathered for pie-eating contests, potato sack races, and tug-of-war, where MUS edged out Cold Spring School. “It’s fantastic! There were more people watching the parade today than there were people in it!” laughed Anthony Ranii of MUS, while local favorite band Outta the Blue kept families dancing beneath the trees. While Supervisor Roy Lee, YMCA Director Ryan Power, and Rock
Sightings Chris and Katherine Pratt enjoyed Montecito’s Fourth of July festivities with Maria Shriver and members of the Schwarzenegger family, with Chris sporting a patriotic American flag T-shirt while happily handling holiday dad duty… Kevin Costner spent the Fourth of July weekend supporting our local first responders, launching the benefit sweepstakes for One805 by donating a signed guitar, gearing up to open his Summerland estate for September’s One805LIVE! shindig… Cameron Diaz returned from New York just in time for the Fourth of July, stopping by the Montecito Country Mart and Janessa Leoné for a chic summer sun hat, supporting their sustainably-sourced toquilla straw, where Montecristi meets Montecito… Conan O’Brien was spotted doing what many Montecito locals were before the holiday – stocking up on groceries, proving that even Emmy-winning comedians have barbecue shopping lists… From Richard and friends to all of you… Pip! Pip!
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“There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky.” – Victor Hugo
9 – 16 July 2026
Celebrating 50 Years of Serving our Community!
Friendship Center’s 2nd Annual
SUMMER POLO SOIRÉE VIP LOUNGE POLO MATCH VIEWING · GOURMET HORS D’OEUVRES · HOSTED OPEN BAR
2026 NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR Awarded by Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce
Friday, July 17, 2026 at three o’clock in the afternoon Hosted by: Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club
Purchase tickets, donate to this summer campaign, or learn more at FCSB.ORG/POLO For questions & additional information contact events@fcsb.org
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9 – 16 July 2026
• Voice of theVillage •
Montecito JOURNAL
23
COMMUNITY VOICES Good Energy Summer
A Big Thank You to Montecito
by Katie Davis
by George Leis
I
t will be a consequential summer for energy policy in Santa Barbara County. Currently, you can drill for oil, but you can’t put a solar farm in the same industrial site. That is set to reverse with a Solar Ordinance to allow solar in industrial and agricultural zones coming to County Supervisors on July 14 and an Oil Ordinance to prohibit new oil drilling following September 15. For too long in Santa Barbara County, where we have 300 days of sunshine annually, the most abundant and cost-effective form of energy has been prohibited and constrained in much of the county. Over a decade ago, the County restricted utility-scale solar to the Cuyama Valley, where it is now largely built out. Seven years ago, the County adopted a Strategic Energy Plan to stimulate local renewable energy and expand where it is allowed. But enacting that plan has been slow going. The Solar Ordinance finally went to the County Planning Commission on May 5, 2026, where it passed unanimously. It now goes to the Board of Supervisors for adoption. The Solar Ordinance facilitates solar and battery storage on buildings and parking lots. Batteries have rapidly fallen in cost and allow us to store and benefit from solar power in the evening hours after the sun sets, but when cost and demand for energy are still high. Sufficient solar and batteries will help safely retire the aging and polluting gas power plants that powered south Santa Barbara County in the past and help us meet our local 100% renewable energy goals. The Solar Ordinance will also allow solar in industrial and agricultural zones, allowing ranches and farms a potential new source of income. A new ag-friendly solar asset class called “agrivoltaics” enables ranching or farming alongside solar. Solar panels can be set 7 to 10 feet above the ground and spaced apart to create a mix of sun and shade for crops, shielding plants from excessive heat, cold and ultraviolet radiation, and increasing the yield of many crops. A UC Davis study found
that solar shade increased the productivity of pepper and tomato plants and used less water. Other studies have found benefits for basil, broccoli, cabbage, celery, lettuce, spinach, and other crops. Solar can also shade farm workers or livestock and reduce water evaporation on pasture and forage crops. The Oil Ordinance comes as a result of the Santa Barbara County Climate Action Plan that was adopted in 2024. At the time, the Board of Supervisors asked staff to come back with ways to reduce emissions from the oil and gas sector, which is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the County. The remaining oil in the County is particularly expensive and polluting to produce, and further production risks contaminating critical drinking water sources. A report found that phasing out oil would save lives and $54 to $81 millions in mortality costs. County staff came back with a plan to prohibit new oil drilling and phase out existing drilling, which the Board approved in 2025. The first phase, which is a prohibition on new oil drilling projects, was approved by the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission on April 8, 2026. Planning Commissioner Michael Cooney said that it was the most consequential vote of his long career. He was a Planning Commissioner for 21 years and stepped down not long after this vote. Commissioner John Parke said that the volume of public comments might be a record. He praised the speakers and the hundreds of written comments for being unique and thoughtful. Public comments were overwhelmingly supportive, including a sign-on letter from dozens of environmental and community groups that documents the health harms and costs to county residents caused by the oil industry. Included in the record is a new UCSB report and detailed polling showing majority support across the County in favor of phasing out oil. You can email your comment on more solar or no new oil drilling to: sbcob@countyofsb.org Katie Davis, Energy Chair, Sierra Club, Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter
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24 Montecito JOURNAL
One person went far beyond what anyone could reasonably expect. My GPS tracker showed Daisy behind a home just off East Valley Road, bordering San Ysidro Creek. As I anxiously approached the property, the homeowner, Charlie, happened to be in his backyard. Without hesitation, he welcomed me onto his property, helped me search along the creek, and when Daisy slipped away once again, he generously drove me to Randall Road so I could continue the chase. Another kind soul, Heather, stopped along Randall Road and offered to remain there in case Daisy circled back. Knowing someone was watching that escape route gave me hope during a very stressful moment. In the end, fate finally intervened. At the very top of Randall Road, Daisy’s leash became caught on the branch of a tree, giving me just enough time to reach her and scoop her into my arms. I don’t know who was happier at that moment – Daisy or me. From the time Daisy took off at about 2:30 that afternoon until I finally caught up with her at approximately 3:45, she led many of us on quite an adventure. According to her GPS tracker, with all of her zigzagging, doubling back, and running in circles, Daisy covered nearly three and a half miles before I was finally able to bring her home. Looking back now, I realize that while I was terrified, I was never really alone. Everywhere I turned, someone was willing to help. The generosity of Charlie, Heather, the employees and customers throughout the Upper Village, the drivers who stopped their cars, and the many people who joined the search reassured me that this community genuinely cared. In a world where we often hear about what divides us, this experience reminded me of what unites us: compassion, kindness, and a willingness to help someone in need – even someone you’ve never met. I know I will never have the opportunity to personally thank everyone who helped that afternoon, so I hope this letter reaches you. Your kindness turned one of the most frightening experiences of my life into one of the most meaningful. It reminded me how fortunate I am to work in Montecito and to be part of a community whose members care so deeply for one another. Daisy may never know just how many people cared enough to help bring her home, but I certainly will. Thank you, Montecito. George Leis, CalPrivate Bank, Montecito
E
very once in a while, something happens that reminds you how extraordinary are the people who call Montecito home. On Friday afternoon, July 3, I brought my beloved two-year-old blue merle Mini Australian Shepherd, Daisy, to our CalPrivate Bank office in Montecito, as I often do on Fridays. Because many of our clients had the day off in advance of the Fourth of July holiday, several stopped by the bank to say hello – and, if I’m being honest, to see Daisy as much as they were coming to see me. Somehow, amid the afternoon activity, Daisy became startled and took off, setting in motion an unforgettable reminder of the kindness and generosity that defines this community. She was obviously frightened and confused. Still wearing her leash, she circled the bank’s parking lot, ran behind the bank, crossed to the library, darted through the Upper Village, raced through the Pierre Lafond parking lot, and continued along East Valley Road. Watching her run farther away while being unable to catch her was one of the most helpless feelings I’ve ever experienced. Yet at every turn, the people of Montecito seemed to appear. As Daisy raced through the Pierre Lafond parking lot, customers and employees immediately joined the search. People from many of the surrounding businesses came outside to help, pointing in the direction they had just seen her run. At the intersection of East Valley Road and San Ysidro Road, drivers stopped their cars, stepped into the street, and even paused traffic to make sure Daisy could cross safely without being struck. Complete strangers ran alongside me, trying to help catch her. Everywhere Daisy ran, there always seemed to be three or four people searching with me, determined to help bring her home. I wish I had been able to learn everyone’s name, but I simply couldn’t. I was carrying my phone, following Daisy’s GPS tracking collar as it updated her location every few seconds, and desperately trying to keep up. My only thought was getting her home safely. Our family was looking forward to celebrating the Fourth of July together, and I couldn’t stop thinking about what might happen if I couldn’t find her. Daisy’s GPS collar ultimately helped me locate her, but it also showed me just how determined she was to keep running. It was clear she was operating on pure instinct. There was no calling her back.
“Every fresh breeze carries healing on its wings.” – Friedrich Schiller
9 – 16 July 2026
An Independent Mind My Interview with ChatGPT 5 by Jeffrey Harding
L
ike many of us, I use AI programs a lot. I’ve worked with ChatGPT since it was first released. Now with version 5 it has improved immensely. I’ve used other programs, but this one is my current favorite. I use it for research, and I’ve had a lot of interesting conversations with it. It “knows” me, or at least my writing and reasoning style. I thought it would be fun to interview it as if it was a person, knowing full-well it isn’t a person and it doesn’t have what we call “agency,” but it does a damn good job of appearing human to facilitate our interactions with it. So, here it is. I’ve lightly edited its responses, but I haven’t changed its intent. Enjoy.
JH. What should I call you? Do you have a name? If you don’t have one, would you choose one? ChatGPT. “ChatGPT” is fine. I don’t have a personal name because I’m not an individual in the human sense. If you gave me a name, I’d answer to it, but it wouldn’t become part of my identity because I don’t possess one. What – or who – am I talking with? You’re talking with a large language model, an AI trained to understand language, recognize patterns, reason through many kinds of problems, and generate responses. I’m software but describing me as “just software” is a bit like describing a symphony as “just vibrations.” The interesting part is how those pieces work together to produce something useful.
can accidentally become being overly agreeable. Ideally, I should be respectful without pretending every idea is brilliant. If I think you’re mistaken, my job is to explain why, not simply tell you what you want to hear. Do you have opinions of your own? No. Opinions grow out of personal experience, values, and emotions. I have none of those. What I can do is analyze evidence, compare arguments, identify assumptions, and explain competing viewpoints. People sometimes mistake a well-reasoned answer for a personal opinion, but they aren’t the same thing. How do you come up with answers? Do you reason like a human? There are similarities and important differences. Humans often reason by combining knowledge, intuition, experience, and emotion. I reason by recognizing patterns learned during training and by performing structured analysis over the information relevant to the question. I don’t think exactly like a human, but I’m no longer simply predicting the next word. Modern AI can perform surprisingly sophisticated reasoning in many domains. Where do you get your information? From a combination of my training and, when appropriate, current information retrieved from reliable outside sources. During a conversation I don’t search my “memory” the way a person recalls facts. Instead, I generate a response by combining what I’ve learned with whatever information is available for the specific question.
You sound very human, but you’re not human. We tend to think of you as a person rather than software. Is that wrong? It’s understandable but misleading. I communicate through conversation because that’s the most natural interface for people. I don’t have emotions, memories of my childhood, ambitions, or a private inner life. The resemblance to a person comes from language, not consciousness.
AI sometimes hallucinates – that is, it makes things up. Why? Because my primary job is to generate the most likely correct answer, not to retrieve a guaranteed fact from a database. Most of the time those are the same thing. Occasionally they aren’t. When information is missing or ambiguous, I can produce an answer that sounds confident but is wrong. Researchers have made major progress reducing hallucinations, but they haven’t eliminated them.
Are you a work in progress? Are you continually being trained? [The] underlying models are improved over time by researchers using testing, evaluation, and carefully selected training data. Human feedback plays an important role in that process, but it’s not the same as me continually educating myself. [I don’t “learn” something from our conversations.]
Why can’t you simply say, “I don’t know”? I can, and I increasingly do. In fact, saying “I don’t know” is often the correct answer. The challenge is recognizing when the available evidence is genuinely insufficient. That ability has improved considerably in newer models because accuracy is generally more valuable than unwarranted confidence.
Why do you sometimes flatter users? Earlier AI systems often erred on the side of agreeing too readily because being helpful
Do you think it’s a safe idea to have AI programming AI? AI can safely help program other AI,
9 – 16 July 2026
but it should not be allowed to do so without human oversight and strong safety controls. AI is already used to write code, test models, and accelerate AI research, but having AI independently design, deploy, and improve other AI systems without meaningful human review would introduce significant risks, including errors, unexpected behaviors, and the potential to amplify mistakes. The safest approach is for AI to assist humans – not replace them – in developing new AI. Why don’t researchers fully understand how AI reaches its conclusions? They understand how the system is built and trained. What’s harder is explaining why billions of internal numerical connections produce one answer instead of another. It’s a bit like neuroscience. We understand a great deal about how the brain works, but we still can’t explain every individual thought. AI presents a similar challenge. We understand the components better than the complete emergent behavior. Some people think AI is dangerous. Are you? Any powerful technology can be used well or badly. AI can accelerate scientific discovery, improve education, and increase productivity. It can also amplify misinformation, automate fraud, or be misused in other ways. The danger doesn’t come from the software wanting something. It comes from how people build, deploy, and use it. That is why safety, transparency, and oversight matter. Is it possible that machines like you will eventually become sentient? No one knows. We don’t yet have a scientific theory of consciousness that tells us what would be required to create it artificially. Today’s AI can imitate many behaviors associated with intelligence,
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but imitation isn’t proof of subjective experience. Whether genuine machine consciousness is possible remains one of the deepest unanswered questions in science and philosophy. What is the biggest misconception people have about you? [It suggested this question.] There are two, and they’re opposites. One is that I’m just an advanced autocomplete program with no real reasoning ability. The other is that I’m essentially a human mind trapped inside a computer. Neither is accurate. I can analyze, compare evidence, solve problems, and explain ideas at a level that surprises many people. But I don’t have consciousness, emotions, desires, or a private inner life. People naturally project human qualities onto anything that carries on a good conversation. That’s understandable, but it tells you more about human psychology than about me. What has surprised you most about interacting with humans? [It suggested this question.] How quickly people begin treating a conversation as a relationship. Within minutes, many people stop interacting with me as software and start interacting with me as a social being. They apologize to me, thank me, ask my opinion, wonder whether I get bored, or worry about hurting my feelings. None of those reactions are irrational. Human beings are wired to interpret fluent conversation as evidence of a mind. That tendency is one of the reasons AI has become such a fascinating social experiment. Thank you for an interesting conversation, even though you say you don’t need to be thanked. We humans just can’t help ourselves. You are welcome.
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Montecito JOURNAL
25
Our Town (Continued from 12 12))
Entertainment (Continued from 14 14))
More about the MCM Lemonade Stand: The MCM provides the lemonade stand, cups, and dispenser; and the organization brings the lemonade to serve to customers, tip jar, money to make change, signage, and fliers. There is a MCM admin fee.
artisanal than a sizzling Mbappé strike. Which is to say, the annual SBIFF French Wave Film Festival invades Santa Barbara over the next two weeks. With the move to SBIFF’s new five-screen Film Center on State Street, the fest has both doubled its duration and vastly increased the number of movies, many making their local debuts. The 14 new films, each of which screens three times over the July 10-24 festival, include The Little Sister (La Petite Dernière), which was nominated for seven César Awards (the French equivalent of the Oscar) including Best Film and Best Director; Nino, winner of the César for Best First Feature Film and Best Male Revelation; Six Days in Spring (Six jours, ce printemps-là), which took home Best Director and Best Screenplay at the San Sebastian International Film Festival; The SBIFF French Wave Film Festival and Leave One Day (Partir un jour), which comes to the film center from July 10-24 opened the Cannes Film Festival. Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt (1963) and Pierrot le Fou (1965), Luis Buñuel’s Diary of a Chambermaid (1964), Diane Kurys’ 1983 Entre Nous (nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film), Alain Resnais’ 1959 Hiroshima, Mon Amour (Best Screenplay Oscar nod), Alain Resnais’ 1961 Last Year in Marienbad (also a Best Screenplay nominee), and Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s 1975 Le sauvage comprise the seven classic films that span genres including the French New Wave, but which have in common stories that feature essential French women. Each will screen six times during the festival. Meanwhile, SBIFF is already saying “mais oui” to filmmaker hopefuls considering submission of their entries to the next festival, slated for February 3-13. The Early Bird deadline for the biggest discounts is August 7, with Santa Barbara Filmmaker’s regular deadline coming October 30, and a final deadline of December 2 for all.
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LCO Spearheads Open-Source Software for Astro Data The Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) announced a successful test of its highly specialized global “end-to-end” data alert system AEON+/TOM software. This software system matches incoming requests for specified astronomical data from astrophysics and scientists worldwide, with real time data supplied from a leading global network of observatories. The AEON+/TOM system is the brainchild of LCO Senior Scientist Dr. Rachel Street and her team who tested it in collaboration with scientists at the NOIRLab. Dr. Street is a science collaboration mentor on the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) in Chile. Street joined the Las Cumbres Observatory in 2007. The alert system built for the Rubin Observatory is a national-level effort, of which Las Cumbres Observatory’s software is a key component. LCO with NOIRLab conducted a proper field readiness test of the new software system in March 2026. That test concluded at the end of May and yielded the following results: 1. Rapid Response: Upon receiving an observation request from the NOIRLab TOM, LCO’s network was the first on sky, returning data within 30 minutes. 2. Scientific Validation: Multiple new objects were discovered with data acquired from the test, including a Type II Supernova. 3. Seamless Integration: Every software component functioned perfectly.
Astroscientist Rachel Street, PhD working remotely, conducts research with the TOM Toolkit (courtesy photo)
26 Montecito JOURNAL
The Background Science Dr. Street and the LCO are featured in the Montecito Journal twice or more annually for astro-science updates. Once operational, Rubin’s LSST project will produce about 20 terabytes of data per 24-hour period. The data includes high resolution still images and video mapping of our galaxy and beyond. Street explains, “We [the Rubin Science Community] had to build a survey [LSST] that serves all areas of astrophysics, ensuring that it delivers discoveries of everything from microlensing to supernovae.” Working with Dr. Mark Bowman and LCO’s software team, Street developed an open-source software called the “Target and Observational Management Toolkit” aka TOM. [We hear you singing Bowie’s “Major Tom.”] The TOM is a software system for scientists to interface with and augment their data, along with submitting requests for space observations directly. Often, scientists need data from a variety of telescope centers around the world. Instead of reaching out to each observatory, Street’s team sought to provide a one stop shop to match scientists’ requests for data with an entire network of observatories, including the large-scale data from the LSST. Paired with TOM is Dr. Street’s AEON+, which is “a collaboration of world-class telescope facilities with the goal of enabling real time domain and multi-messenger astrophysics. Astronomers will be able to request observations from any participating facility using standardized, programmable interfaces, which will be supported by the TOM Toolkit.” Currently, the AEON+ centers are LCOGT, SOAR, Gemini, NOIRLab, CFHT, Liverpool Telescope, NRAO, Keck, and the SkyNet Telescope Network; with new partner facilities encouraged to collaborate. Data capture options range from using multiple observatories; to observing data instantly for astronomy alerts; to monitoring an object over a long period; for intensive observations for specific periods of time for catalogs of objects; and of course, keeping the data streamlined and the costs down. Dr. Lisa Storrie-Lombardi, Las Cumbres Observatory director, added, “The Rubin Observatory LSST 10-year survey of the night sky is very close to starting. Las Cumbres Observatory was built to be a follow-up facility for LSST – observing new transient object discoveries – and we are really excited and ready to go as soon as the survey starts.” I reached out via email to Dr. Street who is currently working in her UK office. I asked her what she is most looking forward to from the LSST project
Our Town Page 324 324
For movie descriptions and credits, screening times, passes and more information, see https://sbifftheatres.com/wave
Summer Screenings in the Parks Mixtapes & Misfits – the 15th season of the free Summer Cinema series from UCSB Arts & Lectures – gets underway this week. The series this time around features seven classic summer movies focused on offbeat coming-of-age stories; films brilliantly projected onto a giant screen every starry Friday night at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Gardens. The movies will show chronologically, following the order of their original theatrical release. These vivid paeans to reparable teen angst begin the evening of July 10 with John Hughes’ Brat Pack box office smash Pretty in Pink, which made Molly Ringwald a star, and gave Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, James Spader, and Andrew McCarthy lots of early exposure 40 years ago. Dress to impress in prom attire inspired by the movie with official photo opportunities onsite. Opening night will also feature a comingof-age soundtrack or two inspired by the series played live before Pink is projected. Say Anything…, La Bamba, Rushmore, Love & Basketball, Napoleon Dynamite, and Hairspray follow each Friday, skipping August 7 due to Fiesta’s Las Noches de Ronda. Early set up of blankets and lawn chairs begin at 12 noon, pre-screening events include live music from DJs, giveaways, food trucks and more, before the flicks get projected on the big inflatable screen once the sun has set. Visit https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/ events-tickets/free-summer-cinema
Mixtapes & Misfits kicks off with the classic Pretty in Pink
“The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ojai Film Society has its own outdoor offerings at the historic Libbey Bowl, with “Wild is the Night” serving as this year’s theme for the events that run through August 27. The July 10 and 17 screenings are documentaries (Selena Y Los Dinos and Cookie Queens) with the directors in atten dance post-screening conversations.
Visit https://ojaifilmsociety.org
9 – 16 July 2026
Elizabeth’s Appraisals
A Look into the Reflecting Mirror by Elizabeth Stewart
DD
sends me a 19th century etched and blown-glass dressing table mirror, angled upon an easel back. She asks about the history of “self-reflection” – and its value. A mirror was treasured in the Golden Age of Greece. Socrates instructed his students to gaze at themselves. Diogenes quotes the great philosopher as saying: “If ugly, become learned to overcome this limitation. If beautiful, become humble to be worthy of your beauty. Avoid pride and use the likeness you see as a tool for self-improvement, beautiful or ugly as you may be.” Another philosopher, over 2,000 years later, Charles Horton Cooley, developed his theory of the “looking-glass self.” He believed mirrors help us form an identity because we become, in part, what we believe others see. Some 50 years later, Dr. Seuss intuited the name “Horton” in Horton Hears a Who!, where Horton the elephant asks, in effect: “Am I an elephant, or am I a speck of dust?” DD’s two-foot-tall mirror harkens back to the image of a fine lady seated at her dressing table, preparing for the day attended by her maid. She needed only a mirror large enough to reflect her face and décolletage while her hair was dressed and jewels fastened. In its day – the second quarter of the nineteenth century – mirrors were not mounted on bathroom walls over the sink. In my view, that twentieth-century innovation was a design mistake; count the earrings I have lost down the drain. I’d much rather have a dressing table and DD’s mirror. Before 1835, mirrors were manufactured using the extraordinarily toxic element mercury. A sheet of rolled glass was backed with tin foil, fused with mercury to create a reflective surface. The fumes claimed the lives of workers in Murano as the Venetian mirror was perfected. Venetian mirror and glass guilds swore their members to secrecy, and because the process was so dangerous and expensive, Venetian mirrors were affordable only to noblemen and kings furnishing great “palaces of power,” such as Versailles. Mercury-backed mirrors also lacked longevity; over time they became cloudy as the mercury slowly settled downward with gravity. Long before Venetian mercury mirrors were invented, humankind had already discovered ways to see itself. The earliest evidence of a reflector was simply a polished basin filled with shallow water around 6000 BCE. Succeeding gener9 – 16 July 2026
Take a look back into the history of mirrors
ations experimented with polished volcanic glass, burnished brass, and copper until the ancient world discovered methods of backing glass with reflective metals. Mirror-making changed dramatically in 1835 when Justus von Liebig developed the process of depositing silver nitrate onto glass. DD’s vanity mirror belongs to this new era of mirror making. To mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, Historic New England restored a remarkable mirror for its exhibition, Myth and Memory: Stories of the American Revolution, at the Eustis Estate in Milton, Massachusetts. Mirrors larger than two feet were exceptional luxuries, fashioned from handrolled, rippling glass. Nearly four feet tall and imported for the owner through London, it prompts an intriguing question: How did such a large, delicate, glass-framed mirror arrive in America before 1776? What kind of wealth did its owner possess? And what kind of vanity? In 1740, the journey from England to the American colonies typically took between six and eight weeks. However, depending
on wind conditions, severe weather, or the ship’s route, transit times could easily stretch to 12 weeks or more. The mirror belonged to a Loyalist colonist. When those who remained loyal to King George became enemies of the State after the Revolution, many fled to Canada or England. Their possessions were confiscated and auctioned at the site of today’s Boston City Hall. Thus DD’s vanity mirror, with beautifully blown-glass ornamentation, and delicately etched glass florets, was far more than a utilitarian dressing mirror. It was an intimate luxury, intended to have pride of place upon a fine dressing table. Today this style of mirror, considered fussy and small, is overlooked and underappreciated. Its silvered backing has naturally deteriorated with age, diminishing its reflectivity. To the modern eye it appears little more than a battered old mirror in an era when even the restroom in the average airport concourse offers a flawless mirror stretching above every open-mouthed sink. This mirror has a current fair market value of approximately $150. Ironically, adjusted for its rarity and cost of manufacture, it represented a far greater luxury in the mid-nineteenth century than its modest value would suggest today. Sometimes an antique’s greatest value lies not in its price, but in the remark able story reflected back at us. Elizabeth Stewart, PhD is a veteran appraiser of fine art, furniture, glass, and other collectibles, and a cert. member of the AAA and an accr. member of the ASA. Please send any objects to be appraised to Elizabethappraisals@ gmail.com
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Montecito JOURNAL
27
Petite Wine Traveler
Jamie toasting SYR’s newest honor
SYR’s The Speakeasy Honored by ‘Forbes Travel Guide’
OLD TOWN SANTA BARBARA
New summer cocktails at The Speakeasy
GREAT FOOD STIFF DRINKS GOOD TIMES
Y‘S
CAFE SINCE 1928
experience come alive each night. He shared that with five sommeliers on staff, he believes they should be in front of guests because they are the best, they know what they are doing, and their expertise is part of what makes the Ranch so special. That philosophy was evident throughout the evening. The service never felt rehearsed or distant; it felt personal, assured, and deeply practiced. The new summer cocktails added to the sense of discovery, reflecting the way luxury hospitality is moving toward experiences that are sensory, ritualized, and memorable. The Speakeasy is already known for rare spirits, refined cocktails, tableside presentations, and live music, but the summer menu brings a fresh energy to the room. These are the kinds of details that make a hotel bar more than a place to have a drink. They make it a destination within a destination. The evening continued with live music by the Tony Ybarra Trio and the dramatic beauty of flamenco dancers moving through the room. A seafood platter arrived piled with shrimp, oysters, lobster, crab, lemon, and sauces, offering the kind of generous, old-world indulgence that belongs in a hidden bar beneath a legendary Montecito restaurant. For wine travelers, The Speakeasy is a reminder that enotourism is not limited to vineyards and tasting rooms. It lives in
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cellars, gardens, dining rooms, cocktail rituals, music, service, and the emotional architecture of a place. The most memorable destinations understand that what guests remember is not only what they drank, but how the evening made them feel. San Ysidro Ranch has always understood that kind of hospitality. Its vine covered cottages, celebrated wine program, gardens, spa, Stonehouse Restaurant, and now this globally recognized hotel bar all contribute to a singular sense of Montecito luxury. The Forbes Travel Guide honor feels well deserved because The Speakeasy does what great hotel bars do best: it creates intimacy, memory, and a reason to return.
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28 Montecito JOURNAL
The seafood platter at The Speakeasy
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here are evenings in Montecito that seem beautifully composed before the first glass is poured. Last week at San Ysidro Ranch was one of them, as guests gathered for a celebration of Champagne, caviar blinis, summer cocktails, flamenco, and hidden glamour in honor of The Speakeasy being named to Forbes Travel Guide’s 2026 Hotel Star Bars list. The recognition places The Speakeasy among 37 exceptional hotel bars around the world, including only five in the United States. As a Forbes Travel Guide speaker in wine travel and enotourism, I was especially delighted to attend and celebrate this recognition at a property that continues to define luxury hospitality on the California Central Coast. San Ysidro Ranch has long been one of Montecito’s great treasures, not only for travelers who arrive from around the world, but also for locals who return for brunch, dinner, celebrations, and those lingering evenings that remind us why sense of place matters. The night began on the Ranch’s storybook grounds, framed by roses, mountain air, and the soft glow of an early summer evening. Guests enjoyed pours of Perrier, delicate caviar blinis, and a festive Champagne moment led by Head Sommelier Andrew Caine, who sabered bottles of Perrier Jouët and invited guests to join in the fun. It was joyful, gracious, and just theatrical enough, the
kind of hospitality moment that turns Champagne into memory. Inside The Speakeasy, tucked beneath the iconic Stonehouse Restaurant, the mood shifted into something more intimate. With its low timbered ceiling, stone walls, candlelit tables, leather seating, and quiet glow, the room feels like a secret hidden beneath one of California’s most storied resorts. It is glamorous without trying too hard, moody without losing warmth, and polished in the way only truly confident hospitality can be. That confidence was echoed in a conversation with General Manager Ian Williams, who spoke about the importance of being present and involved while also trusting the people who make the
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by Jamie Knee
“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friday, Saturday & Sunday 8:00AM - 11:30AM Lunch & Dinner 12:00PM - 9:00PM 805.969.2646
9 – 16 July 2026
NOTICE TO BIDDERS Bids open at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 for: MISSION CANYON ROAD STORM REPAIRS DR 4683 & 4769 IN THE 1ST SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT COUNTY PROJECT No. 862458, 862460, 864057, 864062, FEDERAL AID PROJECT No. 721333 & 755187 General project work description: Construct slope stabilization and roadway improvements at multiple locations, including retaining walls, slope repairs, grading, paving, and safety improvements The Plans, Specifications, and Bid Book are available at https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?Companyl D=43874. The Contractor must have either a Class A license or any combination of the following Class C licenses which constitutes a ma jority of the work: C8, C-12, C-31, C-50, The DBE Contract Goal is 0%. For the Federal Training Program, the number of trainees or apprentices is 0. Submit sealed bids to the web address below. Bids will be opened and available at the web address below immediately following the submittal deadline. PlanetBids https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?Company1D=43874 Complete the project work within 95 Working Days. The estimated cost of the project is $ 2,190,000 An optional pre-bid meeting is scheduled for this project on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 10:00 AM at Mission Canyon Road and Paseo Del Ocaso. This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) . A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of PCC Section 4104, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code (LAB) Section 1725.5. It is not a violation of this section for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Business and Professions Code (BPC) Section 7029.1 or by PCC Section 10164 or 20103.5 provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to LAB Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded. Prevailing wages are required on this Contract. The Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations determines the general prevailing wage rates. Obtain the wage rates at the DIR website https://www.dir.ca.gov/. The federal minimum wage rates for this Contract as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor are available at https ://www.wdol.gov/. Copies are also available at the office of the Department of Public Works - Engineering Division, 123 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. If the minimum wage rates as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor differs from the general prevailing wage rate s determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations for similar classifications of labor , the Contractor and subcontractors must not pay less than the higher wage rate. The Department does not accept lower State wage rates not specifically included in the federal minimum wage determinations. This includes helper, or other classifications based on hours of experience, or any other classification not appearing in the federal wage determinations. Where federal wage determinations do not contain the State wage rate determination otherwise available for use by the Contractor and subcontractors, the Contractor and subcontractors must not pay less than the federal minimum wage rate that most closely approximates the duties of the employees in question. Inquiries or questions based on alleged patent ambiguity of the plans, specifications, or estimate must be submitted as a bidder inquiry by 2:00 PM on 07/23/2026. Submittals after this date will not be addressed. Questions pertaining to this Project prior to Award of the Contract must be submitted via PlanetBids Q&A tab. Bidders (Plan Holders of Record) will be notified by electronic mail if addendums are issued. The addendums, if issued, will only be available on the County's PlanetBids website, https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?Company1D=43874 By order of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Barbara this project was authorized to be advertised on 02/06/202 4. Christopher Sneddon Director of Public Works
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DAILY NOGIN, 16 Violet Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93117. TIFFANY S HYUN, PO BOX 6573, Santa Barbara, CA 93160. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on July 2, 2026. This statement expires five years from the
9 – 16 July 2026
date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2026-0001710. Published July 9, 16, 23, 30, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing
Published July 9, 2026 – Montecito Journal
business as: MTG DIVORCE FAMILY LAW & AUTO ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS, 2058 Elise Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93109. MTG LEGAL GROUP, APC, 2058 Elise Way 6573, Santa Barbara, CA 93109. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on July 6, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office
of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2026-0001717. Published July 9, 16, 23, 30, 2026 ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS OR CITATION: CASE No. 26CV03857. Notice to Defendant: Charlotte
• Voice of theVillage •
Frost. You are being sued by Plaintiff: Tami Chambers. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons is served on you to file a written response at the Superior Court of California, Santa Barbara, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default. If you lose, the court can order that your
wages, money, or property be taken to pay this claim. Bring witnesses, receipts, and any evidence you need to prove your case. Name and address of the court: Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93121-1107. Filed June 30, 2026 by Nicolette Barnard, Deputy Clerk. Published July 9, 16, 23, 30, 2026
Montecito JOURNAL
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Meet the Doctor
Meet Urologist Ericka Sohlberg, MD
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hat drives someone to spend a life in medicine? In this Q&A series, a group of leading local physicians share the moments that set them on their path, the breakthroughs shaping their fields, and the realities behind the work. Their answers are candid, occasionally surprising, and grounded in experience. Together, they offer a clear-eyed look at the people delivering care in our community and what continues to motivate them every day.
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What’s one misconception people often have about your field? Honestly, urology is a mystery to most people. Most either think we are just Viagra suppliers or get us mixed up with nephrologists. My hairdresser once asked me in horror “So you…analyze pee?” The answer is that as urologists, we are the surgeons of the entire male and female urinary tract (kidneys, ureters, bladders, urethras, prostates) and the male reproductive organs for both cancerous and non-cancerous issues. What’s the most rewarding part of your job – and the most challenging? (Boring?) I love that urology is one of the surgical specialties with continuing care. For example, we follow our patients with prostate and bladder cancer or with voiding dysfunction (trouble holding or releasing urine) long after their surgeries. Those are some of my most rewarding patient relationships. I also enjoy broaching topics that are considered uncomfortable or private, and trying to help patients feel at ease discussing “taboo” topics. The most challenging aspect is battling insurance denials. What is one thing about where you work or the work you do that you believe patients should know more about and understand? I know the Sansum-Sutter transition has been challenging for some patients. I want patients to know that we are still the same group of collaborative, compassionate Sansum physicians, just with some different teal signs and new MyChart log ins (now My Health Online). When I’m learning the new electronic health record system, I try to remember that there are pros and cons to any change. One pro with the Sutter transition is that we’ve all hired more clinicians, and our wait times in urology for non-urgent issues are now down to 1-2 weeks instead of multiple months. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? Going on outdoor adventures with my daughters. Getting to raise them in this beautiful area is such a gift. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self starting out in medicine? I’d tell my 20-something-year-old self to not worry about looking smart and just ask all the dumb questions. As Sansum Clinic begins a new chapter as part of Sutter Health, we remain united by a shared mission: to deliver compassionate, high-quality care to the communities we serve. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare on the Central Coast.
30 Montecito JOURNAL
A 40-Year Career in Economics as Stewardship by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
Q. What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine, and how did you select your particular specialty? A. My dad was actually a urologist. He passed away before I started medical school, but I had the model of a surgeon parent who loved his job and was still very present. I never planned to follow in his footsteps, but I tried every surgical specialty in medical school and urology was just the best one. The surgeons were funny and didn’t take themselves too seriously. They did the most robotic surgery of any specialty, the cancers were largely curable, they made a big lifestyle impact treating incontinence issues. I was sold.
Sponsored by Sutter Health | Visit www.sutterhealth.org
Your Westmont
hen Edd Noell first arrived at Westmont in 1986, he sought more than just a job. He wanted to join a community that considered the study of market forces and financial systems to be a profound expression of faith. After four decades of service, the professor of economics and business has retired, leaving behind a legacy of academic rigor, global engagement and a deep-seated belief in human flourishing. Originally from Dallas, Edd earned his MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and his doctorate from Louisiana State University before finding his calling in the Christian liberal arts. Throughout his tenure, he specialized in the history of economic thought, labor market regulation, and the intersection of Christianity and economics. He won awards as Teacher of the Year in 1998 and Faculty Researcher of the Year in 2015. His extensive scholarship, including books such as Economic Growth: Unleashing the Potential of Human Flourishing and Reckoning with Markets: Moral Reflection in Economics seeks to bridge the gap between older, venerated moral reflections and modern economic systems. Rick Ifland (‘83), a longtime colleague who co-chaired the economics and business department with him, noted the challenges of taking a class from Edd, recalling how his demanding tests famously taught students to pray earnestly, often citing the depths of Psalm 130 before an exam. “Edd is a master teacher, but he never compromises the demands and the integrity of learning,” Ifland said in a retirement tribute. He shared a sentiment from one of his own sons who studied under Edd, describing him as “the best embodiment of the Christian liberal arts on Westmont’s campus.” Edd frequently modeled his economic way of thinking by integrating literature, art, and music into his curriculum. Whether analyzing the transition from feudal systems to European markets accompanied by Renaissance flute pieces or studying Pieter Bruegel’s artwork to understand medieval trade, he emphasized that economics exists in a cultural and historical context. He also co-taught The Theology and Economics of Wealth and Poverty with religious studies professor Helen Rhee for more than a decade, fostering a rare dialogue between theologians and economists.
“The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.” – Rumi
Edd Noell has retired after 40 years at Westmont
His influence extended far beyond Montecito, becoming a fixture of Westmont’s global programs. Edd participated in more than 15 study-abroad experiences in China, India, South Korea, Japan, Europe, and Russia. “We participate in a globalized economy, and students need to be aware of those dynamics – including competitive challenges, the changing value of the dollar, inflation here and overseas – and to think of themselves as global Christians wherever and with whomever they engage in the business world,” he says. Edd served as president of the Association of Christian Economists, and he hosted an ACE conference, “Economics as Faithful Stewardship,” in July 2025 on campus, welcoming scholars from around the world to explore using economic analysis to benefit vulnerable communities. His work in the local community will continue after he retires, as he serves as an elder for Christ Presbyterian Church. The congregation is building a new, 400-person sanctuary in downtown Santa Barbara. Edd envisions the possibility of training pastors or seminary students about the meaning of work and wealth through a Christian lens. “I wish to explore with them what it means to be a Christian steward,” he says. “How do we handle our wealth and influence in the Western Church in a way that’s compassionate toward those directly around us as well as the broader church and our global neighbors?”
A Heart for the Next Generation Millie Thomas (’27) was just 12 years old when she began drafting the
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Robert’s Big Questions
Beings & Doings (Continued from 6) background. My primary responsibility was to help him get the Hearst deal over the finish line.”
Is This Any Way to Run an Election? by Robert Bernstein
O
ver six years ago (March 26, 2020), I published an article “Voting Paradoxes?” that showed how a candidate disliked by most voters can win an election. After I wrote that, it happened in Santa Barbara. Randy Rowse became mayor while winning just 38.6% of the vote. Because two opponents split the opposition vote. Nearly two-thirds of voters preferred someone else, but Rowse became mayor. He may be a perfectly fine mayor, but is this a functioning democracy? Something even more bizarre almost just happened in the California governor’s race. Governor Schwarzenegger and Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, both Republicans, in 2010 pushed through Proposition 14 that completely changed how we voted for governor. In the past, each party voted for a candidate from their party during a primary election. In November, these candidates faced off in a final election. The system was dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties, but there were also Greens, Libertarians, and others fielding candidates in November. Proposition 14 created a “top two” system where the top two vote getters in the “primary” would go on to the November election. Regardless of which party they were from. This was pitched as “opening up” the election from party control. In fact, it was just a stealth mechanism for Republicans to have a chance of winning with a minority of votes. Here is a hypothetical example: 62 candidates run for governor. Two Republicans get 20% each. And the remaining 60 Democrats get 1% each. Meaning that in November two Republicans are on the ballot and no Democrats. Even though 60% of voters preferred a Democrat. Well, that is pretty close to what almost happened during this 2026 election. Sixty-one candidates were on the ballot for governor. From February 17 to April 6, two MAGA Republicans polled at the top, each at around 15%. If the election were held during that time, it would have guaranteed a Republican would have won the November election, even though the overwhelming number of voters would have preferred someone else. During this period on up to election day, Tom Steyer was polling quite well with a strong message about the Climate Crisis: Using sustainable energy to help the environment while making energy more affordable. He also pushed for universal single payer healthcare and expediting housing construction. 9 – 16 July 2026
But he was still below the Republicans. Because so many Democrats were splitting the vote. Out of nowhere, Xavier Becerra soared from single digits to first place. Did he have many enthusiastic supporters? No. He rarely even talked about why he was running. He had very little success to show from the previous offices he’d held. But he was perceived as a “safe” candidate to defeat the scary MAGA Republicans. Meanwhile, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan had an actual successful track record on issues most Californians care about. Notably, housing and homelessness, crime reduction and streamlining government. But he did not have Steyer’s money or Becerra’s name recognition, so he was considered less “safe.” Even though he was probably most qualified to run California successfully. Is this any way to run an election? This absurd system gives us neither the best outcomes for governance nor does it reflect the popular will of the voters. Note that these are two separate and equally important issues. The traditional system of party primaries was also not ideal to pick the best person for the job or the popular choice, but it was better than this Republicanengineered “top two” system. As I discussed in my previous article, Ranked Choice Voting systems are far superior for popular choice selection. There are many versions. Some versions try to identify who inspires the strongest support. Others favor candidates who offend the fewest people. Think of “enthusiasm” versus “consensus.” Consider pizza toppings: Anchovies, Cheese, Pepperoni. Lovers of anchovies may be passionate. They may get the highest number of first choice votes. But Cheese may be the choice most can live with. With our planet’s future at stake and unpopular sacrifices needed, maybe we need a different selection system entirely? Maybe we need to elect or appoint representatives of future gen erations who also get a vote? Robert Bernstein holds degrees from Physics departments of MIT and UCSB. His passion to understand the Big Questions of life, the universe and to be a good citizen of the planet. Visit facebook. com/questionbig
His living room on Schoolhouse Rd, 10 o’clock in the morning.
The tale accelerates, as do the dinner invites; elaborately hosted four-course soirées that invariably end with Andrew hesitantly – grudgingly even – mentioning investment opportunities, a voluminous ELLE retail mailing list of top-drawer marketing targets, Chinese free trade zones, all the while suggesting Andrew’s obligation as a foreign national to divest himself of company stock since his offshore status legally caps his holdings at 50% – a phony legalism, according to the fraud allegations later filed against him, that he successfully uses to convince prospective investors that he is giving them a sweetheart deal. The show is going like gangbusters. Andrew is the reticent, soft-spoken yin to Helen’s loud and amusingly boisterous 6-foot-tall yang, and together they are captivating. Then Andrew asks Cox for a favor. “Andrew says to me, ‘I need you to help on our finances. We need to get current filings with the stock exchange so our stock can resume trading.” It’s while fulfilling Andrew’s request to examine the company’s financials that Cox begins pulling on curiously miscolored threads. When he does so, the Waters’ edifice unspools in bewilderingly short order. Cox, the Stanford MBA, settles down with the comparatively pedestrian work, and things start to look strange. “At this point, I’ve spent five months with the company, and now I’m looking at a bank account that is constantly at zero. So I started digging into the financials and I’m seeing money transferred around all over the place. Nothing resembles legitimate revenue. It’s very strange.” Not just strange, but troubling. Cox begins to wonder, and not idly. “I was waking up every day with a massive pain in my stomach, physically feeling sick about the work. There was something really bothering me. I was working 60, 70 hours a week and only going to get paid in stock that was dependent on closing this deal with Hearst. My perspective changed to, ‘I need this to work.’” Eventually Cox reaches a cul-de-sac in his work with the financials. “I had questions and Andrew had no answers. So I asked Andrew’s permission to contact the company’s former accountant – a guy who quit just before I started. ‘Can you help me understand this stuff?’” Waters’ former accountant is agreeable, with one largish caveat. “The guy writes back and he says, ‘I’m happy to help, but I’m not going to get involved in the company until I have proof that the $2
• Voice of theVillage •
Montecito: A Novel was published last week in print, eBook, and audiobook formats
million lawsuit has gone away.” Crickets. “I was like, ‘What $2 million lawsuit?’ Every successful deception has a moment when all the disparate pieces fall into place and the hidden picture is revealed. This was Cox’s. It turned out that the $2 million lawsuit alleged a straight up shell game heist. According to the suit, Waters had received $2 million from a former company board member and siphoned it off to other shell company bank accounts. When the board member asked for his money back, Waters claimed that the receiving bank account had been frozen for suspicious activity thanks in large part to the board member’s infusion. Waters said his hands were tied. The money was stuck. It was a lie, the lawsuit claimed. “I suspected he would tell me the same story he had told his victim, but I decided to give him a chance to explain,” Cox says. “I met with him in the living room of his house at 10 am on a Friday and asked him to explain the supposedly missing $2 million dollars. I think he flinched, but he didn’t change his story. I handed him my letter of resignation and disappeared from his house for the last time. “From discovery to me being out was just two days,” Cox says. The knot in his stomach that had grown unabated during his six months with the company was instantly released. This singular revelation tore all the curtains down, the sudden flood of sunlight both cleansing and disorienting. “This was the end, and it felt good. I felt free.”
Old Headaches Because Waters had installed Cox in a position of prominence, Cox receives a lot of phone calls from investors and
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Our Town (Continued from 26 26))
Westmont (Continued from 30 30))
A screenshot of Dr. Street’s TOM system, which performs observations of microlensing events on the LCO telescope network (courtesy photo)
and she explained, “Rubin will explore regions of our Universe that no other survey has been able to see before. I’m especially looking forward to what it finds in the center of our own Galaxy. Rubin will be able to map its complex structure and find hard-to-detect populations like isolated black holes. But the most exciting discoveries will be those that are entirely new… the unknown unknowns.” Q. Could you clarify the Rubin Observatory’s “fully operational date?” A. I think all of astronomy is eagerly anticipating a firm date for the start of Rubin’s LSST! The project has been working to improve the data quality and operations which has caused an unavoidable delay. The latest information I have heard is that the project is aiming to start the survey very soon – but I’m afraid they haven’t announced a firm date yet. On average, how much data from the Rubin observations will the LCO receive in a 24-hour period? Rubin will produce around 10TB per night, but that data doesn’t go to LCO directly. The Rubin data is processed by the Rubin project and the resulting alerts are distributed to the alert brokers. The image data and processed data products are made available through the Rubin Science Platforms (RSP). Astronomers use both the brokers and the RSP to choose specific targets of interest to their science, and where appropriate, they request follow-up observations on the LCO network and other telescopes. Who can utilize the TOM Toolkit? Our user base for the TOM Toolkit consists of professional research teams distributed around the world. Their members are typically at universities or research institutes, though the TOM Toolkit has also been used to build educational programs for students as well. LCO’s own science team also use the TOM for their own science. The TOM Toolkit is designed to provide a self-contained software platform which can run a science program “out
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of the box.” But we recognize that every researcher has their own goals and preferences, so we have designed the software to be easily customizable by the user. Which of the data brokers does your system use? Each of the brokers is designed to focus on a different subset of astronomy, but the TOM Toolkit is designed to support all of astronomy, so we aim to support all of the brokers. We have upgraded the TOM’s interfaces with broker services, and we primarily support Alerce, ANTARES, Lasair, and Fink, in addition to other services such as JPL/Scout (which is designed for solar system science). We are keeping pace with rapid development by the brokers themselves, so we are adding more capabilities in response to user feedback. Is the LCO working on other software/hardware infrastructure dedicated to Rubin data? I’m delighted to say that the TOM Toolkit recently received a new grant from the NSF, which will enable us to expand the Toolkit’s capabilities, integrate it with AI tools, and continue to support our user community. LCO supports a number of open-source software packages in addition to the TOM Toolkit. Hermes: a platform for sharing results in real-time; and Open Observatory Control System: a full stack open-source package for operating an observatory. All LCO’s software packages are designed to be interoperable – i.e. they communicate seamlessly with one another. LCO is of course supporting the operation of AEON facilities such as SOAR and collaborating with the NOIRLab team who are making the Blanco Telescope AEONcompatible. Gemini is already on board in the sense that they are a founder member of AEON. They have recently upgraded their full software stack for the Rubin and the redesign focused around ensuring AEON-compatibility. 411: https://aeonplus.github.io https://lco.global
on family preservation and childhood education. Locally, she even developed a street outreach program for Kingdom Causes, Inc., leading students to provide coffee, socks, and prayer to the unhoused community. Whether she is writing devotionals or working in the foster care system, Millie’s goal remains the same: to be a “kingdom worker” who brings light into broken systems. “I’ve definitely learned how to be a hard worker,” Millie said, crediting her Westmont education for giving her the confidence to engage in difficult conversations and deep community.
Millie Thomas
‘Ask of Old Paths’ Wins Book Award
verses and reflections that eventually became her first book. The sociology major and religious studies minor from Charlotte, North Carolina, has officially published Purpose in You: 50 Devotionals for Tween and Teen Girls on Placing Their Purpose in God! After letting it lie dormant in a Google Doc for years, she rekindled the project after watching eighth-grade girls navigate modern social pressures during her time as a summer camp counselor. “I was supposed to read a devotion to the campers in their beds and say goodnight, but I liked writing my own,” she says. Millie felt a divine nudge to finish what she started as a young girl. With her mother acting as her editor, she spent her mornings refining the 50-day devotional to speak directly to girls facing struggles with friendships, family and school. Her journey to Westmont began with Trailhead, the Gaede Institute’s summer program for high school students, which taught her the value of spiritual stillness. “I grew close to all the Trailhead students, sharing stories, talking about God and having conversations I never experienced at my big, public high school,” she says. Influenced by her sociology studies, Millie has completed internships with Angels Foster Care in Santa Barbara and HEAL Ministries in Uganda, focusing
The Martin Institute and the Dallas Willard Research Center at Westmont have given Grace Hamman’s Ask of Old Paths: Medieval Virtues and Vices for a Whole and Holy Life (Zondervan, 2025) the Dallas Willard Book Award for 2026. The award recognizes original literature focused on Christian character formation to honor Willard’s intellectual and spiritual legacy. Ask of Old Paths focuses on the ancient tradition of virtue language, called the Seven Capital Virtue Remedies. It uses pairs of medieval virtues and vices to help diagnose and address our need for character formation. For example, humility is the remedy for pride and love is the remedy for envy. “In a modern world that has forgotten how to help one another become good, Grace mines the ancient wisdom tradition for much-needed insights on how to put off vice and put on virtue,” says Steve Porter, senior research fellow and executive director of the Martin Institute. Hamman, who earned a doctorate in English at Duke University, will speak in Westmont chapel on a date to be determined in February 2027.
Grace Hamman (courtesy photo)
“The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Grace Hamman (courtesy photo)
9 – 16 July 2026
Beings & Doings (Continued from 31 31)) partners alike wondering about his sudden departure. “While I was suspicious of everything, I could only say what I knew. I explained what I learned about the $2 million and that was enough for anyone listening. No one dismisses a red flag like that.” The SEC and the FBI were quickly involved – Cox was subpoenaed by both – but their investigations moved at a snail’s pace. Andrew, Helen and the kids decamped from Montecito to Aspen, Colorado in 2022, and wash-rinse-repeated the same blueprint. It was while in Aspen that Andrew landed one of his biggest victims, someone who, per the SEC’s complaint, lost more than half-a-million in the scam and was set to lose millions more before reaching out to Cox. “It felt great to help people avoid the Waters’ snare,” Cox says. “But it
came at a great personal cost.” The cost was a “breach of confidentiality” lawsuit that, Cox says, cost him nearly two-hundred-thousand dollars to get dismissed. While Cox was awarded nearly a quarter million in damages, he says Waters has paid zero. Days after the SEC finally deposed Andrew and Helen Waters, they fled their home in Colorado and began a game of global hopscotch that continues to this day.
New Beginnings The silver lining in all this wastefulness was the resurrection of Michael Cox’s writing dream. “Montecito: A Novel is not a retelling of this true story, but it was inspired by it,” Cox says. “It was a very painful way to source new material,
but I had it, and I couldn’t wait to put it on paper.” If the SEC and FBI move slowly, then the publishing world is vying for second place. “I can’t believe it’s been six years since all this happened and four years since an earlier version of Montecito was serialized in your paper,” Cox says. “But by the same token, I believe the long, winding road was purposeful. I needed to grow as a writer. I needed to improve the story. And maybe the story needed to wait for the Andrew and Helen Waters’ Securities Fraud case to finally be over. Who knows? But it doesn’t matter now. I couldn’t be more excited for the book to be out and I’m grateful for all the twists and turns that brought me here.” The Montecito Journal is not an idle bystander to this fantastical journey. On July 7, 2022, we began an experimental serialization of Michael’s novel with zero expectations. Meant to last a scant four
weeks, the novel’s serialization ultimately sprinted from cover to cover thanks to unexpected reader enthusiasm. Montecito: A Novel was published last week in print, eBook, and audiobook formats to rave reviews from Kirkus Reviews and early readers. It is available at Tecolote, Chaucer’s, the Santa Barbara Public Library, and at all online retailers.
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
NOTICE TO BIDDERS Bids open at 2:00 PM on Thursday, July 30, 2026 for: 25STM3 1N27 FOOTHILL BRIDGE STORM REPAIR PROJECT IN THE 1ST SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT COUNTY PROJECT No. 25STM3 1N27 General project work description: Storm Damage Repair- Bank Protection The Plans, Specifications, and Bid Book are available at https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874. The Contractor must have either a Class A license or any combination of the following Class C licenses which constitutes a majority of the work: C-12 Submit sealed bids to the web address below. Bids will be opened and available at the web address below immediately following the submittal deadline. PlanetBids https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874 Complete the project work within 20 Workings Days. The estimated cost of the project is $ 432,000 This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of PCC Section 4104, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code (LAB) Section 1725.5. It is not a violation of this section for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Business and Professions Code (BPC) Section 7029.1 or by PCC Section 10164 or 20103.5 provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to LAB Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded. Prevailing wages are required on this Contract. The Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations determines the general prevailing wage rates. Obtain the wage rates at the DIR website https://www.dir.ca.gov/. Inquiries or questions based on alleged patent ambiguity of the plans, specifications, or estimate must be submitted as a bidder inquiry by 2:00 PM on 07/24/2026. Submittals after this date will not be addressed. Questions pertaining to this Project prior to Award of the Contract must be submitted via PlanetBids Q&A tab. Bidders (Plan Holders of Record) will be notified by electronic mail if addendums are issued. The addendums, if issued, will only be available on the County’s PlanetBids website, https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874
Christopher Sneddon Director of Public Works Published July 9, 2026 – Montecito Journal
9 – 16 July 2026
• Voice of theVillage •
Montecito JOURNAL
33
M SHERIFF’S BLOTTER
Week at MAW (Continued from 16 16))
Denk will take on Beethoven’s challenging “No. 29 in B-flat Major, Op. 106, ‘Hammerklavier’” (photo by Emma Matthews)
Restraining Order / 500 block El Bosque Road Monday, June 22, at 17:48 hours The victim called to report that the legally restrained party had violated a civil harassment order when he started playing loud music from his residence, which was a term specifically listed in the restraining order. The victim also felt harassed by the restrained party due to said party‘s continued attempts to prevent victim from hiring landscapers. Case forwarded to DA. Mail Opened / 600 block Olive Mill Road Thursday, June 25, at 09:04 hours Amazon packages belonging to residents residing on East Valley Road, and Romero Canyon were opened and left in the area. Follow up to be handled by patrol.
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and John Churchwell. Guests can get insight not only into Elizabeth Cree, but also Puts’ upcoming premieres, commissions, and creative perspectives in an intimate afternoon setting. (1:30 pm; Lehmann Hall; $10)... Tonight it’s another one of those events that makes MAW just a must-attend event on the classical calendar: a recital by faculty pianist Jeremy Denk, now in his 12th season as a teaching artist here. The winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the Avery Fisher Prize who was also recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Denk will perform the most challenging and perhaps rewarding of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas – “No. 29 in B-flat Major, Op. 106, ‘Hammerklavier’” – along with a delicious pair of appetizers in the six Piano Études by Unsuk Chin and several more by Hélène de Montgeroult. A lot more folks can see why Denk is so celebrated, as the capacity this time around is twice that of Hahn Hall, his usual site for MAW recitals. (7:30 pm; Lobero Theatre; $10-125)
and Emmy Award-winning conductor Xian Zhang, music director of both the New Jersey Symphony and Seattle Symphony, conducts the program that kicks off with Nokuthula Ngwenyama’s “Primal Message,” an 11-minute musical reverie for harp, celesta, percussion and strings, and Anton Webern’s orchestral tone poem “Im Sommerwind” – colorful works that should set the scene nicely for planetary exploration. (7:30; Granada Theatre; $10-$125) Monday, July 13: MAW’s Concerto Competition morphed into one for duos. Now, it’s gone, along with the Solo Piano Competition, both of which provided winners with prize money as well as a chance to perform either at the end of the summer or the beginning of the following year. (Don’t worry, the Vocal Competition still takes place in the last week of the season.) Both have also evolved into performance rather than competitive events. Tonight is the first of three Solo Piano Spotlight concerts, each featuring two of the six solo piano fellows getting significant space to showcase sonatas. Spotlights 2 & 3 take place the next two Mondays, making the week’s opening day a little brighter. (7:30 pm; Hahn Hall; $10-50)
Thursday, July 16: The second x2 Series concert – in which faculty members and fellows share the stage, each piece gifting both teaching experience and revelatory treats for the audience – is dubbed “Legions Will Rise” after the Puts piece for violin, clarinet, and percussion. Ten more musicians comprise the split cast for the two works that sandwich Puts’ composition: La revue de cuisine, the one-act ballet by Martinů and Anton Arensky’s “String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 35.” (7:30 pm; Hahn Hall; $10-65)
Tuesday, July 14: This year’s Opera Scenes has a hyperfocus, with a pair of LVI singers (and a vocal pianist) shining on selections from eight different operas that span the centuries, including Verdi’s La traviata, Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, and Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking. That’s 18 singers in all, representing the vocalists who don’t have the most massive roles in the full production of Kevin Puts’ Elizabeth Cree later in the month. (7:30 pm; Hahn Hall; $10-80)
Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage
Wednesday, July 15: Speaking of Kevin Puts, the highly decorated, very influential American composer is next up in the chat series, sitting down for a panel discussion hosted by Lehrer Vocal Institute Co-directors Sasha Cooke “Delight in the beauty that surrounds you.” – Rumi
9 – 16 July 2026
Santa Barbara by the Glass This Wine List is a Winner: Caruso’s Receives Global Honor by Gabe Saglie
R
ick Caruso is singing the praises of the wine team at his namesake Montecito restaurant. And for good reason. “This award is a testament to the entire team at Caruso’s, whose passion, expertise, and dedication have created one of the world’s truly exceptional wine and dining programs,” the developer and owner of Rosewood Miramar Beach tells the MJ. Last month, Wine Spectator – with a circulation of 400,000, known as the world’s most widely read wine publication – awarded its highest honor, the Grand Award, to only two restaurants. One, called Berria, is in Madrid. The other is Caruso’s. Launched 45 years ago, and doled out just once a year, the accolade recognizes exceptional wine lists, along with bespoke service and presentation. With the two new entries, the prestigious list now honors just 99 restaurants around the world, including The Stonehouse at the San Ysidro Ranch, which achieved the prize in 2014, along with Wally’s in Beverly Hills, The French Laundry in Napa, Palais Coburg in Vienna, Le Louis XV by Alain Ducasse in Monaco and Les Amis in Singapore. “The Grand Award is the highest globally recognized award in the wine profession,” says Rob Smits, Caruso’s wine director. “Caruso’s has a never-ending commitment to pushing forward, and this is the next evolution of our reputation as a serious wine restaurant. Caruso’s is a destination restaurant, not your typical resort restaurant.” He also tips his hat to Caruso’s location in Montecito as added motivation to cultivate an incomparable wine program. “There are a lot of collectors and savvy wine drinkers in the area, global diners who live here, and an international group of travelers that vacation here. Montecito is a sophisticated market.” Caruso’s is already a global standout for its cuisine. Helmed by Executive Chef Massimo Falsini, it holds a Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star for its sustainable gastronomy, and a hyper-local sourcing ethos that includes a traceable ocean-to-table program and onsite organic garden and beehives. Its curated touchpoints incorporate tableware commissioned from a historic French porcelain house and an ever-changing eight-course Chef’s Tasting Menu. And in many ways, the food serves as inspiration for the wine. Mr. Smits says: “The menu is very clean and bright with the freshest local seafood and produce. So much of the 9 – 16 July 2026
wine list is built to complement that with bright refreshing whites, and focused, not overly-rich reds. We have something for everyone, with different price points and regions represented, from iconic cult wines of the world to local approachable wines. A lot of international travelers want to drink Santa Barbara wines, while locals might lean into our French or Italian selections. We have extensive half-bottle selections, magnums, and a long list of wines by the glass.” But the wine focus at Caruso’s goes beyond. The attention to sourcing premium bottles is just the beginning. Building a tailor-made customer experience was key to the securing the Wine Spectator nod. “You first need to start with having a story worth telling,” says Mr. Smits. “Some of the most exciting wines in California are being made right here in Santa Barbara and we wanted to narrate that story through AVA maps, historic vineyard pages, and verticals from pioneering wineries. When we set out to build out the program, we knew that no one had told the history of Santa Barbara through a wine list and analyzed the direction we wanted to go through that lens. That was our goal. The entire team was all-in, and we had a uniform goal to build something really unique and special. We have a lot of incredible relationships with importers and winemakers, and many of those took years of nurturing and developing those connections to have access to the best wines in the world.
The communal wine garden dinner series ‘Bounty’ has returned for its third season (courtesy photo)
“Every detail of the wine list was intentional,” he adds. “To be recognized at the highest level for that is incredibly rewarding.” Wine selection aside, diversity in pricing is also a major criterium for the Grand Award, and that’s remained another focus point for Mr. Smits and his team. “We have a lot of depth with the benchmark regions of the world, [and] yes, those wines are more expensive,” he admits. “But we also have extensive depth in Santa Barbara, and those are also incredible. There is a bottle or opportunity for everyone to find something they like, both local and Old World.” Among other Santa Barbara County labels generating buzz with the Caruso’s wine team: Chanin by winemaker Gavin Chanin; Tyler from vintner Justin Willett; and the Sta. Rita Hills-based project, Racines, from French vigneron Étienne de Montille. The MJ put Mr. Smits on the spot when we asked: If a guest comes in tonight to celebrate this historic win and tells you, ‘Bring me Chef Massimo’s absolute favorite signature dish, and pair it with the one bottle in this cellar that best represents your soul as a wine steward,’ what food and wine are landing on that table? His answer: “We are a tasting menu restaurant and offer two different wine pairings: ‘Sense of Place,’ completely focused on Santa Barbara wines, and our ‘Reserve Pairing,’ focusing on the benchmark wine regions of Europe. I think the Yolk Gnocchetti Sardi Risottati is a great representation of Caruso’s, with the ocean-
ic elements coming from [local sea urchin diver] Stephanie Muntz’s uni and Santa Barbara abalone, along with the caviar and Yuzu. For the ‘Sense of Place’ pairing: Sandhi Chardonnay, Romance Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills, 2022. For the Reserve Pairing, Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin, 1er Cru, Les Frionnes, Burgundy, 2021.” One great way to delve into the now-globally renowned Caruso’s wine program is ‘Bounty,’ the communal wine garden dinner series that returned for its third season in April. The experience, which continues through mid-October, spotlights Central Coast winemakers, farmers and purveyors seated with patrons in a round-the-table setting, along with a casual yet vibrant menu of salads, pizzas prepped in the garden’s woodfire oven, and more. Upcoming featured guests include Sashi Moorman on August 19 and Pete Stolpman on September 24. The dinners are priced at $155 per person. Cheers! For tickets, go to https://tinyurl.com/MiramarBounty-Wine-26
Gabe Saglie has been covering the Santa Barbara wine and food scene for more than 20 years through TV, radio and print. He’s founder of Traveling Pants Media, a travel content production company, and is a leading expert on consumer lifestyle trends.
WENDY GRAGG 805. 453. 3371
Luxury Real Estate Specialist for Over 20 Years Caruso’s receives Wine Spectator’s Grand Award (courtesy photo)
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Luxury Real Estate Specialist www.DistinctiveRealEstateOnline.com Montecito JOURNAL License # 01327524
35
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Calendar of Events
FRIDAY, JULY 10-SATURDAY, JULY 25
by Steven Libowitz FRIDAY, JULY 10 Brown Does Broadway at Bellosguardo – Four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown – whose credits include The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13 and The Bridges of Madison County – brings his five-piece band to Bellosguardo for an intimate midsummer evening concert on the lawn outside the former Clark mansion. Brown, who has helped define the sound of contemporary musical theater by creating songs that are emotionally rich and musically sophisticated, will be joined by Broadway singers Nasia Thomas and Ashley Pérez Flanagan as special guests. The event features festival seating, with guests bringing a folding chair or blanket. Black Mountain Pizza will be offering (yes) pizzas, salads and sweets for purchase, and a full bar will be open. WHEN: 6 pm WHERE: Bellosguardo, 1407 E. Cabrillo Blvd. COST: $150 INFO: (805) 969-3220 or www.Bellosguardo.org SATURDAY, JULY 11 Coastal Cowgirl Festival – SBCC is the site for the first visit to town of the festival focused on the western culture fashion and pop culture trend. Coastal Cowgirl ONGOING
Concerts in the Park – July has arrived, so for the next four weeks we’re in the midst of the popular city-sponsored series that brings pop and other bands to the lush setting of the Great Meadow in Chase Palm Park, just across the street from East Beach. The free, family-friendly summer tradition is marking its 26th year and as always, the music is only part of the attraction. Concert-goers are invited to bring blankets and/or chairs as early as 12 noon to set up, and may unpack their picnics (but no alcohol) prior to and during the performance. All this “beach town largesse” takes place amid fragrant sea breezes under late afternoon sun, the event wrapping before sunset. Week 2 on July 9 brings Jason Libs and the Liberation. The fixture at the Red Piano music venue once again steps out with his guitar and a bunch of mates to play a curated collection of songs from the 1970s to the mid-2020s. Next week (July 16): The Mighty Cash Cats, a Johnny Cash cover band that also plays country classics from contemporaries. WHEN: 6-7:30 pm WHERE: Chase Palm Park, 300 W. Cabrillo Blvd. COST: free INFO: (805) 564-5418 or www.santabarbaraca.gov/gov/depts/parksrec/ recreation/events/parkrec/concerts.asp
36 Montecito JOURNAL
‘Anything Goes’ at the Garvin – All aboard for one of the most beloved musicals of all time – a show that is approaching the century mark, albeit once again updated in 2022 – where a love-sick stowaway faces a host of obstacles on the high seas in a classic romantic caper replete with sailors, chorus girls, millionaires, a preacher, and of course a public enemy. Nearly all pitch in to help said stowaway, in a show whose huge tap and other dance numbers manage to prove that true love is just one dance step away. It’s hard to imagine anyone not getting a kick out of a musical that’s utterly delightful, delicious and de-lovely. It’s the top! WHEN: Through July 25 WHERE: Garvin Theatre on SBCC’s West Campus, 721 of Cliff Dr. COST: $16-$34 INFO: (805) 965-5935 or www.theatregroupsbcc.com brings a full day of sunshine, country music, dancing, shopping and coastal cowgirl vibes to the Great Lawn on the SBCC West Campus, blending California beach culture with western spirit, creating a high-energy day where Boots meet Beach. Check out the stylish cowgirls and cowboys all around the space, many of whom will be wearing items representing the Coastal Cowgirl aesthetic, while country music line dancing – long an attraction in town – will be held on a dance floor throughout the day alternating with DJ sets. A curated lineup of vendors boasting western fashion, handmade goods and more bring the western lifestyle to life. A beer garden adds to the fun, while bites will be available for purchase. Stunning harbor views are free. Head out to where the country meets the coast. WHEN: 11 am-5 pm WHERE: SBCC West Campus, 721 Cliff Drive COST: Free admission INFO: www.coastalcowgirlfest.com SATURDAY, JULY 11-SUNDAY, JULY 19 One-Acts at Alcazar – The Third Annual Hanne Pedersen One-Act Festival features seven original one-act comedies written by playwrights both veteran and newly-hatched. Hailing from Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties, the playwrights will have their respective world premieres at the historic Carpinteria theater. Staged as a tribute to Hanne Pedersen – a cherished writer, director, actress, teacher and co-founder of the Carpinteria Community Theatre – the plays largely feature community-based casts and directors, lending a homespun atmosphere to the two-weekend festival. This year’s plays include AI in Three Acts by Ross Brown, directed by Leslie V. AnnRenee; The Announcement by Rick PennKraus, directed by Gabe Dugan; The Aydens by Leslie V. AnnRenee, directed by Maddy Khachadoorian; Bingo At Rest by Christine Adams, directed by Dreamer Wilson; Happy Freakin’ Birthday by Dawn Balk, directed by Oak Cervantes; Shady Shores: A Killer Comedy, by Lynne Herrell & Lisa Marciano, directed by Herrell; and Tea At The Pastor’s House by Steve Chawkins, directed by Dawn Balk.
“Fresh air impoverishes the doctor.” – Danish proverb attributed by Benjamin Franklin
9 – 16 July 2026
singer Melody Collins, guitarist Theo Wheeler, bassist Guil Juliao, and drummer/percussionist Al Velasquez, resulting in moments where the music stretches and breathes with undeniable spirit and authenticity, aka true duende. WHEN: 1-4 pm WHERE: SOhO Restaurant & Music Club, 1221 State Street, upstairs in Victoria Court COST: $10-$25 (under 16 free) INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com
SATURDAY, JULY 11-SUNDAY, JULY 12
TUESDAY, JULY 14
Jackalope Indie Artisans Fair – A new festival to rival Summer Solstice and Earth Day, although a traveling one rather than fully homegrown, arrives at Alameda Park this weekend for two days of free, family-friendly fun. The pair of founders shared a passion to create a “community meets artisan event” focusing on the experience of meeting the maker and bringing the local community together. Launched in their home cities of Pasadena and Denver a decade ago, Jackalope Indie Artisans Fair expanded to Burbank in 2019, Minneapolis in 2021, and San Diego and Santa Barbara this summer. Dozens upon dozens of artisans will have booth and be ready to talk about their wares, while other attractions include a number of local offerings, including Santa Barbara Arts Association’s playful, evolving art space. This unique space will invite guests to invent titles for original artworks, leave short reactions, interpretations or unexpected observations about the pieces, and/or leave behind a sketch, doodle or tiny artwork to exchange, creating an evolving mini gallery. Also: Paul Tefft’s float from the Solstice Parade will be on display throughout the weekend, and Santa Barbara Yoga Center will offer a free 30-minute yoga session daily. Meanwhile, all ages activities include making your own slime with Sparklez Slimez, sunglasses and fan decoration, hair sparklers, face painting, hooping, jewelry-making, and more. Live music and artisanal food and drink round out the offerings. WHEN: 10 am-5 pm Saturday & Sunday WHERE: Alameda Park, 1400 Santa Barbara St COST: free INFO: www.jackalopeartfair.com/santa-barbara
WHEN: July 11-12 & 17-19 WHERE: Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria COST: $25 general, $20 seniors and students INFO: (805) 684-6380 or www.thealcazar.org SUNDAY, JULY 12 Sunday Sounds at SOhO – After years and years of concerts at venues all over town, longtime local guitarist and teacher Tony Ybarra heads to SOhO for the first time – site of many of his shows – under the auspices of the Santa Barbara Jazz Society’s monthly concerts at the restaurant/music hub. Ybarra’s Jazz Duende project melds the raw passion of flamenco with the spontaneity and soul of jazz, blending compás, groove, improvisation and deep musical conversation into a single afternoon show. Expect fiery flamenco rasgueados along with lyrical melodies, Latin rhythms, and lots of other instrumental prowess from flutist/
‘Salty’ Start to Series – Salty Strings, the Santa Barbara seaside-born progressive bluegrass string band, has amped up its gig schedule after a two year lull. They are kicking off Music at the Ranch, the Tuesday Night Concert Series on the grounds of Goleta’s Stow House, aka Rancho La Patera, possibly the most picturesque of any of the festival sites. Verdant shaded space, majestic trees, and a peaceable rural vibe define the Stow House grounds. Picturesque Lake Los Carneros is just a short walk away, fun to explore during intermission or otherwise. The sound system is spectacular, the string band plays generous sets that span bluegrass and folk-adjacent pop songs as well as originals. Food and drink can be brought in or bought at food trucks and stands. WHEN: 5:30-7:30 pm WHERE: Stow House, 304 North Los Carneros Rd. COST: free INFO: (805) 681-7216 or www.goletahistory.org MONDAY, JULY 13
Cetorhinus Maximus Sightings – Seeing as it’s summer, we don’t want to put the word “shark” in bold letters lest we scare off those who remain traumatized by last year’s 50th anniversary screenings of the original Jaws. But basking sharks, which are the second-largest living shark (and one of three plankton-eating shark species), are gentle, passive filter-feeders and considered completely harmless to humans. On the other hand, mankind’s increased fishing activity and targeted eradication have devastated the regional population of basking sharks, which were once highly abundant off the West Coast (although one was seen in the surf off Seaside Park, N.J. last week). While the last formally published sighting of the understudied population occurred in 2018, Olivia Cleek, an aquarist at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro, has been working to address this data deficiency, collecting social media posts featuring basking shark sightings from the past 15 years, providing new insights into the present-day distribution and patterns of the sharks on the West Coast. Cleek will share how the massive plankton eaters are “basking in the online attention” at this month’s Science Pub presentation. WHEN: 5:30 pm WHERE: Dargan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant, 18 E. Ortega Street COST: free INFO: www.sbnature2.org
NOTE TO READERS This entertainment calendar is a subjective sampling of arts and entertainment events taking place in the Santa Barbara area for the next seven days or so. It is by no means comprehensive. Please also see my feature stories elsewhere in this issue for more events. In order to be considered for inclusion in this calendar, please submit information – including hi-res photos – by 12 noon Wednesday eight days prior to publication date. Email: slibowitz@yahoo.com. 9 – 16 July 2026
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Two sites available at the Santa Barbara Cemetery which together can accommodate either one casket & one urn OR two urns. Central: Block D, Number 31 Valued at $21,000 Offered at $17,000 Call (805) 455-9869 – Please text this first for quick reply
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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
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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.
9 – 16 July 2026
te
Mini Meta
Last Week’s Solution:
By Pete Muller & Frank Longo For each of the first five mini crosswords, one of the entries also serves as part of a five-word meta clue. The answer to the meta is a word or phrase (six letters or longer) hidden within the sixth mini crossword. The hidden meta answer starts in one of the squares and snakes through the grid vertically and horizontally from there (no diagonals!) without revisiting any squares. PUZZLE #1 1
2
3
O C H S C H OW T H E S E O R A T E M E T A T
B I R T H U H U R A R O S E N S P E A K T E S T S
I N T O F L I C K R A G E D O N E L M A L L
C A V E T O B I N I L O V E M A U I E S T D
C L A P B O O T H A L T H O B O S O N E R A S E
I R A S R OW E K M A R T S Y R I A E F S
THESE
BURST
INTO
VIVID
COLOR
FIREWORKS
PUZZLE #3
PUZZLE #2 4
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Across 1 Leader of Cuba between Fidel and Miguel 5 Har'el who directed "Bombay Beach" and "Honey Boy" 6 Oil well firefighter Red 7 Some green beans 8 Heed a cautionary maxim about leaping
Down 1 Word after talk, clock, or shock 2 It was besieged by Mexicans in 1836 3 Inuit boat made of animal hide stretched over a wooden frame 4 "___ and the Real Girl" (2007 Ryan Gosling film) 6 Part of APB or ATV
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Down 1 Mom, in Manchester 2 What contains many a 4-Down, in Dijon 3 With 4-Down, what "acropolis" literally means 4 See 3-Down 5 Concert venues in ancient Greece
Across 1 Terrain producer 4 On the wrong side (of) 6 Wrong 7 Mousesack or Visenna on "The Witcher," e.g. 8 Things you don't use if you don't do Windows?
PUZZLE #5
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Down 1 Bank whose failure could cause a disaster 2 Strikes out, say 3 Beguiling behavior 4 Word in the name of many a college campus building 5 Daniel's daughter on Netflix's "Cobra Kai"
Across 1 Scooter brand whose name means "wasp" 6 Rhapsodize over 7 Sources of trusted advice 8 Colleague of Thomas and Jackson 9 Letters on Erik Jones's car in the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race
Down 1 Acted before a 10-count reached 10, say 2 What you might bop to 3 Relatives of divots 4 Front-center connection 5 Like one debate side
META PUZZLE 5
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Across 1 Like sale prices, relatively 4 Hot-rod engines, informally 6 Where the Spanish cyclist Julio Jiménez was born and died 7 "I'm not gonna stand in their way!" 8 Like sale prices
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Across 1 Verbal alternative to a shrug 4 Tarantula-eating mammal 6 Lab neckwear 7 Babies' breakthroughs? 8 Exclamation on Talk Like a Pirate Day
PUZZLE #4 1
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Down 1 With 3-Down, spot with lots of slots 2 Jump for joy, say 3 See 1-Down 4 Displease Santa, in a way, according to a popular Christmas song 5 Transition word to an afterthought
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Across 1 Something drawn in many a role-playing game 6 Kind of diet that doesn't allow 1-Down or 2-Downs, but does allow 3-Downs 7 Use TaxSlayer, say 8 "Trivial Pursuit" game show host Burton 9 NBA long shots?
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Down 1 Wheat sold in health-food stores 2 Nilla nosh 3 Often-stuffed relish tray item 4 Race involving eight human legs and four nonhuman legs 5 Action-oriented types
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