Soundtrack to Summer – The Music Academy announces its Summer Festival and all of classical fun it will entail, P.8
Collinge – The
Look what SBC Search and Rescue found, page 30
Into the Heart of Napa – Delve into the tasting rooms, world famous restaurants, and unforgettable sites of
Cannabis Ruling Confirmed
It’s official! With a unanimous vote, the County Board of Supervisor have passed its Odor Abatement Plan, page 5
“The Rose” by any Other Name
Songwriter Amanda McBroom of “The Rose” reflects on her iconic love ballad and sings about her upcoming cabaret show, page 14
Capturing
historic photographer James Walter Collinge and how his work captured the spirit of early SB, P.24
Yountville, P.36
PHOTO BY C. SILVESTER
MIKE AND LINDA OFNER’S PASSION PROJECT REACHES A MILESTONE... WITH THEIR SON PADDLING IN THEIR WAKE (STORY STARTS ON P.6)
Easter Brunch
Sunday, April 20th, 2025 10am-2pm
SIX MINUTE EGG CROQUETTE
BRENTWOOD CORN TORTELLINI
HAWAIIAN BIG EYE TUNA NICOISE
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Beings and Doings – Montecitans Mike and Linda Ofner have spent nearly 40 years building a waterfront family. Ka Nai’a Outrigger Canoe Club wants you.
Montecito Miscellany – Music Academy announces its summer plans, Storm Large Sins on stage, MBT gives out its annual awards, and more
24 The Way It Was – The lasting impressions of photographer James Walter Collinge, subject of the SB Historical Museum’s exhibit
26 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – Check your pockets, purses, and garages… there may be hidden treasures in there – as Elizabeth’s best finds demonstrate
30 The Giving List – SBC Search and Rescue didn’t just respond to 22 “callouts” this year, they also hosted 16 Southern California S&R teams for re-evaluation
Your Westmont – A summer climate workshop continues to give, plus track & field athletes break records
Robert’s Big Questions – What lessons can be learned from past administrations? Quite a few, actually.
Stories Matter – Love and war, K-pop reflections, and additional reads in this month’s exciting book selections
Entertainment – Amanda McBroom on her cabaret days and her global hit song, and Sharon Scott Williams’ meaningful Crazy Mama on stage
Wine Traveler – Taste your way through the pinot noir regions and discover why this varietal is a year-round pairing Spirituality Matters – Mindful Hearts, Truth Mandalas, and Krishnamurti opportunities happening in the area
In Passing – A message to Sandra Nelle Ventress from her beloved Paperboy, a year after her
and go
Travel Buzz – Hot air balloons, cool brews, and plenty of fresh food are just a few of the highlights during Leslie’s Yountville visit
39 News Bytes – Chabad’s Passover Seder, Juneteenth call for artists, a clarification on Marc Normand Gelinas, and more Crime in the ‘Cito 44 Calendar of Events – The Dude & Dylan, pub poetry, a ukulele orchestra and other happenings this week
Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads
Local News
Cannabis Odor Abatement Plan
Officially Adopted by County
by Tiana Molony
Over seven years and more than 4,000 complaints later, the pungent smell of pot in Carpinteria might finally be under control, thanks to the Santa Barbara County Supervisors who, on March 18th, unanimously voted to adopt amendments to the county’s cannabis ordinance.
“Unanimously, the Board of Supervisors ushered in a new chapter of cannabis in Carpinteria today,” said Chair Laura Capps in a statement to the Montecito Journal. “We finally listened to the people and acted to hold cannabis operations accountable for the negative impacts on quality of life. I admire the tenacity of so many people who advocated year after year for real change –it’s upon us, thanks to them.”
The amendments require cannabis farmers to eliminate existing vapor phase technology and install “multi-technology carbon filtration” or equivalent technology in their greenhouses by March 31st, 2026 – 12 months after the official implementation. If cannabis growers fail to comply with the amendments, the county may revoke their business license or deny its renewal.
Operators facing extenuating circumstances like supply chain issues may be able to request a one-time extension of up to 12 months. However, requests must be submitted 90 days before the installation deadline.
Some Carpinteria residents have expressed concerns about growers “abusing” the hardship extensions, intentionally delaying the process. Others still believe the 12-month deadline for growers is too generous. “Please make this a 90-day deadline,” wrote Linda Seiter in a letter to the Board. “It’s been eight years. How long do we have to suffer.”
A few stepped up to the mic at public comment, including some cannabis growers in Carpinteria, who said they fully support the cannabis odor abatement but asked to make some changes to the proposed plans.
Tadd McKenzie, Co-President and CFO of the cannabis operation Pacific Dutch Group, wanted an extension beyond 12 months, citing the time needed for permitting, construction, and supply chains. He also brought up the idea of a tax credit to help with the cost of implementing the required odor scrubbers and power infrastructure.
The ordinance will also mandate annual inspections by trained county staff and quarterly inspections after the first year.
Odor will be measured at the property line using a Nasal Ranger, a device – technically an olfactometer – that detects and quantifies an odor’s strength.
The supervisors agreed that a reading of 7 Dilution-to-Threshold (D/T) for over three consecutive minutes would be considered an exceedance and a violation. A reading of 4 D/T is defined as faint, 7 D/T overt as noticeable, and 15 D/T as strong. To remain compliant, an operator must operate below that level 7 D/T.
First District Supervisor Roy Lee, who oversees Carpinteria, preferred a nasal reading of 4 D/T, but staff cautioned that detecting consistently at that level might be challenging. “It’s not a workable threshold for us,” said the county’s Planning and Development Director, Lisa Plowman “We can consistently pick up at 7, but we can’t [consistently] at 4.”
Supervisor Lee also said he wasn’t a fan of the current complaint system. He indicated support for “more of a random testing” approach instead of a complaint-based one. Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino agreed with Lee, saying that the complaint system hadn’t worked in the past.
However, Supervisor Lavagnino didn’t think it should be fully eliminated. He thought that even if they got rid of the complaint system, people will still call to complain. “Doing away with it, I think, might be counterproductive.”
County staff assured that the complaint system is intended to work in conjunction with proactive monitoring by staff using the Nasal Ranger during regular and unannounced site visits. They described the future complaint system as a “backstop” to proactive staff inspections using the Nasal Ranger.
If they receive five complaints within 24 hours about an acute situation, the county is entitled to test the area. For ongoing or persistent odor issues, three complaints received from individuals within a 60-day period will trigger attention.
“I’m so proud of the Carpinteria community for their perseverance,” said Supervisor Lee in a statement to the Montecito Journal. “This is a massive victory for all of us. We just took the biggest step possible toward solving the cannabis odors in Carp forever. This process took longer than it should, but there’s a deadline now. We all have something good to look forward to. And thanks to my fellow board members for working together as a team to get things accomplished.”
Beings & Doings
Stroke on the Water: Mike, Linda, and Ka Nai’a Outrigger’s Unsung Legacy
by Jeff Wing
Montecitans Mike and Linda Ofner have been a dynamic team – as coaches, mentors, and life partners – through more than 50 years of marriage. Never mind that they’ve also been the backbone of a Santa Barbara waterfront institution for nearly 40 years – a beachfront outfit called Ka Nai’a Outrigger. “So, 1986,” son Greg Ofner says, rolling out the saga. “I was 17 back then. That’s the year Santa Barbara Outrigger splintered and Club Ka Nai’a was the offshoot.” Okay, let’s tap the brakes. Outrigger? Ka Nai’a?
An outrigger canoe (for purposes of this essay) is a vessel with a sort of second hull or support float attached to the main hull and parallel to it – such that the boat is effectively given a broader base on the water and is stabilized. If you’re paddling the 2,100 miles from Taiwan to New Guinea in 1500 BCE or so, a lithe little boat that won’t roll in the terrifying turbulence of the open ocean
is a big deal. While today the outrigger is a symbol of collaborative waterfront sport and a challenged rotator cuff, the outrigger innovation is believed by maritime historians to have played a momentous role – about 3,000 years ago – in the spread of oceangoing humanity from the Southeast Asian islands to the greater Pacific and beyond. The shoulders burn just thinking about all that paddling.
“We raced together,” Greg says in the here and now. “My dad and I have done Catalina to Newport, and I’ve done the Queen Lili’uokalani over in Hawaii. My mom’s done the Molokai channel over and back to Maui. That’s a 54-mile race…”
A Civic Phenomenon
Mike and Linda Ofner are that particular civic phenomenon; beloved local mentors known to a select few over the years. Mike and Linda’s decades of quiet fire on behalf of their Ka Nai’a Outrigger Canoe Club has not been written across
& Doings Page 414
Beings
Linda and Mike Ofner solemnly contemplate another day on the water (courtesy photo)
The mid-ocean rotation. You gotta enjoy getting wet. (courtesy photo)
2024/2025
MASTERSERIES AT THE LOBERO THEATRE SEASON SPONSOR: ESPERIA FOUNDATION
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2025, 7:30 PM
YEFIM BRONFMAN
, piano
Yefim Bronfman returns to the series, performing a program of pianistic fireworks! Internationally recognized as one of today’s most acclaimed and admired pianists, Bronfman is regularly sought by the world’s leading orchestras, recital series, and festivals. He has been recognized with the Avery Fisher Prize and a Grammy®
PROGRAM: MOZART: Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332
SCHUMANN: Arabeske in C Major, Op. 13
DEBUSSY: Images, Book II
TCHAIKOVSKY: Grand Sonata in G Major, Op. 37
Sponsor: Alison & Jan Bowlus • Michele Neely Saltoun Co-Sponsors: Beth Gates Warren & Bob Boghosian Nancy Wood, in honor of the CAMA Women’s Board
at the Lobero Theatre Box Office (805)963-0761 ⫽ lobero.org
COMMUNITY ARTS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF SANTA BARBARA camasb.org
Montecito Miscellany
Listen to This “Soundtrack to Summer”
by Richard Mineards
Now in its 78th season, the Music Academy of the West’s annual summer festival, which runs from June 15 to August 9, offers an unparalleled blend of world class performances and musical discovery.
Themed “Soundtrack to Summer,” the mega event showcases international artists performing alongside 150 of the academy’s gifted young musicians and 60 esteemed teaching artists in 120 oneof-a-kind shows, including orchestral and chamber performances, a full-scale opera, plus masterclasses, competitions, and groundbreaking new works.
Y M S A R E S O
The live performances at the academy’s Hahn Hall, the venerable Granada, and other settings in our Eden by the Beach will also feature special appearances by Jeremy Denk, Randall Goosby, Sasha Cooke, Christina George, Andy Akiho, Stewart Copeland of The Police, and the Takács Quartet.
The fest kicks off with dynamic, family friendly programming, including the
50th anniversary of Jaws at the Granada with the Academy Festival Orchestra and conductor Ben Palmer, and a bilingual production of Peter and the Wolf
There’s also the world premiere of adapted excerpts from Huang Ruo’s new opera The Monkey King, and the summer festival makes history with its first-ever, free community brass concert at the newly restored Santa Barbara Plaza del Mar bandshell.
And for the first time, on July 11 the academy’s annual Music Note Gala will take place at the Montecito Club, president and CEO Shauna Quill told more than 100 guests at a pre-festival bash at Hahn Hall. That Montecito Club gala event will feature performances by Grammy Award-winning mandolinist Chris Thile in collaboration with the Academy Festival Orchestra and members of Sing!, conducted by Daniela Candillari
Among the music-loving throng were Robert Weinman, Mashey Bernstein, Peter and Linda Beuret, Dan and Meg Burnham, Mary Collier, Peter and Dorian Wirth, Carole Macelhenny,
Miscellany Page 424
The evening wrapped with cello alum Miles Goosby playing with alum and teaching artist Natasha Kislenko (photo by Emma Matthews)
Music Academy CEO Shauna Quill welcomed the crowd (photo by Emma Matthews)
Chief Artistic Officer Nate Bachhuber presented this summer’s exciting lineup of events (photo by Emma Matthews)
134 Chapala Street / Santa Barbara / 93101
Offered At $8,995,000
GTprop.com/134Chapala
This Santa Barbara beach hostel located in the most desirable zone between the Pacific Ocean and the train station; directly behind the MOXI children’s museum, hotels, and downtown restaurants; bordered by a creek and offering an exceptional opportunity to operate a traveler’s hostel with 66 beds including some private suites; this is a once in a lifetime iconic property. Value add opportunities include creating additional private suites, installing car charging technology, and patterning with local restaurants or caterers to facilitate meal services. Currently operating profitably, there are endless possibilities to improve this amazing property. On-site kitchen, dining room, and game room, plus outdoor sunning and grills.
John Thyne III
John@GTprop.com
Community Voices Community Voices
Sad But True: How Our Supervisors Saved California’s Cannabis Industry
by Jeff Giordano
On January 3, and for 46 days thereafter, growing cannabis was illegal in the 25 California counties that had allowed it. But then, thanks to the efforts of Santa Barbara, the cannabis cultivation industry was rescued, permitting its powerful lobbyists, investors and growers to breathe a collective, and perhaps smoke filled, sigh of relief. Allow me to explain:
Santa Barbara property owner JC Crandall objected to the county’s Conditional Use Permit that would have allowed her neighbor to cultivate 2.5 acres of cannabis and transport it over a long existing easement. Crandall asked the county to relent (like we really need a couple of more acres of cannabis) and when the county refused, Crandall sued. In a rehearing before the full Second District Court of Appeal, the county did what it does best – it lost. The decision was monumental, sending shock waves throughout the cannabis industry and reliant agencies/departments. Why? Because the decision made illegal all state/local permits and licenses. Oh, you could still smoke cannabis, you just couldn’t grow it or transport it.
The decision was published on January 3, 2025, and was as sweeping as it was clear: “We regret to inform that cannabis is illegal in California because federal law says so. No matter how much California voters and the Legislature might try, cannabis cultivation and transportation are illegal in California as long as it remains illegal under federal law.” Yes. If left unchallenged, injunctions and lawsuits would likely have abounded and cannabis cultivation just might have been pummeled into submission.
This left our county with a choice: Let the decision stand or use taxpayer time/dollars to appeal? While the vote was cloaked
in closed session secrecy, three or more Supervisors (WHO?) voted to try and save cannabis by allowing the county to file an expansive 36-page Petition for Review with the CA Supreme Court on February 11. FUN FACT: Interested parties who joined with the county included the CA County Planning Directors Association – despite claims that P&D is not on the side of cannabis! Anyway, while the Court did not grant a full hearing, on Thursday, March 20, they de-published Crandall. This means that – while complainant JC Crandall still prevailed – the decision can no longer be used as precedent. Thank you, SB County, for rescuing our nuisance-defining, fiefdom building, and deeply unprofitable cannabis cultivation program – on our nickel. Why? I wish I could blame Planning & Development – whose cannabis-friendly scheme and wholly broken Odor Complaint process are still part of our Ordinance (No, “Scrubbers” are not a holistic magic bullet) – but I can’t. I wish I could blame County Counsel whose legal advice and use of international mega-firms are often questionable, but I can’t. Instead, the decision to protect 50 private growers and a program that generates $5.5M in annual tax revenues against $9M in costs falls squarely on three or more Supervisors whose votes are shrouded in secrecy. And with three of our five Supes leading the way on Odor Control, I would just love to know – I’m curious that way – who broke “for” cannabis and allowed the appeal to move forward. The Supes could have been bold, they could have joined the 33 other counties that don’t allow commercial cultivation, they could have embraced a bit of chaos and spoken truth to special interest power – just like JC Crandall did. But in the end, they surrendered. Disappointing and baffling, all at the same time.
Jeff Giordano, SB County Resident
Why
TEDxSantaBarbara
is More Important Than Ever
by Mark Sylvester
Santa Barbara has always been a city of ideas. From environmental activism to technological innovation, we’ve led conversations that shape the future. However, when public discourse is often divided, and big ideas get lost in the noise, we need spaces where thoughtful dialogue and new perspectives can thrive. That’s where TEDxSantaBarbara comes in.
Over the past decade, TEDxSantaBarbara has brought together visionaries, entrepreneurs, scientists, and artists to share groundbreaking ideas with our community and the world. Before COVID, we hosted over 100 in-person talks that have been viewed more than 35 million times. These ideas have sparked conversations and led to real-world change, from sustainability initiatives to advancements in mental health advocacy.
Then came the pandemic. Live events ceased as the world shut down, but that didn’t stop us. We launched the Making Waves Salon series, a virtual platform that kept meaningful conversations alive when we needed them most. These 175 salons, held over Zoom, became a lifeline for engagement, connecting people across Santa Barbara and beyond with essential ideas.
Now,we’rebringingTEDxSantaBarbara back to where it belongs – in the heart of our community. This year, we’re hosting four live Salons at the Santa Barbara Public Library, offering a space for in-person connection, dialogue, and inspiration. These events are more than just talks; they are opportunities to rebuild community, spark collaboration, and inspire action.
Alongside our Salons, we are thrilled
Montecito Tide Guide
Fri, Apr 4
to bring TED Live to Santa Barbara, an exclusive event where attendees can experience the globally renowned TED Conference in real-time. This event, which will take place on April 19th at the Faulkner Gallery in the Santa Barbara Public Library, will enable our community to engage with innovative ideas and leading global thinkers without leaving town, further establishing Santa Barbara as a hub for innovation and progressive discussions.
Why does this matter? Ideas drive progress. Santa Barbara faces significant challenges – climate change, housing issues, technological disruption – and these discussions guide us toward the future with knowledge, creativity, and hope. TEDxSantaBarbara isn’t just an event; it’s a catalyst for change, empowerment, and community connection.
So, as we step into this new chapter, we invite you to join the conversation. Your voice matters whether you attend a Salon, watch a talk, or share an idea. Let’s continue to make waves together.
For more information on our upcoming events, visit https://TEDxSantaBarbara.com
Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Jessica Sutherland, Joe DeMello
Contributing Editor | Kelly Mahan Herrick
Proofreading | Helen Buckley
Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz
Contributors | Scott Craig, Ashleigh Brilliant, Chuck Graham, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye, Elizabeth Stewart, Beatrice Tolan, Leana Orsua, Jeffrey Harding, Tiana Molony, Houghton Hyatt, Jeff Wing Gossip | Richard Mineards
History | Hattie Beresford
Humor | Ernie Witham
Our Town/Society | Joanne A Calitri
Health/Wellness | Ann Brode, Deann Zampelli
Travel | Jerry Dunn, Leslie Westbrook
Food & Wine | Melissa Petitto, Gabe Saglie, Jamie Knee
Published by:
Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC
Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108.
How to reach us: (805) 565-1860; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108; EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net
BUILDING FINE HOMES IN SANTA BARBARA SINCE 1989
NEW HOMES, ADDITIONS & REMODELS
LYNCH CONSTRUCTION, INC. P.O. BOX 20183 SANTA BARBARA, CA 93120 805-451-3459 | BLYNCHCONSTRUCTION@GMAIL.COM WWW.LYNCHCONSTRUCTIONSB.COM | LICENSE #596612
Please contact us to see how we can help you or to provide a second opinion.
Jerrad Burford
Senior Vice President
Our Town Artist Patricia Iglesias Peco & SBMA Exhibition
by Joanne A Calitri
PJames Glisson, Lauren Karazija, and Patricia Iglesias Peco with Lavinia Mariposa (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
Jeanine J. Burford
atricia Iglesias Peco (born in 1974, Buenos Aires, Argentina) is part of the SBMA’s current exhibition featuring Latin Women. Titled Accretion, the exhibit is curated by Lauren Karazija, SBMA Curatorial Assistant of Contemporary Art. In her interview with me on the exhibit, Karazija explained, “Accretion celebrates the rich diversity of Latina experiences, moving beyond and eschewing any singular, simplistic narratives. The exhibition’s title, signifying gradual accumulation, reflected the layered realities of historical, cultural, temporal, and personal that shape Latina identity. These layers, much like geological strata, build upon one another, yet are subject to erosion and change. Artists weave together disparate elements, creating complex wholes that nonetheless are undermined or called into question by the inherent tension and complexities of their constituent parts. Whether through material or ideological disruption, the works in Accretion mirror the ebb and flow of cultural inheritance, of ideas and identities, emphasizing art’s crucial role in empowering Latina artists to cultivate space, rewrite narratives and promote inclusion.”
I attended the “In Conversation” program with Peco and Karazija at the SBMA Mary Craig Auditorium and met with Peco afterwards. Chief Curator James Glisson secured for the SBMA the purchase of Peco’s Lavina Mariposa, 2024, oil on panel, which is in the exhibit.
During the convo, Peco was candid, upbeat, and unyielding to persuasion by questions from Karazija. Peco is her own woman and artist. She began studying art at 15 under mentors Pablo Edelstein (Argentina) and Philip Pavia (Italy) who defined her way of seeing, working and, ultimately, producing art. Peco, “Pablo taught me both sculpture and drawing, and to have a sense of the spirit in the drawing, art needs to be felt. What moves Pablo and me is color guiding shape, and to be truthful to yourself as an artist.”
Her muse, she explained, is one that explores and prefers the unknown, Peco adding, “When I moved to Los Angeles in 2019 there was so much nature around that I did not have before, so I painted nature, flowers, and animals, wild things coming in and out of my paintings. There needs to be tension in my work, I like the viewer to complete my paintings. I don’t sketch, which is why color is so important to me, it dictates the work. I make a paper with a recipe of the colors I am interested to use in a painting. There is something primal about paint. And sometimes when I paint what I am feeling, it is not pretty. It’s an exploration, it may be incomplete. I don’t want to tell the viewer everything. I know when a painting is finished by instinct. In abstract painting there are no guidelines.”
Recent art by Peco is influenced by the Uruguayan poet and novelist Marosa di Giorgio. Topics are women-based, and include menstruation, sexuality, growth processes, sisterhood and, comparatively, the woman as a vessel, flowers, and elements in nature.
Financial Advisor
805-695-7108 jerrad.burford@ morganstanleypwm.com
Senior Vice President Financial Advisor 805-695-7109 jeanine.burford@ morganstanleypwm.com
The Burford Group at Morgan Stanley 1111 Coast Village Road Montecito, CA 93108 CRC 3976420 10/24
After the presentation, Peco, Glisson, Karazija and I met briefly at the colorful Lavina Mariposa painting for a photograph, and Peco agreed to an interview with me for our readers on her work:
Q. In your talk at the SBMA, you mentioned your passion at a young age for painting and art. Was this influenced by any women, women artists, or how women are depicted in art?
A. My first influence was my grandma, she was so colorful – not only her personality but the way she dressed and lived. She loved to draw and embroider, and she
Our Town Page 384
On Entertainment
Amanda McBroom: “The Rose” by any Other Name
by Steven Libowitz
The pop chestnut “The Rose” sold a million copies for Bette Midler, who sang the ballad in the 1979 movie of the same name and took home a Grammy award to boot. But it was Amanda McBroom that wrote the song that has become a classic, one that Conway Twitty covered for a No. 1 country hit, and that Westlife rode into the top of pops in the U.K., to name just a few.
“The Rose” also launched McBroom from a musical theater actress and budding pop singer into a much-cherished cabaret star, not to mention record company owner. So you’d think it’s the one most people know her for. Nope.
That would be her role that came a decade later as JAG Captain Phillipa Louvois in a single episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called “The Measure of a Man.”
“I get much more fan mail from that than from anything else that I’ve ever done in my life,” McBroom said with a laugh from her longtime home in Ojai. “I’m actually going to a Star Trek convention in Las Vegas for the first time this year, because the episode is considered really high cotton in the Star Trek world, and it’s the subject of an entire day.”
Nowadays, cabaret is completely her calling card, not parts on TV shows – though of course she wouldn’t turn down a guest shot on The White Lotus. Although she has traveled and performed all over the world, surprisingly, after nearly 30 years in Ojai, McBroom is just now making her Santa Barbara debut in a benefit concert for the Center for Successful Aging (CSA) at the Marjorie Luke Theatre on March 30.
“Nobody had asked me before,” she said. “I’m just delighted to finally stick my foot in your door.”
Q. You got popular doing musical theater and are now known as one of the great cabaret-style singers, one who does standards and show tunes but also many of your own songs. How did you get started composing?
A. My husband [George Ball] and I were on the road doing one of the national tours of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well. One night when he was working, I picked up my guitar because I was something of a folkie, and something came out. I didn’t know if it was anything. But I played it for George when he got home and he said, you just wrote a song and it’s really good. I just kept on doing it as a hobby. I never intended for it to be a profession.
Apparently, good songs just come to you. That was the case with “The Rose,” right? Yes. I was driving on the 101, and a song called “Magdalena” came on the radio. One of the lines said, “Your love is like a razor. My heart is just a scar,” which I thought was great. But then I realized that I don’t think love is a razor. What do I think love is? And the next thing I know there it was, the whole song. I didn’t write it, it wrote me. I always say I’m just the window that happened to be open when this one wanted to come through. It’s like there’s some huge pool of inspiration floating around in the sky above us, and every once in a while it finds a way in.
Did you pull off the road to write it down?
Amanda McBroom’s cabaret is coming to Marjorie Luke on March 30 (courtesy photo)
fine properties represented by
Daniel Encell
•Graduate of UCLA School of Law and former attorney (with training in Real Estate law, contracts, estate planning, and tax law)
•D edicated and highly trained full-time support staff
•An expert in the luxury home market
Remember, It Costs No More to Work with The Best (But It Can Cost You Plenty If You Don’t)
www.DanEncell.com
Two
Stunning Properties
815 Hot Springs Road
Nestled on an extremely private parcel in one of Montecito’s most coveted locations, this exceptional property offers the perfect balance of privacy, serenity, and breathtaking ocean/ island and mountain views. Set on a 2+ acre, gently sloping usable lot, this estate provides an expansive canvas for outdoor living, surrounded by magnificent trees and mature landscaping, while maintaining complete tranquility.
$16,500,000
109 Rametto Road
Reminiscent of Hollywood’s ‘’Golden Era,’’ this magnificent 1920’s Montecito estate boasts breathtaking ocean/island views and embodies a rare blend of stunning architecture and unmatched quality. Featuring grand public areas, bedrooms, libraries, and offices. With 10 fireplaces and 14 baths, every facet of this residence exudes regal splendor.
$15,750,000
Dan Encell “The Real Estate Guy” Phone: (805) 565-4896
Email: danencell@aol.com DRE #00976141
Petite Wine Traveler
Why Pinot Noir Belongs in Your Glass This Spring (and Summer)
by Jamie Knee
As a wine lover, writer, and wine travel media personality, there are few things I enjoy more than discovering wines that surprise and delight – and pinot noir continues to be one of those wines that never gets old. While I typically reach for a glass of pinot during cozy fall evenings, the Global Blind Taste Challenge at this year’s World of Pinot Noir reminded me that this grape isn’t just for sweater weather. Pinot noir has range and it’s ready to be your go-to wine this spring and summer.
Living and writing in Santa Barbara Wine Country, I’m surrounded by world-class pinot noir regularly. But the World of Pinot Noir – a seaside celebration that brings together top producers from around the globe – offered a fresh perspective. Tasting pinot noirs from diverse regions side-by-side made one thing crystal clear: climate is everything when it comes to this grape.
I’m always fascinated by the way a wine reflects where it’s grown, and pinot noir might be the most expressive of them all. The blind tasting highlighted how dramatically this varietal changes character – depending on whether it’s from a cool or warm climate.
Wine Traveler Page 324
Spirituality Matters Diving into Deep Resilience
by Steven Libowitz
Veteran Santa Barbara meditation leader Radhule Weininger ’s Mindful Heart Programs has launched a new series for those who want to build their inner resilience via lecture, discussion, and connections with others and the natural world.
The seven-step Deep Resilience program was catalyzed by the turbulent times we are living in, when many of us need more than basic self-care. Whether we are living with personal challenges, wanting to stay present and engaged with our wounded world, or are concerned about the health and well-being of future generations, the new program is designed to elevate our ability to cope with the things we cannot control.
Deep Resilience is meant to go beyond typical self-care practices to reduce stress in the moment and restore our energy when we are outside the stressful situation, Weininger explained in an email.
“Self-care 1.0 is invaluable and, indeed, essential; but it is simply not enough given the tsunami of suffering
so many of us are experiencing. We need ‘Self-care 2.0’ – deep resilience.”
The ongoing online program, which takes place every Wednesday night at 7 pm, began in mid-March, but enters a new phase starting April 2 when the first meeting of the month will be a sit spot check-in, followed by two weeks of lecture and discussion, before the fourth week offers meditation teaching and practice.
“Deep resilience means realizing that we are indivisible and indispensable parts of a bigger ecosystem than our individual lives and that the quality of our life and the well-being of others depends on this,” reads the program description. “Deep resilience brings us into a sense of depth and meaning and fosters sustainable compassionate action. These days, where forces of divisiveness and fear appear at times to have the upper hand, deep resilience, which in its essence means remembering that we are all kin, and then acting on this, is deep resistance.”
Weininger is joined by four other teachers in leading the course, including her husband – palliative care
Spirituality Page 204
A glass of pinot isn’t just for the fall season
Happy National Doctors’ Day
FROM COTTAGE HEALTH
Honoring physicians for their compassionate care, dedicated service and commitment in providing high-quality healthcare to patients in our communities.
Learn more at cottagehealth.org
LONDON’S GROUNDBREAKING CHINEKE! ORCHESTRA MAKES ITS U.S. WEST COAST DEBUT!
Championing Change & Celebrating Diversity in Classical Music
London’s trailblazing Black and ethnically diverse Chineke! Orchestra will perform a visionary program of works by Black composers, plus Haydn’s beloved Trumpet Concerto.
“Chineke! is not only an exciting idea but a profoundly necessary one. The kind of idea which is so obvious that you wonder why it is not already in place. The kind of idea which could deepen and enrich classical music in the UK for generations. What a thrilling prospect!”
PROGRAM: VALERIE COLEMAN: Seven O’Clock Shout
AVRIL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR: A Sussex Landscape
FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN: Trumpet Concerto in E‑flat Major
BRIAN RAPHAEL NABORS: Pulse for Orchestra
SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR: Symphony in A Minor
Sponsors: Edward S. DeLoreto • Mahri Kerley • The Shanbrom Family Foundation
Co-Sponsors: Deborah & Peter Bertling • Elizabeth & Andrew Butcher • Stephen Cloud
–Sir Simon Rattle
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY COTTAGE HOSPITAL
SANTA BARBARA COTTAGE HOSPITAL
GOLETA VALLEY COTTAGE HOSPITAL
Dr. David Vierra Chief of Staff
Dr. Julie Chacko Vice Chief of Staff
Dr. Bryan Emmerson Secretary/Treasurer
Dr. Anne Rodriguez Chief of Staff
Dr. Eric Amador Secretary/Treasurer
Dr. Michael Shenoda Vice Chief of Staff
Dr. Robin Knauss Secretary/Treasurer
Dr. Nels Gerhardt Chief of Staff
Dr. Christopher Hutton Vice Chief of Staff
Vimbayi Kaziboni Aaron Azunda Akugbo
No, I just kept reciting the words over and over to myself while I was driving. And then when I got home, I ran past my husband who was watching football and sat down at the piano. Maybe 20 minutes later, it was done. I played it for him, and he simply said “You just wrote a standard. Mark my words.” I thought he was crazy, but he was right. It eventually became a miracle in my life.
Were you ready for what happened after Bette Midler had the hit?
No! It was terrifying. I was really happy doing television and musical theater… I was not ready for the world to look at me as a songwriter rather than as a performer. But doing cabaret let me get out of the spandex and the red corset and put on a tuxedo and go sing in nightclubs. I was wanting to promote my own CDs, but it took over my life.
How has your relationship to the song evolved over the years?
I think it’s deepened just because I’ve gotten smarter, just because my wisdom has expanded and also performing it so often for so many people. It resonates it more and more strongly with me. And then I love hearing other people sing it.
Do you ever get tired of singing “The Rose”?
No, never. It means so much to so many people. I can watch people singing along, or wiping their eyes or reaching out and holding hands with their loved ones. The miracle of the song for me is how deeply it touches people. I’ll do it as long as I have the pipes.
The Marjorie Luke show is called “Let’s Fall in Love.” What will you be singing?
The wonderful thing about cabaret is that you can do anything you want that isn’t rock and roll. It’s the catchall refrigerator… I love doing romantic stuff, and it’s springtime, and this is supposed to be an evening that makes people happy… I’m singing my favorite classics and songs that I have written alone or with my partner Michele Brourman [who will accompany McBroom with Larry Tuttle on bass]. There will be songs that people know – Cole Porter, Gershwin and Sondheim – so they won’t be frightened when they hear the new material. We want to make people chuckle too, so there’s some funny stuff, and a couple of good little tearjerkers. It’s like the Disneyland E-ticket ride of cabaret.
The concert is a benefit for the CSA. How have you responded to aging? What’s changed for you over time?
I like to say that as you grow older, you exchange wisdom for muscle tone. I’m much more discriminating now. I used to just welcome everybody to my door, but I am more selective about letting people into my life. I haven’t slowed down, but I’m more picky about projects that I create or that I want to be a part of. My life isn’t as scattershot as it used to be. I’m getting smarter. And honestly, I don’t have the energy I used to have. But I seem to be still putting on the show and getting out there. So I would call myself a successful ager at the moment.
We all get older. It’s a question of how you decide to deal with it? Are you going to get depressed about it? Are you going to let it paralyze you? Are you going to try to develop a new chapter in your life? Are you going to try to stay positive? Because that’s always the battle.
Any new chapters for you?
My old chapter’s still doing pretty well, but I’m starting to really ponder doing more teaching so I can pass some of this knowledge along. It’s wonderful to be immersed in the energy of young people in a master class, and I’m always surprised to realize what I know. Maybe it will be helpful. It’s like a good deed in the naughty world.
Predominantly I show performers how to be comfortable on stage and how to tell a story. People get lost in the groove or the music, and they forget that these are just stories set to music. My husband gave me the most valuable performance mantra ever – just stand still and tell the truth. Cabaret is definitely about being yourself. You can turn into one of the characters when you’re singing a song, but between songs, you’ve got to be you.
Winning Love with ‘Crazy Mama’
Sharon MaHarry burst through the proverbial glass ceiling in 1981 when she was named the first female creative director at Young & Rubicam, the advertising agency that helped to inspire Mad Men. It was quite an achievement for the copywriter, whose life had suddenly taken a challenging turn at eight when she came home from school to find her mother in the middle of a knife-wielding psychotic breakdown.
Entertainment Page 284
ACTION TEAM
26,280,000 minutes
438,000 hours 18,263 days
600 months
50 years ago... ...we started our journey of creating meaningful, lasting impact with and across the Central Coast.
montecito.bank
In Passing
Sandra Nelle Ventress: October 30, 1962 – March 22, 2024
winter clearance
and hospice physician and author Michael Kearney . The course covers one of the seven steps in each of the teaching sessions. Hybrid in-person/Zoom sessions are planned for the future, and recordings of previous sessions and additional materials are available on the website. Admission to the program, like nearly all of Mindful Heart’s offerings, is by donation. Visit www.mindfulheartprograms.org/ deep-resilience
Truth Mandala for Troubled Times
Dharma teacher Deborah Eden Tull , who has conducted several workshops and retreats in Santa Barbara over the years, is hosting – on Sunday, March 30 – a donation-based community ritual in response to our increasing collective uncertainty. The Truth Mandala – part of Joanna Macy ’s “Work that Reconnects” framework for personal and social change – is a ritual for honoring our grief, anxiety, anger, hope and love for the world, for those who feel called to come together in compassionate community.
“I’ve practiced this ritual for decades and believe in the power of coming together consciously to grieve, metabolize our feelings, and allow conscious response to arise from a place of healing, beyond reactivity,” Eden Tull writes on her website. “I feel more certain than ever about the power of practice and the medicine [that] meditation has to offer in these times in response to the deluge of bad news, chaos, and unpredictability happening in the U.S. and the world.”
The Truth Mandala provides a simple, respectful, whole group structure for owning and honoring our pain for the world. The practice emerged in 1990 at a large workshop near Frankfurt on the first anniversary of
FOUNDATION REPAIRS
• FLOOR LEVELING
• QUALITY REMODELING
• FOUNDATION REPLACEMENTS
• EARTHQUAKE RETROFITTING
• DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
• RETAINING WALLS
• FRENCH DRAINS – WATERPROOFING
• SITE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
• UNDERPINNINGS – CAISSONS
• STRUCTURAL CORRECTION WORK
• CONCRETE DRIVEWAYS
805.698.4318 billjdalziel@gmail.com
FREE INSPECTION
William J. Dalziel
Lic#B311003 – Bonded & Insured
the reunification of East and West Germany. Macy had planned a different activity but noticed how the official reunification celebrations had triggered painful and unprocessed emotions in the workshop’s participants. Recognizing the importance of people having the chance to allow, express, and process their feelings without turning on one another, she abandoned her original plan and the Truth Mandala was born.
The roughly two-hour ritual creates a brave space for all to experience, witness and optionally express your feelings about the world, as well as your personal life.
The 4:30-6:30 pm Zoom gathering has a suggested donation of $0-25. Register at https://tinyurl.com/Truth-Mandala
Eden Tull also offers a free weekly online drop-in meditation class called “Remembering the Already Awakened State” every Tuesday at 10 am. The class is to support presence, embodiment, and conscious community. Her annual summer retreat – Relational Mindfulness: A Path to Personal and Collective Awakening, which explores the nine principles and practices as a path for cultivating greater peace, understanding, joy, resilience, and freedom within ourselves and our world – takes place July 7-11 at Esalen Institute.
Visit www.deborahedentull.com
Krishnamurti Center Update
The center in Ojai – dedicated to the research and teachings of the Indian philosopher, speaker, writer, and spiritual figure – is facing a defining moment in its decade-long preparations to expand its facilities. The aim has long been to create a space where serious inquiry and deep study of Krishnamurti’s teachings can flourish. The issue is that the center can currently accommodate only six overnight guests and lacks a dedicated space to serve meals, which can be an essential component of fostering meaningful dialogue and community.
Just as the center launched its capital campaign to fund the expansion, an unexpected opportunity arose; the possibility of purchasing the fully functioning five-acre Ojai Retreat Center, which borders 150 acres of open space owned by the Krishnamurti Foundation. While the property presents an immediate solution to most of the expansion needs (and handily bypasses the difficult process of new construction), the window to act may be closing as the property may be on the open market soon.
The Foundation is seeking “visionary partners who recognize the enduring significance of Krishnamurti’s teachings” to help in the effort to raise $4.5 million to complete the purchase.
Visit www.kfa.org
Brilliant Thoughts
Don’t Stop
by Ashleigh Brilliant
If you’ve ever played Monopoly – you know there is something almost addictive about it. As is the case with life itself, it combines a certain amount of skill with a great deal of chance. The skill derives from decisions you make about the acquisition and development of real estate and utilities. The luck depends on the tossing of dice, and on the drawing, or being dealt, certain cards which may or may not have good news for you about your financial fortune. A token representing each player moves from marked locations around the edges of a square board. Most spaces have the names of streets. One corner space is marked “GO!,” and nearly every time you pass, it brings a bounty of $200. But sometimes you may draw a “Go to Jail” card, which orders you, in stern terms, to “GO TO JAIL.” In case you thought you might at least pick up some cash on the way (since Jail is on the opposite corner from GO), the card adds, in words which may stay with you all your life; “GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL. DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT $200.”
Besides this iconic Game board, another image – one so familiar it may be called a part of our cultural heritage – is the red and white, eight-sided STOP sign to be seen at most intersections. Usually it is ignored by pedestrians, except to give them the opposite message: when traffic in the roadway is halted by the sign, it may make it a little safer for them to cross.
I didn’t learn to drive a car until I was in my early twenties, having then just migrated to Southern California from England, where my family never had a car.
Suddenly I was living in Los Angeles, which had long been known to be the World’s Most Motorized City. To me, this was such a startling phenomenon that, a few years later, when I became a Graduate Student at the University of California at Berkeley and had to choose a topic for my PhD dissertation, I concocted a topic which had apparently never before been explored – the Social Effects of the Automobile in the L.A. Area.
As a recent immigrant, though, I first had to take driving lessons. I had never taken traffic signs very seriously – but one thing I remember my instructor harping on from the very beginning was that “A STOP SIGN MEANS STOP!” There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Little did I dream then that years later one of my friends, who was very creative artistically, contrived what he called a piece of “sculpture,” consisting of an actual STOP sign (I don’t know where he got it) on a base of roller-skating WHEELS. It wasn’t hard to think of a title for it: “STOP AND GO.”
Strangely enough, that term has itself become a description, often used by traffic reporters, to characterize the halting, rush hour movement on those highways which originated in California. These thoroughfares are called – ironically, it seems –“Freeways.” The general idea, of course, was simple enough. This splendid innovation, the highway, had replaced interruptive cross streets with elevated bridges, and featured no traffic lights, and no pedestrians. Under these unimpeded conditions, traffic should always flow smoothly. The first of these, which connected Los Angeles with Pasadena, opened in 1940, and was named the “Arroyo Seco Parkway.”
But, as with other supposed improvements of urban life, the very popularity of the new freeways proved to be their undoing. The rush-hour overcrowding sometimes led to clogging so serious that it brought traffic to a complete stop.
Hence the continued prevalence of the term “stop and go” for that kind of intermittent delay.
When I was still a new driver, I was arrested for failing to stop. It wasn’t at a STOP sign or traffic light – but at an occupied pedestrian crossing. I had to appear in a courtroom, and with nothing to say in my own defense was given the penalty of $30, or one day in jail. No doubt most people would have chosen to pay the fine, but I thought a day in prison would be interesting. It was, but not in ways I expected. I learned that any part of a day counts as a whole day. So I was released just after midnight, and my real penalty was finding myself alone and miserable, wandering the deserted streets of downtown Los Angeles.
Ashleigh Brilliant born England 1933, came to California in 1955, to Santa Barbara in 1973, to the Montecito Journal in 2016. Best-known for his illustrated epigrams, called “Pot-Shots,” now a series of 10,000. email: ashleigh@west. net. web: www.ash leighbrilliant.com.
“A seriously sensational spectacle: as aesthetic as it is athletic, as comedic as it is grave, and all in all, a visceral delight.”
The Conversation (Australia)
“Impressive and sophisticated contemporary New Circus at its best.” Berlin Morning Post (Germany)
“There’s something generous about Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. It’s there in the dancing – full of skill, passion and a charismatic warmth.” The Guardian (U.K.)
“Every American owes it to him or herself to see the Ailey company perform Revelations. It is an American phenomenon.”
– Oprah Winfrey
“GIGENIS is Khan’s most potent effort in years. The storytelling is impeccably clear.”
The New York Times
Akram Khan
GIGENIS, the generation of the Earth Akram Khan, Director and Choreographer Thu, Apr 10 / 7:30 PM / Granada Theatre
The Way It Was Pictures Worth a Thousand Words
by Hattie Beresford
Santa Barbara has drawn photographers to its sunny climate, beautiful landscape, and charming architecture for over 150 years. Starting in the early 1870s with its first resident photographers, E. J. Hayward and Henry Muzzall, at least 11 photographers had set up shop by 1900. They documented the Mission and the adobes and the views from the mountains. They created stereopticons of the Chinese in Chinatown, the Big Grapevine in Montecito, and horseback excursions along West Beach. Today, these images provide a visual historical record of Santa Barbara’s unique past.
By the 1920s, a new group of photographers had replaced the early pioneers, and a new age of photography entered
the Santa Barbara scene. While documentation continued to provide “butter and egg” work for photographers, several of them were also proponents of Pictorialism. They believed that photography was an art form, and that pictorial beauty should be the goal of the photographer. James Walter Collinge, whose work is the subject of the latest Santa Barbara Historical Museum exhibit, created atmospheric portraits and images using soft focus techniques and manipulation of development and printing processes and materials to express his unique artistry.
Born in Montana in 1883, Collinge bounced from town to town and state to state due to his father’s work for the railroads. His interest in photography was fostered when he worked for a photographer in Oregon.
By 1906, Collinge was married and lived in Southern California. In 1921, he and his family left Pomona, where he had co-owned a stationery store, and came to Santa Barbara to fulfill his
Way It Was Page 344
Hayward and Muzzall began photographing Santa Barbara scenes in the 1870s and have left us with a visual record of places, people, and scenes from years ago. This stereopticon shows a Chinese woman in traditional dress in the late 1800s. (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
Portrait of James Walter Collinge (photo courtesy of Brad Bayley)
Elizabeth’s Appraisals Top Ten Best Unexpected Finds
by Elizabeth Stewart
Among the best advice for discovering a hidden valuable is to go through the handbags in an older woman’s closet! I am often called to a home to appraise a specific object or group of valuables, but often I will discover something completely unrelated. Here are a few of these discovery stories:
1. A newspaper clipping of a Charlie Brown comic strip from the 1980-90s, signed by Charles Schulz.
Outcome: I found the “right” auction house for signed ephemera: R&R Auctions sold it for 5-figures.
2. A 10” tall cylinder-form woven basket used for 20 years as an office wastebasket. Outcome: Called to appraise the roll top desk (which was worth $300), I saw the 1920s Makah/Nootka (Native American) Northwest Coast basket underneath on the floor. My client, a retired school administrator, took the trip of a lifetime to the Makah Reservation in Neah Bay, Washington (Northwestern Vancouver Island) to give it back to the People.
3. A small (3x4x2.5”) ovoid-shaped silver bowl on an oval pedestal, with a blue glass liner, used for paper clips.
Outcome: This was discovered to be a 1770 ‘open salt cellar’ by one of England’s earliest female silversmiths, Hester Bateman (1708-94), a notable 18th century entrepreneur who founded a major workshop which she passed to her son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and great-grandson. An open salt is a little bowl used at a formal table to hold salt, a commodity in the 18th century (this was before the salt shaker). We sold this salt cellar at Christies for $800.
4. A strange turquoise vase in a matte glaze featured a nude female draped
around the bulbous form was stored in a potting shed in Montecito.
Outcome: Considered hideous by the client, it was art pottery by husband-and-wife Artus and Anne Van Briggle who, in 1901, founded Van Briggle Pottery in Colorado Springs; the oldest continuously operating art pottery studio in the Nation. They named IT the ‘Lorelei’ vase, crafted in a distinctly American Art Nouveau style. We sold it to “Just Art Pottery” for $750.
5. Thought to be a child’s 4th grade kiln class pottery, a strange, glazed stoneware charger with an image of a stylized feline was in the client’s garage in the box for Goodwill.
Outcome: A photo sent to the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Upper Ojai confirmed it was a 1960s work by the Dadaist artist Beatrice Wood (18931998), a famed studio potter in the collection of many museums (notably the Smithsonian). My client donated it to the Beatrice Wood Center, and I wrote him a Federal Income Tax deduction appraisal for $1,800. A telling marking: Wood’s pottery is signed “Beato.”
6. A homely table lamp featuring a cast metal figure of a Grecian style phoenix bird, 42” tall, in the crate going to Destined for Grace Thrift in Goleta.
Outcome: Turned out to be a 1950s creation of a favorite of the mid-century design world, William (Billy) Haines, the #1 Hollywood box office star of 1930 who became Hollywood’s premier interior decorator. We sold it at Wright, in Chicago –one of the nation’s premier auction houses for modernist decorative art, furniture, and fine art. The lamp sold for $5,400.
7. A large, loudly colored late 1970s floral needlepoint wall-hanging – signed illegibly and titled Playful Leaves – was thought to be a creation by my client’s late great-aunt, an amateur needlewoman. My client hated it and begged her son to take it.
Outcome: My client’s son discovered it was Latin American textile art by important 1970-80s artist-designer Jorge Cravo. We sold it at Los Angeles Modern Auctions for four figures.
8. If you have kids, you probably have a costume basket. My client’s contained a tri-corner hat in black felt with a rosette cockade and silver button, worn by a youngster as the topper for his Napoleon costume.
Outcome: It was a “Chapeau de Bras” from the Mexican War era (184049) and sold at Cowan’s Auctions in Cincinnati for $920.
9. A pheasant taxidermy mount, twobirds on a log, 21x38”, thought to be an invaluable (yet moth-eaten) antique, was passed down from client’s grandfather.
Outcome: No one will buy taxidermy today; it was reluctantly accepted as a donation to a Natural History Museum.
10. A Father Christmas vintage windup doll, 29,” whose head nodded up and down (thanks to interior mechanical workings), was inherited from German relatives in the 1960s.
Outcome: The German clockwork “Noddy” with a composition face and open/shut eyes sold for over $2,500 at Pook & Pook’s Toy Auction in Pennsylvania.
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
This Van Briggle vase was found tucked away in a potting shed
Melora Hardin March 12-23
Jorja Fox March 12-16
Thomas Sadoski March 12-16
Matt Walsh March 12-16
Gildart Jackson March 18-23
Gina Torres March 18-23
James Urbaniak March 18-30
Joshua Malina March 18-23
Rob Huebel March 25-30
John Ross Bowie March 25-30
Jane Lynch March 25-30
Pete Gardner March 12-16
Sharon Lawrence March 12-30
Loni Love March 25-30
“You grow up pretty quickly when that happens,” she said.
More than four decades later, Sharon – now known as Sharon Scott Williams following her 2023 marriage to famed Happy Days star and veteran TV director Anson Williams, and in the very Ojai home the blushing bride/realtor® had sold him a decade earlier – is set to experience another breakthrough. I’m referring, of course, to the world premiere of Crazy Mama: A True Story of Love & Madness, the one-woman show she wrote based on her memoir of her relationship with her mother. The story covers decades of her family’s struggle with her mom’s mental illness, including a time when her mother believed she was a special agent with the FBI who got her orders through the microwave oven.
“It was like somebody had taken over her body,” Williams recalled.
The memoir has won awards, including from the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, but remains unpublished, although many of the essays have appeared in magazines and literary journals.
“I was too chicken to publish it because it’s very difficult when you pull back the curtain on your family to reveal all the secrets inside,” Williams said. “But it’s better to do it this way, because I could never imagine anything more compelling than what we’re doing with this play.”
That’s partly because Crazy Mama is very much a family affair. Anson not only helped fashion the stories into a theatrical piece for the first-time playwright, he’s also directing the debut, which performs at Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre from March 28 to April 13.
“I’m just so proud of Sharon,” he said. “The script is truly a powerhouse; Pulitzer Prizematerial. Having a collaborator like Sharon is incredible, nothing but smooth sailing, and it’s brought a whole other level to our relationship. This all came out of love.”
That connection is what let Sharon relax into letting the material from the memoir out into the world in a big way.
“Because this story is so deeply personal for me, it was easier for me to put it in Anson’s hands because of our relationship,” she said. “I trust him implicitly, and I knew he was going to do a phenomenal job. The whole experience has just made me love him more.”
The family extends to actress Linda Purl, the Rubicon veteran Anson has known since she was part of the cast for the first season of Happy Days. Purl will be taking on the 16 characters in the one-woman show – everything from Sharon at all ages, to her father, brother, a cop, and many more characters.
“Linda has everything needed for the part, including the physicality,” Anson said. “We really didn’t trust anyone else to be able to pull this off.”
Crazy Mama deals with a difficult subject, but there’s also plenty of humor and a whole lot of heart.
“It’s sensitive material, but it’s done with just such compassion and laughter and tears and hope,” Anson said. “It breaks down barriers. It entertains. It educates. It shows you’re not alone. It all comes down to two words: love wins.”
Married duo Anson and Sharon Scott Williams bring Linda Purl (center) to the stage to tell of Sharon’s upbringing (photo by Matt Baker)
Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage
Fri, Apr 11 / 7 PM / Hahn Hall
Alexi Kenney, violin
Ayane Kozasa, viola
Gabriel Cabezas, cello Paul Wiancko, cello
“With Owls, classical is alive and well.”
The New York Times
Performing a wide-ranging program of folk, Baroque and new music, Owls’ innovative approach to the quartet repertoire defies expectations.
Roots Rockin’ Southern Sisters
Larkin Poe
with special guest Parker Millsap
Sun, Apr 27 / 7 PM / Arlington Theatre
“Larkin Poe are your next favorite performers.” Forbes
With serious slide guitar chops and Southern rock swagger, Georgia-bred multiinstrumentalist sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell imbue their songs with equal parts soulful sensitivity and thrilling ferocity.
Hiromi’s Sonicwonder
Fri, Apr 25 / 8 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall
“One of jazz piano’s most brazenly virtuosic players.” The New York Times
Steeped in both the classical and jazz traditions, Hiromi is a keyboard visionary whose influences range from Chick Corea to Frank Zappa and funk fusion. Check your expectations at the door for this night of wildly adventurous music from her eclectic electric quintet.
West Coast Debut
The Giving List
SBC Search and Rescue
by Steven Libowitz
Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue (SBCSAR), established decades ago by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department to provide vital emergency search and rescue services for Santa Barbara County and surrounding areas, is an important first responder team for the community. The all-volunteer group of dedicated and highly trained search and rescue professionals is committed to providing critical assistance and support during any search and rescue operation. SBCSAR is capable of a wide range of search and rescue services, including search techniques, medical response, high-angle rescue, swiftwater rescue, and avalanche rescue.
Volunteers with SBCSAR are expected to be ready to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The team members are rigorously trained and physically fit, able to travel through a mountain environment in any weather for extended periods of time to offer skilled and compassionate assistance to those in distress. Since its inception, SBCSAR’s volunteers have spent thousands of hours honing their skills in all areas of rescue procedure.
That came in handy for many of the 22 “callouts” responded to by SBCSAR through mid-March this year, tasks which included conducting mandatory evacuations during the flooding, finding and assisting lost and injured hikers, locating and evacuating
a paraglider in distress, and making sure worryingly overdue bike riders returned home safely.
But SBCSAR was also instrumental in 16 other rescue scenarios over a single Saturday earlier this month. If that sounds like a dire local story you’re surprised at not having heard about by now, don’t worry that you missed the news: The scenarios were part of the Mountain Rescue Association’s annual reaccreditation event, hosted for the first time by Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue at the home base of Live Oak campground. The organization hosted 16 Southern California search and rescue teams whose turn it was to undergo re-evaluations in three critical areas of Search and Tracking, Technical Rock, and Snow and Ice.
In the event, host SBCSAR created simulated search operations involving a missing individual. The teams had to interview witnesses and reporting parties, form teams, develop plans, and deploy to locate and follow tracks. After locating the missing subject, team members conducted a full medical assessment, treated the subject’s “injuries,” and performed an extraction.
“We hosted 250 people from as far south as San Diego, and as far east as Inyo,” said Jennifer Beyer, SBCSAR rescue member and incident commander who runs the development committee. “We laid out the 16 different trails each with a different subject and medical scenario, spread out over the northern part of Santa Barbara County, the Santa Ynez Valley and the southern part of Santa Barbara’s front country. We had a Santa Barbara County Search
and Rescue person attend to support the teams, and different members doing the command and the communication so everybody could talk to one another in the backcountry. It was six months of planning and organization to get all this up and running and done.”
The weekend was not only a testament to SBCSAR’s ability to creatively host and challenge the 16 teams, but also an opportunity to observe everyone in action to enhance the organization’s own skills in providing its essential services.
“We got to see their tools, their equipment, their command posts, their trucks, how they set things up, how they plan, all of that,” Beyer said. “It’s a great exchange of knowledge. We saw how they deployed their teams, how they structured a rescue and the search itself – the things they looked for, what they chose to do first, how they did their medical assessment? There are some very, very strong teams from Southern California, so picking their brains is amazing for us. And I am always looking ahead for what new equipment might be coming out to make things lighter, faster, or more durable.”
In addition to its never-ending learning, SBCSAR also spends a lot of its energy educating the community on how to be safe when they’re exploring nature in the great outdoors, particularly in less densely populated areas. The organization provides training in navigation, communication, and those survival skills relevant to the challenging and dynamic mountain environments of Santa Barbara County.
But when people get in trouble anyway, SBCSAR’s professionals are always at the ready. One of this year’s more high-profile rescues involved an experienced paraglider who had an issue and knew he was going to crash and ended up injured off the trail.
“We worked with the Montecito Fire Department, locating him through only his phone with GPS coordinates, and then stabilizing his injuries when we got there,” Beyer said. “Then we helped evacuate him using a stretcher and a wheel before he was eventually taken by helicopter out to the hospital.”
A more mundane if much more typical rescue also took place in Montecito a few days after the Mountain Rescue Association event, Beyer said.
“There was an individual who went up to the three pools in the hiking trail in the hills and ended up enjoying his stay longer than he should have,” she said. “He didn’t have a light or a jacket, and when it got dark and he tried to find his way out, he couldn’t. So he called 911 at 11:55 pm and we had 12 responding members who made quick work of it. They accessed the trail, found him via GPS,
extractions to finding and assisting lost
hiked up, retrieved him, put him in warm clothing and walked him out. It was pretty remarkable.”
The rescue was provided at absolutely no cost to the “pool” man, just like every other service provided by SBCSAR – which not all community members realize. Such was the case when one of the team members was hiking Rattlesnake Canyon for fun earlier this year, and encountered a couple hiking back down, one of whom had an obvious knee injury.
“They were trying to self-extricate because she didn’t want to get charged for rescue, and she looked like she was in quite a bit of pain and struggling,” explained Jason Copus , SBCSAR’s Public Relations and Marketing Chair.
“Our team member was wearing one of our foundation hats and he told them there’s no charge to be rescued. You don’t want to get injured any worse. Just call 911 and our team will come and assist you and take you down. “
While the rescues are provided at no cost and everybody is a volunteer, running the organization isn’t free. SBCSAR is 100% self-funded and relies on generous donations from individuals and corporate sponsors to meet its operational needs, funds that also support continued team training, rescue equipment, and technology.
To help support SBCSAR or learn more about the organization, visit www.sbcsar.org
From
hikers, SBC Search & Rescue is on the job (courtesy photo)
Your Westmont Westmont Offers Grants for Climate Projects
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
In the last two summers, Westmont has hosted more than 100 evangelical students, professors and nationally recognized experts for conferences about Christian climate advocacy. The Faith. Climate.Action. Workshop, funded by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, now provides nearly $40,000 in grants to support sustainability initiatives for eight members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
“We’re excited to support projects designed to inspire meaningful, climate-positive behavior change within evangelical college/church communities,” says Janell Balmaceda, Westmont sustainability coordinator and garden manager. “By applying the skills learned during the Faith.Climate.Action. Workshop, these initiatives not only tackle real environmental issues but also foster deeper connections between faith and caring for God’s creation. We’re eager to see how these projects create lasting impact and strengthen sustainable practices on each campus.”
Trinity Western University’s Upcycling TWU project focuses on reducing energy consumption by purchasing solar panels, adding drying racks in dorms to reduce the use of clothes dryers, and donating bicycles to encourage less use of gas-powered vehicles. The $4,900 grant also raises campus-wide awareness about sustainable practices and the importance of reducing the university’s carbon footprint.
George Fox University, which received $4,800, is launching a plant-based diet campaign in partnership with a local church and their Peace Garden park.
Southeastern University received $4,460 to create composting stations in key areas such as the cafeteria, coffeehouse and residence halls. The initiative aims to reduce waste while educating students about the environmental impact of their choices. By accepting compostable
products at high-traffic areas and offering educational sessions, the project encourages long-term, climate-positive behaviors and fosters a deeper commitment to sustainability among students.
Westmont awarded $3,960 to Dordt University’s Faith and Science club plans to follow up its Climate Doubt Night with a Climate Action Night, providing practical information about addressing climate change and empowering concerned individuals. Building on the momentum of this event, the club will host a community book study on Saving Us by Katharine Hayhoe, inviting local churches and community members to read, learn and discuss climate change solutions together.
Cornerstone University aims to promote plant-based eating among students by working with the campus cafeteria and local farmers. The initiative, which earned a $4,823 grant, will focus on increasing plant-based and low-carbon meat options, creating signage to highlight sustainable food choices, and installing an indoor herb garden for student meals.
Biola University is using its $5,500 grant to raise awareness about climate change
Westmont Page 434
www.bayconstruction1inc.com | 805-453-0983 | Bayconstructiongc@gmail.com Residential, New Home Construction, Fencing, Closets, Kitchens, Decks, Balconies, Doors, and All Types of Remodels.
Meghan Webley, RDHAP
Amanda Sparkman and Janell Balmaceda led a climate workshop in the Westmont Garden
Balmaceda helped students plant stone fruit trees in the garden
In cooler climates like Santa Barbara’s coastal AVAs, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Germany’s Baden region, or Burgundy, the growing season is longer and more gradual. This slow ripening process helps grapes retain higher natural acidity and develop delicate, nuanced flavors. Pinots from these regions often showcase bright red fruits; cranberry, raspberry, and pomegranate alongside floral notes, soft tannins, and a fresh, elegant structure. They’re vibrant, layered, and incredibly food friendly.
By contrast, warmer climates, such as inland parts of California’s Russian River Valley, New Zealand’s Marlborough, or Australia’s Hunter Valley – tend to ripen grapes more quickly. This results in pinot noirs with darker fruit flavors like black cherry and plum, plus a richer texture and firmer tannins due to thicker skins. These wines often show more weight and sometimes a spicier, deeper profile.
These stylistic differences are exactly the kind of clues professional tasters look for when identifying where a pinot noir hails from, and they’re part of what makes exploring this grape so endlessly intriguing.
Let’s talk seasonality. Pinot noir isn’t
just a fall or winter wine. Its natural acidity, moderate alcohol, and silky texture make it a dream companion for spring dishes like grilled salmon, mushroom risotto, herb-laced pasta, and even lighter fare like roasted veggies or picnic charcuterie.
You can even give it a slight chill and enjoy it on warm afternoons, where it holds up beautifully; especially those cooler-climate styles. Pinot is versatile like that. Whether you’re dining alfresco, watching the sunset, or looking for a red that won’t weigh you down, pinot noir shows up and shows off.
Where to explore cool-climate pinot for springtime sipping? If you’re feeling inspired to sip globally (or locally), here are a few standout regions worth exploring:
- Santa Barbara County, California – Our home turf delivers everything from vibrant, coastal pinot in Sta. Rita Hills to earthy, expressive wines from Santa Maria Valley.
- Willamette Valley, Oregon – A benchmark for balance, structure, and savory elegance.
- Sonoma Coast, California –Known for refined pinots with coastal minerality and floral aromatics.
- Burgundy, France – The original pinot heartland. Complex, age-worthy, and always worth the exploration.
- Central Otago, New Zealand –Bold and bright, with high-elevation finesse and dark fruit charm.
Pinot noir is the wine that keeps me guessing and that’s exactly why I love it. It’s a shape-shifter, a storyteller, and a seasonal superstar. As we welcome longer days and warmer weather, pinot offers the kind of lively, expressive energy that makes every sip feel like a celebration of spring.
So pour yourself a glass, taste where it comes from, and let this elegant grape transport you – one region, one season, one delicious bottle at a time. Cheers to discovering, indulging, and celebrating – pinot-style.
Robert’s Big Questions
This All Started with Reagan?
by Robert Bernstein
Before Trump, many thought that Nixon was our worst president. Nixon lied strategically about starting a war that destroyed the idyllic country of Cambodia. He sabotaged the peace deal to end the U.S. war in Vietnam when Johnson was president. He used the IRS, FBI and CIA against people he didn’t like. He lied to cover up a series of illegal break-ins done on his behalf.
In contrast, Reagan used a different strategy. He lied every time he spoke. It was no longer news that he lied, and the important lies were buried in a heap of smaller lies. Sounds like Trump?
Reagan told us that trees and vegetation were the real source of air pollution and that trains were no more energy efficient than cars. His lies were very specific. If he said that vegetation causes 93% of the problem, could that be a lie? Yes.
He didn’t just lie. He fabricated. He talked of a woman in Chicago who had 80 aliases and collected $150,000 in public assistance. There was no such person.
He told Israeli Prime Minister Shamir that he was at the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps. Reagan never left Hollywood during WWII. He repeated the lie to Nazi hunter Wiesenthal.
60 Minutes showed how Reagan often confused movie scenes with reality. For Reagan, if a good story helped him achieve his aims, truth was irrelevant.
Reagan became obsessed with “Communism” in Central America, as if any liberal reforms were “Communism.” He funded death squads and dictators, leading directly to the recent border crisis.
destroy all government public services. He recorded a statement for the AMA that Medicare was “Communism.”
Trump’s first term left government services alone and even expanded them during COVID. But now he is going full Reagan.
Reagan was the first president who was a media personality, not a qualified public servant. He pioneered self-promotion. His team aimed to name something after him in every U.S. county.
The Reagan administration is still the winner when it comes to criminal indictments. 33 indictments and 27 convictions. He pardoned the worst criminals acting on his behalf. Setting the stage for Trump to do the same.
Trump fired all the watchdog inspector generals. Why not? Reagan did the same thing.
What about Trump’s racism? Reagan started his campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi – where civil rights workers had been murdered in 1964. Reagan spoke of “states’ rights.” In the South, that meant the “right” to persecute Blacks.
When Reagan was California governor, Patty Hearst’s kidnappers – the Symbionese Liberation Army – demanded food distribution to the poor. Reagan said, “It’s too bad we can’t have an epidemic of botulism.”
What about Trump’s calls for violence against his opponents? When students protested at UCSB Reagan said, “If it is necessary to have a bloodbath, let’s have it.”
Jamie Knee is a global wine communicator and travel writer, has hosted 100+ winemaker interviews, international wine judge, and holds multiple wine, sommelier, and educator certifications.
He illegally sold weapons to the Islamist dictators in Iran, then used that money to fund his Central America death squads and dictators. He also looked the other way as these terrorists ran drugs into the U.S. Nixon damaged trust in government and committed serious crimes. But there were public hearings. His own party was ready to impeach him. He was forced to resign in disgrace. Meaning there was accountability.
Reagan proved to be a bigger threat to our democracy: He got away with major lawbreaking and showed there would be no accountability. There is a direct line from his lawlessness to Trump’s current vandalism of our entire government.
Nixon was a Big Government Republican like Eisenhower, believing it provided essential public services. Reagan had one primary mission: to
Reagan went on TV claiming to be holding a report from the Alameda County District Attorney’s office about an orgy that took place in the Harmon Gym at Berkeley. Chancellor Clark Kerr tried to get the report. It didn’t exist. The event had never happened.
Remember Trump’s botched pullout from Afghanistan that was blamed on Biden? Reagan did it first in Lebanon after 241 troops died in a suicide bombing at the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut. Perhaps we need to understand this history to be sure we never allow it to happen again?
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
The World of Pinot Noir event that just took place is a global gathering of the producers of this versatile varietal
Two terrific new books centered around the Civil War are out. The first is Chris Bohjalian’s The Jackal’s Mistress, an unlikely love story between a wounded Yankee and a lonely Southern woman who is struggling after her husband is captured by the North. Libby can do nothing but help to save the seriously wounded soldier. She hopes some Northern woman would do the same for her husband. Libby risks everything when she shelters the Yank in her home, risking the lives of her feisty niece and a formerly enslaved couple who work with her. Bohjalian masterfully keeps his characters in constant peril as both sides of the war appear to be on the hunt for the wounded Yankee.
‘Zeal’
I
n Zeal – Morgan Jerkins’ powerful story of formerly enslaved people during the time of the Civil War – Harrison and Tirzah are in love, but were separated when he joined the Union Army, and she was taken to Louisiana. Now that the war is over, each takes steps to find the other, only to become thwarted time and again.
Stories Matter
Wartime Love, Mystery, and Popstars in Spring
by Leslie Zemeckis
This story spans over a hundred years in a family’s tale of the reverberations and cost of “freedom.” Jerkins is an excellent writer and the story will move your heart as you follow the star-crossed Harrison and Tirzah as they search for love.
‘The Stolen Child’
Out in paperback is The Stolen Child by Ann Hood. Nick is an American soldier fighting in France during WWI. A brief encounter with a talented artist will have lifelong consequences when Nick is forced to make a devastating choice. That choice will bring Jenny, a young waitress, into his life in pursuit of the answers to what happened almost 60 years prior. It is the end of life for Nick, who is dying – and the beginning for Jenny, who is searching for purpose. Set in France and Italy, this is a gorgeous, well-crafted story.
‘Gothictown’
Have you ever seen those ads that promise a perfect home for only $100 if you just relocate? Emily Carpenter takes this premise in Gothictown and turns it into a page-turning, creepy story. Billie and her family relocate from New York to a small Georgia town, moving into an incredible too-good-to-be-true home. That is when things begin to go weird. Her husband can’t sleep, her daughter has nightmares,
and Billie is drawn to a handsome neighbor. This Southern Gothic suspense builds to a heart-stopping climax.
‘Vera
Wong’s Guide to Snooping’
I’m particularly drawn to stories that dwell on “found families” as exemplified in Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man), starring her San Francisco-based sectarian tea shop owner and part-time sleuth. Sutanto delivers another madcap and witty adventure, Vera Wong playing the nosy, inquisitive Grandmother to all those she meets who are in trouble. Bringing together a disparate group of misfits (and possible suspects) to solve the murder of a popular TikTok influencer. So much heart and food in this one.
‘The
The Unlucky Ones is a gritty, fast-paced thriller by Hannah Morrissey set in the rough and tumble down of Black Harbor, Wisconsin; a place filled with drug addicts, criminals, and other assorted nefarious characters. Eight years prior, Hazel escaped her violent husband – but now she’s back in town after he is found brutally murdered. The detective on the case is none other than her former lover, Nikolai Kole, who still pines for her, setting in motion a whole lot of complications as Hazel’s life is threatened.
‘I’ll Love You Forever’
K-pop stars take center stage in Giaae Kwon’s debut novel, I’ll Love You Forever. Kwon writes about growing up as a K-pop mega fan, and what the trials and triumphs of all her favorite stars meant to her as an awkward, depressed young teen maturing into a woman looking for her place in the world. This collection of essays gives a real behind the scenes examination of K-pop’s artificially, and meticulously controlled stars, highlighting eating disorders, suicides and growing too old for K-pop. It’s both funny and poignant.
dream of making a living through photography. Almost immediately, the newspapers began using his photographs of yachting events. By 1924, he was giving exhibitions of his work at his studio on State Street. And by 1925, his reputation had begun to spread worldwide as galleries and salons and magazines exhibited his award-winning photos.
Pictorial Artistry
Collinge’s most famous pictorial photograph is titled The Fairy Ring and depicts a young woman posed in an extended arc holding aloft an enormous metal ring against an indistinguishable dark landscape. The model was Doris Humphrey, who was an early student of modern dance and had joined Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in their dance company before starting her own.
When the photo was exhibited in London in 1926, the reviewer said that the lines were delightful and the lighting exceptional and one hardly realized that the charm of the picture was largely
due to a nude figure. Another reviewer said that Collinge’s photo displayed “what may be called French Grace,” a concept that goes beyond meticulous craftsmanship and imbues the work with charm and beauty and insight.
Collinge’s pictorial photo Mission San Luis Rey reveals his use of light and dark and soft focus to create a profound sense of anticipation and mystery. The woman whose head is covered with a dark rebozo seems to be hurrying into the sliver of an opening, kicking her skirt in her haste. Collinge also hand-tinted photos, using a painterly technique to evoke a softness to the image. In Butterfly Beach, he used a few tones punctuated by the solid dark at right which separates the reflection on the sand from the sky. This photo is of a familiar scene, the view from Butterfly Beach looking back toward town.
As Collinge’s reputation continued to grow, his work appeared more and more often in magazines and reviews. His photo “Wine, or a Dance” was published in the July 1926 edition of Boston’s American Photography in which the reviewer from the Pittsburg Salon wrote,
“Here we have one of our new workers of last year, Mr. Collinge, who has repeated this year with a greatly improved exhibit. Of course, his ‘Cypress and Stone’ is a unique thing but his ‘Wine, or a Dance?’ is particularly strong and extremely wellnamed. The two couples at the table are
well arranged and tell a definite story.” Taken at Paseo Nuevo during Fiesta, Collinge has captured the staged flirtation between the couples.
The Story Behind a Picture
Labeled simply The Gift the photo shows a woman handing “a gift” to an elaborately costumed character. Evocative on its own, the history behind the models and the scene itself reveal an important piece of Santa Barbara’s past. The bejeweled and draped king is the artist Albert Herter, and the courtesan is the dancer Ruth St. Denis.
Herter was a world-renowned artist from a distinguished East Coast family who made Santa Barbara his home in 1913 and established an exclusive hotel he called “El Mirasol.” Herter was known for his mural work, two of which hang in the downtown library. Many others reside in state houses and other institutions throughout the world. Ruth St. Denis was a modern dance pioneer and was considered the first lady of modern dance. She and her partner, Ted Shawn, formed a dance company, Denishawn, and trained two local girls, Martha Graham and her sister Georgia. Ruth had been performing in Santa Barbara for years and was famous for her performances by the lotus pond of artist Charles Frederick Eaton’s estate in Montecito. (Later Lolita Armour’s El Mirador.)
In Santa Barbara, the Herters were involved in community affairs. Adele was a founder of the Community Arts music branch. Together they created the Community Christmas Tree (today’s Tree of Light) along with the pageantry and tableau vivant for the community celebration. Albert taught at the School of the Arts, and he created extravaganza benefit productions to raise monies to support the work of the Community Arts Association.
In The Fairy Ring, the model appears to be nude, but closer inspection reveals a bodysuit (gift of Edith Ogella)
American Photography, July 1926 (photo courtesy of H. Beresford)
Mission San Luis Rey (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
Butterfly Beach (photo courtesy of Brad Bayley.
Wine, or a Dance (photo courtesy of H. Beresford)
The Gift (photo courtesy of Peg Collinge)
Herter’s last extravaganza in 1929 was one he’d written himself and called “The Gift of Eternal Life.” Advertised as “An Indo-Persian Legend Written in Poetic Stanzas,” it featured silent film star and former Community Arts Drama director David Imboden as the prince, Ruth St. Denis as the courtesan, and Albert Herter as the King. The hundreds of locals in minor roles included the architect Lutah Maria Riggs; Herter’s daughter-in-law Carolyn Keck Herter Bridge; the director of the School of the Arts, Frank Morley Fletcher; and nationally known violinist and local resident, Roderick White. The production at the Lobero Theatre was so popular that they extended the run.
The Depression
At the time Collinge photographed The Gift, the prosperity and enthusiasm of the 1920s would last 7 more months. And then, on October 29, an unregulated and teetering stock market crashed, sending the nation into a disastrous, lengthy Depression.
Collinge had always had his “bread and butter” work, and in the 1930s he continued taking photos of homes and gardens, as well as aerial photographs for land developers and real estate agents. His advertising, however, took on a more pedestrian form. Having dipped for a short period into making motion pictures, he began selling “Cine-Kodak Motion Picture Outfits” and offered a showing of his own film reels of dancers dancing. He called his studio the “Movie Makers Headquarters of Santa Barbara.”
By 1932, to drum up business, he partnered with the Morning Press to create “Best Picture of the Week” contests. Winners’ entries had to be from negatives developed or printed in Collinge’s studio. Each week presented a different theme; one time it was babies, another aerial photographs, and yet another week featured photos of the extraordinary high tides that had been washing over East Beach. First prize garnered the winner $5.
Being an avid sailor and yachtsman, Collinge was appalled by the pollution caused by ships dumping bilge water in the
Collinge’s aerial documentary photography has left us with a true and somewhat shocking impression of how this area of Santa Barbara once looked. The photo shows Samarkand Hotel, which started out as a school, but was quickly renovated into a hotel. Today, the site is a retirement community and all that open land is densely developed with housing tracts. (photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
Santa Barbara Channel. He was not alone in his outrage. The City had answered all complaints with a sigh, saying it would be too difficult to catch these ships. Collinge then sent the City Council photos he had taken of the Union Oil Company tanker Los Angeles spewing bilge water near the city. It wouldn’t have been too hard to catch the polluters, he asserted, because all they needed was a small boat and a camera. Collinge continued to take commissions for photographic documentation through the mid-1940s, but after the war his work seemed to taper off and he spent more and more time on his yacht, Scout, specializing in marine photography. James Walter Collinge shuffled off this mortal coil near the advent of the Age of Aquarius in 1964.
was a favored photographer for Montecito estate owners. Seen here is the music room of Ralph Isham’s Pompeian Court estate (courtesy photo)
Sources
Contemporary news articles; Camera Craft, March 1927; jwaltercolinge.com; “The Cultural Legacy of the Herter Family,” The Way It Was: Santa Barbara Comes of Age, 2017; Santa Barbara Historical Museum exhibition notes; “Isadora and St. Ruth: Birth Mothers of American Modern Dance” by Kenneth Topping at educationupdate. com, accessed Jan 20,2025; American Photography, July 1926.
Hattie Beresford has been writing a local history column for the Montecito Journal for more than a decade and is the author of several books on Santa Barbara’s historic past
Collinge teamed up with the Morning Press to drum up business for both through photo contests. (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
A winning photo of the week from 1932 (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
(courtesy Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
Collinge
Travel Buzz
Up,
Up and Away… to Yountville, California
by Leslie Andrea Westbrook
y posh trip to Napa wine country began elegantly as we soared out of a private terminal at Van Nuys Airport on Aero’s LA-Napa service on a semi-private plane. In just a little over an hour-long, smooth flight –Erewon fresh avocado tartine/toast, sweet berries and coffee served with cloth napkins in flight – a smooth landing at Napa County Airport. The black planes, with leather seats, can carry up to 16 guests, but there were just a handful of us onboard for our Sunday morning sojourn.
My dear NorCal friend Bill kindly collected me and my traveling pal and scooted us off to Copia (where once upon a time Julia Child’s kitchen Boston resided – it’s now at the Smithsonian) for a lovely Sunday brunch lunch from the garden. Our bill for lunch was a very reasonable $60 for the three of us. The waiter thoughtfully alerted us that the salad from the garden was enough for two, so our $14 salad was a bargain. We strolled through Oxbow Market – bustling on a Sunday afternoon – and bought chocolates from a local maker before heading up to Yountville, our base for two nights at The Estate Yountville.
Yountville – sometimes referred to as “the heart of Napa” – is a sweet landing spot in Napa Valley. The town’s commercial district is basically one long street of wine tasting rooms, lovely places to slumber, and fine restaurants, including the famous and very expensive The French Laundry (plan on $450-$1,000 per person for dinner and wine). But just down the street, you can grab a casual breakfast or a tasty smashburger with an outdoor rooftop view for $20 or less at The Kitchen at Priest Ranch.
We arrived in the middle of harvest season, in early October, and a heat wave. The 100-degree temperature dictated we pop into the newly opened Mad Fritz, a sweet little craft brew tap house with a great range of beers. Owner Nile Zacherle regaled us with his process as we admired the unique designs for his labels inspired by Aesop’s Fables The designs also appear on cool playing cards – one couple was playing “21” while we choose LPs to spin on the turntable. Some of the highlights served in tiny wine/sherry glasses included Peacock and the Crane, The Lion and the Mouse (Trappist-style Ale),
Ciccio was one of the highlights during the Yountville tour (courtesy photo)
A taste of Ralph Lauren at Silver Trident (photo by Leslie A. Westbrook)
while Zodiac and The Boy Who Cried Wolf also caught my eye.
Thomas Keller , whose French Laundry sits a stone’s throw from our lodging, now has six (including the seasonal Addendum) restaurants in Yountville. We had a precious, curated dinner our first evening of shared nibbles at his RO Restaurant and Lounge. The very attractive indoor-outdoor specializes in caviar tastings where seating is akin to noshing in your neighbor’s very stylish home/living room. Guests sip and savor on comfy and stylish sofas and chairs. Highlights of the caviar tasting shared between our group of five included the six types of Regiis Ova (the place’s name RO is derived from this) sourced from China, Poland, and Sacramento ($165), tasty Wolf ranch BBQ quail on skewers ($45), a pork katsu sando on Japanese milk bread ($19) and a fresh summer watermelon salad with The French Laundry Garden cucumbers ($16). The caviar tasting paired perfectly with the house Schramsberg bubbly – Modicum, Blanc de Blancs.
It’s worth getting up at the crack of dawn the following morning to soar over the valley with Napa Valley Aloft. Our trustworthy pilot Chris Jones grew up in Solvang – his father owned a hot air balloon company in our Santa Ynez Valley. We floated high – almost skimming the tops of tall eucalyptus trees – and rode low, where we did skim the native sagebrush which we could smell from our basket. The calm, hour-plus ride with an eagle’s eye view of the grapes, houses, and even San Francisco in the distance was a great way to start our day. Buffet breakfast spread back at The Estate included fab English muffins from The Model Bakery – made famous as an Oprah “fave thing”.
Our favorite dinner was at the bustling and casual Ciccio helmed by a fave chef of mine, Christopher Kostow, who will return to Meadowood Resort when the dining room lost in the Napa fire is rebuilt. This lively casual Italian restaurant doesn’t fail. Start with Negronis or something from the fab wine list, then dig into terrific pastas, like Sicilian linguini with a pistachio pesto or dreamy cacio e pepe gnudi stuffed with pennyroyal cheese, as well as pizzas with chewy sourdough crust. Had one of my fave desserts ever here: vanilla bean gelato with a wild pine nut oil (I’m dying for the recipe). Ciccio is a must stop.
Our last day, we popped into the wine tasting room at Hesten Vineyards to admire the culinary kitchenware, before an impressive final lunch and preview at RH, the same as Restoration Hardware that recently debuted in our Upper Village’s former Fire Station. The Yountville restaurant boasts a tranquil setting in a greenhouse where crystal chandeliers hang from olive trees (fake branches and leaves, but real twisting trunks), providing a stunning backdrop to scrumptious mini lobster rolls with caviar and terrific salads.
Our return flight on Aero was just as smooth and easy-peasy. Seven passengers –the following Friday’s flight would be full – and besides not having to go through the TSA gauntlet, we were allowed to check a case of wine at no extra charge! First class and classy all the way.
Where to Stay
Hotel Villagio – Lovely lodging in the heart of Yountville with excellent buffet breakfast that includes Oprah’s fav English muffins from The Model Bakery. Hotel Villagio is part of The Estate Yountville, a complex of several properties spread across 22 acres (smack dab in the center of “town” sometimes referred to as “Michelin Row”) that runs along most of one side of “downtown” and within walking distance of tasting rooms, restaurants, and boutiques. www.theestateyountville.com
Bardessono Hotel and Spa – This would be my top pick to stay in Yountville. The place has a very Zen-vibe and who doesn’t love having a fab massage in your room - all rooms have massage tables - and just rolling into bed? www.bardessono.com
What’s a visit to Napa without a little sip and swirl? There are over 400 tasting rooms to visit in Napa, some 90 of them of the “urban” variety. We stuck to Yountville and checked out a new pizza/wine pairing at Silver Trident Winery – a tasting room, like many, with a big ‘wow’ factor. The town designates that wine tasting rooms must devote 25% of their space to retail sales (something SY Valley vintners might take note of) and Silver Trident has paired with Ralph Lauren. While sipping their lovely wines, you can also purchase a $17,000 couch, lighting, pillows, crystal glasses engraved with polo players, even RL doggie collars and toys! Wineries try to outdo one other with their pairings (there’s bacon/wine or chocolate resembling the terroir pairings!) but the little slices of Detroit-style bites (similar to Sicilian pizza bread) from a Sonoma caterer were excellent.
Eat/Drink/Fun
Ciccio – www.ciccionapavalley.com
The Kitchen at Priest Ranch – www.thekitchenatpr.com
RO Restaurant and Lounge – www.rorestaurantandlounge.com
RH Restaurant at RH Yountville – www.rh.com/us/en/yountville/restaurant
Napa Valley Aloft – Hot air balloon rides www.nvaloft.com
Getting There
Aero – Semi-private, seasonal flights to Napa, Aspen, Sun Valley, Palm Springs, Cabo San Lucas. TIP: Do NOT put Van Nuys Airport into your GPS – Be sure to use the address where Aero’s private terminal is located. www.aero.com
Take to the skies with Napa Valley Aloft (photo by Leslie A. Westbrook)
The salad at RO Restaurant and Lounge (photo by Leslie A. Westbrook)
wanted to be an artist, but her father would not allow that. I think her love for art transpired anyway in everything she did. We would spend afternoons at her home doing collages and cardboard sculptures or embroidering and just playing!
Are there female artists you would like to engage with who may expand your art? I am lucky to have a group of amazing woman friends who are all creatives, so I think being in each other’s lives has definitely been an influence in the way I look at things.
How did you discover the works of Marosa di Giorgio, and when? It was almost Serendipitously. Whenever I go to Buenos Aires (where I am from) I go to small bookstores to get books in Spanish. One of my very favorite writers is Clarice Lispector; and many of her books have not been translated in English so every time I am in Argentina, I get whatever books of hers have been published.
In Buenos Aires the bookstore owners are really passionate and knowledgeable about what they carry, and they always love chatting. Miguel Angel, the owner, saw me trying to find more Clarice Lispector’s books and he said that unfortunately there wasn’t any available than the ones I already had.
Instead of finishing at that, he asked me if I had read Marosa di Giorgio; when I said no he told me that her writings were that of a “naughty” Clarice Lispector. That sealed the deal. When I read her it was like someone had knocked the wind out of me. The writings were visceral, feminine, extremely visual as well as beautiful and monstrous.
Are you conveying specific messages about women in your art?
Well, I think the idea of the beautiful and the monstrous coexist in every woman; and that is something I delve into in my paintings. There are a lot of paradoxes in the way we as woman are and that tension of the opposites is what interests me and how they inhabit together our realms.
What would you love to share with women artists for Women’s History Month?
To learn how to set boundaries from an early age.
Did you experience any issues in promoting your art or working in art as a woman?
Well, for a long time I was self-conscious of my colors; I actually had a professor at SCAAD that told me I was using too many colors. I was coming from being trained in a different way in Argentina, where my mentor was absolutely expressive with his color use, and so being a foreigner, I thought that it meant in a way adapting.
When I arrived to New York and finished college the work I was doing for a while was quite muted, the shapes were small. I think it took time for me to feel comfortable or accepting of who I truly was, and understanding that it’s not my place as an artist to conform or to please.
What is your largest painting, and would you consider doing a public mural?
The largest work I have done is 72”x180,” they were triptychs I did for my Solo Show at Ghebaly. The theme right now is still this garden and the flowers in it. It would be very special to me to do a mural in Argentina.
What, for you, is the coolest thing about being a painter?
I don’t know if necessarily it is the coolest thing about being a painter, but just in general being any sort of creative, that we get to experiment in our work and we set the rules.
Anything else you wish to say?
Thank you for taking an interest in my work!
411: www.patriciaiglesiaspeco.com/; www.sbma.net
Women’s History Month Briefs
Scientists at the Las Cumbres Observatory Recognize Women in Astrophysics
I reached out in the community for Women’s History Month. The Las Cumbres Observatory replied, “Due to recent Federal regulations, the National Science Foundation directed the removal of the word ‘women’ from their and our website. We at LCO did internally acknowledge the women astrophysicists who work with us.
They are, Dr. Emily Manne-Nicholas is our Telescope Operations Scientist; Dr. Rachel Street , LCO Senior Scientist, is working on exoplanets, microlensing, Rubin Observatory and the Legacy Survey of Space and Time; Dr. Carrie Holt is our Catalyst Fellow working with Dr. Tim Lister in Solar System Science; and Dr. Katarzyna Kruszynska is a postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Rachel Street in exoplanets.”
411: https://lco.global/people/science/
2025 California 37th Assembly District Woman of the Year
Assemblymember 37th District Gregg Hart, announced this week that Tere Jurado is the California 37th District Woman of the Year. She is a longtime Santa Barbara resident and community leader. Originally from Mexico City, she is a Spanish-language radio broadcaster and activist. Jurado shared that she is proud of her 17 years working as a family advocate at Franklin Elementary School. She has served on the boards of the Santa Barbara Eastside Society, Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival, Standing Together to End Sexual Assault (STESA), and Santa Barbara Police Activities League, among her other board work.
The recognition of The Woman of the Year event was founded in 1987 by Assemblywoman Bev Hansen (R) and Assemblywoman Sally Tanner (D). Nominations are sent in from the residents in the districts for one woman from each Senate and Assembly district to come to the Capitol and be honored for their accomplishments in a formal ceremony on the floors of the Senate and Assembly.
State Senator Limón Honors Dr. Katrina B. Mitchell at Capitol Ceremony
In honor of Women’s History Month, California State Legislature comes together to highlight women in their community. District 21 Senator Monique Limón celebrated Katrina B. Mitchell, MD.
In addition to her role as a breast surgical oncologist in Santa Barbara at RidleyTree Cancer Center, now part of Sutter Health, Mitchell also serves patients as a perinatal health provider, a certified lactation consultant and a medical expert in oncolactation, or the intersection of breastfeeding and cancer. She established the Santa Barbara Women’s Health Coalition; she serves on the advisory board of Santa Barbara’s Postpartum Education for Parents (PEP) and is the acting medical director of the Ventura Coast Milk Bank.
Senator Monique Limón stating, “She is doing critical work providing care to women and mothers throughout Santa Barbara County. Through her advocacy she has made a tremendous impact on women’s health throughout the Central Coast and I am grateful for her continued service to thousands of women in Senate District 21.”
Women’s History Bicycle Ride
You can pedal through women’s history landmarks in Los Angeles on the Women’s History Ride. The 4.9-mile loop begins at Union Station and winds through Downtown L.A., passing through various landmarks associated with some of the city’s most towering women figures from the fields of architecture, women’s rights, and philanthropy. The ride is sponsored by the Metro Bike Share program which is providing the bikes, and visitors can set out on their rides whenever they choose.
Republican Minority Leader Senator Brian Jones, Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Dr. Katrina B. Mitchell, Senator Monique Limón, and Senate President Pro Tempore Senator Mike McGuire (courtesy photo)
News Bytes Passover Seder at Chabad of Montecito
by MJ Staff
On Saturday, April 12, at 7 pm, Chabad of Montecito will host an authentic, inspiring, and joyful Passover Seder to celebrate freedom, tradition, and community. Enjoy a delicious holiday feast, handmade Shmurah Matzah, and fine kosher wine, all while reliving the story of our Exodus in a way that feels fresh and relevant.
“Passover is a night of discovery, connection, and freedom,” said Rabbi Chaim Loschak, director of Chabad of Montecito. “We’ll bring the Seder to life with stories, traditions, and meaning, making it a night to remember.”
411: Seats are limited – Reserve your spot today at jewishmontecito.org/seder
NAACP SB Black Women’s Health Equity Conference
Dr. Astrid Williams, Dr. Shola Shodiya-Zeumault and Licensed Clinical Social Worker Oludara Adeeyo are the speakers for the Black Women’s Health Equity Conference on Saturday, April 5, starting at 8:45 am, at Direct Relief SB, 6100 Wallace Becknell Road. The topics presented by the team include Black Hair Care Products in the context of cancer research, Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Caregiving, and Building Self-Care for Black Women. Registration required, includes lunch.
Call for Art, Music and Volunteers for the 7th Annual Juneteenth Celebration
The Juneteenth Committee is sending out an all-community request for vendors, artists, musicians, and other volunteers. Deadline to apply is April 15. The theme for 2025 is “Hope for the People” and the event is Saturday, June 14, at Pershing Park, Plaza Del Mar. Juneteenth SB is a local celebration of the national recognition of Black Independence Day. It is a collaborative effort to showcase Black culture, talent and joy in SB County.
This year’s event will be on Saturday, March 29, from 9 am to 11 am. Volunteers should meet at the Amtrak parking lot, 499 Linden Ave., to be assigned a location. Gloves, bags, and trash pickers will be available, but helpers are encouraged to bring their own reusable items. City of Carpinteria announced that April 2025 has been officially proclaimed Carpinteria Beautiful Month, a tradition since 1992.
SB Museum of Natural History Board of Trustees Elections
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History announced that Salvatore “Tory” Milazzo has been re-elected as Chair of the Museum’s Board of Trustees after serving as the Chair for one year and as a Trustee since 2017. He is a Regional Manager for Trust and Investments at Farmers and Merchants Trust Company. From Milazzo’s press statement, “As I step into my second year as Board Chair of this incredible museum, I am more encouraged than ever by our efforts to ignite curiosity, champion science education, and preserve the wonders of the natural world. In a time when understanding and protecting our planet has never been more critical, our work empowers future generations with the knowledge and passion to make a difference. I am honored to continue serving alongside dedicated staff, volunteers, and supporters who believe, as I do, that our museum is a place to spark wonder, inspire a love for nature, and deepen our connection to the world around us.” The Board also appointed Trustees Matthew Adams as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Mission Wealth, and Kathleen Kalp, a wealth manager professional of 40 years who provided wealth management services for private client, foundation, pension and nonprofit clients at Montecito Bank & Trust, Northern Trust and more recently, was a Senior Wealth Manager at First Republic Bank.
Clarification to Marc Normand Gelinas News Byte
A clarification for last week’s News Bytes regarding Marc Normand Gelinas. It is only the Upper Village antique store that will be closing, NOT Marc Normand Gelinas Interior Design Studio. We apologize for any confusion.
CRIME IN THE ‘CITO Sheriff’s Blotter 93108 . . . .
DUI / East Valley Road/Romero Canyon - Monday, March 10, at 23:18 hours
Deputies contacted subject intoxicated behind the wheel of their work truck idling on the side of the road. The subject was obviously heavily intoxicated, and CHP responded for the DUI investigation. Subject was subsequently arrested for DUI.
Intoxication in Parked Vehicle / 1900 block Sycamore Canyon Road
Wednesday, March 12, at 12:10 hours
Reporting Party (RP) called and reported a male subject was parked in front of her home and appeared to be UI or intoxicated. Upon arrival subject was contacted inside of his idling vehicle parked on the shoulder of the road. Subject displayed signs of intoxication, so CHP was called and responded to the scene for a turnover. CHP handled the investigation.
Trespassing / Sheffield Drive - Wednesday, March 12, at 20:14 hours
RP was reviewing her security footage and observed a male subject at 02:00 hours walking through her backyard, and she believed he must have scaled the her property’s wall. RP described the male subject as wearing a black hat, sweatshirt, pants, and a backpack. RP also noted that the male appeared to be wearing two different-sized shoes and had a limp, possibly due to wearing a medical boot. She further mentioned that, after reviewing the footage, she checked her property and did not notice anything missing. RP believes the male subject may have exited her backyard toward San Leandro Lane, as she observed that some of her plants appeared to have been be walked through.
Burglary / Las Entradas Drive - Thursday, March 13, at 14:30 hours
A suspected burglary crew scaled a statue onto the second-floor balcony, forced entry via a glass window and stole designer jewelry, sunglasses, purses, a safe, and other items. A list of stolen items and total monetary loss is forthcoming. There was significant physical evidence, and forensics responded and processed the scene. The suspected path traveled after the burglary may include neighbors and other residences. Follow-up will be conducted.
Stolen Vehicle / Located at 3500 Padaro Lane Friday, March 14, at 02:24 hours
A silver Chevy Colorado was observed speeding north on Hwy 101 at ~ 75 MPH. The driver exited at Santa Claus Lane and a traffic stop was initiated. The driver initially appeared as though he was going to pull to the right shoulder but instead made a U-turn, sped up, and entered Hwy 101 wrong way. The suspect was driving northbound in the southbound lanes. The officer did not follow, but broadcasted the information for area units and for CHP. A short time later, the vehicle, unoccupied, was found in the 3500 block of Padaro Lane. Based on the investigation, it was discovered the vehicle was reported stolen to Santa Paula PD on March 5th. The vehicle was currently displaying two separate license plates, neither belonged to the stolen vehicle. Area was checked and deputies were Unable to Locate (UTL) the suspect(s).
Narcotics / 3500 Block Padaro Lane - Friday, March 14, at 03:10 hours
In the process of a car being towed for a narcotics investigation, a second vehicle approached. Contact was made with that driver to advise them to drive carefully through the scene. In the course of that brief contact, the driver of the second vehicle stated they were traveling to Santa Paula, and admitted both to having a suspended CDL and being on active probation. They also admitted being in possession of narcotics, which were later found. Deputy was unable to determine if they were associated with the original narcotics investigation, but subject was booked into SBCJ for Health & Safety violations.
Assault with a Deadly Weapon / Greenwell Avenue
Friday, March 14, at 16:18 hours
RP called to report a suspect had attempted “to hit” the RP’s family with the suspect’s vehicle. The suspect – later identified – had been upset because the RP was driving the speed limit. While driving, suspect engaged in Penal Code 415 (Disturbing the Peace), making obscene gestures at the RP and throwing their hands up in exasperation. The RP pulled off the road and subject drove past, then turned around and “swerved” at the Reporting Party, coming to within “1 inch” of striking the RP. Subject then stopped and exited their vehicle and resumed PC415 with the RP. Subject then fled the scene. Deputies located the subject’s unoccupied vehicle some distance up the road, but were UTL the subject.
the sky or splashed around town, and they are totally cool with that.
Today Mike and Linda Ofner may not be willing to rest on their laurels, but after nearly 40 years of coaching, training, managing, inspiring, and competing alongside the dedicated members of Santa Barbara’s Ka Nai’a Outrigger Club, they are taking a step back. Greg, a teen when Ka Nai’a launched, has lived the club his entire adult life and a fair chunk of his teens. There is an air of elegy in his tone. A page is turning.
West Covina to ‘Cito
Mike and Linda Ofner moved the family to Montecito in 1975. They’d been living in West Covina. “My dad was a schoolteacher, and my mom was a homemaker. My dad was building a tennis career through the eighties, and he coached for the West Covina tennis team at high school level.” In time, Mike and Linda had a tennis court built at their home and started offering private coaching group lessons and got involved with West Covina school athletics as well. Mike and Linda came to understand what it takes to put together tournaments, even as they became naturals at
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: The Closing Concierge, 329 W Yanonali Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Sara M Marracino, 329 W Yanonali Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 19, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2025-0000753. Published March 27, April 3, 10, 17, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Peter’s Gardening Service, 1209 Quinientos St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Pedro H Estrada, 1209 Quinientos St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 5, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2025-0000600. Published March 13, 20, 27, 2025
team building. When the time came in their new environs, they applied those skills to Ka Nai’a Outrigger together.
The club’s website is an understated affair. The homepage features short clips of folk in Ka Nai’a Outrigger shirts paddling with metronomic synchrony. The water is crystalline and flat and sparkling in the sun, but the paddlers churn like they’re moving through cake batter. Outrigging through even calm water at speed – if outrigging is a proper verb –is a physical trial, and the rigors of the paddling passion can be seen in the musculature of the sport’s adherents. Mike and Linda are pictured on the website looking like a suntanned Jack and Elaine LaLanne, their upper arms striated with paddling muscle, their photographed grins and laughter indicative of a love of life on the water.
Over their long, salt-sprayed sojourn, these two Montecito Mer People have – apart from growing and nurturing Ka Nai’a Outrigger – taught canoeing classes at SBCC and Westmont, worked the summer Youth Outrigger program, and have taken part in many an Iron and Sprint championship as both athletes and coaches. Mike and Linda Ofner have given themselves over to a tidal,
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Hyperbaric Santa Barbara; Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Santa Barbara, 820A Mason St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Grandle Chiropractic PC, 820A Mason St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 11, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20250000398. Published March 13, 20, 27, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV01066. To all interested parties: Petitioner Douglas John Stekkinger filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Brixton James Douglas. The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear
wind-blown milieu that has tested and improved them physically and otherwise. How could it not? From decades spent in a friendly and challenging tussle with nature emerges a positive core perspective – one that can be shared and celebrated with those who feel the same magnetic pull of the shoreline.
In a town where names are etched into marble, emblazoned on plaques, and lauded in public gatherings, Mike and Linda Ofner have quietly steered the Ka Nai’a Outrigger Canoe Club of Santa Barbara to its place in the sun. Through these decades, how many lives have Mike and Linda touched? How many individuals have been introduced to this elevating, oceangoing space? How many have tested themselves against the sea and found exhilaration there, and collaboration, and peace?
As Greg Ofner prepares to step in and involve himself more fully with Ka Nai’a, there is that welcome sense of continuity – the Ofner thru-line. Mike and Linda have steadfastly and lovingly built something that is now and forever an inseparable element of this sun-struck town’s landscape. Now another Ka Nai’a chapter begins in the ongoing story. This is the stuff of community. Greg remembers his own intro to the sport.
“I was in high school and I was doing a junior crew at UCSB, so I was getting up early in the morning and going up to Lake Cachuma and skulling. And one day my dad said, ‘you ought to come down and try paddling.’” He laughs softly. “And I did. And I never looked back.” www.kanaia.com
ON THE SIDE
The Morning Press, August 29, 1895
TheTelephone Company is rapidly increasing its business; within the past week five new boxes have been placed in the beautiful Montecito Valley.
The Morning Press, October 1, 1901
It is learned on good authority that Capt. H.E. Huiscamp of Montecito has purchased an automobile, which he will bring home with him. This will be the first permanent automobile in this vicinity. Capt. Huiscamp has spent several months in the east looking after his extensive business interests.
The Santa Barbara News Press, June 24, 1979
Job-finder
at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed March 12, 2025 by Gabriel Moreno. Hearing date: May 2, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 4, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published March 27, April 3, 10, 17, 2025
AMENDED ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 24CV06442.
To all interested parties: Petitioner Rosario Rossano filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Nova Pierce
The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed March 4, 2025 by Gabriel Moreno. Hearing date: April 23, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 3, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published March 13, 20, 27, 2025
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
Joyce Dobry notes, “Montecito has been discovered by Beverly Hills, which creates acceleration in the real estate market, and that affects the whole Santa BarbaraGoleta market.” A real estate salesman recalls: “I sold a house on the Mesa near Shoreline Park recently, the kind that used to go to young families just starting out. It was nothing unusual — just a small, two-bedroom cottage-type home. But it went not to a young family getting started, but to a lady lawyer from Los Angeles for $86,500. It sold the first day. She just wanted to get property in Santa Barbara while she could.”
Paddling past Shoreline Park, Santa Barbara (photo C. Silvester)
Ka Nai’a Outrigger – medals enough to drag you to the bottom (courtesy photo)
Dick and Marilyn Mazess, Joel and Jamie Knee, Keith Moore, Bob and Carole Nicholas , John and Ellen Pillsbury, Anne Towbes, Andre Yew, and Brian Mann and Naomi Yamada
Normal Montecito Livin’
Meghan Markle has made friends locally with “working women with normal jobs,” she tells People magazine.
This comes after critics of her Netflix lifestyle show told the Duchess of Sussex she was “out of touch” and “tone deaf.”
But Meghan says she and Prince Harry, who live on a $14.65 million estate in Riven Rock, are trying to be like other families with children at school.
She also reveals she goes to yoga and fitness classes with 40 to 50 others, sometimes solo or with friends. She also recently surprised a complete stranger with a fist bump and hearty “well done!”
“I think you want us to have some normalcy as parents and for our children despite how unique our situation is.”
Meghan says she likes nothing better than a girls’ night out or doing Pilates together with new friends.
Storm at Large
Sultry lounge singer Storm Large lived up to her billing when she sang at the Granada with the Santa Barbara Symphony, under veteran maestro Nir Kabaretti in Kurt Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins with additional vocals by the Hudson Shad Quartet. Other sensual works in the concert included Jacques Ibert’s “Divertissement,” William Grant Still’s “Seven Little Pieces” from Black Belt, and Jessie Montgomery’s “Strum.”
I have heard Large sing many times with the Portland-based multilingual ensemble Pink Martini that performs at the Arlington annually as part of the popular UCSB Arts & Lectures program.
Weill’s satirical production in seven scenes is performed with a 1933 libretto
by Berthold Brecht, translated into English by author W.H. Auden – reflecting the poet’s travels in Europe, including Paris, Prague and Vienna.
The show was originally danced and choreographed by George Balanchine at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris in June 1933, formerly owned by opera
singer Ganna Walska, founder of the Montecito botanical paradise Lotusland.
Sinning was never so much fun...
MBT Goes Big for 50th
Montecito Bank & Trust, which is celebrating its half century, held its annual anniversary grants reception at its State Street headquarters when Janet Garufis, chairman and CEO, handed out $5,000 checks, instead of the normal $3,000, to 11 nonprofits chosen by the bank’s staff.
The Jerry Parent Legacy Award went to Many Mansions, which runs more than 22 communities supplying affordable housing for the homeless, with other recipients including The Friendship Center, C.A.R.E.4Paws, CALM, Peabody Charter School, and the San Marcos High vocal music singers.
More than 100 guests, including Anne Towbes, Robert Luria, Henry Dubroff,
and the ubiquitous John Palminteri, attended the presentation, with each recipient receiving a short video, as well as checks, to promote their cause.
Supreme Sports
Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet go all the way in their upcoming film Marty Supreme she has revealed to Vanity Fair.
“I mean, we have a lot of sex in the movie,” says the Goop founder, 52. “There’s a lot. A lot.”
Asked if she was in a lot of vulnerable positions with Chalamet, she replied: “Beyond!”
Marty Supreme is based on the story of pro ping-pong player Marty Reisman, who won world championships between the late 1940s and ‘60s.
Chalamet, 29, plays the main character,
Musician, actress, playwright, author and singer Storm Large… a supreme talent (photo by Priscilla)
Olive Crest Hope Refuge receiving their big check (photo by Priscilla)
Storm Large and Nir Kabaretti to the right, along with The Hudson Shad Quartet: Wilbur Pauley, Eric Edlund, Peter Becker, and Mark Bleeke (photo by Priscilla)
Standing: John and Sarah Stokely, Danell Hurtado, Bruce Stevens, and Julia Pizzinat; Sitting: Sophie, Janet Garufis, and Jerry Parent (photo by Priscilla)
Channy Russell, Teresa Kuskey, SBS CEO/ President Kathryn Martin, and Roxanna Bina in themed dress (photo by Priscilla)
Some of the women awardees with Janet Garufis and Anne Towbes kneeling in center (photo by Priscilla)
while Paltrow plays his love interest…
Chalamet played Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown and is currently dating Kylie Jenner
“He’s very polite, appropriately raised,” says Paltrow, who refused an intimacy coach on set… “He takes his work seriously.”
So we gather...
Nothing to See Here
Prince Harry did not receive special treatment in obtaining his U.S. visa when he emigrated from the U.K. his recently unsealed documents reveal.
A lawyer from the Department of Homeland Security says the Riven Rock resident “followed all applicable rules and regulations.”
The documents were made public after a protracted lawsuit by Washington, D.C.’s Heritage Foundation, a right wing think tank, which was seeking to prove the Duke of Sussex lied on his visa application about his drug use, having admitted to it in his best-selling autobiography Spare and his Netflix documentary.
The documents made public under the Freedom of Information Act were heavily redacted.
Farewell to U.S.
Former TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has sold her last remaining property in the U.S. after moving permanently to the U.K with her actress wife Portia de Rossi DeGeneres, 67, sold the two-bedroom, two-bathroom property for $5.2 million, just four years after purchasing it for $2.9 million.
The impressive bungalow boasts 1,691 square feet near Butterfly Beach and the Coral Casino.
The twosome’s decision comes less than two months after they put another Montecito property up for grabs – a five-bed, 6.5-bath estate for $29.9 million.
The duo now owns a $18 million estate in the picturesque Cotswolds, 70 miles southwest of London, home to many celebrities including King Charles at Highgrove and sister Princess Anne at Gatcombe Park.
Home Renovations
Carpinteria actor Ashton Kutcher and actress wife Mila Kunis have demolished half of their $17 million Carpinteria cottage which was almost destroyed in the devastating mudslides in late 2022.
Kutcher, 47, and Kunis, 41, bought the two-home estate for $10.1 million in 2017. Today it estimated to be worth up to $17 million.
The home on Padaro Lane is a tiara’s
toss from Oscar winner Kevin Costner and Star Wars mogul George Lucas
No More Key Class
John Daly’s Key Class, which taught nearly 9,000 students social graces over the past 14 years, is no longer.
“Unfortunately, our local schools can no longer offer this as part of their curriculum,” says John. “Though from 2011-2020, 8,000 students attended the social skills classes, once COVID interfered with the educational system, attendance dropped and since 2020 we have only been able to reach 1,000 students.”
The educational system has been challenged in many ways, he adds. Grades have dropped so significantly that schools need to put all their efforts into academics. “They can no longer find the time to allow our class even one period a week.”
“I had hoped that in the last year the climate in the schools would change. Teachers and students shared how valuable an education in social skills was to the students, teaching them about ‘real life’ and ways to succeed in today’s world.” Sad news...
Conan Bares All
Carpinteria TV host Conan O’Brien, 61, has been shedding some interesting light on his recent Oscar hosting duties.
He wanted to do a number of different items in his opening monologue, but wasn’t allowed to by obscure Academy Awards rules.
One planned sketch had Oscar as a domestic housewife, recumbent on a couch and wearing an apron, but Conan was informed that Oscar always had to be portrayed vertically and had to be naked. Who knew?
Sightings
Actor Kevin Costner watching basketball at Santa Barbara High... Veep star Matt Walsh dining at Olio e Limone... Chris Pratt at Pierre Lafond.
Pip! Pip!
From musings on the Royals to celebrity real estate deals, Richard Mineards is our man on the society scene and has been for more than 18 years
and engage students by organizing activities in the community garden and restoring an unused plot of land. The initiative will include digital and printed materials, creation care chapels with chapel interns, and events in partnership with the Creation Care Club, such as garden workdays and an Earth Day event featuring a guest speaker.
Point University has received $4,600 to reduce meat consumption and encourage other climate-friendly behaviors among students. It begins with a survey to assess students’ environmental awareness and dietary habits. The project will then host a movie night focused in sustainable food followed by a panel discussion on reducing food waste and adopting plant-rich diets. A post-event survey will measure if students are adopting these behaviors to reduce their environmental impact.
Westmont gave $4,600 to Malone University to address climate change through a series of educational events and activities aimed at raising awareness and promoting creation care. Using a behavior-centered design framework, the project will include Meatless Mondays with reduced meat options in the cafeteria, a clothing swap and a community worship event about caring for creation. Other activities include photo opportunities with #MU Sustainability and a Sustainability Fest, featuring community partners and vendors. The initiative seeks to engage students through activities that encourage positive, sustainable behaviors.
Westmont and Arthur Vining Davis Foundations sponsored the conference and the grants.
Champions Abound at Classic
Multiple records were broken at the annual Westmont Classic track and field meet on March 21-22, which was the final home meet for 15 senior athletes. Both the men’s and women’s teams came in second behind George Fox University.
Junior David Oyebade broke the program’s best-career mark in the men’s hammer – twice – finishing with a new Warrior record of 51.87 meters.
The women’s 4x100 relay team of Grace Soberanis, Kennah Shaffer, Jaiden Rodrigues, and Charlotte Williams broke their own record, posting a program-best time of 47.60. Rodrigues also won the women’s 200-meter dash with a time of 25.24. Soberanis came out victorious in the women’s 100-meter dash, where she posted a meet-best time of 12.57. Joshua Lin won the men’s 400 meter run with a time of 48.43.
In the women’s 800-meter run, senior Abigail Hundley narrowly edged out teammate Claire Van Horn to win with 2:17.80.
Zola Sokhela won the men’s mile in 4:06.77 as well as the 800-meter run in 1:54.15.
Grayson Guillen won the men’s 110meter hurdles, posting a meet-best time of 16.59. John Sakaguchi also came out victorious in the men’s long jump, where he jumped a meet-best mark of 7.05, and James Brewer won the triple jump, with a mark of 13.18 meters. Rounding out the men’s successes on Saturday, senior Bryce Gardhouse won the men’s 5000-meter run with a time of 15:25.67.
Another pair of Westmont relay teams capped off a special day when the women’s 4x400 team, consisting of Kylie Cekalski, Makenzie Fauver, Rodrigues and Williams won the race with a time of 4:00.73. Then, on the men’s side, Justin Hess, Andres Leon, Sokhela and Joshua Lin won the race with a season-best time of 3:18.53.
The Warriors compete in the PacWest Championships on April 25 in Fresno.
Senior Zola Sokhela dominated the three races he ran in (photo by Kyler Hanson)
Senior Abigail Hundley won the women’s 800meter (photo by Kyler Hanson)
Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Calendar of Events
by Steven Libowitz
THURSDAY, MARCH 27
Do You Know ‘The Way Back’? – Two-time Indy Award winning actor-singer Nolan Montgomery – a Santa Barbara native who graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Musical Theater from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music in just three years – debuts his solo cabaret at Center Stage Theater, the black box theater in the heart of his hometown. The Way Back is an intimate evening of stories and songs covering Broadway classics, pop hits, timeless standards, and Montgomery’s personal favorites. The show is meant as a tribute to the community as he reflects on his personal saga, ranging from Isla Vista Elementary School to performing professionally at regional theaters all over the country. WHEN: 8 pm
WHERE: Center Stage Theater, 751 Paseo Nuevo COST: $30
INFO: (805) 963-0408/https://centerstagetheater.org or www.nolanmontgomery.org
FRIDAY, MARCH 28-SATURDAY, MARCH 29
Engage with SSB’s ‘Evenings’ – Fresh off its spectacular world premiere original ballet based on The Little Mermaid, State Street Ballet scales for one of its popular annual events. In an intimate setting – SSB’s rehearsal studio – audience members enjoy a rare, up-close look at the dancers’ original choreography and contemporary creative visions, engaging in dialogue with these creators of State Street Ballet’s cutting-edge new works. Contributing to this year’s show are Arianna Hartanov, Amber Hirschfield, Saori Yamashita, Aimee Le, Ryan Lenkey, Ethan Ahuero, Maria Rita Rapisarda, and Noam Tsivkin, who have been encouraged to experiment with different movement styles, thematic structures, and music choices, as well as using the studio space creatively. Light refreshments will be available for the post-show discussion.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Gail Towbes Center for Dance, 2285 Las Positas Road
COST: $30 in advance, $35 at the door
INFO: (805) 845-1432 or https://statestreetballet.com/evenings-2025
SATURDAY, MARCH 29
Trumpeting the Botti – Grammy Award-winning jazz-pop trumpeter Chris
FRIDAY, MARCH 28
Dude Does Dylan – Diving into Dylan is all the rage all over again, what with the much-acclaimed early career biopic
A Complete Unknown (which scored eight Oscar noms, but no wins). Now the Bob Dylan Center lands at the Lobero for Fifty Years in Sixty Minutes, a screening of a special one-hour program of short films and videos from the Bob Dylan Archive featuring rare and previously unreleased clips of Dylan on stage and in the studio. The screening will be followed by a conversation between the Tulsa-based Bob Dylan Center’s director Steven Jenkins and beloved local actor, musician and photographer Jeff Bridges, who worked with Dylan on the 2003 film Masked and Anonymous. The clips span decades and shifting musical styles and include Dylan’s first film soundtrack for 1961’s Autopsy on Operation Abolition; a solo rendition of “Ballad of Hollis Brown” from the 1963 TV special Folk Songs and More Folk Songs; a rollicking 1976 take on “I Pity the Poor Immigrant” with Joan Baez; a gospel-infused “Blowin’ in the Wind, and many more treasures from the center’s archive.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $30 ($60 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
FRIDAY, MARCH 28-SATURDAY, MARCH 29
Sunshine in Santa Ynez – Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight. OK, they don’t actually let you dance in front of the stage until more than halfway through the show, and we don’t recommend any ultimate PDA in the casino’s Samala Showroom. But everyone will almost assuredly get down tonight at the Chumash Casino when the Florida-born ‘70s disco sensation KC and the Sunshine Band perform. Co-founding lead singer-songwriter Harry Wayne Casey is still your boogie man after reviving the band in the early 1990s, and the beats still groove like nobody’s business. So feel free to “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” at your seat or in front of the stage, same place, same time as before.
WHEN: 8 pm
WHERE: Chumash Casino, 3400 E. Hwy. 246, Santa Ynez
COST: $59-$89
INFO: (800) CHUMASH (248-6274) or www.chumashcasino.com
Botti’s early endeavors include studying with Woody Shaw, touring stints with Frank Sinatra and Buddy Rich, and a decade-long touring and recording relationship with Paul Simon. Botti has performed alongside other legends including Sting, Barbra Streisand, and Lady Gaga, but has a strong following of his own for his albums and live performances. The trumpeter’s versatility has been demonstrated with his three albums released between 2003-05, including A Thousand Kisses Deep featuring originals in a smooth jazz-pop blend, and the more traditional When I Fall in Love, and To Love Again: The Duets, which feature lush orchestral jazz. Botti brings his skills back to town with a concert at the Granada, Santa Barbara’s equivalent of Carnegie Hall or the Sydney Opera House; to name two venues the trumpeter has sold out in his career.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street
COST: $63.50-$102
INFO: (805) 899-2222 or www.granadasb.org
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2
Poetry in the Pub – Spirits in the Air: Potent Potable Poetry – curated by George Yatchisin and part of Santa Barbara’s annual celebration of National Poetry Month – features invited poets reading their own and others’ work on the varied subject of libations. Participants in the 11th annual event include Susan Chiavelli, Susie Read Cronin, Rebecca Horrigan, Robert Krut, Amy Michelson, Diana Raab, Linda Saccoccio, Daniel Thomas, Emma Trelles, and Jace Turner
The versifiers’ one-hour program follows a poetic happy hour featuring special poet-themed cocktails created by host The Good Lion.
WHEN: 4:30-6:30 pm
WHERE: The Good Lion, 1212 State Street
COST: free
INFO: www.facebook.com/groups/sbpoetrymonth
‘Our House’ at Opera House – The Lobero Theatre has been the site of several memorable performances by David Crosby, as well as tributes to the late local singer-songwriter and his bandmates in CSNY and elsewhere. Our House – a collective of veteran musicians who have done significant work with Crosby (and other legends) – returns to the venue to perform the timeless Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young repertoire, which has sold more than 30 million albums. The performance features Steve Postell – guitarist & musical director for both Crosby and supergroup The Immediate Family – alongside singer/songwriter/Neil Young 2023 tour support Chris Pierce; lead guitarist for David Crosby, Graham Nash, CSN, and Phil Lesh Jeff Pevar; vocalist, keyboard player and Crosby arranger Michelle Wills; drummer for David Crosby and Gilmour Steve DiStanislao; and B Dylan/N Young/J Browne bassist Bob Glaub. The show also boasts the legendary CSNY photographer Henry Diltz, who will regale with tales and images from CSNY.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
TUESDAY, APRIL 1
Anything You Want, Uke Got It – What hasn’t been said about the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain? The septet of string wizards collectively offer an astonishing revelation of the rich palette of orchestration afforded by the small, fretted, fourstring marvel related to the lute. It is a revelation accompanied by vocals and a bit of whistling – which is to say there are no drums, pianos, backing tracks, guitars or banjos, and no pitch shifters or electronic trickery to muck up the organic approach. The group formed in 1985, after all, as an antidote to mindless pop, egocentric rock, and the indulgent bluster of the music business. What emerges is lively playing over a quirky setlist that often feels like a white-knuckle shopping-trolley dash through every kind of musical genre; all part of the ensemble’s 40th anniversary tour, from ABBA to ZZ Top, Tchaikovsky to Nirvana, and bluegrass to Broadway. Plus plenty of droll humor.
WHEN: 8 pm
WHERE: UCSB’s Campbell Hall
COST: $42.50-$57.50
INFO: (805) 893-3535 or https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu
COST: $58 & $69 ($115 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
THURSDAY, APRIL 3
Dancing with the Stars: Live – The long-running hit TV show pairing professional dancers with celebrities from all walks of life is back on tour with a dazzling, sexy, high energy and brand-new live production. The all-new stage show features favorite professional dancers performing glittering new numbers, as well as some of the unbelievable showstoppers featured on TV, giving audiences the opportunity to experience the breathless excitement, athleticism and artistry on the TV ballroom live, up-close and personal. Performances come from many of the dancers who topped the show’s leaderboard, including Brandon Armstrong, Rylee Arnold, Alan Bersten, Daniella Karagach, Pasha Pashkov, Gleb Savchenko, Emma Slater, and Britt Stewart, plus special guests. WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St. COST: $54.50-$94.50
INFO: (805) 963-9589 or www.arlingtontheatresb.com/upcoming-events
TUESDAY, APRIL 3
Second Chance for Chineke! – DEI might be D-E-A-D in Washington, D.C., but championing accomplished classical musicians and composers from underrepresented communities is still a priority across the pond. The pioneering Chineke! Orchestra, founded in 2015, is coming to the Granada courtesy of CAMA in a highly anticipated concert. The London-based ensemble had been originally scheduled to make its Santa Barbara debut five years ago, but that occasion was peremptorily cancelled by a world-pausing pandemic. Tonight’s program of compelling works by mostly Black composers begins with Valerie Coleman’s “Seven O’Clock Shout,” a vibrant work intended as an homage to the indefatigable spirit of frontline workers during the COVID shutdown. Avril Coleridge-Taylor’s “Sussex Landscape” is a tribute to the English countryside and showcases the composer’s lyrical and expressive style; Brian Nabors’ “Pulse for Orchestra” bursts with rhythmic energy and vitality, while Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s “Symphony in A-Minor” blends Romantic grandeur with influences from the composer’s African heritage. Those pieces are sandwiched around Haydn’s “Trumpet Concerto in E-Flat,” with Nigerian-Scottish trumpeter Aaron Azunda Akugbo as soloist, with the program under the baton of Zimbabwean-born conductor Vimbayi Kaziboni. Appropriately, special low-priced community access tickets are available for the event. WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street COST: $10-$120
INFO: (805) 899-2222 or www.granadasb.org
Your Trusted Choice for Estate Sales, Liquidation & Downsizing
Moving Miss Daisy’s providing comprehensive services through Moving Miss Daisy since 2015. Expert packing, unpacking, relocating to ensure your new home is beautifully set up and ready to enjoy. Miss Daisy’s is the largest consignment store in the Tri-Counties - nearly 20K sq.ft.- always offering an unmatched selection of items. We also host online Auctions.
Recognized as the area’s Premier Estate Liquidators - Experts in the Santa Barbara Market! We are Skilled Professionals with Years of Experience in Downsizing and Estate Sales. Personalized service. Insured. Call for a complimentary consultation. Elaine (805)708-6113
We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry. Located in the upper village of Montecito. Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation. 1470 East Valley Rd Suite V. 805-969-0888
ELECTRICIAN
Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections
Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575
PHYSICAL TRAINING & THERAPY
Stillwell Fitness of Santa Barbara In Home Personal Training Sessions for 65+ Help with: Strength, Flexibility, Balance Motivation, and Consistency
John Stillwell, CPT, Specialist in Senior Fitness 805-705-2014 StillwellFitness.com
GOT OSTEOPOROSIS? WE CAN HELP
At OsteoStrong our proven non-drug protocol takes just ten minutes once a week to improve your bone density and aid in more energy, strength, balance and agility. Please call for a complimentary session! Call Now (805) 453-6086
AUTOMOBILES
We buy Classic Cars Running or not. Foreign/Domestic Chevy/Ford/Porsche/Mercedes/Etc. We come to you. Call Steven - 805-699-0684 Website - Avantiauto.group
PERSONAL SERVICES
Tell Your Story
How did you get to be where you are today? What were your challenges? What is your Love Story? I can help you tell your story in an unforgettable way – with a book that will live on for many generations. The books I write are as thorough and entertaining as acclaimed biographies you’ve read. I also assist with books you write – planning, editing and publishing. David Wilk Great references. (805) 455-5980 www.BiographyDavidWilk.com
LANDSCAPE
Casa L. M.
Landscape hedges installed. Ficus to flowering. Disease resistant. Great privacy. Licensed & insured. Call (805) 963-6909
WATERLILIES and LOTUS since 1992
WATERGARDEN CARE
SBWGC
PET/HOUSE SITTING
Do you need to get away for a weekend, week or more? I will house sit and take care of your pets, plants & mail. I have refs if needed. Call me or text me. Christine (805) 452-2385
PIANO LESSONS
Openings now available for Children and Adults.
Piano Lessons in our Studio or your Home. Call or Text Kary Kramer (805) 453-3481
(805)
FOR SALE
Montecito Urn Garden Grave For Sale
The cemetery currently sells these for $5500. I’m asking $4900. Please text to 805-637-5860.
MASSAGE THERAPIST
Massage by Laura at The Julia 924 Anacapa Street Suite 2M 805 670 7787
DONATIONS NEEDED
Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue
Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944
Donate to the Parrot Pantry! At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds’ best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies.
Volunteers
Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help. (805) 969-1944
