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Miscellany – ETC’s Curtains Up! gala, polo at
– Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer
by Zach Rosen
There’s something magical about a great hotel bar. Done right, it becomes a portal: a sanctuary for travelers, a home base for locals, a liminal space where you can slip into anonymity or stumble into unexpected conversation. It’s the perfect setting for an impromptu martini or a slow-burning Manhattan, a late-night snack or a celebration toast.
In many ways, hotel bars are the heartbeat of a good property. They give personality to otherwise polished lobbies and serve as an anchor for guests arriving weary from travel. More than that, they’re a cultural barometer. A hotel bar can tell you the tone of that part of town…
Lion’s Tale understands this at its core. Situated in the historic Montecito Inn, this hotel bar is positioning itself as Montecito’s living room – equally suited for a postbeach snack, a refined date night, or a visiting cocktail connoisseur’s deep dive. This is no coincidence… no, it is the culmination of years of work and experience from Brandon and Misty Ristaino Brandon and Misty, along with the esteemed Good Lion Hospitality that they helm, have crafted some of the most signature bars in Santa Barbara and beyond. Their namesake bar, The Good Lion, is the go-to spot for a drink in the moments leading to or following a show at the Granada. Shaker Mill. Test Pilot. Ventura’s Bank of Italy Cocktail Trust, Strange Beast, as well as the newly opened Jaguar Moon. This husband-and-wife team has built a small empire of cocktail bars revered for their quality, distinct décor, and flawless service. And after visiting Lion’s Tale in the Montecito Inn… they now have a crown jewel for it.
The Montecito Inn space had been on their radar for years. “We pitched the idea nearly a decade ago,” Brandon says, “but it didn’t happen at the time.” When the Copus family reached out in 2023, it felt like the timing was finally right.
At just under 1,600 square feet, the bar occupies a manageable footprint. It’s compact enough to feel personal but laid out well enough to handle a crowd.
“We thought it was too big back then,” Brandon reflects. “Now it feels like the perfect size.”
The design nods subtly to the lobby bars of London and the renovated Chelsea Hotel in New York – comfortable, slightly polished, never overwrought. “We travel a lot,” Misty adds. “That’s where most of our inspiration comes from – just sitting in hotel bars around the world and noticing what works and what doesn’t.”
Brandon refers to the concept of “spatial honesty” – a term he and Misty use to describe bars that feel appropriate to their location. It’s one reason their other projects across Santa Barbara feel distinct. Test Pilot is built for the Funk Zone, with its tropical slant and beach proximity. The Good Lion reflects a more downtown cocktail lounge aesthetic. Lion’s Tale, in contrast, is softer around the edges. It knows where it is.
Deep burgundy bar stools wrap around the slate black bar lined with honeycomb tiles in a green that’s only found deep in the forest. Sunset blues accent the bar walls with earthen patterns and stamped ceiling tiles completing the scene. Glowing globes dotted above the
Lion’s Tale Page 294
by Steven Libowitz
To paraphrase an early Bruce Springsteen song, fireworks will be hailing over Little Eden on July 4 down at our own slice of heaven known as the Santa Barbara waterfront. Not so much out in Goleta, where the family-friendly Independence Day festival that ended each year with big aerial pyrotechnics that was quite popular, never came back after shutting down during the pandemic. But the city is trying something new and ultra-modern for the Fourth of July 2025, one completely fireproof and far less noisy.
The area’s first-ever Drone Light Show will light up the night sky above Dos Pueblos High School’s football stadium with a 15-minute display that promises choreographed configurations both patriotic and personal to Goleta and the region. Just shy of 150 drones will create a plethora of patterns via a customized computer-controlled program created and run by DroneShow.com, the barely seven-year-old company in Utah that is one of few organizations capable of putting on the display.
“The show was created to be relevant to the City of Goleta, full of connections to different elements that will resonate with the local people,” explained Jesse Stone, DroneShow.com’s founder who worked closely with Kelly Hoover, Goleta’s community relations manager, to come up with the concepts for the patterns. “That’s one of the things that makes drone light shows special,
because they’re unique and customizable to any situation.”
Without giving too much away, the show will contain stunning and colorful drone configurations depicting such patriotic graphics as the American flag and the Statue of Liberty, outlines of the state of California and the state flag, and both logos and words supporting UCSB’s Gauchos and Dos Pueblos’ Chargers teams. What won’t be depicted are approximations of a fireworks display.
“You really can’t replicate the sort of random effect of an exploding firework,” Stone said. “But it’s pretty incredible what we can actually create.”
The idea of making drone shows his life’s work came to Stone after seeing the opening ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, when Intel produced a show in which drones formed such images as a snowboarder heading downhill and the Olympic mascot.
“That level of creativity through technology was unbelievable,” said Stone, who previously traveled the world as a leading ice castle sculptor.
Now he’s co-creating drone shows for public events, private parties, and corporate retreats with his partner and co-founder Justin Egbert, a software and hardware engineer. The Fourth of July shows are one of their most popular events with communities seek-
ing alternatives to fireworks that still light up the sky and thrill families and friends on the ground.
“Drones are more environmentally friendly, there’s no smoke or noise to alarm pets or people who are sensitive or might have PTSD animals,” he said. “It’s incredibly creative in that you can adjust imagery and artwork to spark the imagination.”
As with fireworks, a soundtrack accompanies the drone display, Stone said.
“We do popular hit songs that are good for whether you’re 5 or 105, covering lots of emotions and something everyone in the community can enjoy,” he said.
Even though the drones are programmed and flown by computer, safety will be secured by a team of certified pilots who maintain visual contact with the aerial devices, making sure they’re maintaining the five-tosix-foot minimum distance from each other, and ready to bring them home automatically in case of an emergency situation. And they have no payload or cameras attached.
Only the multi-colored LED lights that are incredibly bright.
In fact, Stone said, the 140 drones are the brightest drones in the United States currently available, and the show is visible up to seven miles away if the skies are clear.
Join us for an afternoon of Polo in Paradise celebrating
The heart of Montecito since 1976
Your VIP Polo experience includes...
Deluxe seating in the exclusive Mountain Tent at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, where you have upclose viewing of the exhilarating polo match.
Gourmet hors d'oeuvres, desserts & full hosted bar.
Private pre-match “Polo 101” session with expert polo instructor, Claudia Uretz.
Purchase tickets by July 9 and donate at fcsb.org/events
FRIDAY 3:30PM
Show Up for Your Neighbors in Need Friendship Center provides joyful, dignified & purposeful days for adults living with dementia, and peace of mind for their caregivers. Every dollar raised stays local, keeping families connected, supported, and cared for close to home.
by Richard Mineards
Ensemble Theatre Company’s (ETC) supporter extraordinaire Dana White was honored at the annual Curtain Up! gala at the New Vic Theatre with a sunset dinner for 160 guests in the garden of the venerable Santa Barbara Club, which helped raise around $230,000.
White hails from Connecticut and has called Santa Barbara home for more than four decades. He has dedicated 30 years to teaching English to students in grades seven through 12 at Laguna Blanca, as
well as guiding seniors through the art of writing their college essays.
Since retiring from the classroom, he volunteers as a teacher of conversational English to at-risk youth in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and has served on the board of ETC for 15 years.
The Folk Legacy Trio performed at the theater before guests strolled the two blocks to the club when classical guitarist Chris Fossek, Hunter Hawkins, and Chance Challen entertained with Amy Ashton as emcee…
Among the theatrical throng were Dan and Meg Burnham, David and
ETC’s staff, supporters, and entertainers enjoying the evening (photo by
Rick Dougherty, Jerry Siggins, Brian McDonald, and George Graves, with honoree Dana White seated (photo by Priscilla)
Anne Gersh, Joan Rutkowski, Simon Williams, George Konstantinow, Kostis Protopapas, Ginny Brush, Robert Turbin, Mary Dorra, Scott DeVine, Peter and Deborah Bertling, Sybil Rosen, Fred and Nancy Golden, Bob and Val Montgomery, and Eve Bernstein
To polo playing billionaire Tom Barrack’s Happy Canyon Vineyard for the 13th annual Santa Ynez Valley Polo Classic benefitting local charity People Helping People with 300 guests helping raise more than $25,000.
Founded right here in Montecito in 2007, we’ve developed a deep knowledge of our local trees and plants – and how best to trim, nourish, and maintain them. We have the right people for the job, including sales and service who will answer the phone when you call. With our expert staff, we make tree and plant trimming, health care and plant pest control easy to understand. And we do exactly what we say we will.
Worry-free, confidence, and expertise. These are words that locals just like you use when they talk about Branch Out Tree Care. We listen to our customers needs, put it in writing, and show up with a team of tree-care professionals – so you'll be 100% satisfied with the results.
Even if you use another company, take advantage of our expert staff to give you a second opinion on your tree trimming and plant health-care needs. We’d love to help you maintain your property wisely, and avoid unnecessary work that often leads to higher maintenance costs.
The energized equestrian bash, co-chaired by T.J. Barrack and Sean and Jodi Pitts, consisted of two matches –
At Goodwin & Thyne Properties we follow a simple, yet powerful principle when representing real estate buyers and sellers- always do what is best for you, our client. We are an integrated team of clientcentered, comprehensive, connected, collaborative, and committed Realtors®, Brokers, and Attorneys servicing Santa Barbara, Ventura, Ojai, the Central Coast, LA and beyond.
We take pride in hearing our clients say we treat them like family, because – we do. It’s at the core of what makes us different.
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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by Jeff Giordano
Recently, our 2024-25 Grand Jury confirmed what I have long suspected – our cannabis program is shockingly unprofitable! Over five years the program posted $15M in losses by rewarding 30 or so cannabis growers with a hugely favorable tax scheme while spending lavishly to administer the program.
On June 20, the Grand Jury released Cannabis Taxation & Expenditures, a report that took an in-depth look at our cannabis cultivation tax revenue and expenses dating back to 2018. Over the most recent five years (20212025) we lost $3M annually coddling this declining industry. These losses were driven by bloated, oftentimes hidden, expenses that averaged $9M each year and cannabis prices that plummeted by 500%. At a time when social programs require County help, it is a fiduciary crime to use our tax dollars to finance a handful of pot growers – these folks are not curing cancer! Fun Fact: In 2024, grower Glass House posted $200M in revenues, up 25% from 2023.
In 2022, we generated $8M in revenue yet it cost more than $12M (Wow!) to administer the program resulting in a year-end loss of $5.2M. This year, assuming $5.5M in tax revenue, we are expected to lose nearly $4M based on $9.4M in expenses. With just $1M left in program reserves (between 2018 and 2020 there were profits) the future prognosis is clear: EMBARRASSING! Note: I have variously estimated annual program costs between $8M - $12M.
The Jury discovered that our Sheriff’s Department secured $2M+ over the past few years in state grants to eradicate illegal grows – this, at a time when these grows were “negligible” and the County was shelling out millions for similar enforcement. Did the County even know about this boondoggle funding?
Last year, our Supervisors had the chance to change our tax scheme, which relies on self-reported (“trust me”) cash receipts. Rather than increasing the rates and/or moving to a more easily verifiable system (square footage grown), they punted, opting instead on $300K for tax audits. The Jury found that in 2024 two audits occurred, one revealed no issues while the other is currently “under protest.” So, half are paying what they owe, and half are not. Nice!
The Jury made a variety of recommendations, the most obvious of which was to suggest that the program minimally breaks even. Given the many citizen-funded lawsuits and cannabis’ continuing public nuisance – this is generous.
LET’S GET REAL! Cannabis serves no other purpose than to keep scores of County workers and County-close consultants employed. Further, that the industry has been indulged like no other by our County’s unique tax scheme where the grower pays BUBKIS and we play the fool. My Recommendation: Increase taxes by 10x, sunset open grow cannabis in North County and require SEALED greenhouses (the only true “fix”) in the South, regardless of cost or consequence, i.e., end the embarrassing madness!
Jeff Giordano, Santa Barbara County resident
by MJ Staff
This July 4th, San Ysidro Ranch invites guests to its “Fourth of July in the Gardens” celebration – a festive afternoon of elevated Americana. From 12 to 4 pm, enjoy live music, lawn games, and patriotic décor in the sun-drenched gardens. Indulge in a gourmet Santa Mariastyle barbecue featuring Snake River Farms Wagyu tri-tip, Jidori chicken, seasonal salads, and nostalgic desserts like peach cobbler and s’mores cookies. With drinks served from a vintage tuk tuk and a serene setting steeped in history. Reservations required; $150 adults, $95 children.
411: www.opentable.com/stonehouse-atsan-ysidro-ranch
Montecito Fire Chief Neels and his firefighters are calling on everyone to remember that any means of fireworks and bonfires are illegal in Montecito. That includes ‘safe and sane’ fireworks like sparklers. The reminder is that vegetation is critically dry and wildfire risk is high. The MFD encourages everyone to be safe, and report any suspicious activity including illegal fireworks and bonfires to the SB County Sheriff’s Department at (805) 681-4100 and to dial 9-1-1 immediately if you see or smell smoke.
In addition, Montecito Fire, in partnership with all other local fire agencies, declared June 2 as the start of 2025 High Fire Season in
July 11
Santa Barbara County. During High Fire Season, Montecito Fire Department increases staffing ahead of critical fire weather conditions and dispatches additional resources to all wildland fire incidents. Additionally, all burn permits in Santa Barbara County are suspended during High Fire Season. For details on how you can defend against fires and keep the community safe see the 411. 411: https://tinyurl.com/SBCFireSeason
With the arrival of summer heat are the annual Los Padres Forest Fire restrictions, effective June 18 through January 31, 2026. The restrictions specify no open fires, campfires, or charcoal fires are permitted outside of developed recreation sites or designated Campfire Use Sites, as well as no smoking. However, stoves are still permitted in the
News Bytes Page 314
Executive Editor/CEO | Gwyn Lurie gwyn@montecitojournal.net
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MoJo Contributing Editor | Christopher Matteo Connor
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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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How to reach us: (805) 565-1860; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108; EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net
by Joanne A Calitri
That’s correct, Mr. Spock! We humble humans are now viewing the first images made public by the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (DOE/SC).
The images were officially released the last week of June, and endearingly named by the Rubin as “The Cosmic Treasure Chest.” Its website is interactive and updated live. Images are downloadable for public use.
The Rubin Observatory Telescope in Chile, named after Vera C. Rubin, “the mother of dark matter,” has a 10-year galactic imaging mission titled, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The observatory holds the largest digital camera ever built to date. It is an 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey three-mirror telescope with a three-billion-pixel solid state detector digital camera. The camera records time-evolution six-color images for both still and motion pictures of our galaxy, producing approximately 20 terabytes of data daily to be processed and stored. The camera’s field of view covers an area equivalent to the size of 45 full moons in the sky.
The telescope records the entire night sky over the Southern Hemisphere every three nights. The data collected from that is set to provide more information on the nature of dark matter and dark energy, create an inventory of the Solar System, map the Milky Way, explore the dynamic sky, and more as events occur. According to Space.com:
“In a decade, Rubin will have collected data on an estimated 40 billion celestial bodies, meaning we will have seen more heavenly bodies than there are humans alive for the first time.”
One of its first images is the Virgo Cluster of galaxies located approximately 53.8 million light-years from Earth. The image contains 10 million galaxies, a vast array of stars and celestial objects.
Working with the Rubin Observatory is our own local galactic star, the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO), founded by renowned American engineer Wayne Rosing, whom I featured in this column. His genius idea of creating the only global network of robotic telescopes, positions the LCO to track and study new cosmic events discovered by the Rubin in real time.
Rosing explained, “At LCO we have engineered and built the only global optical telescope network in the world, and it has been operating for 11 years. We are ready for the new age of astronomy being ushered in by the Rubin Observatory and we look forward to observing the newly discovered objects and the cutting-edge science that will result. LCO scientists have been instrumental in shaping the project through their leadership in the LSST Discovery Alliance, a collaborative network supporting the Rubin survey’s scientific goals.”
LCO Senior Scientist Dr. Rachel Street, an active member of the Rubin Science Community since inception –who also led an equity grants program
Our Town Page 144
This image captures a small section of NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s view of the Virgo Cluster, offering a vivid glimpse of the variety in the cosmos. Visible are two prominent spiral galaxies, three merging galaxies, galaxy groups both near and distant, stars within our own Milky Way, and much more (Credit: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory)
for Rubin Research scientists – added, “I can’t wait to see the first data from the Rubin Observatory! This survey is going to transform virtually all areas of astrophysics, from a census of previously undetectable objects in our own Solar System and Milky Way out to supernovae in distant galaxies.”
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History in collaboration with the LCO held an event on June 25 to view the livestream from the Rubin detailing its history and first images. The public follow up will be on July 12 at the museum’s Space Sciences exhibit. The museum’s Astronomy Programs
Manager Ila Jade Komasa stated, “Our Gladwin Planetarium allows us to make space more accessible and bring it a little closer to home. We have an amazing opportunity to take these remarkable images from Rubin Observatory and explore them in our planetarium. I am thrilled to collaborate with LCO to celebrate this milestone of astronomy.”
For more detailed info on the progress of the Rubin images and the LCO, see the 411.
411: https://lco.global https://rubinobservatory.org
MONDAY–FRIDAY from 8 am–11 am
by Joanne A Calitri
Society Invites is most pleased to report that Rona Barrett is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her foundation to help seniors. Founded in 2000, the Rona Barrett Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide affordable and dignified housing and care for seniors aged 62 and older.
With that, she established first the Golden Inn & Village, followed by Harry’s House, named after her dad. Both are located in Santa Ynez and have served the state of California as a model for senior housing and design, and by setting a precedent nationwide for low-income senior housing.
Having interviewed Barrett exclusively for this column in 2022, (https://tinyurl. com/MJBarrett) and for the grand opening of Harry’s House in 2023, (https:// tinyurl.com/MJHarrysHouse), I can say firsthand, she is a rock for seniors in need and for their families seeking a respectable solution for housing and care.
The anniversary of her foundation was celebrated privately on Wednesday, June 18, at the Golden Inn property with Barrett, Foundation Executive Director Tony Morris, Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara Executive Director Bob Havlicek, Rona Barrett Foundation board members and staff, the residents of the Golden Inn & Village and Harry’s House, and select invited guests.
Barrett shared at the presentation, “Despite my successful career in Hollywood, being an advocate for seniors-in-need is the
most important work that I’ve ever done. Envisioning and building the Golden Inn & Village and Harry’s House affordable housing campus for low-income seniors was paramount. However, it’s not enough to just put a roof over their heads, seniors need social and health-centric programs and services as well. Our nonprofit strives to make that happen.”
Morris added, “Thanks to Rona’s unrelenting drive, determination, and good old-fashioned chutzpah, she has made her vision of an affordable housing complex for seniors a reality. Such an accomplishment certainly deserves to be celebrated and what better way to do so than on the 25th anniversary of the Rona Barrett Foundation. Our nonprofit’s mission continues as we look to enhance the programs and services that we provide for our senior residents.”
At the celebration, the roundabout and private roadway that circles the entire affordable senior housing complex was officially designated as the Rona Barrett Circle, and its monument was unveiled by the board.
Also celebrated at the event was longtime Board of Trustees member Steven Reden, who was honored for his volunteer service of more than 15 years. Presenting his award was Board Chairperson Cynthia Manigault
Seen at the event were Janelle Parsons, Chris Tucker, Roger Davis, Jane Ayer, Dr. Lisa Clement, Vicki Wedmore , Phylene Wiggins , and Roger Battistone
411: https://ronabarrettfoundation.org
by Steven Libowitz
Dennis Michel still vividly remembers the first time he ever heard the bassoon as a seven-year-old boy growing up on a 480-acre farm in northern Idaho.
“Through the magic of television I saw a Leonard Bernstein Young Person’s Concert with the New York Philharmonic, and they had a teenage bassoon soloist for Haydn’s ‘Sinfonia Concertante,’” he said. “I just loved the sound of the instrument. I remember telling my dad I want to play the bassoon someday.”
Someday came pretty soon, after the family moved to a less rural locale where he found a decent music program at school.
“In the sixth grade, I talked my junior high school band director into buying a bassoon for me to play,” he recalled, sitting at the patio table in the backyard of a lushly landscaped home on Santa Barbara’s Eastside, the current “bassoon house” for Music Academy teaching artists in the summer. It’s halfway through
his last residency at MAW, his 38th season at the summer festival, virtually half of the institute’s history.
Michel’s journey as an orchestral bassoonist took him from Wichita to San Diego to Chicago, where he served as second bassoon of the prestigious Chicago Symphony Orchestra for a quarter-century. He retired from the position three years ago, but stuck around with MAW for another three years.
“I think I didn’t want to go cold turkey,” he explained. “I still love music, and playing and teaching the bassoon. The Academy is such a rich environment with the faculty and such smart, motivated students (now known as fellows). I’ve amassed a lot of knowledge and tricks of the trade over the years, and I enjoy passing that on. But the part about being in the network, having a hand in the game and an ear to the ground about auditions – that’s not my world anymore.”
Michel indulged an inquisitive reporter in sharing a few highlights of his MAW tenure that dates back to 1988, mentioning the old Tuesday@8 concerts featuring only the faculty collaborating
on chamber music, and one of his loves dating back to his days as a co-founder of the Arioso Quartet back in San Diego – which toured regularly and recorded for Koch Classics.
“They were very gratifying,” he said. “The idea was to set an example for the students, but they’ve kind of caught up to us. There have been times I would hear one of them playing for the first time in a master class and just think, ‘Wow!’”
One of those moments came a dozen years ago when Keith Buncke, who had just finished his freshman year at Curtis Institute, played the first movement of the Hummel “Bassoon Concerto,” a notoriously difficult piece for the soloist, in the summer’s first master class.
“It’s very long and complicated and it takes tons of concentration and a big brain to absorb it all and execute it,” Michel recalled. “This guy just played the spots off of it. It was extraordinary.”
Buncke won MAW’s concerto competition that summer, and two years later was appointed Principal Bassoon at the CSO, aka the leader of Michel’s section.
“I was so happy to have him first as a student, then as a colleague,” Michel said. “He’s a perfect example of how the level of the students has just climbed over the years.”
Michel himself will be the focus of attention at the July 8 concert at Hahn Hall, a x2 performance dubbed a “Salute to Dennis Michel.” The honor is almost embarrassing, he said.
“It’s a bit weird to be picked out. I spent much of my career as a second bassoon player, and we don’t get a lot of time in the limelight. It feels good, and odd, to be recognized just for doing another concert that’s like so many that I’ve done here before.”
Week at MAW Page 284
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
Westmont alumnus Paul Mori (‘77) directs the Prime Time Band’s free Fourth of July Concert, presented by the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation, on Friday, July 4th, at 5 pm at the Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Gardens. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or low-back chair.
The performance will feature an afternoon of lively music celebrating freedom and the heroes who inspire us. The Prime Time Band will play sing-along favorites and patriotic classics that pay tribute to military heroism and American stage and screen heroes.
Mori, who earned a master’s and doctorate at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, conducted the Bach Ensemble of Baltimore in the 1990s. In 2005, he returned to Westmont, where he has taught bassoon and conducted the wind ensemble. He earned the Sue
Higman Volunteer of the Year Award in 2023 for his work documenting Japanese American history and educating people about their forced relocation during World War II.
The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art celebrates Judy L. Larson, who retired following 17 prolific years as museum director, on Thursday, July 10, from 4-6 pm at the museum.
The special celebration includes an
exhibition featuring prominent objects from the collection acquired during Larson’s tenure. Major donors during Larson’s tenure included Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, Faith Mell Perry (‘62) and Dewayne Perry (‘62), the Arts Alliance of Ventura County, Keith Puccinelli, the Berkus Family, Arnold and Marie Forde, Jere and Fima Lifshitz, and Steven Pattie (‘74).
Alumnus Chris Rupp (‘00), who has served as curator and collections manager since 2009, has been named the interim director of the museum.
About 100 top high school baseball players from Southern California and Hawaii worked out in front of MLB and college scouts as part of the Milwaukee Brewers Area Code Baseball Tryouts June 30 to July 2 from 9 am to 4 pm
at Carr Field. Westmont has hosted the annual event, which is free and open to the public, since 2010.
The first day of tryouts included TriCounty players catcher Tyler Wertz from Valencia High and right-handed pitcher Weston Haley from Nordhoff High.
Following the three days of evaluations, scouts choose the top players to return on Sunday, July 6, beginning at 9 am.
The Area Code Games, featuring the nation’s top 240 high school players (from the class of 2026 and 2027), will play August 6-11 at Blair Field in Long Beach. The tournament serves as the beginning of a year-long interview process culminating with the MLB Draft the following summer.
Notable Brewers Area Code alumni, since Westmont began hosting the event, include Max Fried, Lucas Giolito, Dominic Smith, and Jack Flaherty.
30th Anniversary
Itzhak Perlman
In the Fiddler’s House
Thu, Oct 30 / 7 PM / Granada Theatre
Nicola Benedetti, violin
Wed, Jan 28 / 7 PM / Campbell Hall
Juan Diego Flórez, tenor
Sat, Feb 7 / 7 PM / Lobero Theatre
Yuja Wang & Mahler Chamber Orchesta
Thu, Apr 23 / 7 PM / Granada Theatre (note new venue) (Available on both A and B)
Save up to 25% with a Curated series, or Create Your Own series of 4 or more events and save 10%
Great Performances B
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Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano
Time for Three
Emily – No Prisoner Be
Thu, Feb 5 / 7 PM / Granada Theatre
Yo-Yo Ma in Recital
Sun, Feb 22 / 4 PM / Granada Theatre
Danish String Quartet and Danish National Girls’ Choir
Fri, Apr 10 / 7 PM / Granada Theatre
Yuja Wang & Mahler Chamber Orchesta
Thu, Apr 23 / 7 PM / Granada Theatre (note new venue) (Available on both A and B)
7 events (series A+B) - Save 25%
Great things come in pairs: voices and strings, timeless masterworks and new commissions, global stars and American icons. Discover unforgettable music –a suite deal at a suite price!
by Ashleigh Brilliant
There is probably nothing more thrilling to the average reader than the idea of somebody being saved or rescued from something terrible. I have just seen part of a video in which a woman is apparently trapped in her car which has been swept off in the middle of a raging flood. A man, who is at least garbed in protective gear, is setting out on foot from some dry patch of ground to reach, and, I hope, rescue her. Disastrous flooding must bring about numerous episodes like this. The man may have been specially trained in this kind of rescue work. If the car doors are closed, it must be extremely difficult to extract a living fully-grown person from the vehicle. But there must be special tools and techniques which have been developed since the era of automobiles began.
What this all makes me realize, however, is that there must be many other kinds of disasters – not only “natural” like earthquakes, but also, some of them, man-caused, like the bombing of buildings – which cause situations in which people are trapped in ruined structures. We have all seen pictures of whole streets turned into piles of rubble. Sometimes it is known that there are people, possibly still living, trapped inside. This is where specially trained animals, usually dogs with their very powerful sense of smell, can help find such victims. I suppose it helps if they can first be given something to smell associated with the trapped person, like an article of clothing.
This reminds us of the semi-legendary Saint Bernard dogs sent out by a monastery in the Alps to find travelers possibly trapped in the snow by a sudden storm. Part of the legend is that they carry flasks of brandy. There are also real “Lifeboats” on various coasts near rocky shorelines where ships might run aground. The boats can be manned at short notice by people living nearby, who are ready to risk their own lives to go out to rescue people in distress. Dickens’ novel David Copperfield contains an account of one such incident on the East coast of England near Yarmouth.
But, even without such lore, there are enough historically verified accounts of
people desperately in need. Unfortunately, all this keeps happening, on a larger scale, right up into our own times. Why was there no one to rescue the Armenians from the Turks, the Muslims from the Hindus, or the Jews from the Nazis?
Traditionally – at least according to the movies – the classic form of rescue was of a group of covered-wagon settlers besieged by Native American Indians. Salvation is signaled by the sound of a bugle – it is the U.S. Cavalry, no doubt starring John Wayne. Speaking of salvation, a little more than a century ago, a group of earnest and devout Christians in England were the founders of a movement which became known as the Salvation Army, devoted to saving the souls of “lost” people in the slums of London. Their headquarters were actually proclaimed to be “Rescue Missions.” (They made popular songs into prayers, saying “Why should the Devil have all the best tunes.”)
Even more time-hallowed are the stories of shipwreck survivors on a remote island (no doubt in pre-radio days) who, like Robinson Crusoe, may have to wait months or even years before being discovered.
Incidentally, the Crusoe story was inspired by the true account of a man named Alexander Selkirk, a seaman who was marooned on an island off the coast of Chile. His story was read by Daniel Defoe, who turned it into a bestselling novel. I have visited another, even more remote, island in that same area. Now called Easter Island, it is best known for the enormous stone heads, carved and set up by earlier inhabitants, which seem to be staring out to sea.
Ashleigh Brilliant born England 1933, came to California in 1955, to Santa Barbara in 1973, to the Montecito Journal in 2016. Best-known for his illustrated epigrams, called “Pot-Shots,” now a series of 10,000. email: ashleigh@west. net. web: www.ash leighbrilliant.com.
But, while we are on this subject, I cannot resist telling you the alleged account of a young woman who was the only female survivor among a group of shipwrecked crew members who found refuge on a small, otherwise uninhabited, island, before they were eventually rescued. Many people back home were eager to hear her story – and, among these, at one gathering, was a very prim and proper matron, whose reaction was to say to the survivor, “Good Heavens! In such dreadful circumstances, I can only hope you remained chaste.” To which came the reply, “Chased? You bet I was chased – all over the bloody island!”
by Elizabeth Stewart
In 1850, the average American family size included six to nine children. Boys in the early to mid-19th century wore dresses handed down from sisters, typically termed frocks, and these frocks were worn without either short or long pants underneath until a boy reached “breeching” age. What is breeching age? It is when a young boy can hold his own and not soil his breeches. If you have had both male and female children, you’ll know that boys can be harder to potty train, thus, “breeching” was a term used to describe the proper time when a young boy was allowed to wear breeches under a tunic. Younger toddlers in the 19th century did not wear gowns as they impaired freedom of movement, they wore tunic dresses, and diapers.
In many collections of American portraits of young children from the 183070s we ‘moderns’ cannot distinguish the genders of the sitters. SC sends me a little portrait of a child in a tartan dress: a case in point. SC has named her “Biddy’s Girl,” when in fact many elements point to her being SC’s “Biddy’s Boy;” I can date the portrait and the gender by the clothing style. The little chap wears pantalettes, not knee pants or knickers. This was the fashion for both sexes until 1870 when a “breeched” boy wore a knee pant. By the 1870s boys often wore a stylized jacket and waistcoat over a skirt that was not a kilt, but a skirt with box pleats.
Hair styles were also unisex. Boys often had long hair pulled back with a small bow; later in the 19th century girls wore larger bows. The fabrics used were unisex. Both young boys and girls wore wool, fastened with hooks and eyes or buttons at the back. Not until each of the sexes were at least seven years old was
the garment different for the genders, until the publication of the book, Little Lord Fauntleroy, which made European ringlets and velvet long trousered suits popular for young boys in the 1880s.
Originating in Britain, tartan was worn from 1850-70 by both genders, but due to the popularity of sailor suits in Germany (1860-70) and Highland wear in England (kilt suits), boys were dressed in sailor collars and tartan tunics, and sailor or Highland tunics for both sexes were worn until a child’s ninth year with either pantalettes or tights underneath, preferably striped tights. The traditional Highland kilt was transformed into an American jacket and skirt in tartan for boys. By the 1880s large collars for boys with knee pants were in vogue, with large floppy bows at the collar. Still, up until the age of eight, a young boy wore what we now think of as a dress, in either cotton or wool, with bows.
The owner of this little “Biddy Boy” portrait would like to know the artist, and if the artist sells for much, and if he or she was an important Americana artist, which is not really the focal point of this little work, which is not all that well painted. The signature is almost indecipherable; it appears to be A. R. Cu… or R.A. Cl… However, the artist of such a work, in this case, is not as important as the quality and style of child’s portraiture; this style was called a “genre” painting when the 19th century viewer could identify the child’s nationality and class. Although we cannot “see” the gender, nor easily identify the class or nationality clues today, this Biddy Boy child wears a finely made tartan dress, the child holds a little concertina, and he has played with a ball (painting, dated 1869). The furniture in the painting is Renaissance Revival (purchased only by the affluent) and the carpet is “Turkey”
work (imported by the rich). The child’s face is not well-executed because the point of the painting is to place the child in his “class,” not to accurately portray the little boy.
I suspect the artist was Mary Anna Randolph Custis, the wife (to be) of General (Confederate) Robert E. Lee; she was an average painter of Virginian children, selling her works to benefit the Confederacy. This style of children’s portraiture was ubiquitous in this era. The frame is also late 1860s.The value, if by Custis Lee, is $1,000, and the flavor of the interior furnishings in decidedly Southern American dating from the mid-19th century and places the child in his status as a well-born Southern American gentrified child, likely a firstborn son.
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
BY LUTAH MARIA RIGGS
“If the propellers aren’t spinning, we could actually melt the plastic on the drones because they’re so bright,” he said.
Activities at Dos Pueblos High School get underway around 6 pm with music by DJ Darla Bea, line dancing, family-friendly games, a photo booth, and more, with the drone show set to begin at nightfall, around 8:30 pm. Guests can sit in the bleachers or plop down on blankets and lawn chairs on the stadium’s turf. Admission is free.
Visit www.cityofgoleta.org/play/fourth-of-julydrone-lights-show
Santa Barbara’s annual Fourth of July celebration at the waterfront boasts a full slate of festive, fun, free, and family-friendly activities that take place throughout the day leading up to the annual 20-minute fireworks display. The extra-wide Cabrillo Boulevard sidewalk at West Beach will be thick with food and vendor booths from 11 am to 9 pm, where visitors can stuff themselves with fare from Tink’s Old Fashioned Hot Dogs, Lidos Philly Cheese Steaks, Timbers Roadhouse, G Brothers Kettle Corn, Elubia’s Kitchen, and The Deli Doctor, and/or shop for holiday and other trinkets and wares.
Live music on the temporary bandstand erected on the sand at West Beach begins at 1 pm, with a lineup of eight local bands, including such stalwarts as Goodlanders, Ladyfinger, and False Puppet, leading up to the pyrotechnics presented by Garden State Fireworks with the soundtrack simulcast on KjEE (92.9 FM) and from the stage, ending the Independence Day festivities with a bang.
Visit https://santabarbaraca.gov/things-do/ city-events/fourth-july-celebration
The 51st annual Old-Fashioned 4th of July at the Stow House in Goleta is a
five-hour (11 am to 4 pm) fun-filled festival featuring tractor rides, kids activities, vendors selling their handcrafted items, food trucks, exhibits of vintage machinery and Model A Fords, and music from The Cliffhangers and Cadillac Angels. Maybe the biggest attraction is simply enjoying the afternoon on the beautiful grounds of Rancho La Patera.
Visit https://goletahistory.org/old-fashioned4th-july
Santa Barbara’s Prime Time Band, composed of more than 75 amateur adult musicians (age 40 to 90), fill the space near the archway at the County Courthouse, where guests can enjoy the music and atmosphere from blankets and lawn chairs on the Sunken Gardens at 5 pm. The ensemble will play an all-American program of patriotic music plus selections from John Williams ’ scores including Star Wars , Raiders of the Lost Ark , Superman , and Empire of the Sun and the Olympic Fanfare and tributes to the Granada Theatre and Old Spanish Days. Hits by Coldplay, Whitney Houston, and others round out the free show.
Visit www.ptband.org
Looking to avoid all the hoopla but still do something somewhat patriotic? The Chumash Casino’s Samala Showroom is hosting the “American Made Farewell” tour from The Oak Ridge Boys, the vocal quartet who rode a blend of country, gospel, and pop to sales of more than 40 million albums worldwide. The show, the culmination of a 40-year career with largely the same lineup (and more than 80 years after its founding), promises to include many of the group’s country hits and two pop smashes – “Elvira” and “Bobbie Sue” – that have earned them Grammy, CMA, and many other awards.
Tickets at www.chumashcasino.com
Our family and community lost a wonderful human being on March 22, 2025.
Thelma Fraley Mead, just three weeks shy of 102, was born on April 13, 1923, in Ashland, Oregon, and lived for 68 years in Santa Barbara. She grew up in Alameda, California, attended Pasadena College for two years, and graduated from UC Berkeley. For several years thereafter she taught school in Vallejo, Los Gatos, Los Banos, and one year in Eugene, Oregon, where she and her husband, Walter, began their lives together in 1947.
As Walter developed his career as a professor of economics, she was the daily guidance counselor and superb mother to five children: Richard ( Non ), Donald ( Patty ), Douglas ( Kathy ), Kay ( Jim ), and David ( Natalie ), providing loving moral guidance with an irrepressibly upbeat attitude. Her family ultimately expanded to include 13 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, and each and every one adored her. She and Walter enjoyed trips to exotic places and also hosted many family trips over the years, exposing us all to different environments and cultures.
As a voracious reader and a member of a book club, she expanded her mind daily. She developed an aura of quiet wisdom and had a profound inner strength which served her well throughout her long life. She often said that looking forward to something every day was the key to an engaged life and optimistic outlook. No doubt, this contributed to her long, wonderful presence on Earth.
“Always be kind to each other,” was advice she offered to family members who gathered for her 100th birthday. Speaking from no notes, she captivated her family with this advice, pleasant memories, and an optimistic view of life and the future. Slightly more than a year ago at a “cousins’ reunion,” where “Aunt Thelma” was invited as the sole remaining sibling in the original Fraley family, she sat in front of that large gathering and spoke for 45 minutes about the Fraley and Mead families and of life in general. She answered questions and spoke eloquently without notes or preparation.
All those who knew her appreciated her kind and generous nature. She never sought the limelight, center stage, or acknowledgement. She acted with purpose, not pomp, and had a no-nonsense approach to the world. Simple pleasures, like sitting in the sun on her patio surrounded by her flowers, gazing up at the mountains, filled her with joy.
She was one of a kind and we are so blessed to have felt her presence, guidance, and inspiration for so many years.
The Mead family
by Deann Zampelli
Afew years ago, I ran into a couple that my husband and I knew from our “pre-kid” lives in Los Angeles. They were visiting Montecito and had ridden their bikes to the lower village to have lunch together. As they walked into the restaurant, their hands found one other, instinctively entwining by their sides. I remember thinking that they must have the secret. They went bike riding. They held hands. They were going to make it.
Less than a year later they announced to a stunned group of friends that they were separating.
Depending on what source you are referencing, the divorce rate in the United States ranges anywhere from 25-55%. However, according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, four to five million people in the U.S. get married each year and of those, around 42-53% will end in divorce.
As the months flew by, we would occasionally see the couple (I will call them “Mike” and “Lauren”) at social gatherings down south. They arrived separately but always appeared to be amicable, and as being grown-ups for their children who were both over 20 at this point. Each time I would see either of them I was struck by how differently they have handled the split. The last time I saw Lauren was over a year ago. She seemed subdued, even depressed. In limbo or stagnant. Perhaps even slightly embarrassed by the unspoken tarnish of The Big D. My heart broke for her while knowing the last thing she would want is pity. And while we all felt terrible for her and even vilified him for a while, none of us actually did “pity” her as we knew she would get through it; she is a smart and polished New Yorker, a licensed (albeit inactive) engineer, is kind, financially secure, healthy, beautiful, and has a wonderful family and a strong network of support. There
was no reason to suspect after another year she would still be struggling. Yet, here she was, trying to blend in with the wallpaper, to disappear.
In contrast, Mike was vivacious, energized, heaven forbid, even… happy? How dare he, my married-for-over-aquarter-of-a-century, middle-aged self thought with shock and judgment. How can he be so disrespectful to the memory of what they shared for over 20 years?
Of course, this wasn’t about him. He was just getting on with his life. This was about me, and all the other married women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond who could someday find themselves in the same position as Lauren. Why are we, as middle-aged heterosexual women, so often the ones who are viewed as not just “left,” but “left behind?” Is it the woman’s own feeling of abandonment, or just the perception of it?
What separates the survivors from the thrivers?
Of course, each situation and person are different. I know quite a few recently divorced women who are much happier now than they had ever been in their marriage. Could it be because most of the women I am thinking of either initiated the divorce or were equally proactive in bringing it to fruition?
Or perhaps is it because most have busy, active careers that they are passionate about? I can hear the outcries now –yes, there are many men who fare worse than their wives do either emotionally, financially, or even socially – but I am generalizing here so please either forgive or indulge me.
I remember being so shocked by statistics I read in The Atlantic’s May 2016 article, “The Divorce Gap,” that a woman who was working before or during her marriage is likely to suffer a 20% decrease in salary following a divorce while a man’s is likely to rise as much as 30%. Seriously? Apparently, this correlates to divorced mothers rather than to divorced women as it relates to how much a woman will need to
alter her working life to care for their families while the man often has more time to devote to his career now that he is single. Again, these statistics will vary greatly from person to person depending on cultural, economic, and environmental factors but nonetheless the “Divorce Gap” seems great indeed. Is this yet another reason for the apparent disparity in how each gender responds to a split?
Mike asked me recently why the women in their circle had seemingly turned against him. I explained in my most patient Mom-voice that he had to understand that he represented everything many middle-aged women secretly fear; that the end of a marriage for women at this stage of life is viewed as what it often is, an end (not to life, or to happiness, or a future – just to this part of our lives). While for him, a healthy man in his mid-50s, it could just be the beginning. Not to diminish the emotional pain he endured getting to this point, but he could very likely go on to marry again, even to have more children
In fact, almost a quarter of all people in the U.S. who are currently married are on their second marriage or beyond. And, almost as many women as men marry again within five years after divorcing. So, there’s that.
The more I thought about it the more I realized that surviving versus thriving has a lot to do with how we define ourselves, and therefore, how others see us in turn
If a woman gets divorced and she has a busy career, the divorce won’t necessarily be any less painful for her than it would be for someone who doesn’t. However, unlike a woman who gave up her career
to raise a family and then finds herself divorced and possibly at loose ends, the woman with the career has another identity that still needs tending. She is expected at meetings, has people who rely on her, has research to do, papers to grade, or reports to write. Her day is busy and dynamic, needing her full attention. This part of her is still her. And still thriving. In contrast, for the woman who isn’t working, does she now have too much time on her hands thereby highlighting the missing other half?
Clearly, this will vary from person to person but among the divorced women I have spoken to in the last few months, the ones who emotionally fared the best had something to look forward to each day that didn’t change after the divorce; their job, volunteer work, caring for a dependent. A purpose. It seems the thrivers have a purpose each day that didn’t ever really involve their spouse. A daily structure like this can subtly reinforce self-esteem, regardless of whether you have a ring on your finger.
In the meantime, hold hands, take bike rides, embrace yourself and your loved ones… and thrive.
Health and humor in the MJ 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.
BUT DON’T HAVE AN AD?
Except this one will have bassoon on all three works, starting with Debussy’s “Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune,” with Benjamin Kamins, Michel’s longtime colleague at MAW, who is also departing after this summer. Current bassoon fellow Kenny Ford will be part of the wind quintet performing Paquito D’Rivera ’s Aires Tropicales before a second bassoon fellow, Cian Bryson, joins Michel as part of the quartet playing Mozart’s “Serenade No. 11 in E-flat Major, K. 375.”
The Serenade is a cherished chamber music piece for Michel, who recalled listening to a podcast about having a good attitude in life when the host suggested people think about something that makes you feel gratitude.
“What came up for me was Mozart – that he lived, and that he wrote this gorgeous, perfect piece of music,” he said. “Every time I’ve been in a group that’s rehearsed one of his serenades, somebody will say, ‘God, we’re so lucky to have this music.’”
Michel is also thrilled that playing the serenade as his final MAW performance comes with collaborating with not only faculty members but also fellows, as per the x2 format.
“Mozart is famously transparent, so you hear everything that’s going on,” he said. “It’s great to listen to your students play and help make suggestions, but it’s quite another to sit next to and perform with them. You understand so much more about what your student’s doing and can offer ideas that they need to explore or things they could do a little bit differently to balance an ensemble playing.”
When the final notes ring out at Hahn Hall, full retirement will have arrived for Michel, who said he’s already been enjoying having no other musical com-
mitments in the last three years.
“My son and grandchildren live close to us in Illinois, and we also want to travel more while we still can. We’ve renewed our membership in the Art Institute, and I’ve got a little woodworking shop in the basement.”
As for the instrument he’s had a love affair with for six decades?
“There’s more to do in life than just play the bassoon,” he said. “After we get home, I’m going to put it in the case and let it rest for a while. Then I’ll see if I want to come back and play for fun, but it’s not much of a solitary pursuit. It’s really more of a social activity without a group to play in. Maybe later I’ll find other like-minded retirees who would like to still play chamber music at a high level.”
Meanwhile there will still be some orchestral performances on his itinerary, but from the audience, not the stage.
“I’m looking forward to going to a concert and just letting it wash over me,” he said.
Thursday, July 3: Want to see more of harpist fellow Zoe Lyn O’Shaughnessy plucking the heavenly instrument’s strings, among the many fellows that spectacularly stood out at last Saturday’s Academy Festival Orchestra concert, particularly on Valerie Coleman ’s “Seven O’Clock Shout” and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition?” Maybe even without all those pesky other instruments? Check out today’s first harp Masterclass of the summer, with veteran MAW teaching artist JoAnn Turovsky coaching the single harp fellow (1 pm; Weinman Hall; $10)… Also on tap: two more new faculty members making their Week at MAW Page 344
bar form a celestial path along the center of the space. Nooks and books are a common accompaniment to their bars and Lion’s Tale is no different – both in the embellished wall recesses but also the various seating areas that feel distinct yet melded with the surroundings.
The Lion’s Tale is a notable departure for Brandon and Misty – not in quality or philosophy, but in scope. This is one of the few bars in their ever-expanding empire that includes a full kitchen. Most of their other venues – like the Good Lion or Shaker Mill – have relied on creative partnerships or adjacent food offerings. But here, the kitchen is theirs.
Overseen by Michelin Bib Gourmand
chefs Ryan Simorangkir and Tyler Peek of the Sama Sama group, the food leans into “elevated bar fare” with a French backbone. The goal isn’t to compete with Montecito’s fine dining scene, but to complement it. “We didn’t want to be another full-service restaurant,” Brandon says. “We wanted to offer something that supports what’s already here – a cocktail-focused bar with a serious, but not overdone, food program.”
The result is less of a 20-course fine-dining experience and more of a balanced blend of small bites and larger meals delivering dishes that are elegant enough to impress a date, or relaxed enough to roll into straight from Butterfly Beach with a little salt still in your hair. Think… gentle, sea-fresh flavors of cold-water oysters alongside a mignonette accented with yuzu koshō –a paste made of Japanese chili peppers, yuzu peel, and salt.
A light bite at Lion’s Tale can be as simple as koji-cultured butter and Oat Bakery sourdough with a side of olives Provençal, or as elaborate as buckwheat blinis and Oscietra Caviar. For a fuller meal there are options like steak frites that brings together filet mignon and crisp shoestring fries drizzled in the herb-infused Café de Paris butter sauce. A Catch of the Day delivers a more delicate offering.
The Potato Pavé is one of the standout dishes. Echoing a Thomas Keller recipe, these three stacks of potato are cut razor thin and then browned in butter, cream, and thyme. The fork flakes off layers of potato that can gently soak up the tarragon crème fraîche they lie upon. The smoked trout dip is another notable dish. Good to share with a group, or Lion’s Tale Page 314
by Leslie Andrea Westbrook
This girl never tires of London.
My perfect day in London would include walking as much as possible, popping into rare bookstores, antique shops, and art galleries, attending an auction at Bonhams, Christie’s, or Sotheby’s, and lingering in a museum or two. A “must” is catching a play and listening to jazz at Ronnie Scott’s. This may be too much for one day – but you get my drift. Many attractions and diversions are free, but a splurge on delicious Dover sole is traditional in the dining realm for me, but very affordable meals are often found in museum cafés. As someone who has been visiting London regularly for many moons, here are some of my favorite stops, old and new, along with a useful hotel tip for some. A traveler doesn’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy the many riches of London, as suggested below.
I usually take an overnight British Airways flight from NYC to London, arriving early morning with a long day ahead before standard hotel check-in. Last year, I discovered “day rate” hotels. I went directly from Heathrow to The Londoner Hotel in the heart of the West End, where I relaxed in the spa’s pool and steam rooms, showered and freshened up in a lovely room, and strolled over to the recently refurbished National Portrait Gallery – a place I first visited with my fairy godchildren when they were young… and didn’t have children of their own!
The Londoner offers access to a relaxing guest area called “The Residence,” that offers complimentary nibbles, tea, beverages, and even rare whiskies. Guest rooms are lush, and the pillows divinely soft – just don’t nap and let jet lag win! Later that day, I arrived refreshed and presentable
to check into my charming, small room with a view at the stunning Oxford and Cambridge Club, a reciprocal club with our very own University Club of Santa Barbara after my “day” visit and recovery.
Pro Tip: The Londoner offers day rates (usually 10 am – 6 pm), www.thelondoner. com; National Portrait Gallery: Open daily, free admission, www.npg.org.uk
I never tire of the Tate Britain – or Tate Modern. A recent visit to revisit beloved
works by Mark Rothko, Turner, and more included a delicious and affordable lunch at Tate Britain’s cafeteria-style serve yourself café. I’m especially fond of art museum dining spots around the globe, which tend to be dependable and fairly priced. www.tate.org.uk
Sir John Soane’s Museum is a cornucopia of art, architectural fragments, an Egyptian sarcophagus, and more that somehow escaped both my notice and that of a native Londoner friend! This free museum (as are many in London) is small, quirky, and worth adding to your “hidden gems” list. www.soane.org
Chelsea Physic Garden, founded in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, is the oldest garden in London (Fulham Palace Garden takes second place). Despite years of staying with friends in Chelsea, I was unaware of this hidden treasure. I learned about it from dear friend/London resident Valerie Ferguson, a former volunteer guide there, whom I met at a Music Academy concert in Montecito many moons ago. Valerie confided that relatively few Londoners know about this delightful spot, possibly because it wasn’t open to the public until 1983.
Informative (and free) 50-minute tours of the 3.5-acre gem are arranged in themed pockets that contain some 5,000 plants grown as medicine. Physicians traditionally came here for healing herbs and to learn how to treat the sick. The garden’s “in perpetuity” leasehold of just five pounds annually (less than $7) is still robust, thanks to a passel of dedicated volunteers, including longtime docent Valerie, who served as our guide on her last public tour of the season. Physic Garden Café, right at the garden’s edge, offers light bites and even “champers” or book a place at the table at one of their summer “supper clubs” if they are not sold out! www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk
A favorite walk is anywhere along the Thames, especially through Battersea Park with a stop to admire the magnificent Barbara Hepworth bronze sculpture, Single Form. Last year, I walked diagonally across the entirety of Hyde Park from my lodging in St. James’s to meet my fairy godchildren and their father for lunch at The Orangery (refurbished last year) in Kensington Gardens. Afterward, we enjoyed a self-guided tour of Kensington Palace, the childhood home of Queen Victoria. The Orangery, built in 1704-05 for Queen Anne, once hosted royal parties. Now, we plebeians can enjoy an elegant lunch or afternoon tea on its patio. Pax and Luna loved doing somersaults on the lawns, exploring the palaces room, and visiting the Princess Diana Memorial Garden. Keep an eye out for special events, like free guided meditation sessions in Kensington Gardens and in the King’s Gallery at the palace (currently £25). Kensington Palace & Gardens (and The Orangery) is one of six historic royal residences open to the public by reservation.
Also recommended: Fulham Palace House and Gardens – A humbler former palace with riverside walks, a lovely casual café, and photogenic history. www. fulhampalace.org
backcountry, and you can obtain a fire permit for that on their website.
Due to last winter being fairly dry, and recent temperatures in the backcountry up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, it is important to stay vigilant. The forest service encourages people to stay vigilant to prevent fires at all times.
In addition, the Los Padres Forest Association stated recently they will not support the sale of public lands which may include in our area, Santa Ynez Recreation Area, the Santa Barbara front country, the Ojai front country, Pine Mountain, Sierra Madre Mountains above Cuyama Valley, Alamo Mountain and Mount Pinos, Figueroa Mountain, West Cuesta Ridge, Timber Top, and other areas. They encourage people to write and call their representatives to oppose this sale of public lands. Check the Wilderness Society website for info. 411: www.wilderness.org
Community leader and global citizen Sese Ntem has been named president of the Rotary Club of Montecito, officially assuming the role on July 1. Ntem succeeds outgoing president Kim Stone, bringing over a decade of service experience and a deep commitment to Rotary’s mission of “service above self.” Born and raised in Togo, West Africa, and now based in Santa Barbara, Ntem is known for his collaborative leadership, cross-cultural insight, and passion for community uplift. As president, he plans to expand the club’s impact through youth mentorship, global partnerships, and local outreach initiatives.
In a move to support emerging young artists, the Santa Barbara Art
Association (SBAA) has donated $5,000 to the Visual Arts and Design Academy (VADA). The contribution aims to provide essential art supplies for high school students demonstrating both talent and financial need. SBAA President Terry Wimmer, inspired after touring VADA’s vibrant classrooms and meeting Program Director Daniel Barnett, called the school a “perfect recipient” for the support. While SBAA has historically supported college students, the organization hopes to build an ongoing relationship with VADA to foster creativity at an earlier stage.
The Summerland Citizens are holding their annual potluck event on Wednesday, July 9, from 4-6 pm at The Well on Lillie Avenue. The event celebrates the friends, families, and businesses of Summerland.
411: Send text to (805) 451-2126
even just by yourself – crisp crackers and endives give the dip something to spread on and a side of radishes provide a spicy snap to everything. Smoky, salty, and crunchy – the dip satisfies the senses and begs for a good drink to wash it down with… fortunately, it’s the right place for that.
Cocktails remain the core of the experience. This is, after all, what Brandon and Misty are known for: carefully built drinks that favor structure over trend-chasing. Drinks here follow a philosophy of layering, balance, and intention. Every listed ingredient is meant to be tasted. Nothing is for show… The menu avoids excess –resulting in drinks that are balanced and clean, not cluttered. “If it can be done more simply, it must be,” Brandon says, quoting one of their many internal mantras for cocktail creation.
Each of Brandon and Misty’s bars have a distinct theme – the cocktail menu reflecting their chosen environs –and while Lion’s Tale is no different, it offers one of the most straightforward listings of their collection of establishments. As with everything though, that is intentional – highlighting the often more traditional drinks offered in a hotel bar (plus, doing the classics well is a sign of mastery).
There is a Gimlet and an Old Fashioned, even a Margarita – yet each drink has a hint of the French/London undercurrent that flows through the space. The Manhattan swaps in Calvados and French vermouth for a rounder, more aromatic finish. The namesake Lion’s Tale – a reimagining of the classic bourbon and allspice cocktail – gets a curry and mango twist that evokes the comforting complexities of British colonial cuisine.
The dry martini – that can be ordered with vodka, gin, or a 50-50 blend of both – is served in crystal-clear glassware from the Prince of Wales’s preferred maker, chilled to the ideal degree,
pre-diluted and pre-frozen for consistency and perfection. “It’s the crux of the program,” Brandon notes. “It’s where everything started.” There’s even a cheeky “Martini Shot” – a nod to London’s bar culture – served in a petite glass meant to be sipped, not slammed. These are drinks that respect your intelligence and your tastebuds in equal measure. A theme suitable for Montecito… While initially Brandon and Misty were a little daunted by entering the area, those feelings were soon alleviated. “We have really found Montecito to be incredibly warm and friendly, cool and kind,” Brandon reflects, “People here will not support something that’s not great – so we are hyper focused on doing just that.”
ORDINANCE NO. 2025-01
AN ORDINANCE OF THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE MONTECITO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT DESIGNATING FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES WITHIN THE JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES OF THE MONTECITO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
WHEREAS, the Montecito Fire Protection District (“District”) operates under the provisions of California’s Fire Protection District Law of 1987, wherein the State Legislature declared that the local provision of fire protection services, rescue services, emergency medical services, hazardous material emergency response services and other services relating to the protection of lives and property is critical to the public peace, health and safety of the State of California and that local control over the types, levels and availability of these services is a long-standing tradition in California; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Government Code section 51178, the State Fire Marshal has identified within the District’s jurisdiction areas designated as moderate, high and very high fire hazard severity zones based upon consistent criteria applied statewide
WHEREAS, in accordance with Government Code section 51179, the District may, at District’s discretion, include areas within the jurisdiction of the District, not identified as very high fire hazard severity zones by the State Fire Marshal, as very high fire hazard severity zones following a finding supporte d by substantial evidence in the record that the requirements of Government Code section 511892 are necessary for effective fire protection within the District’s jurisdiction.
NOW THEREFORE, the Governing Board of the MONTECITO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT ordains as follows:
Article 1. Adoption of Fire Hazard Severity Zones
The Board of Directors (“Board”) of the Montecito Fire Protection District (“District”) hereby designates areas not identified as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones by the State Fire Marshal, as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones following a finding supported by substantial evidence in the record, as set forth in Article 3, that the requirements of Government Code section 51182 are necessary for the effective fire protection within the area of the District
Article 2 Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map
The official map, approved by the District, is hereby incorporated by reference, and entitled Montecito Fire Protection District Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The official map is also located electronically on the District’s website.
Article 3 Findings.
The Board, following due consideration, hereby finds and determines that the inclusion of areas within the jurisdiction of the District, not identified as very high fire hazard severity zones by the State Fire Marshal, as very high fire hazard severity zones are reasonably necessary due to local climatic, geological, and topographical conditions existing in the District. The District hereby finds and declares that:
The area within which the District is located regularly experiences strong, hot down canyon winds referred to locally as “Sundowners.”
Such wind conditions increase fire danger by significantly contributing to the spread and intensity of fires and significantly increase the difficulty of effective fire suppression within the District.
If a fire involving a single structure cannot be immediately extinguished, such wind conditions can rapidly spread flames to adjacent structures, significantly endangering lives and/or millions of dollars in property value.
Such winds can spread existing flames from a structure or natural fuel to structures and natural fuel significant distances away, even jumping over fire breaks and freeways, resulting in significant property damage and/or loss of life.
Much of the jurisdiction of the District is within heavy brush and chaparral.
It is generally known to take about 25 years to build up extremely dangerous combustible brush conditions, and the District contains areas where combustible flora has built up for 50 to 100 years.
The District is in an area prone to extensive drought conditions, significantly increasing the already natural combustibility of the chaparral, brush and ornamental shrubbery in the District.
Such fuels can rapidly transform a small manageable fire into an uncontrollable conflagration, compromising the lives and safety of District personnel and residents.
The reduction of such fuels provides a direct correlation to the safety of the lives and property within the District, and will substantially reduce the risk of injury or death to District personnel.
The District is geographically situated such that extreme solar exposure (south, southwest, and west facing slopes) continually results in critically low live fuel moisture levels, further rendering most brush, chaparral and ornamental shrubbery highly combustible.
Due to these conditions even non-structural fires can pose a massive threat to the lives and structures located in the District.
The District is located in close proximity to several active earthquake faults.
During and after an earthquake, there is a high potential for fires and other emergencies threatening the lives of District residents, generally requiring the commitment of all available resources.
Geographic and topographic conditions delay response times for fire apparatus (these conditions include remote structures; narrow, winding roads which hamper the access of modern fire suppression apparatus; and extremely sloping roads which tend to slow fire apparatus response).
U.S. Highway 101 traverses the District, and is a transportation route for hazardous materials and some traffic accidents on Highway 101 require the presence of all available fire apparatus, leaving the District with fewer resources to combat structural fires elsewhere in the District.
The Union Pacific Railroad line also traverses the District, and a train accident or derailment could immediately deplete the District’s resources, limiting the District’s ability to furnish fire protection for the balance of the District.
The Montecito Fire Protection District is in the mutual aid plan and is committed to supply personnel and equipment for serious fires outside the District and which can reduce the personnel and equipment available for response to possible emergencies within the District.
Further, in many instances because of the extra hazardous conditions, a defensible space protection zone around buildings and structures of only one hundred feet is not sufficient to provide for tenable wildland firefighting operations around such buildings and structures. These conditions are common upon lands within the District that are located within the area designated as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Such areas are rural areas with slopes exceeding 40% and are covered with old age class chaparral and dense vegetation, creating conditions that are dangerous to fire fighters.
The Board expressly finds and declares that the findings contained herein provide the basis for the inclusion of areas within the jurisdiction of the District, not identified as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones by the State Fire Marshal, as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones
Article 4. Severability.
If any article, section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or word of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The Board hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each article, section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or word thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more articles, sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases or words may be unconstitutional or invalid.
Article 5 Effective Date and Publication.
(a) Effective Date. This Ordinance was introduced for first reading on May 27, 2025, and passed on June 23, 2025, and shall take effect thirty (30) days after final passage.
(b) Publication. In accordance with Section 25124 of the Government Code, this Ordinance shall be published once, with the names of the members of the Board voting for and against it in a newspaper of general circulation in the District within fifteen (15) days after its adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Governing Board of the MONTECITO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT on this 23rd day of June, 2025, by the following vote:
AYES: S. Dougherty, M. Lee, P. van Duinwyk, S. Easton
NAYS: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: J. Pennino
ATTEST:
/s/ Sylvia Easton Sylvia Easton, Secretary
/s/ Peter van Duinwyk Peter van Duinwyk, President MONTECITO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) ) ss. COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA )
I, Sylvia Easton, Secretary of the Governing Board of the Montecito Fire Protection District, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the above and foregoing is a full, true and correct copy of Ordinance No. 2025-01 of said District, adopted at a regular meeting of the Governing Board, held on the 23rd day of June 2025, at which meeting a quorum of the Governing Board was present and acting throughout, and that the same has not been amended or repealed.
DATED: This 23rd day of June, 2025 /s/ Sylvia Easton Sylvia Easton, Secretary MONTECITO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
PUBLIC NOTICE
Montecito Fire Protection District in the Matter of the Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 Health and Safety Code Section 13893
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the preliminary budget of the Montecito Fire Protection District for fiscal year 2025-26 was adopted by the Board of Directors of said District on June 23, 2025, and is available for inspection Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Montecito Fire Protection District, 595 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara, California and on the District’s website.
NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that on September 22, 2025 at 2:00 p.m., the Board of Directors will meet at the Montecito Fire Protection District, 595 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara, California, for the purpose of adopting the District's final budget at which time and place any person may appear and be heard regarding any item in the budget or regarding the addition of other items.
This Notice shall be published in accordance with California Health & Safety Code Section 13893.
By order of the Board of Directors of the Montecito Fire Protection District, State of California, this 23rd day of June, 2025.
Published June 26th and July 3rd, 2025 Montecito Journal
by Steven Libowitz
Daily commuters between Lompoc and Santa Barbara may not feel this way, but the drive along the coast on the CA101 west of Goleta, and then through the rural areas heading toward Lompoc, can be meditative on its own. Even better, Sunburst Sanctuary shows up several miles outside of Lompoc, and tensions seem to fade just by pulling into the grounds with its wide-open spaces and shimmering hills.
Sunburst has scheduled some special events for two successive Saturdays in July, starting with a Mindful Mixed Media gathering as part of the sanctuary’s Art Series. The one day “mini retreat” from 10 am to 4 pm on July 12 offers an opportunity to connect with your creative spirit surrounded by a supportive community, guided into the art process by creativity coach Kathy Leader . The event, a taste of Leader’s ongoing The Art Process workshops, is suitable for all level of artists, from first-time dabblers to experienced creatives seeking inspiration. The warm, welcoming, and peaceful atmosphere of Sunburst’s meditation and wildlife sanctuary itself supports letting go of all that confines us to find the spark inside.
Participants will be invited into accessing the creative voice through guided nature connection meditations and journaling, leading into contemplative guided mixed media and collage art projects – a process most find deeply nourishing, inspiring, and healing. No experience necessary, just a desire to bring your whole self to a like-minded community. The $125 fee includes materials and a vegetarian lunch. Registration deadline is July 8. More info at www.theart-process.com.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Montecito Medium; The Montecito Medium, 1187 Coast Village Road, 703, Montecito, CA 93108. Regina D Tomlinson, LLC, 1187 Coast Village Road 703, Montecito, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on June 25, 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. 20250001506. Published July 3, 10, 17, 24, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: King Frederik Motel, LLC, 1617 Copenhagen Dr, Solvang, CA 93463. King Frederik Motel, LLC, 1617
The following Saturday, July 19, is Family Fun Day at the ranch at Sunburst, where the whole clan can immerse in nature; reconnect with family, friends, and loved ones; and engage in a wide array of activities. Among the offerings in the 9 am to 7 pm event are interactive gardening experiences for the whole family, encounters with horses as well as hayrides, a picturesque family hike, creating a wishing tree, a themed scavenger hunt and crystal sound bath designed for all ages, and a labyrinth walk for the adults. Dinner, snacks, beverages, and all activities are included for a donation of $55 per person ($40 for ages 3-4, ages 0-2 free), but bring your own lunch. Secure your spot by July 11.
Sunburst’s Art Series continues 1-4 pm on Sunday, July 27, with a Native American Flute Workshop with Al King, Sunburst’s in-house musician and an active member of the community since 1973. The introductory class will guide newbies into the experience of expressing themselves through the instrument, which many have shared has had a huge impact, and most people find that they can easily play it. Participants can bring their own flute or preorder from Sunburst the Butch Hall ‘A minor’ flute, constructed from top quality aromatic Eastern Red cedar, walnut, and cherry woods using the one-piece drilled construction method. Fee is $55. Register by July 23.
For a deeper dive at Sunburst – and an eye on the sky – the first weekend
Copenhagen Dr, Solvang, CA 93463. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on June 9, 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. 2025-0001380. Published June 26, July 3, 10, 17, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Santa Barbara Financial Services; SB Financial Services; Montecito Financial Services, 432 W Valerio St, APT 4, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. PattersonSB, LLC., 432 W Valerio St, APT 4, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on June 10, 2025. This statement expires
in August brings another Relax Renew
Recharge experience at the sanctuary, this one timed for the Perseid meteor showers. Days filled with yoga and guided meditation, guided or self-led hikes through the expansive trails and grounds, and nourishing vegetarian meals lead into evenings gathered together under the stars to watch the Perseid meteor shower in the incredibly dark surroundings at Sunburst. There’s also a healing sound bath in the Redwood Grove. All activities, accommodations, and meals are included for a sliding scale suggested donation of $265-$365. Registration deadline is July 23 for the August 1-3 event.
Call (805) 736-6528 or visit https://sunburst.org
Closer to home, Sol Seek Santa Barbara, the yoga studio located across the street from City Hall and De la Guerra Plaza, hosts a couple of special events this month. Embodied Bliss: The Soma Journey, led by 25-year Santa Barbara resident Shannon Stone, is designed to help participants move
deeper into their bodies in search of soma – joy, contentment, and happiness. Unlike typical somatic movement practices, this 75-minute event is a meditation-focused experience centered on cultivating the attitude of bliss while maintaining grounding in authentic emotional processing. The Embodied Bliss experience is composed of binaural beats, mantra, guided meditation, and visualization as well as sound immersion. The 4:30 pm gathering on Sunday, July 13, costs $45.
Natalie Sampila , a certified yoga teacher for 20 years with 1,500 hours of additional training in a wide variety of modalities, leads Sunday Meds at 6 pm on Sunday, July 27. The soulful gathering to breathe, share, and reset in community begins with an optional group check-in to share anything arising in the present moment. Based on what arises, Sampila will then lead a guided meditation and gentle Pranayama (breath work) practice to soothe the nervous system and lift the spirit. Sunday soul medicine is meant to help you feel seen, grounded, and ready for the week ahead. Fee: $30. Visit www.solseekyoga.com
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. 2025-0001389. Published June 19, 26, July 3, 10, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: Santa Barbara Creative Education, 632 East Ortega Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Avery J Almendarez Artigo, 6647 El Colegio Rd, Goleta, CA 93117. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on June 10, 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. 20250001392. Published June 19, 26, July 3, 10, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Capricorn Counseling Institute, 735 State St, STE 223, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Capricorn Counseling & Training Institute, INC, 1187 Coast Village Road STE 1-260, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on June 6, 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. 2025-0001359. Published June 12, 19, 26, July 3, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV01729. To all interested parties: Petitioner Rey John S. Lingco and Gelen D. Rosario filed a petition with
Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name of their child from Jeremiah Gabriel Dantay Rosario to Jeremiah Gabriel Rosario Lingco. 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 June 20, 2025 by Terri Chavez. Hearing date: August 6, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 3, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published July 3, 10, 17, 24, 2025
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ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV03093. To all interested parties: Petitioner Amber Leah Reinke filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Amber Reinke Richardson. The Court
MAW Masterclass debuts: Violinist Erin Keefe , Concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra and winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant (1 pm; Lehrer Hall; $10), and Harold Hall Robinson, former Principal Bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra, who is among those stepping in for now for beloved bassist Nico Abondolo, whose 35-year tenure at MAW came to a close last summer (1 pm; Weinman Hall; $10).
Tonight, it’s the annual PercussionFest, amped up and relocated to the Granada for an especially spicy program that includes a chance to get a head (literally) start with two of the percussion-only movements from Mosher Guest Artist Andy Akiho ’s Sculptures symphony played on Untitled, Head , the monumental sculpture created by renowned artist Jun Kaneko . See last week’s column for my interview with composer-steel
pan player Akiho, and come early for a pre-concert talk with teaching artist Michael Werner and composer Stewart Copeland (of The Police) whose work “The Bells” will have its West Coast premiere. (7:30 pm; $10-$125).
Saturday, July 5: The full Academy Festival Orchestra gives it a go on Sculptures with movements that show off the remarkable array of tones emanating from the sculpture itself, transforming the visual marvel into an instrument, while Akiho joins the fellows for the orchestral movements. The concert continues with Strauss’ “Also sprach Zarathustra,” the cosmic opus made famous by the film 2001: A Space Odyssey David Danzmayr, the Music Director of the Oregon Symphony, who conducted only the second of only two previous performances of Sculptures, wields the baton for the fellows. The pre-concert talk features Akiho and artists Jun and Ree Kaneko . (7:30 pm; Granada; $10-$125).
Tuesday, July 8: Can you handle more banging, scraping, tingling, etc., after the weekend’s percussion performances? Werner’s Masterclass with the five fellows post-Akiho hits Hahn Hall at 3:30 pm ($10).
Wednesday, July 9: The several-year-old Salon Series originally featured solely the fellows in chamber music performances that took the place of the Picnic Concerts, moved to the more intimate setting of Weinman Hall and preceded by sipping glasses of wine. Now they’ve relocated to Lehmann Hall and some of the four performances include teaching artists, just as fellows, with today’s program actually alternating between the two. Eight fellow violinists team up for Andrew Norman’s “Gran Turismo;” faculty pair up for Hindemith’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 11, No. 1;” three fellows feature on Dvořák’s “‘Dumky’ Piano Trio;” and two more faculty take on Schumann’s “Märchenbilder for Viola and Piano, Op. 113.” (7:30 pm; $25-55).
female and male – and there was also a hat contest for the millinery mavens. Between games guests dined on a barbecued lunch of chicken, tri-tip, and sweet corn accompanied by Happy Canyon wines.
The event was as hot as the temperatures with the thermometer well into the 90s....
Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, which is marking its 25th anniversary, rocked the harbor when the Los Angeles based sextet Yachty by Nature performed for 120 guests, raising $20,000 for the organization.
Featuring music from the ‘70s and ‘80s including Hall & Oates, Boz
Scaggs, and Steely Dan, everybody was soon cutting a rug on the dance floor on the museum’s lower level, including executive director Greg Gorga and my trusty shutterbug Priscilla
A night to remember… putting the naughty into nautical...
Prince Harry says wife Meghan Markle was “the most trolled person in the world” during a surprise appearance at a New York conference.
The Duke of Sussex was speaking at the Nexus Global Summit in the Big Apple in front of 350 next-generation philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, artist, and impact leaders, according to
the Archewell Foundation’s website.
Speaking during an interview at the event with Rachel Gerrol, founder and CEO of NEXUS Global, the Riven Rock
resident spoke about the thinking behind the setting up of their foundation. He explained that they wanted to help address an issue by tackling the root cause of it, and came across the online world and digital space.
“It wasn’t something that was sexy; it wasn’t something that we were necessarily passionate about, but it became very clear to us very quickly, speaking to a lot of experts, that for all the work we are collectively doing, and all the progress we are achieving – if the digital world is not done responsibly, it’s going to turn back that progress. And we can see that with climate change.”
Harry added: “We started to meet a lot of parents who had lost their kids to social media – the majority through suicide – and that’s when it really started to make sense to us. One of the reasons why the digital world was important to us is because my wife in 2018, was the most trolled person in the world. There
was a lived experience, but at no point did we suddenly think, ‘Okay well, let’s take the industry on.’”
Supporters of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum turned out in droves when Jeanne Buchanan, membership director for more than two decades, marked her retirement.
The Minnesota native, who is moving to Milwaukee to join her four sisters in August, was presented with a signed photo of our Eden by the Beach as a memory for her time here.
Among the crowd turning out to mark the occasion were George Leis, Jeremy Lindaman, Fritz and Gretchen Olenberger , Silvana Kelly , Luke Swetland , Hilary Burkemper , and Dacia Harwood I wish her well....
Meghan Markle appears to be using a retailer linked to Netflix to produce her As Ever herbal tea, which she is selling for three times more than its production cost, according to the tabloid, London’s Daily Mail. The Riven Rock-based Duchess of Sussex’s hibiscus, lemon, ginger, and peppermint tea is produced by a company, The Republic of Tea, headquartered in Larkspur, California, with a factory in Nashville, Illinois.
Following a rigorous national search, Meghan Bush has been appointed the Miller McCune Executive Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures effective immediately.
Bush brings two decades of dedicated service to A&L and a proven record of creative leadership, operational excellence, and deep commitment to the role of arts in public life.
In accepting the new role, Bush said she is honored to succeed her mentor, Celesta Billeci. Having worked closely with Celesta, the Arts & Lectures Council, and the dedicated team for many years, she looks forward to building on the shared legacy.
Bush served as Associate Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures, where she oversaw marketing and communications, education and community engagement, and finance and operations.
She is a UC Berkeley graduate with a background in English and performance studies.
Ashleigh Brilliant enjoying lemonade in his backyard… Oprah Winfrey and Orlando Bloom, sans singer Katy Perry, in Venice for the $20 million nuptials of Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and longtime girlfriend Lauren Sanchez... Montecito’s Josh Brolin in L.A. shooting his latest movie Weapons... Former TV newswoman Maria Shriver at Pierre Lafond. Pip! Pip!
by Steven Libowitz
THURSDAY, JULY 3-THURSDAY, JULY 10
LaunchPad Coming in for a Landing – LaunchPad’s Summer Reading Series, a truncated version of its academic year’s play development program, still has two more one-shot staged readings taking place this week. Professional playwrights join the UCSB community as artists-in-residence, as the authors collaborate with Launch Pad’s Artistic Director Risa Brainin and a team of undergraduate students to shape and present an unproduced play. The program provides a place for both the professionals and students to participate in the creative process in real time, with the youth exploring acting, stage management, and dramaturgy as well as lighting, costume, and sound and scenic design, and even offering ideas to the playwright as the script evolves. Each fastpaced four-day workshop culminates in a public staged reading at the end of each week. Standing Still (July 3), by Melinda Lopez – a multiple award winner whose Power Trio was featured in the 2023 Summer Series – features ordinary women just trying to get centered during times of social unrest, when they have to decide what “living your truth” actually means. Closing out the series is a new piece by Louis Bayard, whose novel The Pale Blue Eye was adapted into a global No. 1 Netflix hit. Bayard is now theatrically reconfiguring his own The Wildes (July 10), which was chosen as one of the year’s top 10 historical novels by The New York Times, into a tragicomedy about Oscar Wilde and the family that most people don’t even know he had, and who were all swept up in the same scandal that enveloped him and forced him into exile. Q&A with the artists immediately follows each reading.
WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: UCSB Studio Theater, 552 University Rd. (Building TD East 1101)
COST: free
INFO: (805) 893-2064 or www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu
THURSDAY, JULY 3
Concerts in the Park – July is here, which heralds the arrival of the popular city-sponsored series that brings pop and other bands to the lush setting of the Great Meadow in Chase Palm Park just across the street from East Beach. The free, family-friendly summer tradition is marking its 25th year since its inception in 2000, although the series has shortened both each evening’s
Don’t Wait to See ‘Waitress’ – The Sara Bareilles musical, adapted from a small-budget 2007 film that proved even more popular than the movie, was a smash on Broadway for four years, as people flocked to see the “deliciously empowering” tale of Jenna, a server and talented pie-maker stuck in a small town and an abusive marriage who dreams of much more on both fronts. Waitress is launching four months of shows under the stars with PCPA theatrical conservatory’s Santa Ynez Valley summer season at the charming Solvang Festival Theater, the recently-renovated open-air amphitheater in the heart of the Danish village’s downtown. PCPA mainstay Kitty Balay directs the show that features songs by Grammy-winning pop singer-songwriter Bareilles, starring Molly Dobbs as Jenna, which ends its run this weekend.
WHEN: Through July 6
WHERE: Solvang Festival Theater, 420 2nd Street, Solvang
COST: $25- $72
INFO: (805) 922-8313 or www.pcpa.org
THROUGH SUNDAY, JULY 6
‘Quake Exhibit Goes Boom – With Quakefest and the bulk of other events marking the 100th anniversary of the 1925 earthquake – which shattered much of downtown and environs and forever changed the city’s architectural look – in the rear-view mirror, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum is also shuttering its exhibit 1925! Santa Barbara Remembers the Earthquake. The show features historic images from the museum’s Gledhill Library as well as related earthquake artifacts and memorabilia from the day the 6.3 shaker collapsed the twin towers of Mission Santa Barbara and destroyed or badly damaged many commercial buildings, while a failed dam in the foothills released 45 million gallons of water in the area. The picture of men standing in the exposed spaces of six guest rooms at the Hotel California is worth the (free) price of admission alone.
WHEN: Through Sunday, July 6
WHERE: Santa Barbara Historical Museum, 136 East De la Guerra Street
COST: free
INFO: (805) 966-1601 or www.sbhistorical.org
performance to a single set and the run with just four gigs in 2025. Depending on your taste and preference, tonight’s opening show might be the best of the quartet, as The Molly Ringwald Project, one of the area’s most popular party bands, offer their ‘80s-centric hits extravaganza that should have people dancing although the sun won’t set for another half hour after they’re done. ‘Fifties and ‘60s cover band Captain Cardiac and The Coronaries returns for their annual gig on July 10, with The Academy, the professional cover band of Detar Music Studios teachers and students whose high energy music spans the genre, due on July 17. Concerts in the Park comes to a close on July 24 with Soul Majestic, Santa Barbara’s 25-year veteran mostly reggae-fied and often acoustic band who have six albums to their credit. As always, concertgoers are invited to bring blankets, chairs, and picnics (but no alcohol) to enjoy the evening of free music amid sea breezes under the late afternoon sun.
WHEN: 6-7:30 pm
WHERE: Chase Palm Park, 300 W. Cabrillo Blvd.
COST: free
INFO: (805) 564-5418 or https://tinyurl.com/SBConcertsPark
SATURDAY, JULY 5
Going to the Dogs – Acoustic soul/rock/reggae singer-songwriter-guitarist David Segall has a new band called De La Vida, who will together headline a benefit event at artisan Argentinian empanadas restaurant and nightclub Buena Onda. Dubbed the Born 2B Free Fest, the concert and dance party opens with Bossa Nova duo Dom & Miles playing a jazzy dinner set, and Segall’s ensemble will be followed by Baldemar Guerrero, also known as DJ Turtle, the Santa Barbara-based DJ familiar to the ecstatic dance community who blends earthy beats, Pachamama rhythms, folktronica, and cosmic soundscapes to create a heart-centered journey on the dance floor. Proceeds are earmarked for Le Woof Rescue, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to rescuing dogs and other animals and placing them in well-matched forever homes.
WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: Buena Onda, 724 E. Haley St.
COST: $10-$15
INFO: (805) 679-3320 or www.buenaondasb.com/calendar
SUNDAY, JULY 6
Tony’s Tony Jazz Gig – With his regular weekly jazz gig at the Blue Owl on hiatus, versatile veteran Santa Barbara guitarist Tony Ybarra has booked a
THURSDAY, JULY 3
1st Thursday – Amazon’s downtown Siri-centric center (1001 State) enters the art scene with an exhibit of new works by Danielle Renee Methmann, featuring paintings made with recycled acrylic paint on canvas, and wine-infused pigments on paper… Large format paintings inspired by the rugged landscapes of the Gaviota Coast are depicted via expressionist works by painter and poet Jessika Cardinahl at domecíl (1223 State).... Lotusland looms large just a block apart in downtown galleries, as Sullivan Goss (11 E. Anapamu) hosts the opening of Jardin de Rêves, an artistic collaboration by nearly two dozen local artists with the exotic Montecito garden, while Colette Cosentino (11 W. Anapamu) hosts a summer soirée with a sneak peek of a 15’x8’ foot maximalist work on canvas that will be auctioned at Lotusland’s upcoming gala… On the entertainment front, SBIFF’s monthly Santa Barbara Filmmaker Series features five short films that were made by 30 teenagers at last month’s SBIFF Film Camp, each about five minutes long. The campers will be at the screenings to present their short movies at 5:30 pm, 6:15 pm, and 7 pm… Brass is the gas for outdoor ensembles, including the Slideways Trombone Quartet, a subset of the 20-plus member SBCC Trombone Choir, who will play popular works and jazz standards, sharing State Street’s 800 block with the Bottom Lane Brass Tuba Quartet, who conjure up deep-timbred arrangements of polkas, waltzes, marches, and drinking songs – the latter set a favorite at their frequent gigs at taverns and bars across town.
WHEN: 5-8 pm
WHERE: Lower State Street and side streets
COST: free
INFO: (805) 962-2098 or www.downtownsb.org/events/1st-thursday
Sunday afternoon of jazz at SOhO featuring a number of up-and-coming jazz instrumentalists and vocalists backed by his all-star jazz trio. The music for a summer afternoon takes place away from the main stage in the back bar room, for a more intimate experience with the sultry and swingy music and the chance to enjoy lunch at the much-loved restaurant and music club.
WHEN: 1 pm
WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State St., upstairs in Victoria Court COST: $15
•Four new courts •Instructors •Monthly instructional clinics at the Montecito Family YMCA
INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com MONTECITO FAMILY YMCA
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9
Chaucer’s Choice – Sandra Resnik, a third-generation resident of Santa Barbara who writes under the pen name Sandy Pearl, has traveled the world via modes of transportation ranging from backpacking to flying on private jets. Resnik started her career in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles fetching coffee and answering phones, then worked her way up to doing publicity for Atlantic Records and jobs in the industry that culminated in years of producing national television commercials. Her just-published autobiography, Then the Phone Rang: My Journey from Hitchhiking Hippie to the Hollywood High Life, reveals her experiences in prose that blends lighthearted anecdotes, dark drama, tales of misadventure, and entertaining and humorous vignettes – including survived kidnapping, detainment, two near-death experiences and being targeted by a stalker. Now enjoying a quieter life back in her hometown, Resnik/Pearl will conduct a talk and book signing 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
• ciymca.org/montecito
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