Jazz & mocktails… Vintage cars & surfboards… Take a sneak peek inside for a taste of what the week will be offering, P.10
With a gala steeped in Parisian carnival flair, State Street Ballet looks ahead, carrying Santa Barbara’s artistry outward while shaping the dancers and audiences of tomorrow (Story starts on page 5)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 31 | 7:30-9:00PM
Chowder for Justice! …And Legal Aid Foundation of SB, page 24
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Burford Group at Morgan Stanley
Jerrad
Jeanine J. Burford Senior Vice President Financial Advisor 805-695-7109 jeanine.burford@ morganstanleypwm.com
The Giving List – What’s the best way to help support the Legal Aid Foundation’s work? Chowder – the organization’s popular event returns.
Montecito Health Coach – As we rely more and more on digital tools, is it possible these tools are causing “digital dementia”?
In Passing – Remembering the life and impact of Catherine “Cathy” Elizabeth Sanford
– Zoofari
Choice – “Dodo Bird and Guinea Pig” by George Edwards Far Flung Travel – Strolling Fish River Canyon in Namibia, Chuck encounters a close relative of the elephant – will he be crushed!?
Brilliant Thoughts – Swords, needles, and points – of all the sharp things out there, Ashleigh’s mind is top among
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Elizabeth’s Appraisals – A self-winding clock reveals the Swiss art of horology and engineering in a timeless manner
Petite Wine Traveler – While the Caribbean may not have its own vineyards, it does provide the perfect palette for some pairings
29 Your Westmont – Orientation opens with 400 new students, and the Warriors name new women’s tennis head coach 30
Robert’s Big Questions – Can we let kids be kids again? What’s the benefit of having free range kids?
News Bytes – Happenings at Montecito Country Mart, Chabad Montecito hosts a summer BBQ, and more Crime in the ‘Cito
Calendar of Events – Ventura LIVE rolls on, Songs for Nobodies, Day and The Time, Darla-Chella, and more this week
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Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales 39 Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles Local Business Directory
Photography: Spenser Bruce
Dancing Toward Tomorrow – Directors Cecily MacDougall and Megan Phillipp of State Street Ballet set the stage for the upcoming gala, season, and beyond
Dancing Toward Tomorrow
State Street Ballet’s Gala and a New Chapter of Inspiration
by Zach Rosen
Santa Barbara is often described as a city that draws the world in – international artists, performers, and audiences alike, all arriving to bask in its beauty and culture. But State Street Ballet reminds us that the relationship is not one-sided. As much as this coastal town welcomes the world, the company carries Santa Barbara outward, into theaters and communities far beyond the Pacific horizon. This fall, as State Street Ballet prepares for its annual gala, Executive Director Cecily MacDougall and Artistic Director Megan Philipp are setting the stage for a season that is both a gift to the community and a bold message to the wider world: ballet is alive, evolving, and ready to inspire the next generation.
A Carnival of Celebration
On October 4, at the Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall, State Street Ballet (SSB) will host its 2025 gala, La Fête du Carnaval. Inspired by Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals and choreographer Alexei Kremnev’s playful staging, the evening promises to feel like a step back into Belle Époque Paris. As guests enter the magic of Miraflores in their finest Parisian attire, they will encounter stilt walkers, jugglers, and an eclectic program of dance as they sip on cocktails and dine under the stars.
As a special treat for the readers, State Street Ballet and the Montecito Journal
partnered with several artists to illustrate some of the fashion and faces that will be gracing this year’s gala. The sparkling red duo, gala Co-chairs Alex Nourse and Nicole Callahan – wearing a custom gown made by NY fashion designer Naeem Khan – were depicted by Claire Wentzel and Kaya Oktayuren respectively. The stylings of guests Lily Hahn Shining and Belle Hahn have been imagined by photographer/artist Kim Reierson. Fashion designer Catherine Gee gracefully offered to dress any of the SSB cast for the evening’s attendance, and drew SSB’s own Aimee Le in a piece from Gee’s eponymous brand and store in La Arcada.
The gala will also carry a sense of history and continuity. Now in its 31st season, State Street Ballet has long balanced elegance with imagination, sophistication with whimsy. This year, MacDougall and Philipp are steering the celebration as much toward the future as toward the past, using the gala as both a fundraiser and an expression of intent: Santa Barbara’s ballet company is growing, daring, and ready to meet new audiences where they are.
Leading with Care and Curiosity
It has been nearly two years since State Street Ballet’s founder and visionary, Rodney Gustafson retired, placing the reins of the company in Cecily and Megan’s hands. Both leaders are seasoned insiders – Cecily with over 15 years at the company, Megan with more than a decade. They know the institution’s DNA because they’ve lived it, danced it, and now, reimagined it. Their dual leadership is less about dividing responsibilities than about blending strengths. MacDougall
Dancing Page 204
monday, september 8th
Cecily MacDougall, Nicole Callahan, and Megan Philipp at last year’s event (courtesy photo)
Recess is a chance for both the performers and audience to play with the concept of ballet (courtesy photo)
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On Entertainment Truth and ‘Lies’ in Theater
by Steven Libowitz
There are only two characters, but that’s enough to explore major subjects in Jerry Slaff’s Lies, his play that has its official West Coast premiere August 28 to September 6 at Center Stage Theatre. Lorelei is based on Mildred Gillars, an American who took to the airwaves in Germany during World War II, spewing Nazi propaganda to English-speaking troops and later convicted of treason. Benjamin is the young and ambitious Brooklyn Jewish lawyer appointed by the court to represent her at a parole hearing.
The conflict comes from the fact that Lorelei doesn’t want to leave prison, while Benjamin desperately wants to score a lawyerly win against all odds. The play consists of three conversations between them in prison.
“She doesn’t want parole because she realizes she’s done horrible things and deserves to serve her sentence,” explained Slaff. “His determination is that, because he is very inexperienced and green, he wants to get her out to prove himself and make his name.”
The two characters grapple with the predicament and butt heads, Slaff said.
“They’re very wary of each other. He tries to put on a big important face, and she’s reluctant to talk about what happened to make her do what she did,” he said. “The question becomes, because he’s puffing himself up, who’s the biggest liar? They spend their time lying to each other, and it’s up to the audience to figure out the truth. It’s almost like a boxing match, and you see the relationship change.”
The complexity of Lorelei and her relationship to her lawyer is what drew Leesa Beck to reprise the role she first performed in a reading when Lies won the Santa Barbara PlayFest Honoree Award in 2022 (then as now opposite Nik Valinsky ’s Benjamin, with PlayFest founder R. Michael Gros also directing the Center Stage premiere).
“She’s a pretty despicable character at first, but you begin to see her humanity,” Beck said. “It’s a fascinating dynamic that plays out over the course of the show. How these characters come to understand each other draws you in from the start.”
As suggested by its title, the play serves as an allegory about lying – in government, in law, and in our personal lives – that becomes an investigation into the nature of truth.
“Lying gives you power, and the power of lying is so invigorating that you can’t stop,” Slaff said. “People do it just as easily as breathing.”
Beck said that the play shows how lying builds upon itself.
“Little lies, including the ones that we tell ourselves, can snowball into bigger situations that we don’t expect or even understand,” she said.
The play has taken on a certain resonance over the last eight months as political upheaval has thrown the country for a loop. Beck said she sees Lies, which was supposed to premiere last fall, as a cautionary tale for how situations like Nazi Germany happen.
“I think it’s more poignant now,” she said. “It’s much more meaningful in this environment.”
Inside the Art with the SBSA
Twenty-eight fine artists will once again throw open the doors to their home studios over Labor Day Weekend for the Santa Barbara Studio Artists’ 24th annual Open Studios Tour. The tour, a much-anticipated event on the yearly art calendar, allows art lovers across the spectrum to step inside the normally private workspaces,
Entertainment Page 344
Lies by Jerry Slaff comes to Center Stage Theater (courtesy photo)
September 27th
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Montecito Miscellany
A
Far Out Ball
by Richard Mineards
The party animals were out in full force when the Santa Barbara Zoo hosted its 39th annual soldout Zoofari Ball. Themed “Out of this World,” with the 700 guests – invited to wear space cadet casual and starlight chic – helping raise more than $700,000 for the 37-acre menagerie.
The cosmic fête, co-chaired by Jeff and Amy Pryor, was organized by event coor-
dinator Megan Nuss and event designers Tyler Speier Events, and was the first event for the zoo’s new CEO Charles Hopper who replaced Rich Block in January after 26 years at the helm.
Among the guests, many dressed as characters from Star Wars and Star Trek, were Maitland Ward, Adam McKaig, Melissa Borders, Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey, Ginni Dreier, Hiroko Benko, Fred Brander, Jim and Sheri Copus, Janet Garufis, Renee Grubb, Riley and Dacia Harwood, George and Laurie Leis,
and Holly Murphy, Robyn Carter, Thomas Rollerson, and Frank Tabar
Rosewood Gets Ruff
Billionaire developer Rick Caruso’s oceanside hostelry the Rosewood Miramar went to the dogs when it hosted its fourth annual Best in Show hosted
by actress Jane Lynch and manager Rick Fidel with proceeds helping Santa Barbara Humane, which is currently expanding its Goleta site, the first development since the ‘60s.
More than 430 humans took part with their four-legged friends and the “Best in
Miscellany Page 354
Bob
Sponsors Robyn and Jess Parker with friends (photo by Nik Blaskovich)
The Zoofari Ball Committee (photo by Nik Blaskovich)
Sponsors Sarah and Hayden Gower with friends (photo by Nik Blaskovich)
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Operating from that place means there’s nothing we won’t, and can’t, do to get you the property, deal, and overall outcome you’re looking for. No matter how big or small, complex or simple, we’ve seen and done it all. We look forward to working with you.
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Coast Village Week
Take a Dive into CVR
by Beth Sullivan
This September, don’t just pass through – dive into Coast Village! Coast Village Association invites the community to dive in and discover all the charm, flavor, and creativity our beloved village has to offer during our third Coast Village Week, running September 8th-14th, 2025.
More than just a week of events, Coast Village Week is a celebration of the people and places that make our community vibrant – from our local jewelers and boutiques to our restaurants and cafés, wellness studios, galleries, and specialty shops. Whether you’re a longtime resident, a first-time visitor, or simply someone who loves Montecito’s unique spirit, Coast Village Week promises an experience that blends sophistication with seaside ease.
Highlights of the Week Include:
- Art Walk: Thursday, 4-7 pm – After July’s wildly popular Beyond the Canvas showcase, the Coast Village Association brings back the Art Walk to launch the weekend of packed events. Stroll the street and immerse yourself in every form of art while enjoying live music, small bites, and wine.
- Montecito Farmers Market: Friday, 9 am-12 pm – Start your morning with the simple pleasures of fresh produce and flowers, community spirit, and complimentary coffee and pastries from Rosewood Miramar.
- Jazz & Mocktails: Friday, 4-7 pm –After an afternoon of shopping unique boutiques (many offering special Coast Village Week promotions), unwind in front of Renaud’s with smooth jazz and
refreshing handcrafted mocktails before heading off to dinner on the road.
- Dog Days Photo Booth: Saturday, 12-3 pm – A family-friendly favorite! Bring your kids and pups for an open-air beachthemed photo booth. Dogs will compete for the Montecito Journal’s Top Dog prize while everyone enjoys complimentary ice cream courtesy of Rosewood Miramar.
- Vintage Cars & Surfboards: Sunday, 10 am-3 pm – Coast Village Week makes its final splash with a seaside-meets-street showcase that celebrates California’s love of classics and surf culture. Dive into a visual feast of vintage cars—like the sleek Ferrari Lusso—and handcrafted surfboards by Ryan Lovelace, displayed side by side along Coast Village Road. It’s a rare chance to experience timeless craftsmanship, from chrome curves to salt-kissed wood, all in one unforgettable afternoon.
Throughout the week, Coast Village Road merchants will be offering special promotions and experiences, making it the perfect time to shop, sip, and celebrate our community. From gifts with purchase and trunk shows to in-store specials, restaurant happy hours, and unique wellness offerings – there’s something for everyone to dive into.
Look for exclusive experiences and specials at The Tennis Shop, Mischief, Montecito Med Spa, Montecito Collective, Lilac Montecito, Whistle Club, Los Arroyos, Lily, Faherty, Kathryne Designs, Peregrine, Lion’s Tale Bar, Belrose Estate Jewelers, True Love Always, Montecito Fitness, and many more.
Tune into the MJ next week for a full schedule, list of specials, and more details! In the meantime, visit CoastVillageRoad.com and follow along on Instagram @Coast.Village.Road and Facebook @CoastVillageRoad
YOUR LETTERS MATTER!
The Montecito Journal thrives on community input… Have thoughts on a local issue? Comments on one of our articles? Contact us at letters@montecitojournal.net
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
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Our Town
GLBA Scholarship Awards at Pacific Pride Fest
by Joanne A Calitri
The esteemed and respected Gay and Lesbian Business Association (GLBA) held their annual scholarship competition this year, funded generously by their newest endowment in honor of the late Gary Michael Mosel. Mosel, a prominent Santa Barbara plumbing contractor, was a long-time GLBA member and scholarship donor for 40 years.
The GLBA Scholarship Chair is John Chufar – a third-generation realtor, past President of the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors, and recipient of Realtor of the Year and the Howard Gates Award (2019). The scholarship team are Tim Lyons, Robert Johns, Chris Curry, Carlos Ojeda, Chris Martinez, Doug Van Pelt, and Jonathan Alburger
Chufar contacted me to ask my attendance at the formal scholarship presentation at the Pacific Pride Foundation (PPF) 50th Anniversary event on Saturday, August 23, at the beach across from Chase Palm Park.
Readers, this is double great news, as the GLBA has not presented a scholarship in a few years and for the first time in the history of the GLBA, they are being acknowledged as part of the PPF community.
I arrived early backstage to meet with Chufar, the GLBA scholarship team, and the GLBA Scholarship winner Kai Ingraham, along with the one-year new PPF Executive Director Julio Roman, for photo ops and quick interview bytes. Love and inclusion were all around backstage.
Roman shared with me about PPF including GLBA for the first time, “When we talk about safe spaces, we often talk about four walls and a door to escape to. An organization like the GLBA has represented what safe space means in people, especially as they aim to highlight and support the lives of our LGBTQIA+ communities,
and we are really thankful.”
It was time for PPF’s Award ceremonies. First were the Legacy Awards, which went to Lynn Cunningham Brown, PPF Board of Directors; David Selberg, Chief Executive Officer of Hospice SB; Claude Raffin and partner Jon Gathercole who both SB Realtors co-founded Spectrum Realty and the Brightstar Foundation; and Brad Willis, former Chief Technology Officer at Deckers Brands and SB Museum of Natural History Immediate Past Chair.
Next were the PPF Community Service Awardees: Ralph Barbosa, Health Programs Coordinator at County of Santa Barbara, Public Health Department and PPF Board Vice Chair; Gary Clark, The Fund for SB Development Director; René García Hernández, M.A. Ed., Director of Community Engagement at AHA!; Robert Mendez, PPF Honorary Board Member, event promoter and founder of the Red Room at the Wildcat Lounge; and Megan Overland, Transgender Advocacy Network.
The GLBA followed with Van Pelt as keynote speaker for their Scholarship Award. He mentioned the respect and love that the community has for Mosel, who was very generous and believed in friendships and the power of love. He acknowledged Mosel’s partner Marco Silva and his family who were attending. He then introduced Ingraham, the scholarship winner, who will be using the funds to pay their rent for one year at the School of Education and Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley. Ingraham attended Monroe elementary, La Cumbre Jr. High, Santa Barbara High and SBCC. They graduated from UC Santa Cruz Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Counseling Psychology with an LGBT emphasis. Upon receiving their award, Ingraham said, “I am so deeply grateful and honored for this opportunity, it is huge to say the least. Thank you so much to the GLBA, especially Gary –it is actually life changing for me. I want to be the queer therapist that I need most, and this is going to be a huge part of that. And thank you to the PPF for letting us be on here today; this festival played a huge part in my own queer awakening. And I’m just amazed that I am standing on this stage today and talking to all of you. Thank you so much.”
Per its website, “GLBA has awarded a total of over $165,000 (as of 2025) in scholarships since 1983. It is the ONLY source of financial support for gay and lesbian students seeking educational advancement in Santa Barbara County … While some national organizations have told our gay youth they are unwelcome, asserting that gay youth do not meet their leadership or membership standards, these GLBA grants are our way of telling our youth they EXCEED those standards and we are proud of them. A little friendly support and encouragement goes a long way for students who often face personal hardship and rejection due to their sexual orientation.” Additional endowment funds are The Robert L. Johns Vocational Scholarship Endowment Fund; The Raffin-Gathercole Scholarship Endowment Fund; The Carl Joseph Adelhardt Memorial Scholarship Endowment; and The Stephen Logan Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund.
The GLBA presenting their 2025 Scholarship Award to Kai Ingraham at the Pacific Pride Foundation 50th Anniversary (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
The Pacific Pride Foundation Legacy Awardees with Executive Director Julio Roman (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
Society Invites
Social Media Sensation & Neuroscientist
Dr.
Tara Swart at Godmothers Books
by Joanne A Calitri
Hellos loves! Here is a cosmic literary nod in my Society column just for you. I attended the first public appearance of global social media sensation Dr. Tara Swart, at Godmothers, Monday, August 18. Four days prior, she openly discussed her private life reveal and new book, The Signs: The New Science of How to Trust Your Instincts, with Steven Bartlett on his Diary of a CEO podcast in Los Angeles. Swart is a PhD neuroscientist and Oxford University trained medical doctor, leadership coach, author, and podcast host.
After learning that Swart was coming to our town from L.A., I texted my dear friend and massive supporter of the arts, Ashley Woods Hollister, who is one of the founding members of Godmothers. She booked us tickets, and added to our group Lani Reagan, CEO at Dynamic Healing Therapies, and certified Intuitive Life Coach. Also attending were Montecito Union School Foundation fund supporter Sally Morgan with her friend Reid Ryan, owner of Polymorph Beauty.
I arrived at Godmothers pre-show for my scheduled interview with its co-owner Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, who was the Executive Vice President and Co-Head of the William Morris Agency’s Worldwide Literary Department for 25 years. Walsh and I met upstairs at the bookstore, where she introduced me to Swart who was preparing for her talk. As I had my Dirtea travel mug with me #ifyouknowyouknow, Swart exclaimed, “You know about Dirtea in the U.S.?! I am their Chief Science Officer. Have you tried the gummies yet?!” – we bonded over mushroom x health.
After a photo session with Walsh, I asked her about curating the bookstore’s collection and the speaker series. With Walsh’s CV reading like a NY Times best seller itself, she explained, “It’s an alchemical process, we know a Godmothers book when
PROTECTION
we hear it. We are not really looking for a specific thing. When we hear about a book that feels like it will resonate with our guests, we jump at it. It can be anything from a book about bee pollination to a book about intuition; science, culture, memoir, and authentic story telling is always what draws our guests in. There is a whole grid process for how books come into our radar.”
Next, I asked Walsh if there is a book she would like to write. She said, “Not really. I edited a book called Hungry Hearts, but really you know I think that my work is
Riley Blanks Reed and Dr. Tara Swart at Godmothers (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
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Curator’s Choice
Rare depiction of the extinct Dodo bird by George Edwards, an English naturalist, printed in A Natural History of Uncommon Birds in London, 1757. The Guinea Pig was added purely for scale. George Edwards FRS (3 April 1694 – 23 July 1773) was known as the “father of British ornithology.” This Curator’s Choice image was provided by Maximus Gallery from their deep collection of rare nature prints. The current Maximus Gallery show, Drawn from Nature, will run into the fall.
September is Member Appreciation Month at the Museum of Natural History and Sea Center. If you’ve ever considered exploring the awesome benefits of becoming a Member, this is a great month to do it.
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Far Flung Travel Southern African Canyonlands
by Chuck Graham
Iteetered on the edge of the north rim of Fish River Canyon, a lofty perch overlooking the second largest canyon in the world. The starkly beautiful desertscape is in Namibia, in Southern Africa. The colossal geological wonder appeared every bit like the American Southwest’s Grand Canyon, the largest canyon on the planet.
Scanning with binoculars, the southern Namibian gorge mirrored all the same topographical features as its earthly North American cousin. Striated cliffs swept in pinkish, purple, and orangish hues that followed its serpentine flow before converging with the Orange River, forming the border of Namibia and South Africa. The confluence of the two rivers is just over 60 miles from the teeming Benguela Current and the frigid Atlantic Ocean.
ing at a hyrax. The size discrepancy is obvious. I’ve seen hyraxes on the highest peaks in East Africa all the way down to the Waterberg Plateau in Namibia. They only weigh four to 13 pounds, but genetic studies of bone morphology reveal a close evolutionary bond between the 5,000-to-12,000-pound tuskers and the scruffy, crooked-toothed rock hyraxes.
From afar, 1,800-foot-deep Fish River Canyon seemed barren and lifeless, yet within my immediate surroundings canyon flora and fauna thrived. Adorable and vibrant, rosy-faced lovebirds were perched on a lone quiver tree on the edge of the north rim. A flock of the multi-colorful parrots preened on what is really a massive aloe plant that grows 10-to-25 feet tall. The two species are native to Namibia, reveling in the arid, cloudless skies hovering above the Southern African nation.
African Elephant Cousins
While scrambling along the edge of Fish River Canyon, I came across the closest living relative of the African elephant. After 16 trips to Africa, it’s always boggled my mind that the rock hyrax is a related to the largest land mammal on the planet. It’s almost comical look-
I had baby hyraxes at my feet. Resting in the shade of a quiver tree, they hopped and bounded along the rim of the canyon. There was a small pool of water nearby, a popular pit stop where lovebirds, hyraxes, rock agamas, and a lone bushshrike congregated. By late afternoon long shadows crept across the depths of the canyon and the arid temperatures cooled along the rim.
Quiver trees stood tall, majestically silhouetted against another epic southern African sunset. Well below the rim, my girlfriend Holly and I heard spotted
Far Flung Page 324
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Brilliant Thoughts
What’s the Point?
by Ashleigh Brilliant
In times past, it was more important for many things to be sharper than we now care about. This applied not only to weapons, such as swords, spears, and arrows – but also to culinary ware, when animal parts often went directly from the place of killing to the place of cooking. And, in pre-modern eras, before plastic became so common, it was frequently convenient to have a good cutting edge readily available – which is why so many people carried at their belts, usually in a leather sheath, some kind of small sharp knife. And all this is not to mention, in more turbulent times and places than our own, the actual need for having a ready means of self-defense.
But for most of us nowadays – at least as far back as the schooldays I remember – the first need to sharpen anything arose in connection with pencils, which were usually cylinders of wood surrounding a writing-core of graphite. In England, the sharpening was done with a little folding knife, which boys carried in their pockets, or girls in their bags. In America, however, by that time, there was usually in each classroom, a mechanical sharpener, hand-operated by a crank-lever. It was made to hold the shavings, which periodically had to be shaken out and disposed of. That was a job for one of the students, appointed to be something like the “pencil monitor.”
But the sharpest thing most of us encounter in daily life is a needle. Modern engineering made it possible to put an “eye” on that instrument – that is, a hole at one end, which, in turn enabled an inventive American genius named Isaac Singer to perfect a sewing machine – one of the key inventions of the era which also produced Thomas Edison. Having a hole going through it crosswise was only the beginning of the miracles which could be done with needles. Modern Medicine (of course including dentistry) was virtually transformed when the innovation of a hollow needle allowed for the injection of substances beneath the skin without the need to make any kind of incision.
I wish that I could write about all this in a totally impersonal manner, but unfortunately it recalls one of the most unhappy incidents of my life, which occurred when I was only nine years old. While tossing a ball with a friend, one of us threw it up quite high. We both ran to catch it, looking upwards, and our heads collided. His forehead met my mouth. He soon healed, but both of my two upper front teeth were badly damaged. When I was taken to a dentist the next day, he approached me with a needle, of which I was so frightened that I ran out of the office and made my own way home. That was only the beginning of many years of dentistry. Somehow, I lost my fear of needles, the bad teeth were removed, and thereafter I wore various devices to “bridge” the gap. I must say that from then on, when dentally necessary, I was given gas.
But long before our own era, pins and needles had many different uses, particularly in fastening clothing. This helps us to understand a part of Hamlet’s “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy, in which he is considering suicide and its possible justifications, and even one possible method and instrument. After listing some of the miseries of life (including “The Law’s Delay”) Hamlet asks, in effect, why would anyone put up with all that if we could be sure of totally ending everything merely “with a bare bodkin”?
A bodkin was one of the large pins used to hold clothing together – a relatively clumsy method, which was finally replaced by one of the great modern inventions – the Safety-Pin. That device was invented by an American named Walter Hunt, who patented it in 1849. As is the story with many other great technical advances, however, the inventor never derived much benefit from it, while other more business-minded investors and companies did.
But we cannot conclude this pointed discussion without paying tribute to the early developers of Geometry. At school, I was fascinated by its beautiful logic. It begins with nothing, i.e., a “Point,” which has no substance and no dimensions, but does have a location. Only when it moves does it become a line.
And I couldn’t resist turning that into an epigram:
“I studied Geometry, but never found out whether life is a straight line or a circle.”
The Faces & Fashion of...
Board Member and Gala Co-chair Alex Nourse in sparkling red, by Claire Wentzel Guest Lily Hahn
Shining shown flowing in elegance, by Kim Reierson
SSB Company Member Aimee Le, fashioned and illustrated by designer Catherine Gee
La Fête du Carnaval
Board VP and Gala Co-chair Nicole Callahan in a custom Naeem Khandesigned gown, by Kaya Oktayuren
Erin’s Legacy
Endowment for the Arts & More
in Honor of Erin
by Sigrid Toye
The glorious shades of Santa Barbara’s midsummer madness, the pinnacle being the traditional colors of Fiesta Week, seemed a little less bright this year. Could this have been the grey skies and minimal sunshine that dampened the landscape or … could it possibly have been the deeply felt absence of the person who embodied the Spirit of Santa Barbara, Erin Graffy de Garcia? We are still processing the loss of one of our most cherished historical voices, a renowned author and champion of all artistic endeavors – music, dance, performance and visual arts – or, summarized more succinctly, knowledge of everything Santa Barbara!
As the journalist, author, historian, musician, dancer, performer and patron of the arts – and mentor to many, myself included – Erin has left an indelible mark on all of us in the Santa Barbara community. Her insightful observations, books, articles, videos and other creative pur-
Historical and Maritime Museums, and the Yacht Club to name just a few, were also in constant motion. Even Erin had to admit with her usual dry wit, “I kind of have so many different hats that it’s hard for me to keep track of myself!”
suits covered the entire spectrum from A to Z and all the stops between. Her passion and preservation of traditions and her support of the arts run deeply throughout Santa Barbara’s collective history, woven as the underpinning of her many pursuits. Erin’s collaborations with Santa Barbra organizations such as Old Spanish Days, Santa Barbara’s
How best to preserve this remarkable legacy, define its various components, and facilitate avenues to pass this on to future generations – that is the mission of the Erin Graffy de Garcia Endowment. Established by the Graffy family and her husband, Dr. James Garcia. The Endowment is facilitated by The Profant Foundation for the Arts – a 501(c)(3) non-profit and also a family foundation – to continue to inspire, educate, and enrich the community in her name. This Endowment is envisioned to grow, with annual dividends supporting specific projects that reflect Erin’s community involvement, historical knowledge, and the artistic sensibilities she brought to the mission of keeping the culture of Santa Barbara alive. “Erin’s living legacy is woven into the very fabric of Santa Barbara, where she touched its cultural soul, history, and traditions,” stated Marie Profant on behalf of the foundation. “She didn’t just honor the past, she made it pulse with life, ensuring that SB’s historical identity is not only remembered but experienced.”
On a warm afternoon last week, I sat with Erin’s sister Colleen Graffy to learn about the family’s vision for the Endowment. “How do we capture all of Erin in one simple endowment?” she mused, almost to herself. “Even now I continue to be awed … she had so many interests – journalism, dance, music, his-
tory research. How do we capture the essence of her Spirit…” and with a nostalgic chuckle, “...or her love of chocolates?” This is the task – and the mission – of this newly established endowment. Although future planning is still in progress, the Endowment has already focused on one prominent area of interest: Journalism. “Our inaugural Erin Graffy Journalism Fellowship recipient for student journalism, Sienna Valentine, a student at Dos Pueblos High School, has an internship at Noozhawk and has posted three stories already!” The first of these articles was on Project Fiesta, the 95-year history of Old Spanish Days, finding a new home at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, something that Erin facilitated. The Old Spanish Days archives contain over one million photos and thousands of articles. Other fellowships are in the offing, potentially at her beloved Historical Museum. Another project Erin founded in 2004 – and continued to facilitate – was Flor y Canto, honoring and preserving the history and dances of early California during the celebration of Old Spanish Days. The event was held again this year in her honor at the courthouse with Yvette Keller, a past student, filling Erin’s the role as narrator. Flory y Canto, and the research involved represents only one of her many projects, but exemplifies a living extension of her passion for history and Santa Barbara culture as well as her in depth knowledge of music, dance and the arts. Maintaining and supporting Flo y Canto is one of the next items in development on the Endowment’s potentially long list.
Sitting with Colleen that afternoon I had the feeling that both Graffy sisters were in the room with me. As we chatted, it occurred to me that despite Erin’s seemingly disparate pursuits, they are actually all connected – as are we in our Santa Barbara community. I remember her warmth, personality, and mentorship, and knew just “How to Santa Barbara” because of her sharp, always insightful wit. Thanks to the Erin Graffy de Garcia Endowment, her spirit and deep historical and cultural knowledge will become a key part of Santa Barbara’s collective memory.
Erin Graffy de Garcia Endowment website: https://eringraffylegacy.org
Erin with her husband James (courtesy photo)
Erin’s siblings Neil and Colleen (photo by Isaac Hernandez)
Logo for the new
Erin Graffy de Garcia Endowment
The Giving List
Legal Aid’s Annual Benefit a Taste for Justice
by Steven Libowitz
For the first time in six years, Chowderfest, the much-cherished annual fundraiser for the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County, is coming back to its most popular location this September. Following a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the food-andfun filled benefit bounced over to Rancho La Patera & Stow House in Goleta for its 2023 event, then took another pause last year for a special 65th anniversary celebration at the Anchor Rose.
But popular demand has brought Chowderfest: A Taste for Justice back where it belongs at The Carriage & Western Art Museum on Castillo Street near West Beach.
“Everybody has been asking us if we were doing Chowderfest this year,” said Jennifer Smith, Legal Aid’s Executive Director. “So we are really excited to be bringing it back again as our only fundraiser of the year.”
First held in 2010 as a charity cook-off, Chowderfest was the brainchild of a new Legal Aid Foundation board member who had connections to the food and restaurant world. That inaugural event quickly grew into a “must attend” for the area’s best chefs and restaurateurs vying for bragging rights of “Best Chowder in Santa Barbara.” Along the way, the daytime bash added other food vendors also sharing their tasty treats, as well as local wineries and breweries serving up their beverages, plus live music and a silent auction. The casual afternoon event still stands on the other end of the spectrum from the typical gala on the crowded benefit calendar, which those in the legal profession know only too well may present as a bit more run-of-themill by comparison to Chowderfest.
“It’s just so much fun for everyone, because people can mingle all afternoon, and taste the different chowders, then
vote for their favorite,” Smith said. “And the chefs love coming up with something different for the competition.”
Bluewater Grill, Dargan’s, Dutch Gardens, Local, Moby Dick & The Oyster Bar, Santa Barbara Fish Market, Scarlett Begonia, and the new Ellwood restaurant at Goleta Beach are among those already signed up to provide food for Chowderfest. Sixteen different wineries and vineyards have already enrolled to be pouring glasses of their finest varietals, along with Figueroa Mountain brewery and Institution Ale.
More restaurants and/or caterers are expected to join the lineup to vie for the coveted chowder champion challenge.
“We typically have around 10 restaurants competing for the top chowder prize,” Smith said. “The chefs are true culinary talents, and they love to get creative in creating their chowders. So it’s always a fun and fierce competition.”
Even more so for the attendees, as foodies can sample as much of the souped-up chowders and other appetizers as they like. And along with filling
their bellies, guests can also feel fulfilled that they are helping Legal Aid fulfill its mission to provide free civil legal services to those in need countywide.
Tickets for Chowderfest are on sale now at $125 for the September 28 event. But for those who want to step up to the plate (pardon the pun) in a bigger way, it’s not too late to sign up to be a sponsor. Though this year’s 2025 Chowderfest: A Taste for Justice takes place a scant month away from this issue’s publication date, sponsor signups are still welcome. Levels of participation range from $500 to $10,000, and sponsors receive increasing numbers of complimentary tickets to the event, as well listing on the event website, social media, pre-and-postevent publicity, and acknowledgment during the event. There are even fun, soup-sational titles for the various levels, from Corn Chowder Circle ($500), Vegetable Chowder ($1,000) and Fish Chowder ($2,500) to Clam Chowder ($5,000) and $10,000 Lobster Chowder Circles. Yes, the crustacean, mollusk, and fish-adjacent sponsorships do seem to lord it over the veggie labels, no judgement is meant to be implied.
It’s also still possible to donate items in advance for the event’s silent auction.
Most importantly, with all the proceeds going directly to support Legal Aid, there’s the knowledge that you’re helping the nonprofit to balance the scales of justice in civil court, as Legal Aid’s attorneys help their clients in navigating the sometimes confusing legal system from, ahem, soup to nuts.
“Everyone knows that when you’re charged with a crime, and you can’t afford an attorney, you have a right to be appointed a public defender,” Smith said. “But that same government function does not exist for all things civil. We truly rely on and need local community support to make these services available to those in need in our community.”
Legal Aid focuses on areas involving shelter, safety and stability; critical issues that speak to someone’s ability to stay housed, their ability to stay safe and free from abuse, and to stay economically stable, Smith said.
“That includes representing tenants at risk of eviction, survivors of intimate partner violence, assisting seniors and others in consumer protection issues, and more,” she said.
The nonprofit’s 23 staff members countywide include top-drawer attorneys who have opted to provide excellent legal services to those in need vs. climbing the corporate billables ladder.
“It’s a very dedicated group and you’ll see them – our lawyers, our staff and our board members and volunteers – out there at the event,” Smith said. “They’ll be checking people in, helping to serve, manning the auction tables. We’re all passionate about our work.”
Having local support is also crucial to being seen by other private foundations and grantors who may then consider participation in vital funding for the nonprofit, Smith said.
While buying a regular pass to Chowderfest directly supports Legal Aid’s vital work in the community, the nonprofit also wants to make its event accessible for all to attend. Students, employees of nonprofits and others on limited income may contact Nadia Romero at nromero@ lafsbc.org to request a sliding scale ticket.
So don’t be a chowderhead and miss out!
Visit https://santabarbarachowderfest.com or www.lafsbc.org
Who’s going to be this year’s chowder champ?
Step up for a bowl of justice…and chowder…lots and lots of chowder (courtesy photo)
Lila Downs, Oct 23
Tango After Dark, Feb 1
20 Noam Pikelny, Oct 18
Jake Shimabukuro, Dec 10
Samara Joy, Oct 2
David Sedaris, Nov 7
Trifonov,
30
Montecito Health Coach
Are We Losing Our Minds?
The Concern Over Cognitive Decline
by Deann Zampelli
Like many of us, I will occasionally (ok, more than occasionally) find myself walking into a room only to realize I have forgotten why. We have come to accept this as a normal part of aging. But should we?
While I was listening to a Diary of a CEO podcast the other day, I was alarmed at some of the statistics that were shared by the two guests: Dr. Daniel Amen, a renowned brain expert and author and Dr. Terry Sejnowski, a pioneering expert in computational neuroscience (don’t ask me what that means). The host, Steven Bartlett, started the episode by sharing a recent study done by MIT. The study was small, only 46 subjects were used, but as a peer review (the gold standard for evaluation) can take months to complete, MIT was keen to share their findings, however comparatively small the sample.
Three groups were asked to write essays on various topics. One group used ChatGPT, one used Google AI and one did not use any AI assistance whatsoever and relied on good old-fashioned brain power. The findings, not surprisingly, showed that the group that did not use any AI assistance had the highest recall of what they wrote, and the highest cognitive connection to the content produced –the material still resonated with them, they absorbed it, and they learned something new in the process. The other two groups did not fare as well. The reason this study was being discussed was that these two brain experts are concerned about the potential for what is being called “digital dementia.” They were not demonizing AI, just highlighting the importance of using AI as a tool, rather than as a crutch that with overuse has the potential to “corrode our brains.” With more and more kids using AI from a young age, the risk of this happening seems to be increasing.
As a health coach who works primarily with people over 50, I am often learning about ways we can stay strong and agile of mind, body, and soul. I have frequently heard that our level of education has been correlated to our risk of dementia; for example, those who didn’t finish high school are at a higher risk of experiencing some form of cognitive decline than
someone who finished college. On a deeper dive however, it doesn’t seem to be the schooling itself, but the use of our brain. The brain, while not a muscle, is very much susceptible to the old adage, use it or lose it. This doesn’t have to mean going back to school, but it does mean keeping our minds agile. This can include taking on a new hobby, doing Sudoku, learning a new language, playing games, etc.
According to The Alzheimer’s Society UK, there are steps we can take to lowering our risk of dementia. These include getting regular exercise, not smoking, drinking less alcohol, and staying mentally and socially active. We’re all familiar with the many ways social isolation is said to be harmful. Well, let’s add increasing our risk of dementia to that ever-growing list. As the U.S. Against Alzheimer’s Association recently shared, 1 in every 3 cases of dementia are preventable. 1 in 3!
While some might find these numbers depressing, I choose to look at them as an opportunity for growth. We can take the helm and be a mental mariner in our journey to cognitive health. I often talk with my clients about this very issue. What can we do now, that our future selves will thank us for? In this case, it is treating our minds with the same intention we apply to our bodies; we want to keep them fit, strong, active, and working in the most efficient way possible for as long as we can.
The UCSB Center for Aging and Longevity Studies (CALS) even goes as far as saying, “A large number of age-driven diseases, including cardiovascular, cancer, Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, could be simultaneously ameliorated simply with the single intervention of slowing the aging clock. Further, recent biological discoveries indicate that it may even be possible to turn the clock backwards – that is, to reverse aspects of age-related decline and reclaim at least some elements of youthfulness, a prospect that is encompassed by ongoing research in CALS.” This aligns with the work of scientists such as Dr. Peter Attia (author of Outlive) – research that suggests that, while getting older is inevitable, aging itself doesn’t have to be. This is where our environmental and lifestyle choices come into play.
Health Coach Page 324
In Passing
Catherine “Cathy” Elizabeth Sanford: January 10, 1931 – August 8, 2025
“Finish every morsel.” Those were Cathy Sanford’s words while sharing a meal with the grandkids – and yet it was also the way she lived her life. She believed in savoring every bite, every moment, and every opportunity in life. And for 94 beautiful years, she did just that.
Cathy’s life was rich with love, purpose, and adventure and didn’t allow social norms to hold her back. She proudly served her country as a WAC in the U.S. Air Force, earning the American Spirit Honor Medal. She was in the first female graduating class at Cal Poly SLO earning her BS and master’s degrees. Later, she shaped young lives as a high school physical education teacher and tennis coach at Santa Barbara High School and Dos Pueblos High School, where her dedication earned her multiple Coach of the Year honors and many lifelong friendships with colleagues and students.
Her proudest achievements were found at home – for 70 years, she and her beloved Jack walked side by side, building a home filled with love, laughter, and late dinners where stuffed hot dogs were a family favorite. She enjoyed all that six children and 17 grandchildren could provide by honoring every birthday and turning holidays into special moments.
Cathy lived her life by filling it with purpose and enjoyment. She was a spirited sports fan who enjoyed watching tennis, baseball, and football. Her favorite event was Wimbledon, which she attended 17 times. She competed on the tennis court, winning the National Equitable Family Tennis Challenge with son, John. In 2006 Cathy, alongside her family, were awarded Southern California Tennis Association’s Family of the Year. She enjoyed many birding trips with Jack, painted beautiful watercolors, kept a sharp eye on her stocks, and eagerly shared these passions with her children and grandchildren. She was always a teacher at heart, quick with wisdom and even quicker with humor.
She filled her days with the things – and the people – she loved. Cathy left this world the way she lived in it: gracefully, gratefully, and having savored every morsel, finishing her plate. Her love will echo in the hearts of her family, her friends, and all who were lucky enough to know her.
Cathy is survived by her loving husband, Jack Sanford, their 6 kids and 17 grandkids.
Friends and family please join us for Cathy’s Celebration of Life at noon, Sept. 4, at Palm Park Beach House, 236 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara.
Donations:
If so inclined, donations may be made in Cathy’s honor to her favorite organizations: Goleta Valley Art Association, Santa Barbara Audubon Society, and Dos Pueblos Girl’s Tennis Team.
“He who cannot dance puts the blame on the floor.” – Hindu Proverb
“Finish every morsel.” – Cathy Sanford
Elizabeth’s Appraisals
Self-winding Atmos Clock
by Elizabeth Stewart
Imagine a clock that winds itself based on changes in atmospheric pressure. This clock doesn’t need a human. It winds itself with the help of a sealed bellows of ethyl chloride: when the temperature rises, the metal spring is condensed, when it falls, the metal spring expands, and the mainspring is wound. Because this clock is so delicate, a pendulum was invented that practically has no friction and hangs off a wire thinner than a human hair. This is the Atmos clock, brand name of a torsion pendulum clock made by JaegerLeCoultre in Switzerland.
Clocks that ran on atmospheric pressure were invented in the 17th century and refined throughout the 18th century. A particularly noteworthy torsion pendulum clock is the Beverly Clock in Dunedin, New Zealand, which has not been touched by a human since 1864 and is still telling accurate time.
I love this Gold and Crystal Atmos 9” mantel clock with its modern case, given to HK’s grandfather, as were so many of these clocks in the mid-20th century. Many Atmos clocks were presented (boxed) since the 1940s. Not the least of the ‘givers’ is and was the Swiss Government, for which the Atmos Mantle Clock is the go-to gift for visiting dignitaries since the 1950s.
In the U.S., the model is gold plating over brass with a five-panel crystal casing. The Swiss made other models for dignitaries from Japan, featuring views of Mt. Fuji and a pagoda. The Marina design features motifs of the ocean. The ribbed brass model and a round or square faced model sell at auction under for $1,000; the black enamel round face model is $1,500. The clock has different outward casing styles but technically speaking is the same internally since 1946. Popular as retirement and wedding gifts bestowed by employers and families respectively, the gift of the Atmos suggested a relationship honored. The gifted Atmos symbolized – and indeed actualized – reliability, dependability, accuracy, and beauty.
For example, a version of the Atmos mantel clock called the Moonphase, which retails today (used) for $10,000, is the same torsion pendulum Atmos clock set into a case of plated rose gold and crystal. The difference is that the Moonphase tells the time, month, and moon phases – the moon phase mechanism itself so precisely engineered it is said to take 3,821 years to accumulate a one-day error.
The Atmos was invented by the Swiss engineer Jean-Léon Reutter in 1928 and became commercially produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre in 1936. Jaeger-LeCoultre was formed in 1833 by Antoine LeCoultre. The brand is my favorite. They have invented and patented thousands of clock movements: for example, the world’s smallest movement, the world’s most complicated movement, and the “perpetual” movement of the Atmos clock.
My business manager Shawn is a collector of men’s unique wrist watches and loves the wizardry of the Tourbillion movement Jaeger-LeCoultre Grand Complication watch. Designed in 2009, it is called the Hybris Mechanica à Grand Sonnerie – and will set you back $2.5 million. What you get on your wrist for $2.5M are treats for the ear, because Sonnerie means “chimes,” and yes, the watch has miniature tiny
Anya Consiglio
gongs and hammers inside that can play the miniature chimes inside that watch. Because of its 1,300 parts and many complex tiny gears, it plays the entire Big Ben Chime Song, and the Westminster Chime Song, as well as showing you the time, and the perpetual calendar for the date, day, month, and leap year. The challenge to the watchmaking industry in the creation of the Grand Complication is the precise engineering needed to find more and more complexity in a relatively small wristwatch – and to achieve this complexity through mechanical miniaturization that does NOT rely on digital diminution but on precision analog engineering.
If, in 1980, your Casio digital wonder beeped every hour, this $2.5M Hybris Mechanica à Grand Sonnerie wristwatch will play amazing tiny chimes. It will come delivered with its own 450 lb. safe and two back up watches.
Over the length of its career as THE premier Swiss mantle clock, the Atmos has had various models and changes to its horology, but the essential engineering is the same. In the last few years a LeCoultre designer developed the “Atmos Mysterieuse,” a most gorgeous torsion pendulum mantel clock set in a case with a base covered in cream colored shagreen (shark’s hide), and mother of pearl, with a Baccarat crystal cloche which hermetically seals the Atmos horological movement. The case is accented with 9.35 carats of diamonds and retails for $230,000.
The value of the 1960s era Atmos is $500. HK reports it is in working order and she would like to sell (contact me).
Elizabeth Stewart, PhD is a veteran appraiser of fine art, furniture, glass, and other collectibles, and a cert. member of the AAA and an accr. member of the ASA. Please send any objects to be appraised to Elizabethappraisals@ gmail.com
The 1960s era Atmos from Jaeger-LeCoultre
Petite Wine Traveler
Sailing the Caribbean, One Glass at a Time
by Jamie Knee
Late summer in the Caribbean is when the sea whispers adventure. The trade winds steady your sails, the water is still bath-warm, and the harbors, so crowded in winter, unfold into elegant calm. On a recent yachting journey, I was asked to curate the wine pairings for our group, and it reminded me why I love this work: when the right bottle meets the right dish, a beautiful day on the water becomes unforgettable. And in those moments, you know lifelong memories are getting ready to be made.
The Caribbean may not produce wine, but it provides the perfect stage for it. Each island has its own rhythm, its own food pulled from the sea, or market, and wines chosen to echo both. Here is how I paired our route, glass by glass, harbor by harbor.
Nevis & St. Kitts
We anchored off Pinney’s Beach, one of the island’s most famous stretches of sand, and laid out a dockside spread of caviar blinis and chilled flutes of Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne. The champagne’s fine mousse and wild strawberry notes cut cleanly through the briny richness of the caviar, while a chalky finish mirrors the salt air rolling in from the sea. Later, as the sun dropped, we carried the celebration to the sand, where a spirited game of volleyball unfolded, with glasses of Château Miraval Rosé never far from reach. This pale and mineral-driven wine, with hints of stone fruit and herbs, matched Nevis’s volcanic, unhurried beauty.
Antigua
Antigua is a sailor’s island, with 365 beaches and a storied nautical history centered at Nelson’s Dockyard in English Harbour. We timed our mooring to arrive just as the Georgian stone buildings glowed amber in the last light. We dined dockside on lobster, acquired fresh from a fisherman at the pier and finished with nothing more than a squeeze of lime. I opened a Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, with notes of lemon zest, flinty minerality, and green apple snap; the acidity sliced perfectly through the lobster’s sweet meat. The pairing was exact, clean, and utterly Antiguan: bright, sharp, and alive.
St. Barts
St. Barts leans unapologetically into its French heritage. At Shellona Beach Club on Shell Beach, we lunched under bougainvillea with a Niçoise-style tuna salad: briny olives, seared tuna, crisp beans, all sharp-
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ened by citrus vinaigrette. With it, LaurentPerrier Brut Champagne, green apple and pear at first, then almond and brioche, finishing with precise acidity. The salad’s salt and sear teased out the Champagne’s saline edge, while the vinaigrette mirrored its brightness. It was a Provençal pairing transported unmistakably to the Caribbean.
St. Martin
St. Martin offers two islands in one: Dutch bustle on one side, French refinement on the other. In Marigot, on the French side, we stopped at a café beside the Marché de Marigot, where locals sold tropical fruit and fresh baguettes. We shared a plate of cheeses, paired with mango chutney, and I poured Château Minuty Rosé from Provence. Pale salmon in color, with aromas of peach skin, citrus, and white flowers, it carried a mineral backbone that lifted the richness of the cheeses, while the chutney’s sweetness drew out the wine’s ripe fruit. French structure met Caribbean spice, and both shone brighter for it.
Mustique
If St. Barts dazzles and Antigua bustles, Mustique whispers. Anchored just off Britannia Bay, we grilled mahi-mahi on deck as the stars came out, topping it with roasted plantain purée. The plantain’s caramelized sweetness and earthy depth gave the dish the weight it needed to meet Vosne-Romanée Pinot Noir. The Burgundy was silky, layered with ripe cherry, forest floor, and a trace of clove. The fish’s char echoed the wine’s savory undertones, while the bright acidity kept the pairing lifted. Subtle, restrained, unforgettable, much like Mustique itself.
As I created these pairings, what struck me was how naturally the wines found their place. The Caribbean does
not need vineyards to create wine memories; it provides the setting. Seafood pulled from the dock, bougainvillea-shaded cafés, evenings on teak decks with nothing but stars overhead. The bottles of Champagne, rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir are not just accessories, they are amplifiers, each one chosen to draw out the island’s essence. As a wine travel specialist, I believe wine tastes best when it feels woven into the place you are. Sailing these islands proved the point. The Caribbean may not grow grapes, but it offers something even rarer, the perfect stage to drink them. Cheers!
Jamie Knee is a Global Wine Communicator, Wine Media Personality, and International Wine Judge & Educator, named one of the “Top 50 Most Influential Women in Wine.” Follow her @petitewinetraveler.
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D’ANGELO BREAD
Pulling into Saint Barts
Dinner in Mustique
Your Westmont
Welcoming the New Warriors
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
About 400 first-year, transfer and nursing students arrive at Westmont for Orientation and Warrior Welcome on August 27-31. Off campus, 38 students begin the Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing program, joining two other cohorts of students enrolled in the accelerated 16-month Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
Most of the 71 first-generation students (18% of the incoming class) and their parents came Aug. 26 for the First Connections Pre-Orientation program, which emphasizes the cultural transition and interpersonal connections vital to thriving in college. Twenty-six international students, one of the highest totals in school history, will also attend with their families. New students represent 23 U.S. states and 24 countries with 12% from Santa Barbara County.
The incoming class is 43% men and 57% women, which aligns with last year’s statistics for enrolled undergraduates but bucks national trends for male student enrollment. Forty-nine percent represent multicultural, multinational diversity with 27% identifying as Hispanic. Sixty-four transfer students enroll this fall, the second largest transfer class in school history.
Westmont awarded four-year academic scholarships ranging from $15,000 to nearly $41,000 each year to more than
95% of entering new students. Sixtytwo high-achieving, first-year students selected as Augustinian Scholars have received grants ranging from $28,000 up to 75% of tuition.
Westmont attracted and enrolled an incredibly accomplished incoming class with an average GPA of 3.9.
Students have expressed the most interest in majoring in economics and business (16%), kinesiology (12%), biology (9%), and psychology (7%). Sixteen percent have yet to specify a possible major.
New students include 127 athletes, the largest recruited class in Warrior history. The men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball teams began practicing earlier in the month, preparing for NCAA DII competition in the PacWest Conference. Men’s soccer kicks off its season with an exhibition on Saturday,
Aug. 30, at 7 pm at UC Santa Barbara. Women’s soccer begins Sept. 4 on the road before returning to Thorrington Field on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 4 pm against CSU Los Angeles. Volleyball starts its season Sept. 5 on the road with its first home match on Sept. 17.
President Gayle D. Beebe greets students individually as they arrive at the entrance to campus, part of Westmont’s storied hospitality and care. Families also benefit from athletic teams pitching in to help move their students into residence halls by emptying cars of boxes and bedding as they arrive at their student’s new home. Parents and families rave about the first-class service they receive.
The Service of Commitment, a formal ceremony with robed professors welcoming students to the Westmont community, takes place Thursday, Aug. 28, at 3:30 pm beginning in Murchison Gym. Following the service at about 4:30 pm, the bagpipe fanfare, a longstanding Westmont tradition, will lead new students on their First Walk through the Formal Gardens to Kerrwood Lawn, anticipating their Last Walk that occurs at their Commencement service from Kerrwood to Thorrington Field.
Most of the first-year students were born in 2007, when Apple first introduced iPhones. That year, Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker of the House of Representatives, the final Harry Potter book arrived, Bob Barker hosted his final episode of the Price is Right, the Virginia Tech shooting left 32 dead, Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to increase public knowledge about climate change, Twitter users created hashtags in social media, and Gayle D. Beebe became Westmont’s eighth president.
All returning students arrive shortly after Orientation begins, bringing total enrollment up to 1,300 for students studying both on and off campus.
Snyder Named Women’s Tennis Head Coach
Sheila Snyder, who compiled 438 coaching victories as the women’s tennis head coach at Wayne State (MI) for 35 years, is the head coach of Westmont Women’s Tennis.
“Coach Snyder has an impressive history of building a very successful Division II women’s tennis program, developing leaders and fostering excellence in the team culture that she has created,” says Robert Ruiz, Westmont’s director of athletics. “What stands out most for me is her deep desire to mentor her athletes and to invest in the development of a strong team culture.”
Snyder’s win total ranks ninth in NCAA DII women’s tennis history. In her final 19 years leading the Wayne State program, Snyder’s teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament 14 times. In the 2022-23 season, the team won the program’s first Round of 16 match and advanced to the quarterfinals. Three times, Snyder was named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year as well as the ITA Regional Coach of the Year.
“I am excited to join a faith-based community where I can help the students grow – not only as athletes, but in their character and spirit,” said Snyder.
Led by bagpipes, new students take their First Walk through the Formal Gardens
President Gayle D. Beebe welcomes new students and their families to campus
Sheila Snyder is women’s tennis head coach (courtesy photo)
Robert’s Big Questions
Free Range Kids?
by Robert Bernstein
Brandon (10) and his brother Legend (7) asked their parents, Jessica Ivey and Samuele Jenkins, if they could walk to the Food Lion supermarket and Subway; less than ten minutes walk from their Gastonia, NC, apartment.
The parents were very protective of their kids and reluctantly said yes, but they had to stay on the phone during their daring adventure. On the way home a 75-year-old woman hit 7 year-old Legend with her SUV and killed him. He’d been trying to cross the middle of a busy street. No charges were filed against the woman who killed Legend.
But the parents were charged with felony manslaughter. They were immediately sent to jail at $1.5 million bail. Each. Their five surviving children were taken from them.
With so many layers of injustice here, it is hard to know where to begin. If anyone deserves prosecution, it should be the city planners who have prioritized cars driving as fast as possible with no provision for how children can freely move in their own neighborhood.
I would also prosecute the prosecutor. Since when is it a crime to let your kids be kids?
In 2008, New York journalist Lenore Skenazy wrote an article about letting her nine-year-old boy use public transit to get home from Bloomingdale’s. She was flooded with comments. Including that she was the “world’s worst mom” for doing this. Her response was to write a book Free Range Kids and start a movement with that name. Including a TV show World’s Worst Mom.
The only rule in our family when we went out was “be home in time for dinner.” Sometimes this meant wading across a stream with my bike over my head to get home in time! This used to be normal. Until the 24/7 news cycle had to be filled with stories of rare but memorable stories of child abductions and other sensational nonsense. It is literally more likely for a child to be hit by lightning than to be abducted by a stranger.
At the same time, rates of childhood obesity and mental illness soared. Incidence of previously unheard-of diseases like childhood Type-2 diabetes likewise increased dramatically, arguably the result of a culture of childhood inactivity and kids being driven everywhere and having no autonomy. But a child slowly developing Type-2 diabetes does not make for a sensational news item.
We endlessly hear how kids sit around on their phones. But if they try to go out and be kids, they are berated, and their parents literally risk prosecution for child abuse.
When State Street first closed to motor vehicles, I enjoyed watching kids popping wheelies on their bikes. Others were horrified. So the kids switched to riding e-bikes, which is legal. Yes, the kids should be taught some basic rules of the road. But I have to say it is a breath of fresh air to see kids out on their own and not sitting strapped into the back of an SUV.
Most kids are still driven everywhere. No chance to explore. To make mistakes. To realize it is possible to recover and to learn and grow.
In my article on “Humankind” (5/10/22) I talked about anthropologist David Lancy’s research on children in nomadic cultures. His book Playing with Knives: The Socialization of Self-Initiated Learners describes young children watching adults use knives and copying through play.
I also talked about a playground designed in 1943 by Danish Landscape architect Carl Theodor Sørensen with junked cars, tires, and firewood. Kids were given hammers, chisels, and screwdrivers. The kids loved it, and they were better behaved there, too!
My friends and I often played among such things that we found on our own. A Science News article “When it’s playtime, many kids prefer reality over fantasy” (2/6/2018) showed that kids actually enjoy learning through helping with real adult activities.
Instead of organized sports supervised by parents, maybe let kids walk, bike or take a bus to school again? They would get exercise, socialize, and explore. And how about the environmental benefits?
The biggest kid risk isn’t stranger abduction. It is cars. How about banning parents from driving kids to school except for special/medical needs? And making safer routes for walking and biking. Can we let kids be kids 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
News Bytes Montecito Country Mart Weekly
by MJ Staff
August 27, Friday at 6 pm: Family Movie, Up!, free with popcorn! Back to School Recommendations: kids backpacks and school supplies by State Bags at Poppy Store; Smythson planners from The Trading Post; and for busy moms on the go it’s the Clare V. crossbody handbag.
Chabad’s Summer BBQ
Calling community to join in Montecito Jewish Men’s Social Summer BBQ event, Sunday, September 14, 6 pm. Time to connect, enjoy good company, and talk about life, community and Jewish identity. The event is hosted by Joel Dovev Reservations are required – https:// tinyurl.com/ChabadSummerBBQ
Youth In Need Community Resource Fair
The Youth & Family Services Branch of the YMCA is inviting community to The Haley St. Navigation Center, for a Community Resource Fair on Friday,
MAugust 30, from 11 am – 1 pm at 701 E. Haley Street. The event brings together all in-need youth ages 12-24 with their community partners and supporters to celebrate resilience, promote resources, and foster connection. In-need youth will learn about all the services provided by the center. There is a raffle for youth who attend to win prizes including a brand-new E-bike generously donated by a local business.
The Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation has appointed Lynn Fitzgibbons, MD, as the Craig Mally and Dr. Louise Stewart Endowed Chair in Graduate Medical Education, effective July 25, 2025. Mr. Mally and Dr. Stewart established the Endowed Chair as a reflection of their longstanding commitment to high-quality healthcare in Santa Barbara and their positive experience with Cottage Health. This endowed position will strengthen Cottage’s graduate medical education program by supporting clinical research, specialized training, and advanced technology.
CRIME IN THE ‘CITO Sheriff’s Blotter 93108
. . . .
Suspect on Property / 700 block Park Lane, Sunday, August 10, at 09:51 hours
Victim called to report an unknown male jumped the fence at the above location and was walking around the construction site and home that is being built on the property. Unknown suspect left prior to law enforcement arrival. Victim believed this was the same suspect who jumped the fence last Sunday and stole a $2,500 drill – this incident was unreported until today. Suspect appeared to be an HMA driving a sedan.
Meth/Outstanding Warrants / 1000 block Coast Village Road
Sunday, August 10, at 22:07 hours
The suspect was contacted for operating a bicycle without proper lighting equipment. The suspect was found to be in possession of a glass pipe with burnt Methamphetamine residue. The suspect attempted to deceive deputies by providing a false name. Once deputies obtained the suspect’s actual name he was found to have three active warrants from Santa Barbara County. The suspect attempted to flee the deputies and refused to place his arms behind his back. The suspect was arrested for violations of California Health and Safety Code 11364(a), Penal Code 148(a), 148.9, and the three outstanding warrants.
Failure to Stop/DUI / Coast Village and Middle Roads
Monday, August 11, at 02:43 hours
Subject was driving a SUV westbound on Coast Village Road when she failed to stop at a stop sign travelling approximately 35 miles per hour and was pulled over. The stopped vehicle’s passenger cabin had a scent of alcohol with a visible open container of alcohol on the passenger floorboard. Standardized Field Sobriety Tests were conducted and a Preliminary Alcohol Screening sample was given resulting in 0.165BAC. Two Evidentiary samples were also collected, resulting in 0.16 BAC and 0.17 BAC. Subject was arrested for violations of VC 23152(a/b).
the thousands of books that are here, and how I curate a little piece of myself in all of them. So there really isn’t a specific book that is unwritten inside me right now.” She promised to let me know if she decides to write a book – stay tuned! It was then time for Swart’s talk on the Godmothers’ stage.
Swart was introduced and interviewed by Riley Blanks Reed for approximately 45 minutes to a sold-out audience, followed by a Q&A.
Through the interview, Swart recapped how her book, The Signs, came about and where she hoped it would help others. This book follows her first book, The Source (2019), where she outlined links between how the brain works with the laws of attraction and manifesting one’s life path. As an example, Swart discussed how she used the process of manifestation and action (vision) boarding to attract her husband, Robin, in 2016, as well as her career change from psychiatric medicine to self-development/career coaching.
The Signs book is a tribute to Robin after his passing in 2020. It covers the processes she went through to move from grief to healing, including signs from him. The signs she received after his death included an abundance of robins in her backyard and waking to an image of her husband in front of her after being physically “thumped on her shoulder at 4 am.”
She went on to present that, as a scientist/doctor, there are known facts now that at one time we did not hold to be true or possible. Like a driverless car, for instance. She mentioned this to illustrate that discussions about the nature of consciousness may seem similarly speculative at this moment but may not always be. For example, she touched on the same topics in her talk with Bartlett, where she stated, “…confirmation bias is dependent on the reticular activating system, which is the system of your brain that filters out what’s not crucial to your survival and filters in what it wants you to notice. And so actually, one of the things I’ve written about in the book is the art of noticing. Because really, we live in this world where life is passing you by at 100 miles per hour. You’re not noticing things that could actually be crucial to you thriving, rather than your just surviving in this model called ‘shared trait vulnerability,’ which falls under the field of research called neuro aesthetics. If grief is like psychosis and I’m currently in a very vulnerable state, is creativity a conduit for me to get not only back to the state that I was in before, but into a state of expanded
awareness where I can loosen the filter as I see fit? I can notice things that I would have passed by before, and I can think differently about how my mind works, how the world works, and possibly what happens after someone passes away.”
At first blush it looks like yet another self-help book. Swart comes in different. With her medical background on the line, she said she had to back it up with science, be open to new evidence, and that areas not yet scientifically proven are, conversely, not disproven. I couldn’t help but wonder if her research is “scientific enough” to convince board-certified psychiatrists to add it to their patient diagnostics and treatment. Imagine a world where medical students learn how to harness consciousness and intuition as part of prescriptive healing modalities. Would they advise reading books by consciousness-power of the mind gurus like Shakti Gawain, Louise Hay, Neville Goddard, Joseph Murphy author of The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, and Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon who authored Psycho-Cybernetics in 1960, using visualization and mental rehearsals to improve one’s self-image and lead a more fulfilling life? As our town’s globally-respected consultant, psychic, medium, author and aura expert Pam Oslie, said in her TEDx talk, “The real question is, are we evolving in our understanding and knowledge of who we really are and the nature of reality? Consciousness is non-local. Remember, a lot of science fiction is now science fact.” Adds Bob Proctor, “Change is inevitable, but personal growth is a choice. The only limits in our life are those we impose on ourselves.”
After the talk, Swart stayed on at length to personally sign copies of her book and take selfies with attendees, so generous with her time she was almost late for her dinner at Lucky’s Montecito.
She signed my book by drawing a mushroom next to her signature, and as I left I pondered the rom-com, Serendipity, which is about noticing signs and taking action on those opportunities. The movie’s female lead is Sara from England, a psychiatrist living in NYC/San Francisco who, after a one-time instant-attraction interaction with a man named Jonathan while shopping, decides to test their fated meeting, while he goes on his gut feeling.
No spoilers on how the movie proceeds. Let’s just say, like Swart’s book The Signs, you’re just going to have to experience it to find out and create your own reality.
411: https://godmothers.com www.taraswart.com
Jennifer Rudolph Walsh at her store Godmothers (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
Lani Reagan, Dr. Swart, Joanne, and Ashley Woods Hollister
hyenas yelping, even laughing as we soaked up the last of another memorable day in Namibia. Living up to its name in the Khoekhoe language “Namib” means “vast place,” and those sweeping horizons seemed endless.
Into the Abyss
As we approached the rim at dawn, we noticed two species of antelope: several springboks, and a solitary klipspringer traversing the most exposed parts of the rim. We even saw a couple of ostriches dancing across the moonscape. And then, we dropped into the depths of Fish River Canyon.
The steepest portions of the route had chains to hold onto before we reached narrow switchbacks that led to an ancient marine terrace. There was a reward for hiking in 110-degree temps. There was a beautiful swimming hole at the bottom of the canyon. Frigid, emerald-green water washed the sweltering heat away, but only at the halfway point of the hike. We had to hike out, back up to the rim, back to the lodge where a lap pool awaited. But that was a long way off.
The moonscape was sizzling. The mid-afternoon sun created a severe glare across the marine terrace. As we hiked across, it seemed as if nothing could be living in this environment. Holly was hiking maybe 20 paces ahead of me when I heard deep breathing just a few
feet off the trail. I was familiar with this sound. I’d heard it before. It was a puff adder, one of Africa’s deadliest snakes. It was under a rock, shaded from the sizzling sun. Our impact tremor must have awakened it from its desert slumber. We were close enough for it to deem us a threat, so it began huffing and puffing. They can puff themselves up to appear larger when a threat is nearby.
Seeing the puff adder reminded me to watch our steps as we hiked back up to the top of the canyon. The lap pool awaited at the top, but first there was another reference to an elephant. This time it was an elephant shrew – a nocturnal rodent scampering toward sunset – and then we soaked in the frigid lap pool at the Fish River Canyon Lodge.
Overlooking the canyon revived us after another baking day in this vast place, a little manmade oasis within Namibia’s moonscape.
Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer based in Carpinteria, where he also leads kayak tours and backpacking trips in Channel Islands National Park
We spend so much time perfecting our overnight oats recipe, smoothie bowls and seven-step skincare regime; the idea is that we pay equal or even more attention to the brain’s own anti-aging protocols. Attia’s approach to this brain-buffing enterprise incorporates exercise, nutrition, sleep, emotional health, strength training, and stress management. Part of mental and emotional health, he argues, includes social engagement.
While the approaches may vary, the first consensus is that we need to be mindful (yes, I get it) of our cognitive health. Be aware of staying aware. Perhaps then pick one lane to try out. One round of Wordle per night? Ten minutes of Duo learning the language you have always wanted to speak? The idea is to be active rather than passive DO something that uses your brain
rather than something that entertains you, such as scrolling or watching 17 straight episodes of Hacks.
In the meantime, I rely on my calendar app for reminders such as, “Article Deadline,” “Take Calcium,” “Feed Family,” and “Stop Watching Hacks, Deann.” Don’t judge.
National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach trained at Duke Integrative Medicine, Deann Zampelli owns Montecito Coaching & Nutrition. She also has a Masters in Clinical Psychology and has been a resident of Montecito since 2006.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: La Fleur Living; La Fleur Living Co, 1187 Coast Village Rd, 1-113, Montecito, CA 93108. La Fleur Weddings & Events, 1187 Coast Village Rd, 1-113, Montecito, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 21, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2025-0002000. Published August 28, September 4, 12, 20,
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Montecito Research; Wyathe Brix, 1422 Lou Dillon LN #7, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Wyatt J Brooks, PO Box 50006, Santa Barbara, CA 93150. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on July 30, 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. 2025-0001809. Published August 14, 21, 28, September 4, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV04119. To all interested parties: Petitioner Jennifer Anne Christina Richardson filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of
Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name of their child from Alexander Frederick Alire to Alexander Frederick Richardson. 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 July 17, 2025 by Jessica Vega.
Hearing date: September 8, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 5, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published July 31, August 7, 14, 21, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV04119. To all interested parties: Petitioner Jennifer Anne Christina Richardson filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name of their child from Adrian Franklin Alire to Adrian Franklin Richardson. 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 July 17, 2025 by Jessica Vega. Hearing date: September 8, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 5, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published August 7, 14, 21, 28, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV04073. To all interested parties: Petitioner Angeles Natividad Avalos Borrayo and Rigoberto Sandoval Velazquez filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name of their child from Liam Matteo Avalos to Liam Matteo Sandoval Avalos. 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 July 11, 2025 by Terri Chavez. Hearing date: September 10, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 3, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published July 24, 31, August 7, 14, 2025
These rock hyraxes are known as the “Elephants of the Namibian Pebble”
Our bushshrike Airbnb host made us a lovely breakfast in the morning
brings financial acumen and organizational vision, while Philipp infuses choreographic insight and a keen sense for what will excite both dancers and audiences.
One of their first acts after stepping into leadership was to ask the dancers what they needed most. “What would make your life better?” was the question en pointe – continuing Rodney’s leadership style rooted in care, collaboration, and respect for the artists who animate the stage. From there, the pair have steadily expanded the repertoire, improved conditions for company members, and invested in original works that allow dancers to be not just interpreters but innovators. With a grant from the Manitou Fund last year (which was also renewed this year), SSB was able to bring live music to every performance, and include a live pianist in the studio each day – with Cecily and Megan adding that this small addition in the studio has a big impact on the performers during rehearsal. The feeling of live music can’t be replaced by a recording.
Lessons from a Mermaid, Dreams for the Playground
Last season’s Little Mermaid original performance offered both leaders a crucible and a canvas. The production may have been built off a children’s story, but it’s high-level choreography and Christina McCarthy’s mesmerizing puppets left adults just as enchanted as their children. Many audience members arrived expecting a simple “kids’ show,” only to find themselves riveted by the sophistication of the choreography and the richness of the storytelling. That response confirmed the guiding philosophy that children’s programming does not need to be simplistic. When done well, it can captivate seasoned art lovers or spark lifelong appreciation for dance in a freshened mind.
This year, State Street Ballet builds on that thought with a daring new program titled Recess. A triple bill that playfully explores themes of childhood, games, and imagination, Recess brings together three distinct works: Alexei Kremnev’s internationally toured Carnival of the Animals
and legendary West Side Story choreographer Jerome Robbins’ Interplay, which is set on a playground and is “all about fun and games.” Getting the rights to a Robbins piece was a feat in itself and the company has never performed one of his works before. The final work is a brandnew commission inspired by the world of video games – bringing themes and sounds off the screen and onto the stage.
The concept is as audacious as it is inviting. By blending classic choreography with pop culture references and interactive elements, Recess positions ballet not as a relic of the past, but as a living, breathing art form capable of speaking directly to young audiences raised on screens. It is designed to pull children into the theater with the promise of fun, while reassuring adults that they will witness art of the highest caliber.
“I think what Megan’s put together for Recess … kids are going to be super entertained, but the dancing is so high level, challenging, and athletic that for adults, it’s really going to be wonderful too,” Cecily said.
With Megan adding, “And of course for our dancers, it’s about that balance of energy – doing something new for the next generation of audience members, while keeping themselves stimulated and challenged.” In other words, Recess is SSB’s recess – an interlude of joy, exploration, and creativity that might just convince a child to someday trade sneakers for pointe shoes.
Touring as Ambassadorship
Santa Barbara is blessed with cultural abundance: opera, symphony, arts festivals, and lecture series that rival those of far larger cities. Yet State Street Ballet is unique in its role as both host and traveler. Touring has been embedded in the company’s DNA from the beginning, while helping extend employment for dancers, it also shares Santa Barbara’s artistic identity with the world.
In recent years, the company has taken productions like The Jungle Book to audiences of thousands at the Redlands Bowl, staged The Nutcracker in Spokane, Washington, and Durango, Colorado, and planned international engagements that place them alongside world-renowned ensembles.
These tours serve a dual purpose: they allow dancers to fully live in the works they create – performing them repeatedly, refining them, deepening their artistry –and they transform Santa Barbara into not just a destination for art, but a place of origin, a birthplace of cultural exports.
In this way, State Street Ballet acts as both steward and ambassador: preserving the cultural riches of Santa Barbara while ensuring that its influence dances outward, far beyond the coastline.
Building Bridges Across Generations
The challenge of running a ballet company these days isn’t just about keeping the books balanced or the dancers in step – it’s about making sure the magic of ballet still feels fresh to those discovering it. For Cecily and Megan, that means finding ways to bridge the classics with the contemporary.
Romeo and Juliet condensed into a 50-minute version with live symphonic
accompaniment, Chaplin exploring the psyche of a silent film legend (and Santa Barbara resident), Recess playing with video game culture. Each program speaks in multiple voices at once—traditional enough to honor ballet’s roots but daring enough to capture the imaginations of new audiences. At the same time, the company is expanding its educational reach. From academy training to outreach performances at community centers and YMCAs, State Street Ballet is cultivating future dancers and future audiences alike. They understand that today’s six-year-old in the back row may someday be tomorrow’s principal dancer—or tomorrow’s patron who makes the art possible.
La Fête du Carnaval: A Prologue
The upcoming gala is both a celebration and a signal of what’s to come. Beneath the autumn skies of Santa Barbara, amid music, laughter, and a touch of Parisian carnival, State Street Ballet will shine at its most dazzling. But the true magic lies in what follows – in the studios, classrooms, and distant stages where the company continues to grow its artistry and share it with the world. Under the leadership of Cecily MacDougall and Megan Philipp, the company is reshaping tradition with fresh energy, building programs that delight children, challenge dancers, and captivate audiences of every age. Touring nationally and internationally, they carry Santa Barbara’s cultural voice outward while ensuring ballet remains a living force at home. As the gala lights fade, the message endures: ballet is not an artifact but a spark – one that belongs to everyone, and one that State Street Ballet is determined to pass to the next generation.
Visit https://statestreetballet.com/gala-rsvp for
Carnaval
Company artists dancing in The Little Mermaid with jellyfish puppets created by Christina McCarthy (photo by Andre Yew)
A SSB dancer just out for a morning State Street stroll (photo by Kim Reierson)
No season is complete without The Nutcracker, SSB will be adding another performance of the soldout holiday show (photo by Zach Mendez)
The upcoming Chaplin explores the psyche of the silent film legend (courtesy photo)
offering visitors a unique opportunity to not only view artworks where they were created, but also engage with the artists at the point where the ideas become tangible pieces of art.
This year’s event marks the first SBSA tour for nine-year veteran painter Danuta Bennett at her new Montecito digs in the historic Arcady Estates, this after years of working and exhibiting on the Mesa and in Goleta. Being mobile has defined much of her life dating back to her childhood in Poland.
Unlike many of her peers, Bennett didn’t grow up painting or come to the field through design or illustration. In fact, she had a full career as a scientist after earning a PhD in biology. She worked for years doing (yes) invasive species climate reconstruction, including a period after moving to Santa Barbara at the turn of the century when she worked at UCSB on both fire studies and invasive species in the freshwater ecosystem in the local streams.
The slow transition to full time artist happened in the 2010s, so it’s no surprise that the world of science and painting come together in Bennett’s work, which she describes as abstract expressionist – with the realistic form and a touch of surrealism.
“I call my art the art of visual metaphor,” she said. “I usually start with one realistic element or recognizable object that is more cohesive. Then I just start messing around and sometimes the painting leads me to what it’s supposed to become.”
Bennett’s “About Me” section on her website starts with a quote by Chaim Potok, the American author (The Chosen) whose parents were Polish. She paraphrased Potok’s words as “art happens when we mix what we see with our inner psychological landscapes.”
That aspect of her work was amplified when Bennett contributed 225 illustrations for The History of Psychology Through Symbols by psychologist Dr. James L. Broderick , while the science-based flame was sparked by her early years in Santa Barbara.
“I was very enchanted with the architecture here, and I still do a lot of drawings and sketches of the buildings that are very refined and realistic,” she said. “My art uses both sides of my brain, with both the abstract approach and the comparative precision of the architectural drawings.”
The scientist persona also shows up in the physical space of her studio, which visitors will see if they drop by over the weekend.
“My studio is very organized,” she said. “There are labels for everything, and I even keep my pencils in the test tube stands – leftovers from my science life.”
Bennett said she was excited to rejoin the SBSA tour after skipping last year while her Montecito studio was still being set up. Much of the work on view will be recent abstracts from her Oceanic Visions and Undiscovered Universes series and others in the Untold Stories section.
“The people who are interested in my work are usually poets, writers, and others who are not just seeing the artwork, but looking for the stories in the painting, viewing them through their own lenses,” she said.
Illumination Gallery at the La Cumbre Center for Creative Arts – said if there are downtimes over the weekend, she’ll continue working on the handful of paintings that are currently in process, but is thrilled when someone walks through the doors.
“Often people aren’t just my customers, but also sometimes friends. It’s very personal to open your own private space, a different way of socializing that I just love.”
Studios are open 11 am to 5 pm Saturday-Monday, August 30 to September 1, with the annual preview/artists’ reception taking place 5-8 pm on Friday, August 29, at Community Arts Workshop, where visitors can see a single piece of artwork from each of the 28 artists and pick up tour tickets and maps.
Featured artists on this year’s tour include Marlene Struss, Cynthia Martin, Tricia Evenson, Kerrie Smith, Brian Woolford, Kathy Leader, and Sophia Beccue
For those out of town or otherwise occupied on Labor Day weekend, or if you didn’t make it to all the artists’ studios on your list, note that Santa Barbara Studio Artists’ members are open year-round for visits by appointment. Feel free to reach out by phone or email.
Visit https://santabarbarastudioartists.com/tour.
Sunset Sessions at The Band Shell
Students are back in school. Both Concerts in the Park at Chase Palm and the Stow House’s Music at the Ranch have come to a close, as will UCSB A&L’s summer film series after Friday. But wait! Free weekly outdoor events will still be happening in the September section of summer, courtesy of a new series from Santa Barbara’s Parks and Recreation Department. The free family-friendly entertainment takes place at the recently renovated Plaza del Mar Band Shell in Pershing Park across from West Beach (and Los Baños pool) every Thursday – all month long.
The four performances span various genres, beginning with an acoustic concert by local singer-songwriters Carly Powers and Will Breman on September 4, followed by a performance of Wisdom of the Elders by Boxtales Theatre Company on September 11. Gunpowder Poetry Group provides poetry and short story readings on September 18, and the series closes with stand-up comedy sets by Don’t Tell Comedy, which brings locals and LA comics to various spots around town.
All the events run 6-7:30 pm – the same as Parks and Rec’s popular Concerts in the Park – and the same rules apply: lawn chairs, blankets and picnicking are encouraged, but alcohol, smoking and vaping are prohibited. As at Chase Palm, food will also be available for purchase. Plaza del Mar Band Shell is at 100 Castillo St., right where Castillo meets Cabrillo.
Call (805) 564-5573 or visit https://tinyurl.com/SunsetAtSBBandshell
EGOT-to-be Earns SBIFF’s Big Honor
Actress, singer, and producer Cynthia Erivo continues to defy gravity, as the multi-hyphenate has been announced as the recipient of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 18th annual Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film, given in honor of the late screen legend who called Montecito home for decades. Erivo is more than three-quarters of the way toward the entertainment industry’s rarified EGOT achievement having already earned Tony, Grammy and Emmy Awards, as well as three Oscar nominations, including for 2024’s Wicked. She is an oddson favorite to be up for the Academy Award again for reprising Elphaba in this year’s upcoming sequel Wicked: For Good.
Which explains why, unlike many abstract artists, Bennett enjoys engaging in conversation about the pieces and hearing what viewers see in the paintings.
“I love it,” she exclaimed. “It’s amazing when people point out something in my paintings that I may not have noticed. Just recently someone was looking at one of the images and was visibly moved as she recounted the experiences the painting brought to mind. We were going back and forth experiencing the painting together. Seeing it through her eyes was as exciting for me as my own vision of the piece.”
Bennett – who regularly exhibits at
The prestigious Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film, which benefits the film festival’s year-round educational programs, will be presented at a black-tie gala on December 4 at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara. The 41st SBIFF takes place February 4-14, 2026. Visit www.sbiff.org.
Danuta Bennett shows her art at her new Montecito digs
The Nike of Nature by Danuta Bennett
Show” trophy with a stay at the hotel and dinner at the star-studded restaurants went to local resident Kathleen Wilson with her pet Tucker; Wellesley owned by Lena Whelan won for “Trick of the Day”; and Emily Penhallegon of Los Olivos with Frankie won the “Spectator’s Choice Award.”
All too beastly for words…
New on Netflix
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are lining up a documentary on Princess Diana as part of their new “first look deal” with Netflix.
The streaming giant is understood to be in discussion with the tony twosome for the project to mark the 30th anniversary of her death in a Paris car crash in 1997.
It was particularly memorable for me as I was sailing in Dark Harbor, Maine, at the time and did nearly 90 TV broadcasts in
Lawyers’ Fees Continue
Having officially split from Sana Barbara warbler Katy Perry, British actor Orlando Bloom has reportedly splashed out $13 million on a Miami, Florida, bachelor pad.
six weeks nationally on the subject.
It will be interesting to see if Prince William participates…
Serenading on the Sea
It was high Cs on the high seas when Hiroko Benko threw a Broadwaythemed sunset cruise on her popular whale watching vessel the Condor Express
The cruise featured soprano Deborah Bertling and tenor William Simpson with pianist Renee Hamaty bringing the Great White Way to life against the backdrop of the Pacific.
Next month Hiroko is organizing an opera cruise. So make sure you’re in the right aria.
The Lord of the Rings star, 48, will be living near Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, Kourtney Kardashian, and Travis Barker, according to the London tabloid, The Sun. Perry got off to a rocky start on the first day of a Los Angeles trial after the judge blasted her lawyers for trying to ambush his courtroom with a surprise appearance by the singer.
“It’s outrageous, it’s not nice, it’s unfair,” fumed Superior Court Judge Joseph Lipner at the trial in which Katy, 40, is demanding millions from 85-year-old dying veteran Carl Westcott over repairs and back rent over the $15 million Montecito estate she bought from him five years ago.
The judge’s tirade came after Westcott’s attorney revealed their legal team had only informed them a day earlier that
Perry, currently on a world tour, would only be able to testify at a certain time of the day.
Perry’s lawyer, Eric Rowen, accused Westcott’s attorneys of “targeting” her and “creating a media circus.”
The judge ordered Perry to reschedule her testimony to a later date. He also ruled she wouldn’t have to take the stand for more than two hours.
Watch this space…
Role Play
Kevin Costner, 70, has made a surprise career move following his bitter departure from his hit TV show Yellowstone after five seasons and the box office flop Horizon
Amazon MGM Studios has announced the two-time Oscar winner has signed up to star in their upcoming dramedy Honeymoon with Harry alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.
The film centers on the groom Gyllenhaal, who days before the nuptials loses his bride. In view of her sudden death, he embarks on the planned honeymoon with Costner, who would have been his father-in-law.
A most interesting scenario...
Sightings
Oprah Winfrey truffle hunting in Umbria, Italy... Conan O’Brien getting his latté at Pierre Lafond... Kevin Costner at Lucky’s.
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
The lucky winners and their human pets (photo by Priscilla)
The performers ready to set out to sea and song (photo by Priscilla)
Jane and Rick leading the ceremonies (photo by Priscilla)
Nancy Marr and Jean-Michel Costeau with Hiroko Benko and crew (photo by Priscilla)
Just another furfilled day at the Rosewood (photo by Priscilla)
Soprano Deborah Bertling and tenor William Simpson sing a tune (photo by Priscilla)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Calendar of Events
by Steven Libowitz
ENDING THIS WEEK
Digital ‘Dog Days of Summer’ – UCSB Arts & Lectures’ annual series of free summer film screenings outdoors under the stars at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden? The whole program went to the dogs thus summer, the seasonal slate featuring seven canine-centric movie screenings. The series comes to a close on August 29 with Dog , the newest – and most generically titled – film on the schedule. The road-trip comedy stars Channing Tatum as an Army Ranger who is tasked with escorting the Belgian Malinois military dog of his fallen friend to his funeral. The two race down the Pacific Coast with typical buddy movie foibles, tweaked by the canine connection. Tatum also co-directs. As always, attendees are asked to please respect the lawn and your fellow filmgoers by bringing only blankets that are permeable (no plastic/nylon/tarps), and chairs that are low-backed and low to the ground. Come early for pre-screening specials that include a musical playlist curated by DJ Darla Bea , raffles and info booths dedicated to dogs.
WHEN: 8:30 pm
WHERE: Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden, 1100 Anacapa Street
COST: free
INFO: www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu.
ONGOING
Ventura LIVE – Rubicon Theatre’s month of nonstop entertainment, featuring more than 30 shows in 30 days, continues with Jim Curry’s John Denver tribute (Aug. 28), a screening of the punk-rock/DIY desert festival documentary Desolation Center following a live set from Mike Watt (Minutemen, Firehose) and Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction) (Aug. 29), The Folk Legacy Trio with Lifetime Grammy-winners and longtime former Kingston Trio members George Grove and Rick Dougherty (Aug. 30-31), and Broadway star Katerina McCrimmon, who played Fanny Brice in the official revival tour of Funny Girl, with her new solo show Naked (Aug. 31). September brings Magic Castle regular John Carney’s Carney Magic, which blends comedic riffs with astonishing sleight of hand (Sept. 3) and Tony nominee Danny Wheetman & Americana-roots musi-
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28-SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
‘Songs for Nobodies’ – PCPA sums up its summer season in Solvang with the one-woman show by Joanna Murray-Smith that mines the Great American Songbook and beyond to celebrate the universal truth that everybody has a story – and a song – worth hearing.
Award-winning Chicago-based actress-singer Bethany Thomas makes her PCPA debut in the powerhouse piece that she’s performed all around the Midwest. With orchestrations by Andra Velis Simon, Songs for Nobodies takes audiences on a journey of discovery through beloved songs including “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Crazy,” “Amazing Grace,” “Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do,” and “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien” plus other standards. These songs – full of heart, melodic loveliness, and often incisive, laugh out loud lyrics – have been made famous by Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Édith Piaf, Billie Holiday, Maria Callas and others. The tour-de-force concert-style show features a four-piece band and runs for only 10 performances.
WHEN: August 28-September 7
WHERE: Solvang Festival Theater, 420 2nd Street, Solvang
COST: $25-$66
INFO: (805) 922-8313 or www.pcpa.org
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29
Got the Time? – Morris Day and The Time, the Minneapolis-born funk rock band known for popular songs “Jungle Love” and “The Bird,” get the crowd bopping in their seats at the Chumash Casino Resort’s Samala Showroom. The original group was created by pop icon Prince, who wanted to produce a streetwise funk band as a contrast to his more soulful R&B sound. The Minneapolis impresario placed his high school friend Day as the lead vocalist, and cast the group in his 1984 film Purple Rain, which captured the city’s music scene at its peak. Day served in a scene-stealing supporting role as The Time’s lead singer, along with Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Alexander O’Neal, Monte Moir, Jesse Johnson, and Jellybean Johnson. The movie moved Day and The Time into the big time, with their 2011 album Condensate peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums on the strength of “If I Was Yo Man” and “#Trendin.” Day is part of the current band, fronting a sextet of funk veterans intent on keeping the beat on the road.
WHEN: 8 pm
WHERE: Chumash Casion, 3400 E. Hwy. 246, Santa Ynez
COST: $49-$79
INFO: (800) CHUMASH (248-6274) or www.chumashcasino.com
cian Jerry Fletcher – who both began their careers in Ventura – teaming up for an evening of stories and songs (Sept. 4).
WHEN: Through September 20
WHERE: 1006 E. Main St., Ventura COST: varies
INFO: (805) 667-2900 or www.rubicontheatre.org
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30
Rose Up – Mykal Rose had already been a recording artist in Jamaica for five years by the time he joined reggae group Black Uhuru in 1977. He became the group’s lead singer and primary songwriter for the next seven studio albums, including the critically acclaimed Red in 1981 – which contained one of their catalog staples in “Rockstone” – and Anthem in 1983, which won the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. Rose has been a solo artist for most of the last four decades, recording and performing his brand of militant, hardcore Jamaican music around the world. The singer-songwriter, whose 2025 song “We Must Pray” is dedicated to those who were affected by the Los Angeles fires, donates proceeds from streaming revenues to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Rose returns to SOhO for a single show tonight.
WHEN: 9 pm
WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State St., upstairs in Victoria Court COST: $35 in advance, $40 day of INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com
Queen, Abba and … Vivaldi? – The two classic rock bands and the baroque-era composer don’t have all that much in common, save for a talent for melody and a solid sense of the beat. Fortunately, there’s actually two separate concerts tonight at the New Vic Theatre as part of the ongoing slate of Candlelight Concerts featuring a regional string quartet interpreting music covering a wide spectrum of genres amid a stage full of candles. The opening salvo finds the Listeso String Quartet performing all four movements of Vivaldi’s popular The Four Seasons with pairings of “Spring” and “Summer” and “Autumn” and “Winter” serving as bookends for Jules Massenet’s “Thaïs: Méditation” and Piazzolla’s The Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas’ “Verano Porteño.” Just over two hours later, it’s Vapour Quartet, with the foursome taking on a program called Queen vs. ABBA, which intersperses the biggest hits from both bands over a 14-song, one-hour set. Expect to hear ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” “SOS,” “Mamma Mia,” and more alongside Queen’s “Killer Queen,” “We Are the Champions,” and classically-inspired “Bohemian Rhapsody,” among others. Too bad it’s not one long show with intermission.
Keeping Tabs on Bluesy Benoit – Louisiana-based singer-songwriter-guitarist Tab Benoit announced his presence on the Southern blues scene in the early 1990s with his debut Cajun-flavored swamp blues album Nice & Warm, which also drew notice for a singing voice often compared with that of the late Otis Redding. Benoit steadily built a fan base through 2003’s Sea Saint Sessions – where he had such luminaries as Cyril Neville and George Porter Jr. as guests – 2007’s bayou-blessed Power of the Pontchartrain, and 2010’s Medicine, which won three Blues Music awards. Then he stopped recording for 14 years to devote himself to protecting Louisiana’s wetlands. (He kept touring, including a spell when then-Santa Barbara guitarist Alastair Greene was one of his sidemen.) Then in 2024, he returned with the self-produced I Hear Thunder featuring his road band, the album serving as a testament to the continued fiery exuberance that has marked his career for more than three decades. The record not only showcases his artistic brilliance, but also his profound commitment to environmental advocacy – a legacy that extends beyond the stage into the heart of the land that inspires his bluesy soul. On Benoit’s forthcoming national tour, fans will be delighted to hear the new songs and selected tracks from his vast catalog. Boston-based blues band GA-20 opens.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $65 & $46 ($107 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
WHEN: 6:30 pm (Vivaldi), 8:45 pm (Queen vs. ABBA)
WHERE: New Vic Theater, 33 W. Victoria St. COST: $48-$75.50 each concert
INFO: (805) 965-5400/https://etcsb.org/whats-on/community-events or https://feverup.com/m/357765
Cyprus Siren – Before Jinny Webber began her career as an English professor at SBCC, she spent a year teaching in Cyprus, where her fascination with ancient Greece deepened through her explorations of archaeology and the island’s rich museum culture. These elements led her to in-depth studies of mythology and Greek tragedy. All that shows up in her latest novel, Serpent Visions, which reimagines the myth of the gender-switching seer Teiresias, set in pre-literate Bronze Age Greece. Webber will talk about the book and sign copies at Chaucer’s Books tonight.
WHEN: 6 pm
WHERE: Chaucer’s, 3321 State St. in Loreto Plaza Shopping Center COST: free
INFO: (805) 682-6787 or www.chaucersbooks.com
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30
WHEN: 6-11 pm
Darla-Chella – Queen of Santa Barbara DJs Darla Bea celebrates her birthday with a mini music festival and Disco Desert Party at one of the Eastside’s more popular places. Bea will be spinning tunes that have made her a 10-time winner of The Independent’s Best-Of award as part of a full lineup that includes bands Neon Blonde, So Coyote, and The Brasscals, plus Xanadu Rollerskaters, Buck Up Line Dancers, World Dance for Humanity and ElectriCirque, plus artsy stuff from Buzzle Bee Henna & Glitter Tattoos.
WHERE: Buena Onda, 724 East Haley St. COST: $20 in advance, $25 at the door
INFO: www.BuenaOndaSB.com or https://nightout.com/events/a/darla-chella-birthday-music-festival
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING (805) 565-1860
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
TILE SETTING
Local tile setter of 35 years is now doing small jobs only. Services include grout cleaning and repair, caulking, sealing, replacing damaged tiles and basic plumbing needs.Call Doug Watts at 805-729-3211 for a free estimate.
CHEF
Private Chef Eliza
Classically trained chef
Customized meals in-home or drop-off Special occasions & small gatherings 805.705.3618 www.chefeliza.com
CONSTRUCTION
General Building Design & Construction Contractor
William J. Dalziel Lic. B311003 – 1 (805) 698-4318 billjdalziel@gmail.com
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.
Certified rootstock assorted fruit trees. 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
CARPET CLEANING
Carpet Cleaning Since 1978 (805) 963-5304 Rafael Mendez Cell: 689-8397 or 963-3117
Openings now available for Children & Adults. Piano Lessons in our Studio or your Home. Call or Text Kary Kramer (805) 453-3481
Two bedroom / two bath, furnished beach condo available September 1. Gated entry, two dedicated parking spaces. $ 10,500 / month. No pets. Call owner at (817) 307-8989
$10 MINIMUM TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD
It’s simple. Charge is $3 per line, each line with 31 characters. Minimum is $10 per issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email Classified Ad to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860. All ads must be finalized by Friday at 2pm the week prior to printing. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex (3% surcharge)
CHARMING RENTAL IN HEART OF MONTECITO
Newly Built 2bd/2ba Home in MUS school district. Vaulted Ceilings, Yard, Patio, utilities included $7K/mo. Great weekend getaway too Call/text 805-453-2240
DONATIONS NEEDED
Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944
Donate to the Parrot Pantry! At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds’ best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies.
Volunteers
Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help. (805) 969-1944
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
K-9 PALS need volunteers to be foster parents for our dogs while they are waiting for their forever homes. For more information info@k-9pals.org or 805-570-0415
