Ocean Protectors 18-25 March 2021 Vol 27 Issue 12
SERVING MONTECITO AND SUMMERLAND
From capping oil wells to providing doggy bags, Heal the Ocean tackles local issues big and small, page 19
STIRRING THE POT IN SANTA BARBARA NICK SCHOU TALKS WITH SUBJECT OF CANNABIS LICENSING INVESTIGATION AND OTHER PLAYERS IN NEW CANNABIS INQUIRY (STORY BEGINS ON PAGE 6)
In the News
Historic $18 million deal made after Save San Marcos Foothills’ activists object to Chadmar Group’s housing development, page 30
Montecito on the Move
Senate Bills 9 and 10 would allow lot splits, duplexes, and multiple units in single-family zones, page 8
Keeping History Alive
Montecito Association History Committee Chair Trish Davis has been intricately involved in the community for decades, page 28
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MONTECITO JOURNAL
18 – 25 March 2021
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18 – 25 March 2021
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
3
Inside This Issue
San Ysidro Pharmacy
5 Editor’s Letter
The only way to emerge into a post post-truth era is to legitimately corroborate allegations and aspersions
6 On the Record
UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP Compounding Pharmacy Vitamins and Supplements Cosmetics and fine Gifts
Nick Schou sits down with Anthony Wagner, the subject of a recent Los Angeles Magazine piece that raised allegations of corruption in the city’s dispensary licensing process
8 Montecito on the Move
Sharon Byrne and the Montecito Association urge California legislators to stand with their community when it concerns Senate Bill 9
10 Letters to the Editor
A collection of communications from readers Renée O’Neill, Michael Edwards, Matt McLaughlin, Nancye Andriesse, Dinah Calderon, Kim Stanley, Sharon McIntosh, and Tracey Willfong
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Tide Chart 11 Community Voices
When President Biden signed the COVID relief bill into law, he and our leaders in Congress gave a life-changing boost to our county’s children
12 Village Beat
Santa Barbara enters less restrictive Red Tier; a roundup of local school reopening news
14 The Bloom’n Times
Landscape designer Alida Aldrich imparts advice on what to plant, how to attract the birds and bees and why it’s crucial to fire-proof your garden now
16 Nosh Town
The Tavern at Zaca Creek in Santa Ynez Valley welcomes new executive chef, Cullen Campbell
18 Montecito Miscellany
Montecito’s newest celebrity residents, GoFundMe set up for Harry and Meghan, Richard’s media frenzy, and much more
19 The Giving List
Heal the Ocean has leveraged modest sums to fund research, gather data, and then reach influential people and governmental agencies to effect massive accomplishments, often through legislative efforts
20 Seen Around Town
Thomas Reynolds Gallery opens on State Street and Transition House fundraiser goes virtual
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23 Brilliant Thoughts
It often takes time to write less and say more, ponders Ashleigh Brilliant
26 Perspectives by Rinaldo S. Brutoco
Have Vaccine Passport, Will... The liberating idea that will get us back out there
The Daily Optimist
School for female shepherds aims to revive Spain’s rural villages
27 Body Wise
Ann Brode details how to use expressive writing to ease the boredom of the pandemic and to uncover new solutions to nagging personal problems
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28 Senior Portrait
Trish Davis has been volunteering and stepping forward in her communities since she was 14 years old
30 Local News
When Save San Marcos Foothills’ activists gathered to object to the Chadmar Group’s luxury housing development, few expected the two sides to make a 90-day, $18 million deal
32 On Entertainment
Gilles Apap appears with SB Symphony as part of virtual concert series; CAMA Women’s Board previews LA Phil’s new season; and more
36 On Science
Tom Farr continues his space exploration with asteroids, comets, and more
40 Dear Montecito
Anika Wilson was recruited by Pepperdine University to join their Division 1 beach volleyball team
41 Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles 42 Our Town
The incomparable Sharon Hendrix has shared her voice and talent with the world, while the lockdown has opened her mind
46 Classified Advertising
Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales
47 Local Business Directory
Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer
“Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring?” – Neltje Blanchan
18 – 25 March 2021
Editor’s Letter by Gwyn Lurie CEO and Executive Editor of the Montecito Journal Media Group
Post Post-Truth
I
f we’ve learned anything from the “post-truth” era in which we find ourselves, it’s that substantiated facts are critical to productive public discourse. Allegations and aspersions must be legitimately corroborated. This is the only way to emerge into what will hopefully become a post post-truth era. Across our nation there remain countless fires still smoldering from the posttruth era including some still questioning the Georgia vote and even the legitimacy of Biden’s election; and then there’s the curious case of Andrew Cuomo. Should New Yorkers give their governor the boot or give him another Emmy? How about we find out the facts and then decide. Speaking of which, you may have heard about the hot-off-the-presses story in Los Angeles Magazine titled, “In Sleepy Santa Barbara, a City Hall Insider is Raising Eyebrows.” While I hardly think of Santa Barbara as “sleepy,” the piece tells a colorful story that packs a punch, raising critical questions about the efficacy of our local cannabis licensing process as well as casting aspersions on Santa Barbara’s mayor, its former police chief, its city manager and, in the leading role, Anthony Wagner, a man cherry picked from San Diego by Santa Barbara’s former police chief, to serve as her deputy, despite not having relevant law-enforcement credentials. The story, involving serious allegations of shady dealings and corruption by local city officials, as well as some questionable City ordinances around the processing of cannabis dispensary licenses that potentially paved the road for malfeasance, is a familiar one. Literally.
Hopefully the independent investigation commissioned by Police Chief Barney Melekian in the wake of the L.A. Magazine story will clear the air, and the stench, that commercial cannabis has brought to our foothills, shores, and unfortunately to some of our local politicians.
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The story was brought to the Montecito Journal eight months ago by one of our freelance reporters, who was living abroad. In trying to get to the bottom of it, the Journal pursued journalistic due diligence by requesting public documents through the Freedom of Information Act and through additional reporting that included an interview by MJ writer Nick Schou with David McFarland, the owner of Santa Barbara Care Center, a medical cannabis dispensary in Goleta. Ultimately, we ceased working on this story for a multitude of reasons including differing views on the standards that must be met in the reporting of such a story, and the need for documentation on many of the allegations as well as interviews with and responses from those who were being investigated. Last week, the story ran in Los Angeles Magazine in much the same form we left it when we concluded that its unvetted content would not meet our standards. That doesn’t mean we are done reporting on our local cannabis industry. As with the addition of regulations to any previously unregulated industry, the legalization of cannabis and local government’s involvement in permit issuance opens the door to possible conflicts of interest and the potential for corruption… which is likely why in California it is rare for a city to run its own marijuana-growers and dispensary approval process – which Santa Barbara in fact did. We will continue to diligently report on this story and these issues and share our findings with our readers while doing our best to objectively pursue the truth through the presentation of facts, verification, and transparency. If we’ve learned anything from our internet oligarchs and the federal government’s late effort to impose on them some regulation, it’s that it is hard to impose rules on something after it has already grown out of control. The same will be true of the cannabis industry and its rapacious invasion of Santa Barbara County, which may or may not be on a path to be the West Coast’s answer to Jamaica. And we all know how quickly marijuana grows. Hopefully the independent investigation commissioned by Police Chief Barney Melekian in the wake of the L.A. Magazine story will clear the air, and the stench, that commercial cannabis has brought to our foothills, shores, and unfortunately to some of our local politicians. In the meantime, please read Nick Schou’s reporting (beginning on page 6) on the fallout from that story, which is, in part, a result of previous reporting done by Nick Schou. •MJ 18 – 25 March 2021
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
5
On the Record
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by Nicholas Schou
Nicholas Schou is an award-winning investigative journalist and author of several books, including Orange Sunshine and Kill the Messenger. If you have tips or stories about Montecito, please email him at newseditor@montecitojournal.net
Santa Barbara Launches Probe in Wake of Corruption Allegations
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MONTECITO JOURNAL
n Monday, March 16, Santa Barbara Interim Police Chief Barney Melekian issued a statement responding to a March 12 Los Angeles Magazine article that raised allegations of corruption and undue influence involving Anthony Wagner, the department’s public information officer, who previously helped run the city’s cannabis dispensary licensing process. Melekian’s announcement stated that he was placing Wagner on administrative leave pending the outcome of his probe. Although Melekian didn’t name names, he later confirmed to the Journal that the department is taking a closer look at Wagner’s prior relationship with two individuals, including Adam Knopf, owner of the San Diego-based Golden State Greens dispensary, and Micah Anderson, a well-known cannabis industry player in the city. Knopf also served with Wagner as a San Diego planning commissioner. In the summer of 2018, Knopf received a license to operate a cannabis dispensary in Santa Barbara, a process that Wagner helped oversee for the city. “Most of these allegations have been previously investigated, either within the police department or by the city attorney’s office,” Melekian stated. “In addition, the city prevailed in a federal lawsuit by one of the unsuccessful cannabis permit applicants, which was dismissed in December 2019.” Melekian noted that the recent magazine article “makes new allegations concerning the nature of Mr. Wagner’s role in the process of the awarding cannabis licenses that support further investigation. To that end, the department will be retaining an outside firm to conduct that investigation for the Police Department.” With several contenders currently challenging incumbent Cathy Murillo to become Santa Barbara’s next mayor, the L.A. Magazine article, written by former Montecito Journal writer Mitchell Kriegman, dropped like a time bomb into the midst of a preheated political season. Murillo did not respond to a Journal interview request, but even before Melekian announced his probe and placed Wagner on leave, mayoral candidate James Joyce, one of three of Murillo’s rivals in the race, released a statement calling for an outside inves-
“Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer.” – Anita Krizzan
tigation. “It absolutely pleases me that they took swift action to do a third-party investigation,” Joyce told the Journal shortly after Melekian’s Monday announcement. “The issue is transparency,” he added. “Who is this third party? Is that an open selection process or one done behind closed doors?” Joyce previously worked with Melekian when the latter was with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, and Joyce was an aide to First District Supervisor Das Williams. “He always came across as a straight-up guy and doesn’t just stick to talking points,” Joyce said. “I’m sure he’s steering this into the right direction.” The key question that has to be answered, argued Joyce, is why Knopf was able to win a dispensary license despite his past ties to Wagner, and how he was then able to sell a major stake in his cannabis business to a third party without any apparent public scrutiny. “When we ask our youth to complete a test, the teacher says show your work,” Joyce argued. “What we have here is the result of a test without the work being showed. That’s why I would lean more closely on a third party approach as opposed to an internal investigation. It helps build confidence within the community.”
The Big Story
“In Sleepy Santa Barbara, a City Hall Insider is Raising Eyebrows.” That’s the suitably murky, noirish headline for the aforementioned L.A. Magazine story, which stretches several thousands of words and involves a sprawling cast of characters, including Wagner, recently retired Police Chief Lori Luhnow, City Administrator Paul Casey, and Mayor Cathy Murillo. Full disclosure: Last year, when Kriegman was working on this story for the Journal, I assisted him by conducting interviews and filing public records act requests before, for various reasons, Kriegman decided to shop the story elsewhere. (See Gwyn Lurie’s editorial on page 5 in this issue.) Aside from Melekian’s internal investigation of Wagner’s relationship to Knopf and Anderson, Santa Barbara
On The Record Page 354 354 18 – 25 March 2021
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18 – 25 March 2021
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
7
Montecito on the Move by Sharon Byrne, Executive Director, Montecito Association
FEELING LUCKY?
Attention California Legislators: Stand with Your Community! This is a massive developer giveaway, will cause real estate speculation, and will not increase affordable housing. Senator Atkins’ wife has an affordable housing and economic development consulting business that has quadrupled, according to the L.A. Times. Scott Wiener’s 2016 campaign received more than $500,000 from Big Real Estate contributions. His housing bills are perceived as gifts to these contributors.
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– Wiener’s SB 827 (2018) allowed fourto eight-story buildings for housing in transit-rich corridors. – SB 50 (2019 and again in 2020) allowed five-story buildings in jobsrich areas. Our then state Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson helped kill it, calling it a “one-size-fits-all approach to a really complicated problem.”
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Some of you were with us in the electronic hearing in the Assembly the last day of the 2020 session to help fight off Senator Toni Atkins’ SB 1120 in 2020. That bill allowed lot splits, duplexes, and multiple units in single-family residential zones. Why is the state so determined to override local controls to build housing? Senator Hertzberg said, “The premise is that mayors and city councilmembers of some of our 482 cities in the state of California are standing in the way of home-building at the behest of single-family homeowners.” The best way to spur housing creation, then, is to eliminate pesky local land use controls and zoning laws. The former director of the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development, Ben Metcalf, opened a consulting firm with a provocative paper suggesting that cities view the housing crisis as a civil rights issue. He applauds efforts
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here are two particularly bad bills wending through the legislature, proposed by Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins (Senate District 39, San Diego) and Scott Wiener (Senate District 11, San Francisco). They are determined to fulfill Governor Newsom’s pledge to build 3.5 million units of housing in California. Prior attempts that have failed to date:
MONTECITO JOURNAL
“Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.” – John Harrigan
to “build out the power of the state” to overrule local land-use authority. Eliminating single-family residential zones is gaining vogue status. Minneapolis banned it in 2019, up-zoning (the new term for increasing density) all single-family residential lots to allow duplexes and triplexes. Berkeley calls single-family residential zones historically racist. Oregon passed a bill that requires cities to allow up to fourplexes in single-family residential areas. California does not intend to be late to the party, so enter the latest couple of bills to destroy single-family residential zoning in our state: Senate Bills 9 and 10. To understand the impact of these bills on your neighborhood, ask yourself this: How would I feel if my neighbor put up eight units of housing next door, with no approvals required, and no parking requirements? Senate Bill 9 allows this with lot splits and duplexes where the original home once stood, on each lot. ADUs and JR ADUs would still be allowed in this scenario. Thus, where a single-family residential home once stood, eight units can be built, with four-foot setbacks. The bill requires strictly ministerial approvals, the same as with ADUs today. How would I feel if my neighbor put up a 10-unit apartment building next to me? Senate Bill 10 allows for that on any lot in an area that is “high opportunity” – lots that are either jobs-rich or would enable shorter commute distances. A lot of folks commute through this region to get to jobs in other regions, like Venturans who work in Santa Barbara or Goletans
Montecito on the Move Page 344 18 – 25 March 2021
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• The Voice of the Village •
9
2/3/21 12:46 PM MONTECITO JOURNAL
Letters to the Editor
If you have something you think Montecito should know about, or wish to respond to something you read in the Journal, we want to hear from you. Please send all such correspondence to: Montecito Journal, Letters to the Editor, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite H, Montecito, CA. 93108. You can also FAX such mail to: (805) 969-6654, or E-mail to letters@montecitojournal.net
To Whom it May Concern,
I
am writing to strongly oppose the appointment of Santa Barbara County Supervisor Das Williams to the Coastal Commission. My personal experience with Supervisor William’s development and oversight of cannabis regulations, in SBC, has demonstrated to me and many others that he has failed to uphold the laws to ‘Protect Public Health, Safety, Welfare and the Environment.’ The Coastal Commission’s letter states: “The Commission is committed to protecting and enhancing California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations. It does so through careful planning and regulation of environmentally-sustainable development, rigorous use of science, strong public participation, education, and effective intergovernmental coordination.” Das William’s letter of qualification claims to “…have long been an advocate for pragmatic approaches to protecting our coast and ensuring genuine equitable access to the coast for all Californians.” Will he support or oppose the California Coastal Commission’s recommendations to discontinue motorized recreation on the Central Coast Oceano Dunes? For decades, visitors have been allowed to race their 4X4s, dirt bikes and monster trucks, abusing 1,500 acres of dunes and six miles of beachfront, which have put people and federally protected wildlife at great risk. Will he advocate for offshore oil drilling, too? It appears that making money, regardless of devastating impacts, is the only thing that many politicians genuinely care about. As a result of Das William’s number one proj-
ect objective to, “Develop a Robust Cannabis Industry,” he has put our communities, school children, environment, scenic lands, and legacy agriculture at great risk. He has created an ongoing crisis that has and will continue to negatively impact Santa Barbara County for years to come. I sincerely doubt he has any “…deep understanding and respect for the Coastal Act…” any more than he has demonstrated having a deep understanding and respect for Santa Barbara County. His oversight of cannabis has earned us the disgraceful reputation of being the ‘Cannabis Capital of the CA,’ boasting one of the largest cannabis sites in the World (emphasis added). This does not speak well of Das William’s intentions or his claims to respect anything. In June 2020, the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury filed a scathing report identifying numerous issues and providing detailed evidence in the analysis of what appears to have been a very corrupt and incompetent process in developing cannabis regulations in Santa Barbara County. The Grand Jury’s investigation and subsequent report examined the formation and passage of cannabis ordinances, which validated our extremely negative experiences with this failed process. These regulations resulted in devastating, real-world-consequences that we have been subjected to and forced to live with, in our various neighborhoods. In addition, there is an ongoing U.S. Attorney’s Investigation, under the Equal Protection Act, due to heavy concentration of cannabis in Das William’s district, surrounding
Carpinteria High School and their athletic fields, which have had a substantially, negative impact in this region. Das Williams has failed to protect Santa Barbara County, our beautifully unique lands and put our residents at great risk, I have no confidence in him “protecting and enhancing California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations.” Respectfully Submitted, Renée O’Neill
Coastal Commission Veto
I am writing to object to Das Williams’ seeking the nomination to the California Coastal Commission. We built our house in the Carpinteria foothills as I grew up in Santa Barbara and have always loved our rural unspoiled neighborhood. Das Williams has been a corrupt and self-serving politician. The Grand Jury report on his unethical deals with Cannabis growers makes this clear as does the ongoing U.S. Attorney Investigation into cannabis centering around the Carpinteria High School. Please do not give Das Williams any more control. He does not represent the interests of the people he was elected to represent. Thank you, Dinah Calderon
Ch, Ch, Changes
I have been acquainted with Mr. Steve Hoyt, former owner of San Ysidro Pharmacy, since the 1990s. A friend who had been Steve’s roommate in college introduced us and I have come to rely on Mr. Hoyt’s advice over the years since. Aside from dispensing the usual medications, he has created a topical compound, just for me, that soothes the aches and pains of my arthritic joints and has made various compounds for many in our Little Village, be they human, or animal. He always took time, when he
could, to answer questions about my issues and help formulate a positive approach to healing. When I saw that Steve is retiring, I felt good for him! Change is good. I hope that he enjoys his favorite pastimes and gets some well needed rest. And I also hope he will continue to reside in our Little Village. He has been of service to our community for such a long time, I can only hope he continues, in some way, to be a guiding light. Reading how he helped keep The Pharmacy from becoming a chain and get the new owner to be a local, without having his staff to find work elsewhere, shows just how much he cares. Thank you, Steve, for your service to Montecito! Michael Edwards
More on Meghan
Amazing insight into the lives of Harry and Meghan. But why wasn’t her baptism into the national church discussed? The BBC has it, ‘The Church of England, being the established church, had links to slavery through the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel missionary organisations, which had plantations in Barbados; while the Bishop of Exeter was a personal slave owner. Moreover, Anglicans involved in slavery often poured their ill-gotten gain into Church coffers. And in cities such as Bristol, the church bells pealed when Wilberforce’s anti-slave trade Bills were defeated in Parliament.’ It might have been beneficial to mention George III’s 17-year-old bride, Charlotte, who was of lineage from south of the Pyrenees. Matt McLaughlin
17 Million Viewers?
Does that count all the people who couldn’t stand it and turned it off? Just curious. Nancye Andriesse
Letters Page 304
Real Estate Appraiser
Montecito Tide Guide
Greg Brashears
Thurs, March 18 Fri, March 19 Sat, March 20 Sun, March 21 Mon, March 22 Tues, March 23 12:20 AM 3 Wed, March 24 1:14 AM 2.6 Thurs, March 25 1:55 AM 2 Fri, March 26 2:34 AM 1.4
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18 – 25 March 2021
Community Voices
By Laura Capps
If our county follows the national projections of this benefit, that means this year approximately 10,000 of Santa Barbara’s children will be given a lifeline out of poverty.
A Revolutionary Plan for Santa Barbara’s Children
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here’s a lot that has me optimistic these days: the declining case rates of COVID, millions of people getting vaccinated, kids safely returning to the classroom and a return to competency from the White House. One of many positive developments that will have massive ramifications is the inclusion of the child benefit in the COVID stimulus bill. As The New York Times described it, “the child benefit has the makings of a policy revolution.” As Biden would say, it’s a B.F.D. Poverty has such a grip on our society, yet it is a problem that is solvable. Our county has the 2nd highest rate of poverty in the state, and California has the highest rate of poverty in the nation. As others have said, poverty is a policy choice and we must choose differently. Tried and true solutions, like the Earned Income Tax Credit that give cash to low-income workers, have provided financial security for millions of people over decades. For years, progressive lawmakers like Congressmember Rosa DeLauro have championed another powerful anti-poverty tool: the child tax credit. And now – finally now – after President Biden signed this into law, it will soon become a reality. The Biden White House is proud to highlight projections that this benefit will cut child poverty nearly in half (45%) for all children. That is a sentence worth repeating. If child poverty is cut nearly in half, it will indeed be revolutionary. The impacts will be colossal for generations to come. Here’s how the child benefit will work. Based on an income threshold of $150,000 per year or less, most parents across the country (96%) will begin receiving a monthly check of up to $300 per child. The more children a family has, the more guaranteed monthly income. While the funds are intended to help with basic needs, such as food, housing, healthcare, transportation, and education, there are no restrictions as to how it can be spent. The plan represents a major policy departure from decades of bipartisan resistance, beginning with my former boss President Clinton, to cash “hand-outs” like so many other countries provide, with successful results. (Remarkably, Republican Senator Mitt Romney has a proposal for an even larger child benefit.) The concept is akin to social security, which had and continues to have game-changing positive effects on the lives of our country’s seniors. It’s about time we did the same for children and families. 18 – 25 March 2021
The Impact of Poverty One of many reasons for the broad support for this plan is the proliferation of science about the damaging impact that even a short time in poverty can have for decades on a person’s life. We now know even more about the longterm ramifications of what is termed Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s), the traumatic experiences that happen to a child. These early experiences, including poverty, abuse, divorce, and mental illness, have been scientifically linked to a variety of adult conditions beyond economic status, ranging from depression to heart diseases. Fortunately, we also know more about the tools that mitigate this trauma, including support at school, targeted programs, and policies such as financial assistance. It is exciting to think of what this will mean for Santa Barbara County, especially our children. The most recent available data shows that prior to COVID, our county had a poverty rate of about 20%, second only to Los Angeles County. According to kidsdata.org, we have about 100,000 children (17 and under) in this county, one out of five of whom live below the federal poverty line. Amongst children in our county public schools, 13 percent are homeless. COVID has only made these conditions worsen and the problem of poverty in Santa Barbara County all the more urgent. Yet here is the good news: if our county follows the national projections of this benefit, that means this year approximately 10,000 of Santa Barbara’s children will be given a lifeline out of poverty, impacting their future trajectory. In addition, tens of thousands of low- and medium-income children will have more financial resources to rely on for basic needs and fulfilling opportunities. The potential of what up to $300 a month per child can do is incredible: keeping food on the table, starting a college fund, paying down debt, buying needed clothing, hiring a tutor, or signing your child up for music lessons. I firmly believe that what is good for our children is what is good for our entire county. And the revolutionary potential of the child tax benefit will mean more stable home environments, more learning opportunities, better health, and stronger children – and a more thriving community. When President Biden signed the COVID relief bill into law, he and our leaders in Congress gave a life-changing boost to all our children and us all. •MJ
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Village Beat
by Kelly Mahan Herrick Kelly has been editor at large for the Journal since 2007, reporting on news in Montecito and beyond. She is also a licensed realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, and is a member of Montecito and Santa Barbara’s top real estate team, Calcagno & Hamilton.
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t a Board of Supervisors hearing on Tuesday, Santa Barbara County’s Public Health Director Van Do-Reynoso announced that the county, after meeting several decreasing COVID-19 case rate thresholds, would be entering the less restrictive Red Tier outlined in California’s pandemic blueprint. Do-Reynoso reported that COVID19 case rates have decreased 42% over the last two weeks, and hospitalization rates have decreased 34%; ICU rates also continue to decline. While the numbers have declined in the majority of the county’s communities, case rates continue to climb in the unincorporated area of Northern Santa Barbara County. “Despite this, the winter surge is now over,” Do-Reynoso said. “We definitely can celebrate experiencing these downward trends. But I want to stress: we have to stay vigilant collectively as a county so we can continue to see these decreases.” Do-Reynoso said that residents in all areas of the county should continue to wear masks, practice social distancing measures, and reduce gathering in groups. Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg added that if residents let their guards down, Santa Barbara could experience what is happening in Europe: a third wave of virus surge and therefore another shutdown. “Even though we are able to open up more, we have to be very, very diligent to avoid what is happening in Europe. We need to wear masks in public, and need to socially distance. It’s vital to preventing another surge,” he said. California remains under a travel advisory restricting travel further than 120 miles from home; those who choose to travel further are asked to self-quarantine for 10 days upon their return. Local businesses are eager to reopen within the Red Tier guidelines. The retail and shopping center sectors are permitted to reopen with 50% capacity – up from 25% – with reduced capacity for food courts. Restaurants, places of worship, movie theaters, museums, and zoos and aquariums are able to open indoors with 25% capacity. Gyms and fitness centers can also reopen indoors, with a limited 10% capacity. It is expected that later this week, the State will announce that live per-
“The beautiful spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” – Harriet Ann Jacobs
formances may resume as of April 1, with a max 20% capacity. Amusement parks will also likely be able to open April 1, at a max capacity of 15%. And in June, sleepaway camps will be allowed with modifications. As of now, wineries, breweries, and distilleries in the county are still not permitted to be open indoors. The County continues to vaccinate those over age 65, as well as first responders and those residents in certain professions. On Monday, the County also announced that people age 16-64 could be eligible to receive the vaccination if they are deemed to be at the very highest risk to get very sick from the virus. This includes those with co-morbidity diseases or conditions including cancer, chronic kidney or pulmonary disease, Down Syndrome, organ transplants, sickle cell disease, some heart conditions, or Type 2 Diabetes. Pregnant women are also now eligible to receive the vaccine. Do-Reynoso reported that the County has received 9,080 first doses of vaccines to be administered to healthcare providers, and that next week’s allocation will be very similar. The Federal Government continues to ramp up production of the three approved vaccines, and it’s expected that a fourth version will be available before the summer. “I feel quite optimistic at this point,” said Dr. Ansorg. If case rates continue to decline, and vaccination rates continue to increase, the County would need to be in the Red Tier for another two weeks before moving to the Orange Tier, which would further lessen restrictions. To make an appointment for a vaccine, Do-Reynoso recommends utilizing the My Turn website at https:// myturn.ca.gov. To get tested for COVID-19, residents are able to utilize the mobile testing unit that has recently relocated to East Beach. To make an appointment visit https:// lhi.care/covidtesting.
Latest on School Reopening
In addition to the majority of the business sector permitted to reopen indoors with modifications earlier this week, most county public schools – bolstered by happy and tired parents and
Village Beat Page 244 244 18 – 25 March 2021
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FIDELITY NATIONAL TITLE GROUP
The Bloom’n Times
by Alida Aldrich
Proudly Announces
An award-winning, published landscape designer, with over two decades of experience, Alida is well known for designing new gardens, as well as restoring landmark gardens throughout Montecito and Santa Barbara. In the spring of 2021, Alida will be teaching a class in The Principals of Landscape Design through Santa Barbara City College.
The Rites of Spring
Jane Hilty As
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Photo by Daryl Metzger, courtesy of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
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S
pring seems to be everyone’s favorite season. Temperatures start to rise, Daylight Saving Time begins, and the Vernal Equinox (March 21) brings us more natural Vitamin D. Wildlife keeps its watchful eyes on newborns; leaves appear on deciduous trees, absorbing the carbon dioxide; and flowers and bulbs start to bloom everywhere! If you don’t already have one, it’s time to buy The Sunset Western Garden Book, the must-have reference book for Santa Barbara garden enthusiasts and professionals. After 25-plus years in the industry, I still refer to it for answers. If you’re looking for a different, garden-related book, pick up The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. This non-fiction murder mystery centers on the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago and goes into fascinating detail about how Frederick Law Olmsted helped engineer and supervise the plantings of some about 600 acres on the fairgrounds. Today, Olmstead is recognized as the father of American landscape architecture, who not only laid out the World’s Fair but designed New York City’s Central Park. I turn to his ideas and philosophies to guide me whenever I begin a new project.
Prepare for Drought
Summer will surely follow spring and bring its own seasonal offerings.
“If people did not love one another, I really don’t see what use there would be in having any spring.” – Victor Hugo
Due to the small amounts of rain we experienced last fall and winter, experts predict that we’ll have a serious drought this summer. We need to prepare our garden now for the summer season. Accessing enough affordable water has become a problem in the region. In general, irrigating our landscapes and gardens is a major use of residential water in Santa Barbara, with green lawns being the thirstiest plant of all.
I’d like to propose a soul-saving alternative to some of the lawns and planting beds in your garden: a pollinator garden! I’d like to propose a soul-saving alternative to some of the lawns and planting beds in your garden: a pollinator garden! As you may have read, the populations of birds, bees, and butterflies have been nearly decimated by man’s use of chemical pesticides and the loss of natural habitats. There are specific plants that these delicate, winged creatures need and desire, plants that are drought-tolerant and well-suited to our Mediterranean climate 18 – 25 March 2021
zone. These three different species thrive on many of the same plants. Of course, milkweed is a favorite of the butterflies, while the bees and the birds (especially hummingbirds) like to visit and collect pollen from salvia, penstemon, cosmos, and lavender. There are a lot of other flowering plants they love, too. Just search on the web for “pollinator plants.” If space is a concern, then pots are the answer. A pollinator garden can be a do-good family project that will pay you back with hours of viewing pleasure. You can find many other native, pollinator-friendly plants on a stroll through our esteemed Santa Barbara Botanic Garden In the past, the garden has held an annual Spring Native Plant Sale, but this year consider combining a nature walk there with a buying trip. For the adventurous, drive to Figueroa Mountain in Santa Ynez. You should find a spectacular display of wildflowers this spring. There’s another concern looming this summer: the potential for fires. Those of you with properties on the hillsides can find excellent information about how to create defensible space zones around your home; choose fire-resistant plants; and ember-resistant building materials at www.mon tecitofire.com.
Doomsday tales aside, fate has brought us to this extraordinary spot on the planet. Treat yourself by getting outside and enjoying these glorious days.
Seasonal Tips:
– It’s time to fertilize the garden. I use a general-purpose fertilizer mix 10-10-10 (nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium). You may have plants that require a more complex mix; – Plant your herbs and vegetables now for fresh, yummy, dishes in the summer; – Update the times set on your automated irrigation system. Later, I’ll write about how to tackle your garden maintenance patrol.
Principles of Landscape Design
If you’re a garden hobbyist (or would like to be), I’ll be teaching a course on the Essential Principles of Landscape Design through SB City College (online via Zoom) beginning May 22 for five weeks. The classes are two hours each week. In early April, you can find out more specifics by going to: https:// sbcc.edu/extendedlearning/feebased. php •MJ
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18 – 25 March 2021
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
15
NOSH TOWN
by Claudia Schou
ZACA CREEK REOPENS WITH NEW CHEF TO HELP REBUILD LEGACY
The Lobster Dynamite and Tavern Burger are sights to behold
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his winter, public officials asked restaurant owners, workers, and diners to mostly stay home as lockdowns once again took effect. Now that progress is being made with vaccinations going up and COVID-19 cases going down, restaurants are opening up again just in time to unveil spring menus and debut new outdoor dining spaces. That means The Tavern at Zaca Creek in Santa Ynez Valley – which recently welcomed a new executive chef – is ready for anyone who’s comfortable dining on premises. The new spring menu features an endless assortment of tantalizing items such as Crispy Duck, Beef Heart Tartare, and Ogo & Abalone Tortellini, among other notable dishes. The historic and newly restored Buellton eatery recently announced the arrival of a new executive chef Cullen Campbell who relocated from Arizona, where he was the award-winning chef-owner of Crudo, named “Best New Restaurant” by Phoenix Magazine when it opened in 2012. A second restaurant, Okra Cookhouse & Cocktails, followed in the fall of 2015. The same year, Campbell, named “Chef of the Year” by the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame, joined six fellow Arizona chefs for a culinary presentation at the James Beard House. The union of such a highly acclaimed chef and the beloved Santa Ynez dining establishment adds a new chapter to its long history. For one, the format has been changed from a chophouse to California-inspired brasserie. Originally developed in the 1960s by Jim Buell, descendent of the founders of its namesake town (Buellton), The Tavern at Zaca Creek was purchased in 2018 by two families, the Rushings and Bonomettis, after nearly two decades in dormancy, with a plan to reintroduce the once-bustling eatery to a new generation of local residents and visitors. Reopened in August of 2020, the team at Zaca Creek took time during the most recent region-wide shutdown to rethink its culinary direction and implement new beef and seafood programs with local vendors. Campbell saw The Tavern’s transition from a chophouse to a California-style brasserie as a welcome challenge. “It was mainly a transition from full beef butchery to a focus on coastal influences giving the menu a more continental feel overall.” Campbell’s menu is comprised of mostly European plates, although some feature
Matthew Pifer, MD
Japanese influences such as yuzo kosho (hot paste) used in an Italian crudo or taiyaki (fish shaped cake) paired with Italian caviar. Other dishes possess continental flair: Crispy duck with crêpes, date duck sauce, and pickled mustard seeds; albacore crudo with egg yolk emulsion, capers, cornichons, and ceci (chickpea) purée; and a beef heart tartare with shallot vinaigrette, golden raisins, and celery salad are a few enticing plates on the menu, along with rotating desserts. The menu gets paired with a deep wine list curated by an industry insider and a bevy of craft cocktails garnished with fresh herbs. Campbell delves into classic cuisine, but he also has a gritty side, which works well for the Tavern’s rustic aesthetic. His approach is playful and delicious. The Dutch baby – a German hybrid of a pancake and a popover, baked in a cast iron pan – is served with boozy berries and whipped cream ($18). “When I was growing up, my dad and his friends would pour booze on their berries,” Campbell said. “We’re doing it
Nosh Town Page 444
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18 – 25 March 2021
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
17
Monte ito Miscellany by Richard Mineards
Richard covered the Royal Family for Britain’s Daily Mirror and Daily Mail, and was an editor on New York Magazine. He was also a national anchor on CBS, a commentator on ABC Network News, gossip on The Joan Rivers Show and Geraldo Rivera, host on E! TV, a correspondent on the syndicated show Extra, a commentator on the KTLA Morning News and Entertainment Tonight. He moved to Montecito 13 years ago.
Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo Purchase Montecito Estate
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ocker Adam Levine and his Namibian supermodel wife, Behati Prinsloo, are the latest celebrity couple to make Montecito their home. The Maroon 5 frontman, 41, who sold his Beverly Hills home to local TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and her actress wife Portia de Rossi for $45 million two years ago, has splashed out $22.7 million for the historic George Washington Smith estate El Miraval, listed by Riskin Partners. The 1923 Spanish Revival 5.2-acre estate, with gardens designed by Lockwood de Forest, was originally on the market for $27.5 million, with the main house holding five of the property’s nine bedrooms, including a main suite with a private terrace with views of the Pacific. Elsewhere in the 12,000-square-foot structure are a series of massive living and dining spaces decorated with large wood beams ceilings and Saltine tile floors with radiant floor heating. Other structures on the property, just a short distance from the newly bought estate of Santa Barbara warbler Katy Perry and British actor Orlando Bloom, include a two-bedroom guest house, a one-bedroom garden cottage, and a five-car garage that has one more guest bedroom. The tony twosome also owns a similar sprawling property in celebrity gridlocked Pacific Palisades. They purchased the 3.1-acre, 16,000-squarefoot home from Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner for $32 million in an off-market deal in 2019. Welcome to the ‘hood...
Mortgage Mercy
After Prince Harry, 36, revealed he used a mortgage to pay for his $14.5 million Riven Rock estate during his now infamous Oprah Winfrey interview, Ventura-based caregiver Anastasia Hanson set up a GoFundMe page to raise $10 million to help pay off the multi-million debt for the sixacre, nine-bedroom property, which, given the red hot market, is estimated to have more doubled in value since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex bought it in July.
18 MONTECITO JOURNAL
Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and wife, Behati Prinsloo, are Montecito’s newest residents (photo by gashleygoh)
“When they came to the U.S.A. they were without jobs and with limited funds,” Anastasia, 56, tells me. “They’ve stated that they’ve had a very rough time, so this fundraiser is a way to give help, compassion, and love by paying their home loan in full.” She says she has already reached out to Oprah, estimated worth $3 billion, TV billionaire Tyler Perry – where Harry and Meghan initially stayed in Beverly Hills –, CNN, the BBC, and the L.A. Times in her fundraising efforts. “I want the public to know this is legitimate and safe,” she assures me. “My heart was moved and touched to do something, and I followed my intuition to do this fundraiser. If two million people all around the world just donated $5 each the goal will be reached. They deserve it.” Given Harry’s worth is estimated at $50 million, including major bequests from his late mother Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who died in 2002, and Meghan’s fortune at $7 million given her seven seasons on the TV series Suits, one might wonder if they really need the funding, particularly given the lucrative contracts they have signed with Netflix, reportedly over $100 million, and Spotify, reportedly $30 million. But over the weekend Anastasia, whose parents were married at the Santa Barbara Mission, tells me her GoFundMe page was deleted by the website because she had not set up a bank account for the funds to go into. All monies she had already raised, a
paltry $79, have now been returned to the donors. She has also contacted Archewell, the royal couple’s foundation, who she had asked for approval of the fundraiser, to let them know they’ll have to continue paying their own mortgage. I trust they can cope...
Honor of a Lifetime Opera legend Marilyn Horne with her Lifetime Achievement Grammy
Opera legend Marilyn Horne, who for 23 years directed the voice program at the Music Academy of the West, has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award Grammy. It is the fifth Grammy during Marilyn’s illustrious career which ended professionally on the concert stage in 1990. Marilyn Horne House was dedicated on the scenic oceanside ten-acre Miraflores campus in 2016. Marilyn, 87, a mezzo soprano, launched her illustrious career when she dubbed the singing voice of Dorothy Dandridge in 1954 for the film Carmen Jones. Her stellar opera career was launched two years later when noted composer Igor Stravinsky invited her to perform at the Venice Festival, which led to singing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and even appearing on the TV series The Odd Couple with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. She has also appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, La Scala in Milan, Carnegie Hall, and New York’s Metropolitan Opera. After a bi-coastal existence for many years shuttling between her home in Manhattan, just a tiara’s toss from the ABC Network studio where I used to broadcast, and Santa Barbara, Marilyn moved permanently to our rarefied enclave a few years back. A helluva nice lady...
Maison Mineards Media Mayhem
Phew, what a week! My phone at Maison Mineards Montecito has been red hot fielding calls on Oprah’s incendiary royal interview from international magazines, TV, and radio, which ended with a lengthy telephone interview with a celebrity glossy in Ghent, Belgium, an interview at Pierre Lafond with Ben Hoyle of
“Always it’s spring and everyone’s in love and flowers pick themselves.” – E.E. Cummings
the London Times, a former Moscow correspondent, and a lengthy chat with Martha Hayes, L.A. correspondent for the London Evening Standard. Add to this two Zoom appearances on the KEYT-TV morning show with Joe Buttitta, a segment taped for KEYT anchor Beth Farnsworth, two appearances on the KLITE radio drive time show with Catherine Remak and Gary Fruin, as well as entertaining a camera crew from the German TV station ZDF – an old friend in Munich called saying he’d seen me on TV that evening! – and finally an appearance on the Fox News Channel with host Martha MacCallum. The last was particularly fun given the senior producer in New York was Jama Podell-Vitale, who used to be my producer when I was gossip on The Joan Rivers Show in the ‘80s. Time flies...
Time for a New Adventure Piers Morgan quit Good Morning Britain after on-air row
Piers Morgan, an old friend, quit the U.K.’s popular Good Morning Britain when he stormed off the set after an on-air row with a colleague about Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, after stating: “I wouldn’t believe her if she read the weather forecast!” An official enquiry was lodged with Ofcom, the broadcast regulator, after 41,000 complaints about Morgan’s behavior, but a petition has now garnered more than 250,000 signatures demanding his return to the network where he was earning a $1.5 million annual salary for the past five years. Since his departure, the show has lost 80,000 viewers after beating the BBC Breakfast show for the first time ever. Piers, who I first knew when he did the Bizarre column on the London Sun with Martin Dunn, who went on to edit the New York Daily News under Mort Zuckerman, became the youngest editor on the Daily Mirror before taking over Larry King’s show on CNN when he retired. Now a popular editor at large for the London Daily Mail, my former employer, Piers e-mailed me: “Time for a new adventure!” I have absolutely no doubt he’ll be back on TV screens bigger and better than ever.
Miscellany Page 374 18 – 25 March 2021
The Giving List
The capping of Becker Well on Summerland beach, 2019 (photo by Harry Rabin)
by Steven Libowitz
Heal the Ocean
H
eal the Ocean (HTO) has enjoyed a remarkable record of success, particularly for how the nonprofit that was founded barely more than 20 years ago to address contamination of the waters off Summerland from coastal septic system runoff has turned comparatively smaller donations into big projects. HTO smartly and enviably has leveraged modest sums to fund research, gather data, and then reach influential people and governmental agencies to effect massive accomplishments, often through legislative efforts. That was how HTO turned a $10,000 investment into a $2 million per year project to cap old oil wells and remove other major environmental hazards along the Central Coast and elsewhere along the state’s shoreline. Just last fall, the HTO-inspired partnership with the State Lands Commission led to the plugging of two more leaking oil wells, Treadwell and NorthStar, with two more such projects planned for the remainder of 2021. “Treadwell was a real stinker and NorthStar was another bad one com-
ing up on the beach,” said Hillary Hauser, HTO’s founder and executive director who spearheaded the septic system-into-sewers project after finding out that surfers at Rincon were getting sick at strange rates. “We’re still monitoring that area with a drone, but I’m glad I can go down there often now, because I used to live in Summerland and the smell was so awful I never went to that beach.” After capping “the big one,” Hauser and Heal the Ocean aren’t letting down their guard, as some of the oil well’s tentacles are still “misbehaving,” she said. “We may be able to move fast and get the one that’s causing some issues, get the plan designed and up and running before the fiscal year ends in June. We want to get as much of that (state) money as we can into Summerland.”
Springing into Action
But all that was documented in the Montecito Journal’s initial Giving List book that came out in November, shortly after Treadwell was topped off. But HTO is not too proud to take
on much smaller issues, such as its Doggy Bag Program, which began in 2010 when the organization learned that bag dispensers for people to pick up their pooches’ poop would no longer be stocked by Santa Barbara County due to a sweeping budget cut. Heal the Ocean established a partnership with the County agreeing to help raise funds to restock the dispensers with compostable dog bags at beaches and parks from Rincon to Goleta, smartly augmenting the budget by offering advertising sponsorships. Springing into immediate action to protect local waters from what might appear to be minor nuisances is still one of HTO’s priorities, as the organization maintains the flexibility and
nimbleness to neutralize threats as they arise whether or not they require legislation or leveraging local leaders. Recently, that meant managing the removal of detritus from a medium-sized boat that had crashed into the shoreline below the Santa Barbara Cemetery. Reports from residents of tabletops, wood pieces, cushions, and other items from the vessel were threatening the surf line and potentially polluting the waters as well as creating a safety hazard onshore. Heal the Ocean funded the cleanup by Marborg Industries. “We started making a call to the County and Public Works asking what
The Giving List Page 214
PROUDLY CONGRATULATES
TIM WALSH
For his outstanding representation and successful closing of:
34 6 WO O DLEY RD MONTECITO | CALIFORNIA OFFERED AT $6,800,000
Sold for over asking price. 7 day close after one day on the market.
TIM WALSH All information provided is deemed reliable, but has not been verified and we do not guarantee it. We recommend that buyers make their own inquiries. CalBRE #00691712
All information provided is deemed reliable, but has not been verified and we do not guarantee it. We recommend that buyers make their own inquiries.
18 – 25 March 2021
• The Voice of the Village •
805.259.8808 | tim@villagesite.com TimWalshMontecito.com | DRE 00914713
MONTECITO JOURNAL
19
Seen Around Town
Thomas Reynolds Gallery
by Lynda Millner
T
here’s something new at 1331 State Street: the Thomas Reynolds Gallery near the Arlington Theatre! The Gallery was founded in 1994 in San Francisco in the Pacific Heights neighborhood and was known for contemporary California art and artists. I met with Thomas Reynolds the other day and he said, “I am also an editor-publisher and a recovering lawyer. We’re delighted to be in Santa Barbara and to become a part of the excitement the new pedestrian promenade is bringing to State Street.” In 1994, Reynolds took a break from the legal world. Interested in collecting art he became enthralled with a young artist from Thailand who lived and worked nearby. Thomas had a pop up before they existed. He rented a Victorian for a six-week show of the artist’s work and he was still there two decades later. Until recently that is, when he and his wife moved to Santa Barbara – a long held dream. The inaugural exhibition features Sandy Ostrau who is a graduate of UCSB and played on the women’s soccer team. She lives at the Sea Ranch on the Northern California coast. There also is Ken Auster, a Laguna Beach surf artist and a premier landscape and seascape painter. For a more abstract look you’ll like Santa Barbara’s Marge Cafarelli who incidentally owns the Public Market. Who knew? Thomas was willing to share some of his knowledge about how to become a collector on all sizes of budgets. Or as he calls it, “Passing through the post-poster phase into the promised land of original art.” What follows are his seven secrets learned from years of experience. l. Don’t be too quick to buy especially when you’re first beginning to collect. It is much more important to look than to buy. Go to the best museums and the top galleries and auction houses. Explore online. Let your eye learn what is good and what is better
Thomas Reynolds in his gallery at 1331 State Street Ms Millner is the author of The Magic Makeover, Tricks for Looking Thinner, Younger and More Confident – Instantly. If you have an event that belongs in this column, you are invited to call Lynda at 969-6164.
– what you like and what you love. Later on, when you find yourself still remembering the one that got away, you’ll learn the corollary to this rule: Don’t be too slow to buy either, when love comes along. 2. Focus your collection especially at the beginning, as you start to learn what excites you most, concentrate on one or two things. It could be figure paintings or California landscapes or work by young Latino artists. This will give your looking a focus and help you begin to accumulate knowledge as well as paintings. 3. Collect in depth. Find a few artists whose work moves you and invest in them, in the fullest sense of the word. Buy multiple examples of their work that show the full range of their talent. This will often provide the added satisfaction of forming a bond not only with a piece of art, but also with the artist. 4. Stand on your tiptoes. A Los
Angeles gallery owner advised me early on: “Stand on you tiptoes when you buy art.” It was good advice, if somewhat mysterious. What he meant was stretch yourself and buy one strong painting even if it costs more than you planned to pay, rather than buying half a dozen inexpensive or minor works. Ask if you can pay over a period of a few months. This will increase anticipation and raise your standards and also limit the stack of “but it was cheap,” things ending up in the closet when you grow tired of them. 5. Be aware of the pecking order. Oils are at the top of the art world hierarchy and carry the highest prices and values. Acrylics and pastels are a step down. Original works on paper – watercolors, drawings, and the like – are generally valued lower, but the flip side is the prices are also lower which makes them an attractive way to begin to build a collection. When you get down to prints, the price and value go down still more, depending on the reproduction process and the number of prints. 6. Consider plein air paintings. Artists have always worked on location especially in scenic California. By its very nature, work done en plein air must be completed fairly quickly, before the light changes and often are small and thus less expensive as a bonus. These will become some of the most treasured paintings in your collection. The best plein air paintings have a spontaneous quality that captures a moment or offers a fresh insight into a familiar scene. 7. Buy what you like. I urge people to buy art with their gut, not with their head. If something speaks to you, or makes you smile, or stays with you, pay attention. Chances are that connection will endure and grow richer through the years. And another corollary, also important: Like what you buy, because you’ll likely be living with it for a long time. Aside from the Picassos and Monets, there is a limited resale market for art. So be sure what you invite into your home is something you will always want as part of your life.” So stop in and meet Thomas at
1331 State Street. He’s open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment 415-676-7689. The website can be found at thomas reynolds.com.
Transition House Fundraiser A 1913 Kewpie Doll in the Transition House auction (Photo credit: Jean Keely)
Sadly, we’ll miss the Mad Hatter Luncheon again this year, but the group will make up for it with an online auction April 1 to April 15. That will be on their website: transition house.com. To tease you a little bit, there will be an original 1913 Rose O’Neill Kewpie Doll up for bids. There’s also a one-night stay at the El Encanto, the Upham, and the Santa Barbara Inn. How about gift cards from five local grocery stores ($200 each from Gelson’s, Lazy Acres, Bristol Farms, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods)? In addition, there is a raffle that features a one-night stay with a threecourse dinner paired with wines at the Rosewood Miramar. Another raffle prize is dinner for six prepared in your home by a professional chef. To get your raffle tickets, call Diane at 805-964-9742. They are six for $100 or $20 each. A generous anonymous donor has offered to match all contributions up to $100,000. Transition House serves homeless children and their families in our community with their great programs and services. The group is led by president Carolyn Creasey. Diane White is their long-time secretary. Auction co-chairs are Darlene Amundsen and Lorraine West. •MJ
Transition House Auxiliary Secretary Diane White, President Carolyn Creasey, Auction co-chairs Darlene Amundsen, and Lorraine West (Photo credit: Jane Keely)
Ichiban Japanese Restaurant/Sushi Bar Lunch: Monday through Saturday 11:30am - 2:30pm Dinner: Monday through Sunday: 5pm - 10pm 1812A Cliff Drive Santa Barbara CA 93109 (805)564-7653 Lunch Specials, Bendo boxes. Full Sushi bar, Tatami Seats. Fresh Fish Delivered all week.
20 MONTECITO JOURNAL
“The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.” – Josiyah Martin
18 – 25 March 2021
The Giving List (Continued from page 19) they were going to do about it. How do we get this cleaned up?” Hauser recalled. “Then I just said, ‘You know what? I haven’t got time for this.’ I just decided to call Marborg and see if I could pay them $5,000 to take care of it. It was very fast, but we wouldn’t be able to do that without having the financial support that we do.” Just this past January, Heal the Ocean advisory board member Harry Rabin learned of an abandoned homeless encampment near Montecito’s Butterfly Beach and alerted Hauser that unusually high tides due in a few days might sweep all the abandoned items into the sea. Even though it was a Saturday, the pair pounced on the situation, with Rabin contacting County officials to certify the camp was officially abandoned in order to gain approval to clear the site, while Hauser worked on finding a cleaning crew or hauler that could cart away the items before the King Tide hit two days later. “We couldn’t get Borgatello on such short notice because half his crews were quarantining from being exposed to COVID,” Hauser explained. “So we got a crew from BigGreen Cleaning Co. to show up at five o’clock at night, 10 workers with bags and trucks, to get the stuff out of there before sundown. That was $3,000, but I was
able to just right then pay for cleanup and get it done rather than going around in circles and kicking and moaning about it.” Responding creatively to emergency projects to keep detritus out of the ocean takes a very different point of view, and a hands-on attitude. But that’s something Hauser harbors close to her heart. Such was the case with finding an alternative for the families of convicts housed at the State Prison in Lompoc who wanted to show the inmates that people on the outside are aware of the dire situation inside the walls, where the close confines had resulted in massive outbreaks of COVID infection. When HTO heard that a group of wives were going to top off their demonstration outside the prison by releasing a number of helium-filled balloons, Hauser imagined all those deflated pieces of rubber, latex, and strings drifting out over the ocean and affecting the wildlife there and on land, and hopped into action once again. “We called up the organizers to talk about how to fix the problem while still letting the family members meet their mission,” she said. “Because our M.O. is, if you want to change something, come up with a solution. Don’t just go in there and say, ‘No, you can’t
A heat map shows oil sheen detection in the ocean off the coast of Summerland
do that.’ What we came up with was hiring a skywriter to go up in an airplane with a banner saying, ‘We love you guys, we’re here for you.’ That cost about $3,000, which again is only possible because of donations. But we needed fast action to keep balloons out of the ocean.” Hauser wouldn’t mind if such quick action weren’t always necessary. Once the pandemic passes, she said, she’s hoping that local people and those around the world will have appreciated how things have slowed down and the recent changes to the environment as a result. “I just hope that when we start that up again, that we can go slowly. Like
with a recipe where you add one thing at a time and not just throw all the cars back out on the freeway and all the airplanes into the sky. And don’t even get me started on the cruise ships.” But she knows that HTO won’t be able to rest on its laurels anytime soon. “When it comes to the area of the ocean or the environment, there will never be a time when you don’t have anything to do. It just accelerates. It comes at you all the time. Our job is to always be vigilant, and when you see something, when it comes to your doorstep, to figure out how you’re going to come up with a solution. There really is no other choice.” •MJ
PROUDLY CONGRATULATES
BOB LAMBORN
For his outstanding representation and successful closing of:
346 WOOD L EY R D MONTECITO | CALIFORNIA OFFERED AT $6,800,000
Represented Buyer
2 80 M I DD L E R D
MONTECITO | CALIFORNIA OFFERED AT $6,750,000
3 090 HI DD EN VAL L EY MONTECITO | CALIFORNIA OFFERED AT $7,995,000
BOB LAMBORN 805.689.6800 bobl@villagesite.com DRE 00445015
18 – 25 March 2021
All information provided is deemed reliable, but has not been verified and we do not guarantee it. We recommend that buyers make their own inquiries. DRE 01206734
All information provided is deemed reliable, but has not been verified and we do not guarantee it. We recommend that buyers make their own inquiries.
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
21
ORDINANCE NO. 5995
CITY OF SANTA BARBARA - GENERAL SERVICES DIVISION PO BOX 1990, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93102-1990
AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA AMENDING THE SANTA BARBARA MUNICIPAL CODE BY ADDING CHAPTER 4.45 RELATING TO COMMUNITY BENEFIT DISTRICTS
INVITATION FOR BIDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed bids will be received via electronic transmission on the City of Santa Barbara PlanetBids portal site until the date and time indicated below at which time they will be publicly opened and posted for: BID NO. 5895 DUE DATE & TIME: APRIL 7, 2021 UNTIL 3:00 P.M.
The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on March 9, 2021. The publication of this ordinance is made pursuant to the provisions of Section 512 of the Santa Barbara City Charter as amended, and the original ordinance in its entirety may be obtained at the City Clerk's Office, City Hall, Santa Barbara, California. (Seal) /s/ Sarah Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager ORDINANCE NO. 5995 STATE OF CALIFORNIA
) ) COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss. ) CITY OF SANTA BARBARA ) I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance was introduced on March 2, 2021 and adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a meeting held on March 9, 2021, by the following roll call vote: AYES:
Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Alejandra Gutierrez, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan, Kristen W. Sneddon; Mayor Cathy Murillo
NOES:
None
ABSENT:
None
ABSTENTIONS:
None
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara on March 10, 2021.
/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance on March 10, 2021.
/s/ Cathy Murillo Mayor Published March 17, 2021 Montecito Journal
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Zacarias JL Trucking, 220 Calle Cesar E Chavez Apt 45 Guadalupe, CA 93434. Zacarias JL Trucking INC, 220 Calle Cesar E Chavez Apt 45 Guadalupe, CA 93434. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 12, 2021. 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. 2021-0000706. Published March 17, 24, 31, April 7, 2021 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Rodriguez Strategies, 2020 Creekside Road, Montecito, CA 93108. Rodriguez Strategies, 2020 Creekside Road, Montecito, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 10, 2021. 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
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR SERVICE FOR TRAFFIC SIGNALS & PEDESTRIAN ACTIVATED WARNING FLASHERS AS NEEDED Scope of Work: To perform maintenance and repair services for traffic signals & pedestrian activated warning flashers as needed in the City of Santa Barbara. Bidders must be registered on the city of Santa Barbara’s PlanetBids portal in order to receive addendum notifications and to submit a bid. Go to PlanetBids for bid results and awards. It is the responsibility of the bidder to submit their bid with sufficient time to be received by PlanetBids prior to the bid opening date and time. The receiving deadline is absolute. Allow time for technical difficulties, uploading, and unexpected delays. Late or incomplete Bid will not be accepted. If further information is needed, contact Caroline Ortega, Senior Buyer at (805) 564-5351or email: COrtega@santabarbaraca.gov FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE ACT Contractor agrees in accordance with Section 1735 and 1777.6 of California Labor Code, and the California Fair Employment Practice Act (Sections 1410-1433) that in the hiring of common or skilled labor for the performance of any work under this contract or any subcontract hereunder, no contractor, material supplier or vendor shall, by reason of age (over 40), ancestry, color, mental or physical disability, sex, gender identity and expression, marital status, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics), national origin, race, religious belief, or sexual orientation, discriminate against any person who is qualified and available to perform the work to which such employment relates. The Contractor further agrees to be in compliance with the City of Santa Barbara’s Nondiscriminatory Employment Provisions as set forth in Chapter 9 of the Santa Barbara Municipal Code. BONDING Bidders are hereby notified that a Payment Bond in the amount of 100% of the bid total will be required from the successful bidder for bids exceeding $25,000. The bond must be provided within ten (10) calendar days from notice of award and prior to the performance of any work. The bond must be signed by the bidder and a corporate surety, who is authorized to issue bonds in the State of California. If the renewal options are exercised, new bonds shall be provided. PREVAILING WAGE, APPRENTICES, PENALTIES, & CERTIFIED PAYROLL In accordance with the provisions of Labor Code § 1773.2, the Contractor is responsible for determining the correct prevailing wage rates. However, the City will provide wage information for projects subject to Federal Davis Bacon requirements. The Director of Industrial Relations has determined the general prevailing rates of wages and employer payments for health, welfare, vacation, pensions and similar purposes applicable, which is on file in the State of California Office of Industrial Relations. The contractor shall post a copy of these prevailing wage rates at the site of the project. It shall be mandatory upon the contractor to whom the contract is awarded and its subcontractors hired to pay not less than the said prevailing rates of wages to all workers employed by him in the execution of the contract (Labor Code § 1770 et seq.). Prevailing wage rates are available at http://www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/PWD/index.htm It is the duty of the contractor and subcontractors to employ registered apprentices and to comply with all aspects of Labor Code § 1777.5. There are penalties required for contractor’s/subcontractor’s failure to pay prevailing wages and for failure to employ apprentices, including forfeitures and debarment under Labor Code §§ 1775, 1776, 1777.1, 1777.7 and 1813. Under Labor Code § 1776, contractors and subcontractors are required to keep accurate payroll records. The prime contractor is responsible for submittal of their payrolls and those of their subcontractors as one package. Payroll records shall be certified and made available for inspection at all reasonable hours at the principal office of the contractor/subcontractor pursuant to Labor Code § 1776. The contractor and all subcontractors under the direct contractor shall furnish certified payroll records directly to the Labor Compliance Unit and to the department named in the Purchase Order/Contract at least monthly, and within ten (10) days of any request from any request from the City or the Labor Commissioner in accordance with Section 16461 of the California Code of Regulations. Payroll records shall be furnished in a format prescribed by section 16401 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, with use of the current version of DIR's “Public Works Payroll Reporting Form” (A-1-131) and “Statement of Employer Payments” (DLSE Form PW26) constituting presumptive compliance with this requirement, provided the forms are filled out accurately and completely. In lieu of paper forms, the Compliance Monitoring Unit may provide for and require the electronic submission of certified payroll reports. The provisions of Article 2 and 3, Division 2, Chapter 1 of the Labor Code, State of California, are made by this reference a part of this quotation or bid. A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of Section 4104 of the Public Contract Code, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently licensed to perform the work and registered pursuant to Labor Code § 1725.5 without limitation or exception. It is not a violation of this section for an unlicensed contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Section 7029.1 of the Business and Professions Code or by Section 20103.5 of the Public Contract Code, provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded. This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations. CERTIFICATIONS In accordance with California Public Contracting Code § 3300, the City requires the Contractor to possess a valid California C10 Electrical contractor’s license at time the bids are opened and to continue to hold during the term of the contract all licenses and certifications required to perform the work specified herein. CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE Contractor must submit to the contracted department within ten (10) calendar days of an order, AND PRIOR TO START OF WORK, certificates of Insurance naming the City of Santa Barbara as Additional Insured in accordance with the attached Insurance Requirements. __________________________ William Hornung, C.P.M. General Services Manager
correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2021-0000650. Published March 17, 24, 31, April 7, 2021 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LOVENOPAIN.COM LLC, 280 Old Mill Road, Apt 67, Santa Barbara, CA 93110. LOVENOPAIN.COM LLC, 5142 Hollister Avenue Number 552, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 8, 2021. 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. 2021-0000620. Published March 17, 24, 31, April 7, 2021 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Forest Farm Music + Art, 1008 Ladera Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. Charles Lloyd, 1008 Ladera Lane, Santa Barbara, CA
22 MONTECITO JOURNAL
93108. Dorothy Darr, 1008 Ladera Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 26, 2021. 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. 2021-0000532. Published March 17, 24, 31, April 7, 2021 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Torbellino’s Demolition & Hauling, 265 Rametto Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. Karina Aguilera, 265 Rametto Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 5, 2021. 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. 20210000614. Published March 10, 17, 24, 31, 2021
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Central Coast Sommelier Service, 1012 Lagnua Street #D, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Latitude 3050 LLC, 1012 Lagnua Street #D, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 26, 2021. 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. 20210000538. Published March 10, 17, 24, 31, 2021 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Montecito Charters, 10 E Yanonali Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. P520 LLC, 10 E Yanonali Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 4, 2021. 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 orig-
“What a strange thing! to be alive, beneath cherry blossoms.” – Kobayashi Issa
Published: 3/17/21 Montecito Journal
inal statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20210000593. Published March 10, 17, 24, 31, 2021 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Goodland Cleaning Services, 7632 Hollister Ave Unit 249, Goleta, CA 93117. Nathalia De Jesus Pedraza Moreno, 7632 Hollister Ave Unit 249, Goleta, CA 93117. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 22, 2021. 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. 2021-0000482. Published March 10, 17, 24, 31, 2021 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: P.V.U. Holdings, 220 West Arrellaga St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Kalon Gronquist, 220 West Arrellaga St., Santa Barbara,
CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 18, 2021. 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. 2021-0000442. Published February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 2021 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Focused Supervision, 209 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Suzie Schonauer, 2353 N. Ventura Ave., Ventura, CA 93001. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 18, 2021. 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. 2021-0000445. Published February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 2021
18 – 25 March 2021
Brilliant Thoughts by Ashleigh Brilliant Born London, 1933. Mother Canadian. Father a British civil servant. World War II childhood spent mostly in Toronto and Washington, D.C. Berkeley PhD. in American History, 1964. Living in Santa Barbara since 1973. No children. Best-known for his illustrated epigrams, called “Pot-Shots”, now a series of 10,000. Email ashleigh@west.net or visit www.ashleighbrilliant.com
Perish Prolixity
W
hen I was first privileged to write this column, I was set a 750-word limit. I knew that I could go a few words over or under, and nobody would care. But I decided to make a game out of turning in exactly 750 words each time. What made this relatively do-able was that, unlike some computer writing programs, mine gave a running word count. In any case, this was a new verbal world for me, because, for many years, my writings had been limited to a maximum of 17 words. This was an arbitrary self-imposed format, of which I was an acknowledged master, because, for better or worse, nobody else, it appeared, was even interested in trying it. Strangely enough, modern technology had not only made it much easier to keep count of one’s words, but had also made it much less necessary to do so. Before the advent of the computer and the Internet, the fastest means of written communication had been by telegram (also known as “sending a wire”). But compared with what came next, that was very costly, and the charge was usually calculated by the number of words. In consequence, unless you were very wealthy, your message was not usually written in ordinary language, but in “telegraphese,” saving words as much as possible, while still trying adequately to convey your meaning. There were whole books written on this subject, with ideas like leaving out the word “please,” even though, to people in the early days of the telegraph, that might have seemed impolite. But more than two centuries earlier, Shakespeare had his character Polonius, in Hamlet, tell us that “Brevity is the soul of wit.” This was ironical, since Polonius was always characteristically verbose. But a more modern irony concerns email and “texting.” With regular email in general, there is no word limit, and, as the user, your message can be as protracted as you like. After all, you’re not using anybody’s time but your own, and, unless the message gets printed out, you’re not using anybody’s paper, and, unless it has to be stored, you’re not even using anybody’s disk-space. All you’re using are immeasurably small, immeasurably numerous electrons. 18 – 25 March 2021
But here comes the irony: the sheer pace of modern life demands that we keep doing things faster. (The only two exceptions I know of are: (1) getting older and (2) having sex.) So, for much ordinary communication, email now seems slow, cumbrous, and old-fashioned. The new, preferred method is called “texting.” But texting is usually done on small screens, and often when you are in a hurry – so once again, it is full speed ahead, and damn the electrons. Words can be truncated, condensed, abbreviated, even encoded, to save time and space. I myself don’t do much texting, but even I know that OMG means “Oh My God!” and IMHO means “In MY Humble Opinion,” and LOL means “Laughing Out Loud” (although I can remember when, in pre-computer days, it used to mean “Little Old Lady”). All this calls to mind some words of the great French thinker Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) who apologized to a correspondent for having written “such a lengthy letter, because I didn’t have time to write a short one.” It does indeed often take time to write less and say more. I am grateful for the fact that in my London high school we were given exercises in writing what were known by the French term of précis. A précis is a sort of condensation. It can be of any set length, but in my English classes, it was supposed to be a reduction to one-third of the original. Foreshadowing my future career, this was an assignment in which I always did well. But condensing of various articles, and even of books, to a convenient format for people on the go, was the basis of a magazine called Reader’s Digest, originally published in the U.S. in 1922, which proved so popular that eventually it appeared internationally in various languages, and is still coming out today, ten times a year, in print and online. None of this is good news for people who savor verbal expression, and are often accused of being long-winded. One contender for this distinction was Fidel Castro, whose speech to the UN General Assembly in 1960 was timed at 4 hours 29 minutes – which scarcely held a candle to his address to the Communist Party Congress in Havana in 1986 – 7 hours 10 minutes! •MJ
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• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
23
Village Beat (Continued from page 12 12)) The new normal: Montecito schools – including Crane Country Day School, shown here – have been open for in-person learning since October, utilizing outdoor spaces for socially distanced learning. Most public schools throughout Santa Barbara County are now back to in-person learning (photo credit: Teresa Pietsch)
caregivers – reopened in early March. Montecito public schools, Montecito Union School and Cold Spring School, have been open for in-person learning since late September, after applying for and receiving a waiver from the County’s Health Officer. Both schools have since conducted the majority of in-person learning outside, modifying both campuses to accommodate outdoor, socially distanced curriculum. Both school superintendents report that there has been no COVID-19 transmission at either school, and all staff and teachers have tested negative. The majority of teachers at the two schools have had the first round of the COVID-19 vaccination. Crane Country Day School has also been open since October, and Kristen Peralta, Assistant Director of Admission tells us vaccines arrived last week for Crane employees. “There was an immense sense of peace that they were one step closer to safety and would soon be relieved of the burden that had been upon them since beginning On-Campus learning last October.” By the end of the week over 90% of Crane’s employees had received at
least their first dose of the vaccine. “For a school that has been providing full-day, on-campus learning five days a week since October, as well as an online learning option, this is a significant step in the right direction,” Peralta said, crediting Crane’s Health Administrator, Nurse Savannah Aijian, for helping coordinate the effort. “Sharing vaccine information and availability became a group effort as chains of emails were sent among Crane employees, including 5 am messages to let others know that appointments were available,” Peralta said. “Teachers rallied to cover their colleagues’ duty stations so that they could get to their vaccine appointments. The glimpse of hope and sense of gratitude sparked camaraderie, and the vaccinations marked a milestone in the academic year and in the school’s history.” In the five months that the majority of the Crane community has been on campus, students, parents, teachers, and staff have become accustomed to the safety measures implemented this year, including handwashing stations, a daily health questionnaire, a fulltime school nurse, plexiglass at every
In trying times, overcome fear and uncertainty with the peace and security of a solid meditation practice. Radhule Weininger, PhD, MD, is a local in Montecito offering individualized, and customized meditation teaching, using mindfulness, compassion and advanced awareness practices to help you cultivate inner calm, awakeness and freedom as well as emotional balance. Dr. Weininger uses her training as psychologist as well as her 40 years of intensive Meditation training to help you upgrade your life, your relationships and your sense of meaning.
Books:
“Heartwork: The Path of Self-compassion” (Shambala Publications) Her forthcoming book: “Heartmedicine: How to Stop Painful Patterns and Find Freedom and Peace-At Last” (Shambala)
“There is no healing without heartwork, intimately tending to the wounds we’ve been avoiding for so long. In this powerful and beautiful book, Radhule Weininger will help you find the courage, pathways, and clarity needed to embrace this life with love.”
— Ta R a B R a c h , P h D , author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge
heartwork The Path of SelfCompassion
9 Simple Practices for a Joyful, Wholehearted Life
Radhule WeiningeR, Foreword by Jack Kornfield
m d, P h d
Also see free daily meditations at: mindfulheartprograms.org mindfulheartprograms.org/elders radhuleweiningerphd.com radhule@gmail.com | 805-455-6205
24 MONTECITO JOURNAL
The nonprofit also donated disaster kits in Lompoc: pictured here are Mason Schmidt, Lompoc Police Chief Joseph Mariani, Angela Schmidt, and Captain Kevin Martin
One805 helped local schools prepare for the reopening: Harding Elementary School principal Veronica Binkley and One805 CFO John Thyne during a mask distribution in February
desk, coyote badges around campus marking a six-foot distance, and 23 unique outdoor learning spaces. Experiential learning areas in the various quads and plazas around campus have allowed teachers and students to spread out, enjoy fresh air, and look at their education outside of the four walls of the classroom. “Teachers have been grateful to be offering their students an exceptional education whether they are on campus or at home. The school is grateful that its decisions and the precautions of Crane families have together successfully allowed for a 0% transmission rate of COVID-19 on campus. Finally, the entire community can now be grateful that the widespread vaccination adds another thick layer of protection to our schools,” Peralta said. Crane will continue to offer a slightly modified two-prong approach with the vast majority of families choosing on-campus learning, while a smaller set of families in third through eighth grades continue to rely upon Crane’s online learning option. “I am hopeful that if we continue to wear masks, and we continue to socially distance,
“Sometimes we can only find our true direction when we let the wind of change carry us.” – Mimi Novic
we will be able to slowly return to a more normal school environment,” said Head of School Joel Weiss. Last month, in order to help prepare local school campuses in Santa Barbara for the reopening, One805, a local nonprofit, donated 1,000 masks and 50 disaster kits to Harding Elementary School. “The new double masking recommendations from the CDC combined with the community beginning to open up has increased a need for masks,” said Angela Schmidt, One805 Executive Director. “Never has it been more important to work together as one county to abide by all safety recommendations.” One805 was formed to create a way for all members of our community to support First Responders and contribute to the public safety needs of Santa Barbara County; the organization was formed following the Thomas Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow in January 2018. “We are the only organization that supports multiple First Responder agencies. The One805 Advisory Council, which helps direct donations to where they are most needed, is comprised of the department heads of 11 separate First Responder agencies from Carpinteria to Santa Maria and throughout the county,” explains John Thyne, a founding board member. The group also recently delivered 300 disaster kits to the Lompoc Police Department; each hand-packed kit contained two masks, soap, sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, tissues, and a note of encouragement. “It’s remarkable to witness the impact One805 has had on the overall safety of our community” says Schmidt. “We established an emergency Twitter feed at www.twitter. com/One805sb to consolidate messages from multiple agencies during emergencies and we work on public safety initiatives county-wide.” One805’s slogan is Prepare, Equip, Support, and they do all three. To learn more visit www.one805.org. •MJ 18 – 25 March 2021
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18 – 25 March 2021
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
25
Perspectives
by Rinaldo S. Brutoco
Rinaldo S. Brutoco is the Founding President and CEO of the Santa Barbarabased World Business Academy and a co-founder of JUST Capital. He’s a serial entrepreneur, executive, author, radio host, and futurist who’s published on the role of business in relation to pressing moral, environmental, and social concerns for over 35 years
Have Vaccine Passport, Will…
A
Shepherding Equality
School for female shepherds aims to revive Spain’s rural villages
t the very least, travelling will be lot easier and safer with your “soon to be issued” vaccine passport. Crystal Cruises has already announced it will not accommodate any future passengers who cannot provide proof of vaccination at the time of departure. And, even then you also have to provide a current negative COVID-19 test at the time of departure as well. It’s too late to ask if we are moving into a world requiring vaccination documentation – we are! The question is how soon we’ll have one or more vaccination “passports” (let’s hope for an eventual international one so we don’t require a separate one for each country), what forms the passport will take, and what safeguards we need to take to avoid potential pitfalls. You can be certain that many businesses, not just Crystal Cruises, will be clamoring for the creation of a vaccination document system as a way to protect their customers, employees (and themselves), as well as to shield themselves against liability. As clear from Crystal’s statement below, there is no question they will turn you down as a customer if you can’t get vaccinated. Period. To quote their website’s answer to a question about what happens to a reservation if the guest can’t get a COVID-19 vaccine for medical or other personal reasons: “We understand that receiving a COVID-19 vaccine may not be a possibility for some guests because of medical restrictions or other personal reasons. While we value each of our loyal guests, Crystal is responsible for the collective safety and wellbeing of all who sail aboard our vessels and therefore, at this time, we are unable to accommodate any guest who cannot be vaccinated (emphasis supplied).” In a similar vein, UAE’s Emirates and Etihad Airways intend to start using a digital vaccine travel pass in the next few weeks so citizens can travel with comfort and certainty. It’s not just cruise lines or airlines that will be requiring a vaccine passport. Take a look at what Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission (the EU’s highest office), said two weeks ago: “We’ll present this month a legislative proposal for a Digital Green Pass. The aim is to provide: - Proof that a person has been vaccinated - Results of tests for those who couldn’t get a vaccination; and, - Info on COVID recovery.” Similarly, the Danish government says they will be rolling out a digital vaccine passport “in the next three to four months.” In our own country, the “first shoe dropped” when President Biden issued an Executive Order aimed at reducing the pandemic’s spread which instructs all government agencies to “assess the feasibility” of linking digital versions of vaccination documents. Some of you already know Israel is the first country in the world to adopt this type of system. You can’t attend a sporting event, a concert, or even go to a movie unless you have an Israeli “Vaccine Passport.” Overwhelming majorities in Israel like the idea and are celebrating the newfound freedom it has brought them. As Israel’s leaders and citizens know, if we want to gather in large groups without masks, we all have to take steps to reduce the background rate of infection. That means we must get vaccinated and only interact with others who also received a vaccine. Several European countries have also begun developing an Israeli-type public health document. You should expect to see them rolling out in the next couple of calendar quarters. We’re only writing about a public health document, and they’ve been around for more than a century. Dr. John Torres, an NBC medical contributor and an instructor for NATO Special Forces, travels frequently to Brussels and other countries. He observed on March 14 that he has long held a “yellow card” certification of vaccination against yellow fever attached to his passport. He even published an image of it. To visit any one of sixteen countries that currently require that health document in order to enter, Mr. Torres has to have this card. It is not a controversial document. You don’t have to get vaccinated. No one is forcing you to. On the other hand, people who have been vaccinated have good reason to maintain social distancing and masking measures unless they are interacting only with others in public who have also received a vaccination. Why? We all have a vested interest in reducing the background rate of infection. The
26 MONTECITO JOURNAL
S
pain has a long tradition of shepherding livestock, with an estimated one percent of its entire territory consisting of rugged pathways that men have long used to lead their flocks to lush pastures. Now, more women are poised to start traveling those same male-dominated pathways thanks to a new establishment called the School for Shepherdesses of the 21st Century. “There are other shepherd schools that women can attend,” said Susana Pacheco, the driving force behind the new school, headquartered in the northern region of Cantabria. “But the difference is that we’ve thought this through from the perspective of women. That’s why we’re talking about work-life balance, creating networks of mutual support and collaboration.” According to Lidia Díaz, the school was born out of a striking realization that women were abandoning rural areas for cities in greater numbers than men, leaving an aging population in their wake. “Villages are being masculinized,” she added. “It’s a step backward.” After registration got underway earlier this year, 265 applications came in rather quickly. The shepherding course, which lasts nine months, includes nearly 500 hours of online training and one weekend a month of hands-on instruction. Pacheco says women from all across mainland Spain and even as far as the Canary Islands have joined. Some were worn out by urban life and the COVID-19 lockdowns. Others had overcome abusive relationships and were starting their life anew. Along with shepherding, the students will get a crash course in smallscale, sustainable farming. The course blends traditions that stretch back millennia, such as the use of indigenous species of livestock, with the latest advances in technology, such as the use of drones to track livestock as they roam. Perhaps most importantly, the course honors work-life balance, allowing women to bring their children to hands-on training sessions in ventures such as beekeeping, cheesemaking, and sustainable tourism, with the aim of allowing women to diversify their income. It may sound a bit odd to think of a 21st-century school for female shepherds, but when you look at what the school offers, you see just how empowering it is – both for women and Spain’s rural towns. •MJ more people who have the virus, the more it will mutate. That’s the nature of evolutionary biology and no amount of politics by Governor Greg Abbott of Texas or any other politician will change that. Every new mutation incubated in the unvaccinated makes it that much more likely that we will all have to be re-vaccinated against those mutant strains if they evolve resistance to existing vaccines. What’s the downside of a Vaccine Passport? Many people believe this sort of public health document could morph into a broader health record which could somehow become a “threat” to individual privacy. Just for the record, privacy in the internet age is not even an option. Everything known anywhere, you can assume, will eventually be known everywhere. The Centers for Disease Control has a record of your vaccination. In fact, the Russians have probably already hacked it when they hit the U.S. Government almost nine months ago. So, stop worrying about who might want to have your medical information and begin to think creatively about how to have our extensive, and very effective, HIPAA laws enforced with regard to vaccine passports the way they are for all of our other medical records. We definitely can manage the downside, and the upside is really liberating. If we can get this virus pushed backed to insignificance, we’ll all breathe much more easily and be much happier. By the way, the Passport should be electronic (IBM is creating one using blockchain technology for privacy protection). We’ll need to easily be able to update the vaccine information in the future and track who has received which vaccine in a world where more than one will be available. So… yes, you will have a Vaccine Passport in the very near future. The alternative is you’ll find yourself unable to go to movies, have dinner out (shouldn’t a theater or restaurant owner want to protect their employees?), fly on an airplane, take an ocean cruise, or visit any of the many countries that will require it for admittance. And yes, that Vaccine Passport will be your friend in many ways. It will, in many ways, set you free. •MJ
“A flower blossoms for its own joy.” – Oscar Wilde
18 – 25 March 2021
Body Wise
will help it calm down.” – “ The frustration of feeling out of control is mitigated when I’ve done everything on my end to set things up.” – “ A list of all the ways I can use this time will lift the oppression of boredom.”
by Ann Brode Ann Todhunter Brode has been an Aston Patterning practitioner and body-oriented therapist in Santa Barbara for over forty years. A recognized master in her field, Brode writes down-to-earth, compassionate articles on the challenges & rewards of living consciously in the body. She is author of Body Wise: What Your Mind Needs to Know About Your Body. Visit www.bodywisdomforlife.com for more information.
Course Offerings
‘Name It to Tame It’
Science has shown that putting feelings into words calms your nervous system and allows you to access your rational brain.
The Salubrious Effects of Expressive Writing
T
he hustle-bustle of normal life has given way to a slower pace. My appointment book is empty. Social interaction is masked and brief. Even reliable distractions have lost their luster. With so much time for introspection, unresolved issues and negative thoughts are adding to the stress load. Instead of soldiering on, I’m choosing to use this opportunity to do some expressive writing. A therapeutic technique, expressive writing helps people process thoughts and feelings associated with a traumatic or stressful life experience. Hello, pandemic. Focusing on what’s bugging you and putting it into words is a good way to diffuse the emotional charge and lighten the load. As psychologist Dan Siegel put it: “Name it to tame it.” This has very tangible results. Research has shown that simply writing about what’s going on, even for a few minutes, decreases stress, improves mood, and cultivates a deeper understanding. A regular writing practice can even reduce physical pain and relieve depression. My friends who journal have told me that writing is a doorway to intuition. Why not take pen in hand and see what it does for you? Even if you’ve never written anything personal in your life, you won’t have to search for material. A few quiet moments alone will give you plenty of writing material. The thoughts that pop up aren’t random and the tension isn’t really physical. Like old friends who’ve come to visit during the pandemic and just stayed on, the stuff that surfaces is all very
ance in uncertain times. In the words of Diana Raab, PhD, author of Writing for Bliss: “Writing about what’s on your mind and in your heart helps you make sense of your situation and results in a feeling of release and an increased sense of awareness.”
familiar. Just take pen in hand and put your thoughts down on paper. It’s not a cliché to say that writing it out, gets it out. Use some of that extra time you have to do a little healing. Perhaps, you’ll find some inner wisdom along the way. Here’s how.
Trust the Process
Write about what’s happening in your body, what’s rumbling around in your head, a recent dream, a comment that rankled. Keep it personal, use feeling words, be honest, and let the writing take the lead. Trust the process. This isn’t a composition for publication; this is your inner self finding expression. Some prompts that’ve helped me get started are: – “ If my stomach (shoulders, neck, back) could talk, it would tell me…” – “ Being on a vaccine wait-list makes me feel…” – “ The endless monotony brings up a lot of…” With a linear progression, it’s easy to see how thoughts and feelings that used to be churning around inside are now outside. From this perspective, take a look at what came up and the words you chose. Let your rational, cognitive mind weigh in. Here are some ways my writing took it to the next step: – “ My anxious stomach reflects the unsettled nature of cancelled plans. Setting open-ended expectations
To wrap up your expressive writing process, pause again to reflect. Add insight and wisdom. Once you name it and tame it, you’re out of the weeds. Now, you can see a bigger, broader picture. Let your writing drift philosophically for a bit and add something you’re looking forward to. Some people prefer writing in a formal journal that they can reflect on later. Others view their writing as cathartic and dispose their crumpled pages in a ceremonial gesture. Regardless of where you end up, getting the words out of your body/mind helps you process your feelings and find perspective. You can feel the results. Expressive writing is a viable, self-healing strategy. Science has shown that putting feelings into words calms your nervous system and allows more access to your rational brain. In addition, writing in cursive slows you down and helps the words flow freely. This is because when you connect letters in a single stroke it engages both sides of the brain, thereby giving you access to thoughts, feelings, image, and memory. Putting it all down on paper breaks up the emotional logjam. Once moving, your right brain has the insight and your left brain has the clarity to uncover new solutions to nagging problems. As a regular practice, journaling is a good way to create order out of chaos and find your bal-
Finding ways to alleviate the discomfort and do something positive as the pandemic continues on may be the best strategy for staying healthy – in mind, body, and spirit. Do your own expressive writing research and then write about the results! If you’re intrigued and would like to take it further, check out one of these offerings: Diana Raab teaches two writing courses on DailyOm – Write. Heal. Transform.: A Magical Memoir Writing Course, and Therapeutic Writing. Both include journal writing tips. Janet Lucy, MA, offers eight- and 12-week women’s weekly writing circles via Zoom. Her next season begins the first week of April. She also offers an email group course for women titled “Divine Ink ~ Illuminating the Heroine’s Journey.” For more info, contact: janet@thethreesunflowers.com. As Janet says: “Hearing one’s authentic inner voice, alone or witnessed in a circle, putting it in words on paper, is healing, inspiring, and transformative.” •MJ
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• The Voice of the Village •
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Senior Portrait by Zach Rosen
Trish Davis Trish Davis in the Montecito History Committee office
H
istory is always in the making. Our actions today become the history of tomorrow. As Chair of the Montecito Association’s History Committee, and through her 50 or so years of community involvement, Trish Davis is helping preserve the history of the area while also helping contribute to it. Trish originally grew up in the San Fernando Valley as part of a large family with her cousins living just a few blocks away. After college she entered the airline industry as a stewardess for American Airlines for two years before becoming a tour guide for LAX with the Department of Airports, which she continued for the next 14 years. From holding moon rocks to meeting interesting aviation figures, and even having to sneak the Charles Manson jury through the airport disguised as travel agents, she was able to have many memorable experiences during her time there. Today she is still a member of The Kiwi Club, a 70-year-old philanthropic organization for past and present American Airlines flight attendants. It was after moving to the Santa Barbara area in the early ‘70s that she met her husband, Bill, who had graduated from UCSB. Trish mentions they “have always been very fortunate to live in really magical places over the forty years they’ve been married.” Once married, they lived at both the old Potter’s estate and for years at the historic Armour‘s estate, El Mirador, on Cold Spring Road that had such regular visitors as Walt Disney and Charles Lindbergh throughout its history. They lived in the Farm Building on the estate, watching the koi in the lush Japanese gardens and many birds that visited the 70-acre property while learning of its history. It was while on a committee to dedicate The Popcorn Man commem-
28 MONTECITO JOURNAL
orative bench near Stearns Wharf that Trish realized how nice it would be to have a food option that was affordable, fun, and simple for families visiting the wharf. This sparked the idea for The Hot Dog Construction Cart where patrons could build their own hot dog at the food cart. It became the first licensed hot dog business at the base of the wharf. It started off small and grew in popularity, and Trish worked with many nonprofits over the three years that she operated it. While the hot dog cart days are behind her, she still has the cart today in storage and runs into people who remember eating there. After the hot dog cart, Trish began working for the County of Santa Barbara as a rideshare coordinator. This was right when the concept was beginning and it eventually led to her helping found the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition. During this time, she served as the very first chair for the Children’s Commission under David Yager in the county. While working there she was also able to organize a Santa Barbara Airport tour reminiscent of the LAX one. Trish feels that children have a natural fascination with flying and every child should see an airport control tower. Admittedly SBA has smaller planes, but this one at least had a pedal airplane – in partnership with Tracor, FAA, and the City of Santa Barbara – that kids could sit in and talk to the tower. For most of his career, Bill worked with the City of Santa Barbara in a variety of roles. In the nineties, Bill and Trish left for the Palm Springs area so he could work with the USPS as project manager for the new post office in La Quinta. Having experienced living history while at El Mirador, Trish notes that the “the history bug had bit her” and
she began working with the Palm Springs Historical Society. While there they helped establish the first neighborhood association with over forty of them now spread out across the desert. They spent three years in Palm Springs while still maintaining a foothold in Santa Barbara and Montecito.
A Love for History
Upon returning to the area, Trish became involved with the Montecito Association and its affiliated History Committee, serving a three-year term with the MA before turning her focus to the History Committee there. With her love for history, it is natural that Trish is most involved with this committee and she credits the hard work of the original team – Kit McMahon, David Myrick, Maria Herold, and Maria Churchill – for helping build the intricate repository of historic documents and mementos. Working with such an amazing team, Trish would have never imagined becoming the chair of the committee, but she has been in this role for the past eight years. During the aftermath of the 1/9 Montecito debris flow, they worked closely with scientists, authors, and even filmmakers to find historical records of the affected areas and to document the damage. In the past they have also hosted a monthly Walk & Talk that takes a group of up to fifteen through different historic estates like Casa de Maria. Attendees get to tour the iconic properties while learning about their history and the families behind them. Trish wants everyone to know that the office’s historical records are available to the public. The History Committee office is normally open on Tuesdays to visitors but has obviously been closed during the pandemic. Of course, they are always available by email or phone (805-969-1597 or history@montecitoassociation.org) and hope to reopen as soon as possible. While the office may not hold all the answers, they will help connect info seekers to those who may have the right answers, and Trish has seen serendipitous magic occur in the office through these connections and pursuit of history.
Other Community Involvement
The other main organization Trish is involved with is the Montecito Emergency Response & Recovery Action Group (MERRAG), having just joined the board. This cadre of volunteers assist during times of crisis and natural disaster. The unique organization has been around since 1987 and with the area’s history of fires and natural disaster, they have been an instrumental part of public assistance during emergencies.
“Everything is blooming most recklessly” – Rainer Maria Rilke
MERRAG works closely with the Montecito Fire, Water and Sanitary Districts, bringing a large van out into the village that provides maps, information, and directions when needed. They also normally hold monthly meetings for residents on fire and emergency preparedness. During the quarantine the classes have been hosted on Zoom, but they plan to return to in-person sessions as soon as it is safe to do so. Trish was part of the team that helped found the local Heath House and Sarah House as well. These nonprofits were originally aimed towards helping end of life patients with HIV/AIDS but have since been repurposed as treatments have improved over the years. During this period, her own brother, Christopher, was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. He had a dream of putting together a house like Heath House in Ventura. They were able to make this a reality in 1993 and Christopher House was founded by Trish and Bill in his honor. The property has since transformed from its original intention but is still operated as a nonprofit with new purpose by the city of Ventura. Trish has been on a range of chairs and committees for a range of institutions over the years including the Pearl Chase Society, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, and Navy League. She was particularly active in the Santa Barbara Yacht Club where she served as president of the women’s club, even becoming woman of the year, and remains a member to this day. Through her involvement with the MA, she helped co-chair and committee the Village 4th of July Celebration and Beautification Day for a long time. While working with the Santa Barbara Renaissance Fund 37 years ago, she assisted Hal Conklin in the organization of the first snow day in the area where they brought fresh snow to the Santa Barbara Public Library for kids and families to play in. Trish has always been politically active, helping with the campaigns of Stan Roden, Hal Conklin, Jack O’Connell, and Brad Stein. These were all great experiences and she really feels that “if you believe in someone you have to step forward and do it.” Trish has been volunteering and stepping forward in her communities since she was about 14 years old, and she’s received endless support from her husband, Bill, throughout their marriage. Naturally the pandemic has brought about a change of pace and she is looking forward to getting back to it as soon as possible. These are certainly historic times we are living through and thankfully Trish and the History Committee are here to help preserve the past and present history of Montecito. •MJ 18 – 25 March 2021
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MONTECITO JOURNAL
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Letters (Continued from page 10)
Options and Safe Routes in Montecito!
Walking and biking to get to your Montecito destination? Kids and families walking to school? A casual morning walk downtown for breakfast? Family headed to the beach for the day? It’s crucial to have safe options! Not only options, but a myriad of benefits: A more active community is a healthier community. People who are out walking and biking feel more connected to their community. For kids, it’s a way to get places that would foster independence – a quality missing in youth experiences these days. And of course, the environmental benefits that come from reducing our use of fossil fuel. In 2008 it took four years of merciless five-hour-long community meetings where the same topics were hashed and re-hashed every couple of months and a resulting $500,000 price tag to get the path built along San Ysidro Road from Jameson Road to MUS. Now, the trail is universally popular. It is used by people of all ages: moms with strollers, dog walkers, older people, kids going to and from school. Recent concerns over the aesthetics of the Hot Springs Trail project bring back memories of 2008. Please – let’s not get stuck for four years discussing the nuances of path-making. We now know that these paths work and are an asset to the community. Montecito has an incredible community resource called the SB Bucket Brigade. You’ve seen the paths the Bucket Brigade has built – they are aesthetically pleasing trails and paths in keeping with the rural feel of Montecito. Let’s get more paths and trails built under budget, in line with the community plan, maintaining the rural feel and enable kids who want to walk to school in the next year or two, to do so! Let’s get paths and trails built TODAY so that Montecito residents have safe and pleasant options for
walking and biking to their destination TOMORROW. Kim Stanley
Walkability is Livability
What a difference trails make. Thank you to all involved with making this legal, public right of way, semi-rural character trail on Hot Springs Road. It’s fantastic. Walkability is livability in the 21st century. I can understand that some feel they weren’t informed, but you were, and as Chris Sneddon said, “This is a gift.” Something like this can get bogged down in bureaucracy for years. Enjoy it, celebrate it, take care of it, don’t trash it. I hope that Sycamore Canyon Road is next. The Cold Spring School District deserves major pedestrian safety improvements on their main route to school, Sycamore Canyon Road. Keep on making trails! Tracey Willfong
Honesty, Humor, Knowledge
This is my first “Letter to the Editor.” We enjoy your publication and in particular the “BRILLIANT THOUGHTS” BY ASHLEIGH BRILLIANT. He never fails to entertain our family... either with something profound that we did not know, or something hilarious that leaves us laughing out loud. His willingness to share personal things from his life so honestly makes me think “I would never tell anyone that...” but that is MR. BRILLIANT’S style... Honesty, Humor, Knowledge all wrapped into a great column, “BRILLIANT THOUGHTS.” Thank you from the McIntosh Family. Sincerely, Sharon McIntosh (the MOM) •MJ
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Local News
San Marcos Foothills: Rich in History
J
ulie Cordero-Lamb is an ethnobotanist and a member of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation. She joined the effort to protect San Marcos Foothills nearly twenty years ago. She has a unique perspective on the site, which is important to her and to the Chumash community. “We have a connection to that place that goes back 15,000 years,” said Cordero-Lamb. “You can’t put a price on that.” Cordero-Lamb, who is in her 40s, has studied indigenous plant medicine. She received her B.A. in anthropology from Evergreen State College and her M.A. in religious studies from UCSB. She founded the Syuxtun Plant Mentorship Collective to spread that knowledge, naming the group after a large Chumash village that existed in 1542, according to historical accounts. Cordero-Lamb’s work with the collective has been featured on the PBS SoCal and other news outlets. Because the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation is a non-federally recognized tribe, it does not have a formal say in what happens to its ancestral lands here. Even so, the area holds cultural and spiritual significance for the band, explained Cordero-Lamb. “When a lot of our young people need to pray, this is where they come.” According to her, the hills of San Marcos contain “the last slice of perennial oak grasslands in Santa Barbara.” Centuries ago, the Chumash people came to these grasslands to gather acorns, grass and materials to make their baskets. Every few years, they burned the hills as a way to manage wildfires. Today, Cordero-Lamb, members of her plant collective and other tribal people still collect seeds and herbs here, just as their ancestors once did. (Chumash artifacts used for food processing have been found at two locations here.) The land still provides food, medicine, and supplies for traditional crafts. “This type of ecosystem is really rare,” said Cordero-Lamb. It contains chaparral, coastal sage scrub, coast live oak woodlands, arroyo willow/ coast live oak riparian woodlands, coast live oak savanna, native perennial grasslands, as well as non-native annual grassland. When settlers emigrated here from Spain, Mexico, and America’s eastern front, they pushed out the native people and turned the grasslands into fruit orchards, cattle ranches, sheep granges, and dairies. By 1915, the
“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.” – Pablo Neruda
by Lucy Marx
Flying A Studios of Santa Barbara occasionally used the rolling hills as a backdrop for films. After World War II, according to Channel Islands Restoration, single-family housing was developed on parts of the property, while other parts were deeded to the state for road widening. In 1998, a proposal to develop an equestrian-themed community was denied approval and, suddenly, the area became the focus of preservationists. In 1996, the community rallied to protect the land, and Brooke Bulkley and Mark Holmgren formed the San Marcos Foothills Coalition (SMFC) to protect the area’s open space. By 1999, more than a dozen community organizations and people had joined the coalition, including Cordero-Lamb. Even so, the developer bought 315 acres and donated 90% of it to what is now called the San Marcos Foothills Preserve. With that transfer, the county approved Chadmar’s small development of elegant homes. But building more houses would be detrimental to the foothills and the surrounding ecosystem, said CorderoLamb. This is home to dozens of sensitive species including Townsend’s bigeared bat; the San Diego black-tailed jackrabbit, and the American badger. Construction not only destroys the natural habitat of these and other creatures, it creates automobile traffic, noise pollution and light pollution, which harms wildlife. It displaces smaller prey animals, such as rabbits, which causes predator species, such as white-tailed kites, to leave the area in search of a more plentiful food source. Construction can also block wildlife from using migratory routes that their species have used for centuries. The foothills – and its homes – lie in a high-risk fire zone, and are threatened by drought and future water shortages. And even luxury homeowners use toxic chemicals and pesticides on their property, which impacts land far beyond their own. “That affects everything around it,” said Cordero-Lamb. Today, wealthy donors and community donations are the last hope for those who call themselves land defenders. Additional reporting by K. Sharp
Protests, Arrests, and an $18 Million Offer
In late February, the winter sun rose on the San Marcos Foothills and 18 – 25 March 2021
illuminated a make-shift camp of 30 people. Members of the group sang ancient songs and chanted Chumash prayers on land that for centuries had been a gathering place for tribal members. The purpose of the group was to try and save the remaining acres of space, which was owned by a developer, The Chadmar Group. As the day progressed, about 100 people came and went. The protestors included college students, environmentalists, neighbors, and local indigenous people. They had brought with them a table to register volunteers; folding chairs; blankets; tents and coolers of food and refreshments. Many people stood at the entrance to the building site; some had tied themselves to the fence to try and stop construction workers who were simply doing their job. But the developer and its contractors were frustrated as they were ready to finish the final phase of development. The sheriffs were called, and the conflict escalated. Tension grew between the protestors, some of whom were arrested and said they were roughly treated, and sheriff deputies, who were trying to allow the permitted construction to proceed. One could say that the battle brought the two sides together. Last week, the developer and environmentalists
announced that they had forged an agreement. For the following 90 days, the protestors would leave the building site and the developer would stop his bulldozers. Chadmar would give the Save San Marcos Foothills group time to raise about $18 million to buy the remaining acres from the developer. (See the interview with developer Charles Lande.) If the group fails to raise $18 million, it has pledged to stop blocking the construction. If it reaches its goal, it could prove to be a win-win for both developer and protestors. No matter what, the incident in the hills underlines how tough it can be to develop even a small, preservation-friendly site in Santa Barbara, home to the environmental movement. Here’s how the truce played out: Although some protestors may not have realized it, the developer in December 2006 had owned 350 acres. It agreed to give 315 acres to the county in exchange for approval to build 20 homes on the remaining 35 acres. The deal had allowed the owner to build 15 market-rate, luxury homes and five affordable ones. Of the 315 donated acres, some 200 acres created the San Marcos Foothill Preserve; another 16 acres were given to the public for a county park; and 98 acres were set aside as a preserved open space that would remain private.
County Supervisor Gregg Hart addresses reporters and a crowd, backed by representatives from the Chadmar Group and the Save San Marcos Foothills group, on Wednesday, March 10 at the site for the proposed development. The two parties reached an agreement to allow the Save San Marcos Group 90 days to raise funds to purchase the land.
On October 2017, the County Parks Department asked community members to submit input ideas for the “San Marcos Park” Master Plan. The department held four public workshops and posted a survey on its website. It reportedly had submitted a conceptual plan to the County Parks Commission in late 2017. Some construction had started in 2014; a little more work took place about three years later. At that point, ten of the 20 homes had been completed and most of them were occupied. But the neighbors, joggers, and walkers who used the preserve hadn’t
seen much of this activity. Protestor Shayne Casso had been taking weekly walks at the San Macros Preserve for a while. “I just love being here,” she told the Montecito Journal. College student and protestor Emily Hoeflinger had hiked the area with her family as a girl. “It’s just a really special place.” Indeed, members of the preservation group believed that the housing development had either died or been stalled due to high building costs or some other factor. Then, someone noticed a sign; another spied
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On Entertainment
by Steven Libowitz
Just Gilles: Apap Still Fiddling Around
I
t’s hard to imagine that Gilles Apap, the French classical violinist who enjoys a solid reputation as a soloist with orchestras around the world but still relishes any opportunity to fix his fiddle on folk tunes and gypsy music, will turn 58 later this spring. The impish Apap maintains both a youthful appearance and an ever-curious attitude that has served him well in endeavors that also include surfing whenever the waves, and timing, are right. Apap won first prize in the contemporary music category at the Yehudi Menuhin Competition in 1985, and in the 1990s served a stint as concertmaster with the Santa Barbara Symphony for a decade, during which he also played small halls, clubs, and homes with the Transylvanian Mountain Boys, and showed up regularly at the Old Time Fiddlers Convention to jam with all comers on the lawn. So Apap’s appearance with the Santa Barbara Symphony as part of its virtual concert series recorded live at
the Granada most assuredly serves as a homecoming of sorts for those who still can recall his brilliant playing in an astonishing array of genres. In a program simply dubbed “Violins Around The World: From Classical to Bluegrass,” the violinist, who now lives in Atascadero, joins orchestra maestro Nir Kabaretti for a globetrotting program that includes a fiddler who 200 years ago might have been Apap’s foil as Joseph Boulogne de Chevalier St-Georges, was a champion fencer as well as a virtuoso violinist and conductor who has the distinction of being the first classical composer of African ancestry. His Symphony No 1 features fast and intricate violin parts, complex music that he wrote to show off his skills, which should show Apap in good light. Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, “The Turkish,” will also reveal Apap’s versatility as the piece will feature unique interpretations for the instrument, while Apap’s own Arrangements for String Orchestra
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and Violin features French, Irish, Balkan, Bluegrass and popular music, with segments titled “Fiddlin’ Around,” “Old Dangerfield,” “Java Manoush,” “Dracula Breakdown,” and “Irish Polka.” Apap’s appearance, albeit on video only for the audience, should still be a sight (and sounds) to behold, a highlight of the season so far. The streaming event debuts at 7 pm on March 20, and remains available for 30 days. Visit https:// thesymphony.org.
Classical Corner
CAMA’s Collins Sound/Stage Cocktail Tune in at 5 pm on Friday, March 19, for CAMA Women’s Board’s community-oriented preview of Episode 2 of the LA Philharmonic’s new season of Sound/Stage, featuring bi-weekly virtual concerts recorded live at the Hollywood Bowl. Dubbed “A PanAmerican Musical Feast,” the performance includes a conversation between Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel and José Andrés, the renowned Spanish-American chef, restaurateur and founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a nonprofit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters, who just appeared for UCSB A&L’s House Calls this past Sunday. Enjoy the many sounds and flavors of the Americas with music by composers Tania León (Fanfarria), Paul Desenne (Sinfonía Burocratica ed’Amazzonica: “Bananera”), and Aaron Copland (Appalachian Spring Suite chamber version). Kick off the concert experience with CAMA’s Deborah Bertling, Women’s Board President and Host of the pre-event, along with David Malvinni, who offers About the Program lectures, and Fun Facts Host Kacey Link. Visit https://camasb. org/get-involved.
‘Storm Reading’ Revisited
Back in 1988 nobody could have predicted the success or impact of Storm Reading, a theatrical play starring and based on the life experiences of Neil Marcus, a humorist-philosopher who lives with a neurological disorder called Dystonia that dramatically impacts his ability to speak and control movement. That includes Rod Lathim, who as head of Santa Barbara
Q. What did you see in this piece when Neil first brought it to you? It was raw material. How did you know you could make it into a piece of theater? A. All he shared with me was a pile of his writing, literally in no particular order. Some were observations, some prose and poetry, others were stories and experiences, and some philosophical statements. It was a hodgepodge of snapshots of his experiences and his outlook on life, which was boldly refreshing to me. He had a voice that needed to be heard. So I picked pieces that I could see visually happening on stage, like entries in a diary that could be dramatized. We just started literally carving away day after day on how to bring these stories to life. Watching the video again recently, I’m still struck by how there’s so much more humor and comedy than one might expect about such a serious subject as living with a debilitating disability and suffering from discrimination. Neil is all about humor, which is one of the things that attracted me to his voice that was both funny and full of wisdom. And that’s important if you want to stage it for a general audience. Nobody would want to watch him
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Access Theater Company – the pioneering organization whose “opendoor casting” featured artists with physical disabilities, including deaf and blind as well as non-disabled performers – helped to shape Marcus’ writing into a coherent stage show and directed the play. Marcus played himself during the play’s surprising international six-year run that offered vignettes showcasing his dedication to living life to the fullest, artistically and poetically, sharing the stage with Matthew Ingersoll, who often voices for Neil and portrays a myriad of characters, and American Sign Language interpreter Kathryn Voice, who offers movement as well as hand signals. The play’s run came to a close in 1996 with a final performance that was videotaped. Now the vintage show returns to life as the next entry in the Marjorie Luke Theatre’s Virtual Concert Series, streaming 24 hours a day starting March 19. We caught up with Lathim, who runs the Luke and spearheads the series, to revisit Storm Reading.
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just cope with a severe disability for an hour and a half, and that wasn’t who Neil is. Truly I was never so excited to offer the stage to someone with such a unique voice that was so empowering and liberating. The show is 33 years old, and the video recording was made 25 years ago. What makes it worthwhile to include as part of the Virtual Concert Series, which has been almost exclusively streaming events that were created for and filmed at the Luke? Simply because it still packs a punch. It still speaks to the unique way of how the world treats people who are different just because they’re different, whether it’s their skin color or their nationality or whatever. Neil is a classic example of someone living their life with absolute authenticity and not allowing themselves to be defined by our culture, by stereotypes, or anything. He is his own man and he has successfully pulled that off for over 60 years. It helps that the show originated on a Santa Barbara stage before going on to tour the nation and parts of the world for six years. I still can’t come up with any other production that enjoyed that kind of success. But it hasn’t been seen here by all that many people in almost 30 years. And it’s a throwback to the days when Santa Barbara was really creating original
theater on a scale that isn’t even really doable anymore. That seemed important, too. Speaking of success, how surprised were you by how well it was received? Shocked, really. We were just heading into our 10th year of operation and people knew who we were because we’d had a good run of shows. But when I told people about Neil and the concept for Storm Reading, almost everyone said, “You can’t do this. You can’t put this guy on stage. It’s not going to work. It’s gonna totally bomb. Why would you do that?” But they hadn’t met Neil. They didn’t see what I saw in him. I just decided that we were going to do it. We were scared to death. But on opening day, we had a student matinee show as a preview with kids from about three different high schools in Santa Barbara. And they just loved it. I’ve never seen a group of high school students react to anything the way they did to Neil and the show. I remember we were holding our heads like Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone thinking, “Oh my God, it worked!” We sold out two weekends at the Lobero over the next 48 hours just by word of mouth. Then it started getting rave reviews and people started booking us and it went on for six years. Its success was part of why Access was able to
The Marjorie Luke Theatre Virtual Concert Series presents the vintage, groundbreaking play Storm Reading, which will begin streaming on March 19
end with leaving behind an endowment, which actually helped fund the Marjorie Luke Theatre itself. The play seemed to make a difference in shedding light on how the disabled are treated in general, and particularly in theater, raising ideas about what people are capable of. Do you think that impact still exists? Have things changed in the last 20 years? I think it’s something that humanity is always going to have to work on. Specifically for people who have dis-
“They Get to Know Your Business”
abilities in the arts, things have gotten much better. An actress who uses a wheelchair won a Tony (Ali Stroker for Oklahoma! in 2019), Big River, and Spring Awakening had actors with disabilities, and there was a deaf competitor on Dancing with the Stars. So I feel really good about how far we’ve come. But we still have a long way to go. Just the fact that in 2020 and ‘21, there’s still a need for Black Lives Matter. What does that say about our society? We’re very slow to learn. Hopefully we’re getting better. •MJ
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Montecito on the Move (Continued from page 8) who work in Carpinteria. Under that loose definition, Montecito would be a great place to host 10-unit buildings on single family lots! Again, ministerial approval is all that’s needed, under the bill. See the visual of how these bills could impact a formerly single-family residential neighborhood block (image courtesy: United Neighbors). This is a massive developer giveaway, will cause real estate speculation, and will not increase affordable housing. Senator Atkins’ wife has an affordable housing and economic development consulting business that has quadrupled, according to the L.A. Times. Scott Wiener’s 2016 campaign received more than $500,000 from Big Real Estate contributions. His housing bills are perceived as gifts to these contributors.
What We Can Do
We need YOU to help mount a statewide voice in defense of community. Our legislators, Senator Limón and Assemblymember Bennett do not like sweeping bills like these. But they are only TWO legislators. There are 80 Assemblymembers and 40 State Senators. For a bill to pass, 50% + 1 votes are required. We’ve joined forces with United Neighbors, an alliance of communities across California, to oppose these bills, and support others that are good for our community. We’ve hired former State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson to navigate the legislative process with us (first reported on these pages!). We need your support to get California legislators to stand with community, now. Our position paper on Senate Bill 9 was submitted to the legislature and our state Senator, and this newspaper has graciously agreed to print it. Other communities are using it to formulate their positions. We will host a townhall in the next couple of weeks to inform communities and help them advocate with the state. If this bill clears the Senate in June, it will make the rounds through the Assembly and then go to the Governor’s desk for signature in October. Please, join us now in protecting and preserving all our communities from these bills. Email me at execdirector@ montecitoassociation.org or call (805) 636-0475 if you want to be part of the team that works to defeat these bills. What follows is our position paper that was submitted to the legislature and our state Senator Monique Limón:
Dear Senator Limón,
The Montecito Association, representing more than 1,000 residents in Santa Barbara County, opposes California Senate Bill 9 introduced December 7, 2020. SB 9 allows the building of multi-family housing
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developments in single-family residentially zoned neighborhoods via ministerial approval, wiping out all regulatory, environmental, and discretionary community reviews. SB 9 negatively impacts long-existing, single-family neighborhoods while not addressing the real issue that desperately needs solving: affordable housing. SB 9’s trickle-down theory that adding any type of housing will eventually produce affordable housing has been proven false by many cities that have tried. See City of Santa Barbara’s AUD (Additional Unit Density) experiment for a relevant case. Allowing more density has often INCREASED the price of the land, and resulted in only marginal increases of lower priced housing, driving any idea of affordability out of reach while making the new units even more expensive than market-rate. SB9’s first provision that allows duplexes is unnecessary. Santa Barbara County already allows Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior ADUS ministerially on every single-family lot. Therefore, the opportunity to add a duplex to single family lots already exists by virtue of the current ADU laws, per Government Code section 65852.2 and 65852.22. Further development on single-family lots would increase a tremendous burden to the community that is already adding thousands of units of housing. The use of the ADU/JADU provision is just now catching on and the State should wait to see how many units are created through this existing program. The addition of smaller units for extended family or younger and older members of the population is a smarter way to integrate the anticipated population growth in the state. SB 9’s second provision allows lot-splitting which will encourage land speculators to buy houses, demolish them, split the lot, and build six to eight market-rate housing units where one house previously existed. This type of prescribed up-zoning fails to recognize physical and environmental constraints of various neighborhoods and should allow local agencies to regulate it, though perhaps via a simpler permit path. We, like many semi-rural communities in the state, are already experiencing speculative “buying and flipping” in Montecito, driving housing prices up further. This will increase land values exponentially and make affordable housing even more impossible. SB 9 eliminates objective zoning standards allowing unrestricted building size, and will surely ruin established neighborhoods of all types throughout the state. If a simplified lot-splitting path is pursued, it must be tied to an affordability requirement to discourage developers from creating more market rate housing with no direct benefit to the very low and low
income populations most in need. We are currently engaged in a community-originated, supported, and funded outreach project for those experiencing homelessness in Montecito. We keenly feel the need for affordable housing as we try to help navigate individuals out of homelessness. We would welcome something that provides affordable housing for those experiencing homelessness. This bill does not do that. Instead, it will exacerbate our affordable housing crises. SB 9, in its rush to provide affordable housing without a balanced approach to plan for such accordingly, further: • Requires No Infrastructure Improvements – The magnitude of this bill’s impact must be considered in terms of current infrastructure capability. Montecito is already well known to be infrastructure-deficient, as revealed by the Thomas Fire Debris Flow on 1/9/18. The existing sewer, power, water, and gas infrastructure cannot handle intensification of the many small neighborhoods by increasing density by 400% without related infrastructure planning to meet that density. The community plan simply did not envision a plan like SB 9 that directly compromises our community’s safety and our ability to manage that safety. The state pushes the financial burden of required infrastructure improvements not on itself, or developers, but on local jurisdictions. Our Special Districts have zero budget for increasing infrastructure. • Poses Huge Fire Risks – In 2017 Montecito experienced the then largest wildfire in California history, the Thomas Fire. Over 8,000 firefighters from California and the U.S. came here to defend our community and evacuate our citizens down windy, narrow mountain roads. We cannot imagine jamming more people into such an environment without concomitant consideration of increase fire protection resources, improved egress paths, and better water pressure for firefighting. • Places Unsuspecting New Residents in Direct Path of Significant Geologic Hazards –The 2018 Montecito Debris Flow was seen by billions of people around the world due to its disastrous impact and loss of life. We’ve learned that at least every 50 years, we experience a debris flow here, dating back to 1914. We have taken steps to make ourselves more climate-defensive, but we continue to face mandatory evacuations in winter rains due to earth instability and potential debris-laden flows. With five creeks in our community, and the realization we are living on an alluvial fan, we are trying to ensure our existing residents are safe from geologic hazards present here. It would be patently insane to place more people in the path of such hazards via mandated housing.
“The earth laughs in flowers.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Reduces Open Space and Permeable Surface – Expanding building footprints and reducing open yard space badly impacts aquifers, the urban canopy, and could worsen greenhouse gas production throughout the state. SB 9 will drastically reduce the size of backyards and necessitates the loss of trees. Montecito has been shown to have small aquifers still recovering from the eight-year drought recently experienced here, and a seemingly new drought cycle on the horizon throughout the state. We are going to be partially supplied by desal water from a neighboring jurisdiction at great expense. We have major concerns regarding water supply in this community, and increasing density inarguably exacerbates those. • Preferable Options Are Available – We have numerous options for adding housing throughout the state without ruining existing neighborhoods. SB 9 creates more problems and doesn’t provide for what is truly needed: affordable housing. We really want to encourage creative thinking to provide for this urgent need, rather than engaging in trickle-down economics in the hope that prescribing higher densities in the states long fought for single-family zone districts will win this fight for housing. This is particularly timely given the fundamental shift of many office workers to telecommuting options welcomed by employers and employees. Residential zone districts are naturally becoming mixed-use developments as more of the work force will continue to work from home. Again, SB 9 may have the opposite effect, as in example, in our local area, we are seeing the exact opposite effect occur: land and units became MORE expensive with added density. Especially as the state emerges from COVID-19 patterns, please instead look to the currently built environment with much space for housing in increasingly vacant commercial square footage and find incentives to convert that existing development to housing. Current zoning has under-utilized capacity in our commercial corridors and multi-family zones. We need to encourage efficient land use and development of our publicly owned lands. To add affordable housing, please also consider the re-establishment of redevelopment agencies to leverage public funds for truly affordable housing production, and thus reduce dependence on private developers to provide a small, insufficient percent of affordable housing in return for huge density bonuses. We feel there could be huge opportunity in conversion of commercial office space as a result of the pandemic and remote work becoming the norm. Thank you. Sincerely, Megan Orloff President, Montecito Association •MJ 18 – 25 March 2021
On The Record (Continued from page 6) City Attorney Ariel Calonne is also officially reviewing the role played by Wagner in the city’s handling of the dispensary licensing process. Contacted by the Journal on March 15, Melekian confirmed the scope of his investigation but refused additional comment pending its outcome. However, on March 16, Calonne agreed to be interviewed and stated that almost all the issues raised in the L.A. Magazine story had previously been investigated by his office. “There have been a couple of inquiries about conflicts of interest involving Mr. Wagner and my office has looked at both of those,” Colonne said, adding that Wagner had disclosed information and had sought conflict of interest advice from the city prior to participating in the dispensary licensing program. “Our focus then as now was focused on making sure the dispensary licensing process was fair,” he added. “Our interest in that was strong because we were trying to develop a new industry and were allowed to regulate it by the state legislature, so we wanted to do it right.” According to Calonne, there were five city employees including deputy directors of fire and city finance involved in the licensing process. “Wagner was at the bottom of that list,” Calonne said. “All five staff people involved signed attestations saying they would remain free of conflict and exercise fair judgment. That staff team did the evaluation process and were well aware of conflict of interest rules.” Calonne reiterated that Wagner both sought and received conflict of interest advice from the city before participating in the application review process, but he declined to go into details. “There is some new factual information that the police chief is looking into,” he said, referring to Melekian. “While we have a very strong interest in avoiding the appearance of corruption, we also have a strong interest in protecting the constitutional rights of employees who are accused of serious misconduct.” Calonne added, “The police chief, Mr. Melekian, and myself have each made a commitment that when this third round of investigation is done, we intend to disclose everything we know even if we don’t have to disclose it, as long as it’s lawful to do so. It’s critically important to ensure public confidence in what we are doing.”
Questions About Cannabis
One of the critical questions raised by Kriegman’s story is why Knopf was allowed to sell a majority stake in his just-approved Santa Barbara dispensary to another party, Jushi Holdings, Inc. Last year, Noozhawk reporter Joshua Molina reported that shortly after 18 – 25 March 2021
Knopf won the license in 2018, he sold most of the property to the Floridabased cannabis company. Molina’s story stated that while the sale price wasn’t disclosed, it was estimated to be valued at between $7 million and $9 million. On Monday, City Administrator Paul Casey, Wagner’s boss, spoke to the Journal, but said he had no idea how much money changed hands after Knopf won the license. “The transfer of the license to other party,” he said, “is specifically allowed in the ordinance; we followed it to the letter of the law.” Land-use permits always allow transference of ownership, Casey stated, as the ability to sell a business to another party is part of the inherent value of the land parcel in question. “The transference issue is a very common thing that comes up in land use,” he said. “It happens all the time. We didn’t see any cause for concern.” Casey also confirmed that Wagner disclosed his prior relationship to Knopf before participating in the dispensary licensing process back in 2018. “Most of the allegations have been investigated previously by both the city and police department,” he said. “We take these allegations seriously and will be hiring an outside investigator to look at these issues... We’ll have more information later this week and we feel comfortable with what it will show.”
The Accused
Early on the morning of March 16, I met Wagner for coffee and tea at Pierre Lafond Market & Deli. Wearing a button up shirt and blazer and dress slacks, Wagner looked very much like the image I had in mind of a mid-sized metropolitan city police department’s public information officer, which until 24 hours ago, he was, at least actively. Sitting at a table in front of the popular Montecito café, he occasionally paused to briefly answer his phone, which seemed to constantly be ringing. I had spoken over the phone with Wagner the previous evening, and he seemed eager to refute key allegations made in the L.A. Magazine story before, he added only half-jokingly, his lawyer told him to shut up. “I have never had a financial relationship with Adam Knopf,” Wagner told me. “I disclosed this in my 2015 background check; everyone in the police department knew about it.” Furthermore, said Wagner, “Knopf was never a member of Southern California Growers Association, in which I was a land-use specialist. And I am not aware of any financial relationship between Adam Knopf and Micah Anderson. My relationship with Anderson ended two months before I started my job in Santa Barbara. I have had maybe four phone calls with him
in the past four years.” To back up his statement about disclosure, Wagner showed the Journal a copy of an email he sent at 12:01 pm on February 6, 2018 to several city staffers including Chief Luhnow, and City Attorney Calonne in which he stated that he had previously been represented by a lawyer who, at a different time, had been retained by Knopf. In the email, Wagner states that he was hired by the Santa Barbara Police Department on March 27, 2017. “Prior to that, I ran an LLC that provided land use and public health and safety guidance to clients wishing to entitle properties for land use development throughout California,” Wagner wrote. “My General Counsel was Gina Austin. From January 2017 to February 2017 I made a final payment to her of $300.00. Ms. Austin has been retained as the attorney of record for a commercial cannabis business applicant currently applying within our jurisdiction. Please provide guidance as to if this precludes me from taking part in review of this applicant’s work product.” According to Wagner, he left the San Diego cannabis business when Donald Trump was elected president, because then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions was notoriously anti-cannabis. “I didn’t want to lose my house,” Wagner said. “I was an above board advisor to provide consultation on how cannabis businesses could access government.” Anderson, Wagner said, was a business contact he knew from his cannabis dealings in San Diego. “He was a successful proprietor, a multidimensional, legitimate businessman in what was a very small network of people in San Diego,” Wagner added about Anderson. “When I had business dealings with him, I knew him as a man of amazing integrity and leadership.” After being hired by the Santa
Barbara Police Department to help oversee cannabis licensing, Wagner said, he was responsible for vetting all the main investors in each competing outfit competing for a dispensary license. “The only thing I was responsible for was vetting the principals,” he explained. “I would look at their Live Scans and search all 50 states to see if anything in their background precluded them from owning a stake. I simply reviewed their backgrounds, that’s all.” Wagner insists that while imperfect, Santa Barbara’s cannabis dispensary licensing ordinance was a well-intentioned effort to implement a recently passed state law, Proposition 64, which legalized adult use recreational marijuana in 2016. “The language in the ordinance was borrowed from various cities, from Moorpark to Lynwood, where we could grab language and make it our own,” he said. “None of this was tested. We did not create an infallible document, just created a document that could be tested and improved as a starting point.” Before we ended the interview, Wagner reiterated that he had no involvement in the fact that, subsequent to winning the license, Knopf arranged to sell the majority of his ownership interest to an outside party. He also claims he has no idea how much cash Knopf may have received in the transfer deal. “I don’t know,” he said. “I was not part of the process.” Wagner says he’s eager to cooperate with the city’s ongoing investigation. “I’m ready and willing and able to take part in whatever they want me to do,” he said, emphasizing that he has nothing to hide as far as his role in the city’s dispensary licensing process. “I was not approached by anyone and the scale was not tipped by anyone in any capacity,” he said. “It did not happen.” •MJ
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On Science
by Tom Farr
Tom Farr joined NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1975 and has helped develop the first geologic applications of imaging radar using aircraft, satellites, and the Space Shuttle. He has taught a class on planetary exploration at Santa Barbara City College for more than 10 years. He currently resides in Montecito.
Our Solar System: The Leftovers
Enhanced-color composite image of Kuiper Belt object Arrokoth
W
e all learned in school that there are eight planets (well, nine if you’re as old as I am), but our solar system is messier than that. There are millions of leftover rocks called asteroids; bits of ice and rock that come and go called comets; and objects out there beyond Neptune called, in dry scientific fashion “trans-Neptunian objects.” These latter are arranged into a nearby grouping called the Kuiper Belt (Pluto is a member) and a hypothesized wispy halo of material at the edge of the solar system called the Oort Cloud. The asteroids (also called minor planets) hang out mainly between Jupiter and Mars and are likely debris that Jupiter’s massive gravity never allowed to coalesce into a full-sized planet. Ceres is the largest, at about 590 miles across. It and Vesta, the second largest at about 325 miles, were each orbited by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft. Dawn used its ion drive to fly to Vesta and orbit it from 2011 to 2012 and then break orbit and fly to Ceres, arriving in 2015. The mission ended in 2018; Dawn continues to orbit Ceres, silently. Several other asteroids have been visited by spacecraft and a few have even landed on those small bodies. The smaller asteroids lack enough gravity to pull them into spheres, so often take strange shapes like Eros, visited by NASA’s NEAR-Shoemaker in 1998, which looks like a big banana. A few, like
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Ida and Dactyl, visited by Galileo on its way to Jupiter, are binary objects. One of the key interests in the study of these objects is to determine what they’re made of. It turns out that they range the gamut from dust-bunnies like Itokawa to huge chunks of metal like Psyche, the target of an upcoming NASA mission. The metallic asteroids have sparked a discussion on “Mining the Sky” in the future. A couple of spacecraft have brought back samples of asteroids: NASA’s Osiris-Rex is on its way back to Earth with samples of asteroid Bennu it collected in October of last year and Japan’s Hayabusa 2 landed in the Australian desert in December with a sample of asteroid Ryugu. NASA will be sending up a couple of new missions later this year to study even more asteroids: Lucy will be sent to asteroids co-orbiting with Jupiter’s while NEA-Scout will be a tiny CubeSat powered by a solar sail to visit a near-Earth asteroid called 1991VG. As long as asteroids remain in the main asteroid belt, they’re not of immediate concern for us on Earth. However, as the dinosaurs found out about 65 million years ago, sometimes asteroids find their way to Earth. Near Earth Objects (NEO) include Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHA), and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena is the center for monitoring those dangerous objects. At their website
(https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov), you can see which ones will be coming close in the near future. JPL also operates the NEOWISE spacecraft which is scanning the skies for asteroids. Locally, Las Cumbres Observatory, headquartered in Goleta, operates over a dozen telescopes around the world that also keep an eye out for NEOs. Some objects, like 2020SW, a 15-30 foot wide asteroid, came so close on September 24 last year that it passed inside the orbits of the geosynchronous communications satellites! And of course, space rocks do occasionally hit Earth as meteorites. The smaller ones can escape early detection, like the one that hit Russia in 2013 that was about 65 feet across. Exploding in the air above Chelyabinsk, it caused quite a shock wave. Spectacular images were captured on many Russian dash cameras and can be found on YouTube. You can even learn some good Russian swear words! Astronomers are keeping a close watch on Apophis, which passed by Earth on March 6 and will come close again in 2029. Each time it passes Earth, its orbit is perturbed a little, changing the chances of a collision. At about a quarter mile across, Apophis would be devastating. Because of the huge danger these NEOs pose, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are teaming up to test asteroid deflection techniques. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) will launch from Vandenberg AFB in July of this year and set on an impact trajectory to an asteroid pair. A tiny CubeSat will be dropped off prior to impact to observe the results and Earth-based telescopes will watch to see if the asteroid’s orbit changes. Five years later, ESA’s Hera spacecraft will visit the same asteroids and determine how well DART performed.
Comets and More
Comets are rarer than asteroids, but more spectacular when they come into the inner solar system and the sun’s rays boil off their ices and push the dust and vapors away into a bright tail. Comets come in two varieties: Short-period and long-period. Short-period comets return on a regular basis like Halley’s Comet, which last came around in 1986 and will return in 2061. Its orbit takes it out beyond Neptune. Long-period comets come in from a lot further away, probably the distant Oort Cloud. Some never return. Comet NEOWISE, discovered by the aforementioned spacecraft, is a bright long-period comet that lit up our skies last year. Because comets represent some of the oldest, most pristine material in the solar system, they’ve received a lot of attention. Halley’s
“Despite the forecast, live like it’s spring.” – Lilly Pulitzer
Comet was visited by spacecraft from the Soviet Union, European Space Agency (ESA), and Japan in 1986 and ESA’s Rosetta orbited Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014. It even dropped a lander named Philae onto the comet which relayed detailed information about its composition. Rosetta and Philae are still traveling with the comet. Using a bit more of a brute-force approach, NASA’s Deep Impact mission launched an 820-pound copper ‘smart bullet’ that struck comet Tempel 1 on July 4, 2005. The resulting fireworks were observed by the mother ship, yielding new information about the composition and mechanical strength of the comet. Other missions included NASA’s Deep Space 1, which used an ion drive to visit asteroid Braille and comet Borrelly; and Stardust, which collected particles from comet Wild 2 and returned them to Earth in 2006. It turns out many comet and asteroid missions were multi-purpose to get more bang for the buck. Much less is known about objects beyond Neptune because they’re so far away. But several Kuiper Belt objects (KBO) have been discovered in the last couple of decades leading the way to ‘downgrade’ Pluto from planet to KBO. The New Horizons spacecraft from Johns Hopkins University flew by Pluto in 2015 and then was re-directed to pass by Arrokoth four years later. Thus, we have some detailed information about those two bodies, as well as Neptune’s moon Triton, which is thought to be a captured KBO. Pluto in particular was found to be more active than previously thought for an object so small and so far from the sun. Frozen nitrogen glaciers were found flowing from mountainous terrain. Other, more enigmatic features are still being argued over with the New Horizons data. Pluto also has five moons: Charon, which was discovered with Earth-based telescopes, and four new ones discovered by New Horizons. The known population of KBO numbers in the thousands, but new ones are still being discovered – it’s estimated that there may be millions of them out there. One of the largest, Eris, is larger than Pluto and even has a moon, Dysnomia. The Caltech team that first discovered it tried the name Xena after TV’s warrior princess, but later the international Astronomical Union insisted on a less pop-cultural name. Careful monitoring of the orbits of the known KBO has indicated that there may be a much more massive ‘Planet Nine’ within the KBO, but so far searches have failed to turn it up. Meanwhile, New Horizons’ journey continues as it threads its way through the Kuiper Belt towards the edge of the solar system. •MJ 18 – 25 March 2021
Miscellany (Continued from page 18) Andrea McFarling, Jaime Nelson, Christina Broderick, Alex Dunn, and Andrew Firestone at Marymount (photo by Priscilla)
romantic interests, from a symphony maestro to a big-hatted country crooner, from a swaggering TV talk show host to a has-been teen idol and beyond. Meanwhile, her lunchtime pals and a gaggle of gossips keep an eye on her and an eye on the garçon’s hindquarters as together they refine the Art of Lunch. The perfect book for summer reading.
Tough Love
Magic at Marymount
One year to the day they had to close their doors due to the pandemic, Marymount of Santa Barbara celebrated the resilience of their community with their annual auction gala. The school opened back up for in-person learning in September and the auction’s theme “Magic of the Night” acknowledged how special this was. “We are celebrating the incredible magic that has been created both on and off campus for our students and by our teachers and staff,” says Head of School Chris Broderick. “This truly has been a year measured in both love and patience. It’s time to celebrate our incredible community of students, faculty, and parents that have made this year a success.” The fundraising event was held virtually on the Marymount YouTube channel and broadcast live from their picturesque Riviera campus with the ubiquitous Andrew Firestone as co-host. Attendees could opt for a catered dinner from Oku, donated by head chef and Marymount parent Koji Nomura and his wife, Stacy. Enticing auction items included a luxury getaway to the five-star Auberge Esperanza hotel in Cabo San Lucas, a trip to Mammoth for a week’s stay in Rincon Beach, and a 100-bottle collection of wine. The funds raised go towards main-
taining the programs and resources for academic excellence.
Ladies Who Lunch
An old friend, Santa Barbara cultural scribe Josef Woodard, who has written about the arts in the city for decades for the Independent and NewsPress, as well Josef Woodard launches first as the L.A. novel Times, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and myriad others, has written his first novel Ladies Who Lunch, a breezy read with bite. Joe, who has previously published two books about jazz legends Charles Lloyd and Charlie Haden, is also an accomplished musician, guitarist, songwriter, and head of the Household Ink Records label. The book, which is being published next month, is a satirical journey through the chic lunch spots and outposts around the Big Orange in the ‘90s, with newly divorced Danielle Wiffard navigating a maze of romantic, sexual, and musical encounters with celebrities and socialites. She cavorts with a range of potential
Montecito actor Don Johnson is one tough dad. Don, 71, has admitted to cutting off his actress daughter, Dakota Johnson, now 31, financially when she refused to go to college. “We have a rule in the family that, you know, if you stay in school, you get to stay on the payroll,” he told TV talk show host Seth Meyers. “So you go to college, you get to stay on the payroll. Towards the end of high school I went to her and said, ‘So did you want to visit some colleges?’ She replied ‘Oh no, I’m not going to college.’” He went on to tell Dakota, the daughter he had with actress Melanie Griffith, in no uncertain terms that if she didn’t complete her education, she wouldn’t be on the payroll and asked how she’d manage to take care of herself. To which she replied: “Don’t
worry about it.” Fortunately three weeks later she was offered a part in David Fincher’s 2010 film The Social Network, about the founding of Facebook, with Jesse Eisenberg and Armie Hammer. As they say, the rest is history.
Remembering Morty
On a personal note, I mark the passing to more heavenly pastures of former dentist Mortimer Glasgal last month aged 89. Morty, as he liked to be called, was a cultured artist and lover of the theater, where I would see him frequently at the Granada and Lobero. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a captain, being stationed as a pediatric dentist in England, which enabled him to spend his off-time exploring the cultural and artistic offerings of Europe. On his retirement Morty moved to our Eden by the Beach nine years ago and immersed himself fully in what our wonderful community had to offer. A great character.... Sightings will return in due course now that Governor Gavin Newsom has lifted the total lockdown. Pip! Pip! - Be safe, wear a mask, and get vaccinated. •MJ
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Raiden and Stacy Nomura celebrate Marymount’s annual fundraiser (photo by Priscilla)
Henri Bristol, Will Bristol-Emmett, Clare BristolEmmett, and Daniel Emmett (photo by Priscilla)
18 – 25 March 2021
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March 8, 2021 SUBJECT: Request For Qualifications To Provide Professional Engineering Services for the Santa Barbara Airport Airfield Safety and Efficiency Projects Introduction The City of Santa Barbara is inviting submittals of qualifications from Civil Engineering firms for the Santa Barbara Airport (Airport) Airfield Safety and Efficiency Projects (Projects), including the Marking, Signage, and Lighting Plan Update Project, the South Terminal Apron Reconstruction Project, the Taxiway M Pavement Rehabilitation Project, and the Pilot Controlled Lighting Upgrade Project. Policy For Selection (Advisory Circular 150/5100-14E (or most current version) The selection of a Consultant will be based on a comparative analysis of the professional qualifications necessary for the satisfactory performance of the service required. It is anticipated that the projects contained within this Request For Qualifications (RFQ) will be accomplished during the course of several Airport Improvement Program Grants. All parties are advised that some of the services within this RFQ may not be required, and the City of Santa Barbara reserves the right to initiate additional procurement action for any of the services listed within this RFQ. It is anticipated that all projects within this RFQ are expected to be initiated within five years of the effective date of the initiation of a design contract. These Projects are funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). As such, there is Federal language that is required in this solicitation. That language can be found in this document as Attachment A, Federal Solicitation Provisions. Each project is described in further detail below: Marking, Signage, and Lighting Plan Update Project • Update the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) The Airports current ALP was approved on March 16, 2015, by the FAA. In February of 2019, the Airport submitted a request for Minor Development/Correction Revision changes to the ALP, and on April 23, 2019, the FAA approved an informal ALP revision. The current ALP (Attachment B) is in need of an update to reflect the projects identified below as part of this scope of work. Once the new ALP is prepared, it will be submitted to the FAA for review and approval • Taxiway Designation Update: The FAA is requiring the Airport bring the Airfield into compliance with Engineering Brief 89 naming conventions prior to construction of the TWY H Extension Project. Provided herein is a copy of the FAA approved SBA Proposed Taxiway Naming Convention (Attachment C) that shall be incorporated into the ALP and revised Sign and Marking Program. SBA FAA Air Traffic, the FAA Part 139 Inspector, and the District Office have all recently approved the proposed naming convention. The anticipated elements of work to this project are outlined below: o Update the Sign and Marking Plan (SAMP): As taxiway names are anticipated to change, the entire SAMP needs to be revised to reflect the proposed changes. The Consultant needs to design a new SAMP, which includes detailed drawings showing each TWY / RWY intersection and the exact spacing for all taxiway centerlines, enhanced taxiway centerlines, surface painted runway holding position signs, and runway holding position markings. This detailed SAMP then must be compared to the existing Airfield markings and signs for discrepancies. The Airfield scope of work will be generated from the discrepancies noted from the new SAMP to the existing Airfield marking and sign layout. In order to conduct this analysis, it is anticipated that the Consultant will need a new topographical survey that accurately surveys all existing Airfield geometry, signs, and pavement marking. Any existing nonstandard geometry, signs, and pavement markings need to be identified and reviewed with the Airport to determine the scope of work for final design. Examples of potential nonstandard existing items are: existing vehicle service roads within the taxiway object free area; signs that are missing on vehicle service roads leading to movement areas; enhanced taxiway centerlines which are not marked to FAA standards; and pavement geometry at taxiway fillets that are not in accordance with current advisory circular design standards. Once the new SAMP is completed, the Airport will submit to the FAA Certification Inspector for approval and subsequently submit the revised ALP for approval. Following these approvals, it is anticipated that a final design scope of work will be under taken to implement the new SAMP. o o o o o o o
Existing pavement marking removal and crack seal of all existing Airfield pavement prior to implementation of new Airfield markings. Modify/construct pavement geometry changes in order to allow for new marking and signage to be placed in accordance with current advisory circular standards. Replacement of all Airfield signs that do not meet current advisory circular standards to new LED signage, including new taxiway nomenclature as necessary. Replacement of all remaining acrylic LED taxiway edge lighting, which have oxidized and are at the end of their service life. Replace the Airfield Lighting Control and Monitoring System servers and hardware and Airfield Lighting Control Diagram with new taxiway nomenclature. Replace Runway 7-25 incandescent lights with LED high intensity lights. Modify/construct pavement geometry changes in order to allow for new marking and signage to be placed in accordance with current advisory circular standards.
South Airline Terminal Apron Reconstruction Project The Santa Barbara Airport Terminal Apron has been constructed in several phases. The last phase was in conjunction with the airline terminal construction project in 2008-2011. The scope of this project is to reconstruct airline terminal apron to the south of this location as shown in Attachment D. This existing concrete apron was constructed as part of the Marine Corps Air Base in approximately 1945. While the unreinforced Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) has held up well to lighter loading, it is anticipated that additional airline passenger aircraft will be located in this vicinity, once the Fixed Based Operator on the south side of the Airfield is relocated to the north side of the Airfield. Prior to the parking of the airline fleet mix at this location, the existing PCC apron will need to be reconstructed to accommodate the current airline fleet mix. It is anticipated that this project will involve survey, soils investigation, removal of the existing PCC apron, grade control, subgrade treatment with lime or cement, new PCC, as well as apron marking. TWY M Rehabilitation Project Taxiway M was constructed in 2007. Taxiway M is a north south taxiway which provides a main runway crossing on the west side of Parallel runways 15R/33L and 15L/33R (see Attachment E). Crack fill is the only maintenance that has occurred on the taxiway since construction. The Taxiway is in need of rehabilitation. It is expected that the rehabilitation will include a variable depth grind and overlay. Pilot Controlled Lighting (PCL) Upgrade Project Currently, the SBA operates the RWY 15R medium intensity runway lights on Pilot Controlled Lighting (PCL). While the FAA’s runway end identifier lights (REILS) do not operate on PCL, the FAA does have a power sensing transformer on the Runway 15R lighting circuit that allows the FAA REILS to turn on when current flows through this transformer, which effectively controls the REILS. All other circuits on the SBA Airfield lighting are on preset from dusk to dawn, which provides medium intensity illumination. This is required per FAA AC 150/5340-30, titled Design and Installation Details for Airport Visual Aids, and requires airport sponsors to leave runway lighting on when FAA approach lights remain illuminated and are not on PCL, as is the case at SBA. This project requires the investigation of the modification of current PCL functionality to include FAA approach lighting. If the FAA allows for this functionality on their system, all SBA Airfield lighting, with the exception of the rotating beacon would be controlled by PCL. In order to facilitate this goal, the Consultant shall facilitate discussion with the FAA to determine if it will allow the FAA-owned and operated approach lighting systems to be effectively controlled by PCL, just as the 15R REILS are today. The scope of work would be to design and implement a PCL system that includes all SBA Airfield lighting, as well as including FAA approach lighting systems and REILS as appropriate. The Engineering scope of work will be broken into three parts, 1) Preliminary Design and Permitting, 2) Final Design and Bidding Phase and 3) Construction Administration Phase. Services to be Provided by Consultant The services to be provided by the Consultant shall include, but not be limited to, those listed below. Task 1. General Services Provide a Project Manager who will be held responsible for all work performed by the Consultant. The Project Manager will provide project management to include: A Define tasks, schedules, and costs (including evaluation of City provided input and recommendations that will result in a better overall project). B Monitor work progress and resolve problems. C Maintain up-to-date schedules. D Coordinate with City staff to receive their input, address their concerns, keep them informed regarding the Project’s status, obtain their concurrence on Project scope, cost and schedule, and obtain their approval of concepts and final design. Obtain concurrence from the City’s Project Engineer regarding the method of coordination with City Departments. E Focus the efforts of the Consultant and City staff to expedite the design and construction of a high quality, cost-effective Project that meets the needs of the City. Develop recommendations for City approval after considering alternative solutions. F Maintain quality control on all work of the Consultants and sub-consultants G Prepare all invoices to City in accordance with the City Engineering Division's standard invoice requirements, and conduct frequent regular meetings to inform and involve staff on issues and Project decisions. Task 2. Design Services – Construction Documents A. Obtain and review existing pertinent documents and reports. Attend meetings with City staff to discuss the Project. B. Conduct detailed review and analysis for the proposed improvements to confirm the Project feasibility, intended results, and estimated costs. The Consultant must advise Airport staff on improvements that can be made within the given budget. C. Develop detailed schedules for design and construction including all necessary reviews and permits. D. Work with City staff to obtain all necessary approvals from city, county, state, and federal regulatory agencies. Prepare related documents, attend any meetings necessary to obtain approvals and make modifications to the Project as necessary. No National Environmental Policy Act, or California Environmental Quality Act environmental work will be required by the Consultant. Coordinate with the Airport Planner to provide a completed Coastal Development Permit Application as necessary. E. Perform detailed on-site investigations and evaluation of Airfield pavement markings, geometry, signs, pavement, and Airfield lighting systems. F. Provide preliminary and final design services to include the following: a. Field surveying, geotechnical, and other studies necessary for design; b. Prepare construction contract documents including, but not limited to, notice to contractors, general and special provisions, bid sheet, technical specifications, and plans meeting the City’s plan check requirements, and meeting FAA specification's requirements, including the preparation of a Construction Safety and Phasing Plan, and approvals; and the City will provide legal documents (standard conditions) to the Consultant. c. Furnish copies as necessary of review documents at the design intervals indicated below:
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i. At approximately 35 percent completion, furnish the City review sets of the Construction Estimate and contract drawings developed to date, together with an index to all technical specifications; ii. At approximately 60 percent completion, furnish the City review sets of the Construction Estimate, the contract drawings, and all specifications; and iii. At approximately 90 percent completion, furnish the City review sets of the Construction Estimate, the contract drawings, and all specifications. Furnish completed contract documents for review and approval by the City, and for obtaining Project approval by governmental agencies having jurisdiction;
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“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” – Leo Tolstoy
18 – 25 March 2021
H. I. J. K. L.
Address all comments and questions raised by agencies having jurisdiction (City Development Review and Building Department Permits required); incorporate the comments, modify plans as necessary, and submit revised contract documents to the City; Provide general information in regard to the Project and consult with the City regularly during design; and Ensure the City is furnished with quality original plans, specifications, and Engineer's Estimate. Plans must be signed by and stamped with the Consultant's seal and signature, including required seals of sub-consultants. Specifications must be delivered stamped and signed ready for advertising. The City Construction Specification template must be modified as appropriate. Facilitate weekly or bi-weekly design status meetings. Services during bidding shall include the following: a. Answer questions from bidders, including interpretation of the plans and specifications; b. Prepare Addenda for issuance by the City; c. Assist the City in tabulation and review of bid results and award of contracts; and d. Arrange, chair, and prepare minutes for a pre-construction conference
Task 3. Construction Administration Services Provide construction contract administration, engineering design services during construction, and inspection and materials testing services that include the following: A. Prepare for, chair, and prepare minutes for job meetings with the contractor as necessary to provide for smooth construction on schedule and within budget. Minutes shall carry items from week to week until they are resolved, and shall utilize the City's format. Publish and distribute minutes. B. Review shop drawings, working drawings, Traffic Control/Safety Plan, and other submittals for general conformance with contract documents, and perform contract drawing and specifications interpretation as necessary. C. Strive to keep several steps ahead of contractor to detect and resolve problems or issues before the problems delay construction or result in extra costs. D. Provide a resident engineer or construction inspection as necessary. E. Ensure contractor compliance with the approved Construction Safety and Phasing Plan and ensure compliance with FAA Security requirements. F. Provide field surveying as necessary to establish construction control and staking. G. Prepare bulletins, a bulletin log, change orders, memorandums to contractor, council reports, and other correspondence necessary to maintain control over the construction contract. Provide change order evaluations, negotiations, and recommendations for approval by the City; maintain a record of authorized changes, and a bulletin log for review for action at each job meeting. Use City's format for bulletin log. H. Review contractor's progress-of-payment requests, and prepare progress payment packages for approval by City Engineer. I. Verify, as installed, field data, and prepare construction record drawings. J. Perform the following reviews: a Review contractor's payroll for wage compliance; b Review contractor's construction schedule submittal; and c Monitor contractor's actual construction progress against the contractor submitted schedule. Review updated/revised construction schedules as needed. Notify both the City and contractor when actual progress is behind schedule by more than 10 percent. K. Administer and coordinate construction inspection and testing. L. Coordinate with utility companies, governmental agencies, and affected Airport tenants during construction. M. Maintain records of construction, including photographs, daily inspection reports, correspondence, verbal contacts, claims avoidance actions, potential claims, design changes, test results and costs associated with any and all disputed work with contractor and others associated with the Project. N. Perform final inspection for acceptance of the contract work by City. O. Prepare punch lists and monitor corrective work. P. Prepare Project closeout files. Report and submit them to City. Some of the services listed herein may not be required, and the City reserves the right to initiate additional procurement action for any of the services included in the initial procurement. Services to be Provided by City The services to be provided by the City shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: • • • •
Provide the standard conditions for the specifications; Provide general direction to the Consultant through the City Project Engineer, or their designated representative; Provide access to the City’s drawing vaults, past project files, and Airport Department records; and Review, sign, and print final plans and specifications for advertising for bids.
Qualification Requirements Firms responding shall submit one electronic copy of their qualifications, which shall include the items listed below. Note that clear, organized, and concise Statement of Qualifications prepared by the Program Manager are highly desirable: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Description of recent projects completed that are similar in nature to the proposed Project. Client references, which must include addresses and telephone numbers of people to contact for references. Description of Consultant team, including names, classifications and qualifications of key personnel and sub-consultants, and an organization chart showing how the team will work together. A statement of the proposed approach to the Project scope of work, broken down by tasks and subtasks (Marking, Signage, and Lighting Plan Update Only). A table showing the estimated staff hours for all Consultants assigned per task, based on the Consultant's understanding of the Project‘s scope of work (Marking, Signage, and Lighting Plan Update Only). Identification of sub-consultants and their scope of services. A schedule estimating the time frames necessary to complete the proposed scope of services. The successful Consultant is required to sign an agreement that includes indemnification and hold harmless language as set forth in the sample City Professional Services Agreement (Attachment F). Please identify any issues related to the Professional Services Agreement in your Statement of Qualifications.
Selection Process and Criteria As a qualifications based selection process, the City is most interested in relevant work that has been done by the Consultant at similar airports and under similar conditions. Based on the submittals received, the City will select a Consultant based on the following criteria. The City will select a Consultant directly from the qualifications submitted with no interviews. Selection will be based on the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Project Manager's/Firms qualifications and ability to perform the work as outlined above, based on information provided by the Consultant and client references. This includes a demonstration of understanding of airport runway and taxiway geometry and airport apron parking design (30 points out of 100) Consultant's key staff and sub-consultant's qualifications, knowledge of local conditions and ability to perform the work as outlined in the RFQ, based on information provided by Consultant. (20 points out of 100) Consultant's responsiveness and availability to City Staff, and the ability of the Consultant's key staff to effectively and efficiently complete a project. (20 points out of 100) The Consultant's understanding of the Project as demonstrated by their project approach, the proposal's responsiveness to the RFQ and project needs, and their demonstrated ability to meet the City's desired time frame. (20 points out of 100) Based on client references, the Consultant's performance on similar projects. (10 points out of 100)
Contract for Consultant Services The City will enter into negotiations with the firm receiving the highest rating based on their qualifications submitted. If such negotiations are not successful, the City will then enter into negotiations with the firm or firms receiving the next highest rating. The successful Consultant is required to obtain insurance as set forth in Attachment F with an insurer or insurers that are satisfactory to the City. Failure to meet the insurance requirements shall result in the Consultant’s disqualification. By signing and submitting a proposal, the Consultant is certifying that they have reviewed the City’s insurance coverage requirements, and that the said insurance coverages will be obtained and be in force upon execution of a contract with the City. The successful Consultant shall submit a completed Certificate of Insurance with the signed contract. Failure to respond to the requirements outlined shall result in the proposer's disqualification as non-responsive to this RFQ. The proposer is also required to obtain a business license from the City prior to the execution of the agreement with the City for the consulting services. Please submit one electronic copy (.pdf) of your response to this RFQ by 3:00 p.m., on March 31, 2021, to Planet Bids. Please feel free to contact Leif Reynolds, Supervising Engineer at LReynolds@SantaBarbaraCa.Gov or (805) 692-6020 if you have any questions. Sincerely, Brian D'Amour, P.E., City Engineer LR/sk Attachments: A) Federal required Solicitation Provisions B) Airport Layout Plan approved March 16, 2015, by the FAA with Minor Development/Correction Revision changes approved on April 23, 2019 C) Proposed Taxiway Nomenclature – Existing and Future D) SBA South Terminal Apron PCC Replacement Exhibit E) SBA Taxiway Mike Exhibit F) City of Santa Barbara Professional Services Agreement Published March 10 and March 17, 2021, Montecito Journal
18 – 25 March 2021
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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Dear Montecito by Stella Haffner
Montecito Alumni Write Letters from Life’s Front
Anika Wilson was recruited by Pepperdine University to join their Division 1 beach volleyball team
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MUS Older-Younger duo Stella and Anika on Halloween
was in Ms. Balch’s first grade class when Anika Wilson was my Older. Anyone who attended MUS remembers the Olders-Youngers system. This program paired up students from different years, introducing younger students to a new upperclassman friend every year and eventually becoming a mentor to the next generation. I loved this program and remember how upset I was at the thought of missing any of the activities – especially after being hospitalized for a serious allergic reaction. Four whole days away from school? Anika was going to have so much fun without me! In a turn of events that would make a permanent impression on me, Anika came to visit me in the hospital. She
brought a card with a flower on it and a black lab stuffed animal all for me. My six-year-old brain thought that was the kindest, most thoughtful thing a person could do. I think you will get much the same impression reading today’s letter, the first part in our Olders-Youngers, Dear Montecito double-feature.
Dear Montecito,
When I was little, I thought I’d grow up and become a professional soccer player. All throughout elementary school, I remember thinking about competitive sports and then slowly watching that dream become a reality. I discovered volleyball in middle school, then beach volleyball in high
Now Accepting Consignments! www.ConsignmentsbyMMD.com Instagram: @louisofmontecito
4441 Hollister Ave. SB 93110 (805) 770-7715
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school, and I eventually found myself competing at a national level. Even after a career switch into financial advising, I still find myself using the skills I learned playing at a competitive level. I’ve learned to push myself towards improvement and use what playing volleyball has taught me about hard work to help other people plan for their financial future. I was born and raised here in the Santa Barbara area, attending MUS, SBJH, La Colina, and San Marcos. It was during high school, when I’d become seriously involved in beach volleyball, that I started getting recruitment offers from colleges. I accepted an offer from Pepperdine University, excited to enter the world of Division 1 volleyball. Playing on Pepperdine’s beach team was wonderful. The traveling we all did was definitely a big bonding experience for us. Especially looking back on it now and thinking, wow, I met so many amazing people. Even my current roommate is from our old team. We were together during my favorite tournament from my time at Pepperdine. It was 2017, my sophomore year. We went down to Gulf Shores, Alabama, where the national championships are held. It was certainly one of the most memorable tournaments not only because we ranked in second place overall, but also because we almost didn’t make it at all. We had a connecting flight from LAX to Atlanta, but the plane was delayed. When we touched down, there were only ten minutes to get from our landing gate all the way to our connection. We had to hustle – all of us. Twenty 6-foot-plus girls in matching team gear, three coaches, and our trainers. We’re all sprinting, just booking it, hoping that the plane doesn’t leave without us. When we arrived, we had to convince them to let us on the plane. It must’ve been some crazy sight to anyone else watching! I knew when planning my future that I wanted a more secure route than beach volleyball could give. Even so, there were so many things I loved
“Spring: a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.” – Unknown
about playing on the Pepperdine team. We worked so well together because I think we had a really healthy mindset, which is hard to create. It’s a balance. You have to compete against each other during practice for your place on the team, but you also had to trust that everyone else has your back when it comes time to compete with other schools. Really, we all got along so well and that helped create a healthy mindset to push each other and always work on improving ourselves. I like to think I bring that mentality to my job now. During my last year of college, I started doing all types of licensing stuff. I began learning more about economics, and when I considered what route I wanted to pursue, I decided on wealth management. With classes and job applications and the pandemic, the end of my time in college moved strangely but also went very fast. By the time I was ready to graduate with my degree in business, I had been invited to work at Spinnaker Investment Group as a financial advisor. I moved down to Newport Beach in December of 2020 and have been working here ever since. It’s not exactly what I expected. I mean, no one foresaw how we were all going to be affected by the pandemic. But I feel fortunate to have a job I really like, with my own safe, walled-in office, and an opportunity to help families and businesses with their finances. This is exactly what I hoped to do. I really wanted to have an impact on people in a positive manner. And I hope I can grow in my ability to help others. If I had advice for people graduating high school right now, I’d say that you should try to enjoy the moment. I know it’s hard because your senior year has been a crazy one. But try to enjoy this time with your friends, with your family, and with your hometown because you never know when you’ll really be back, and it will never be exactly the same. Enjoy this time and stay focused on what matters to you. Yours, Anika •MJ 18 – 25 March 2021
Local News (Continued from page 31) machinery. In the summer of 2020, four women founded the nonprofit group called Save the San Marcos Foothills and set about galvanizing the community. They began asking for donations in order to buy the land that was being developed, said Nancy Tubiolo, one of the cofounders. (The other founders are Dani Lynch, Samantha Eddy, and Julia Laraway.) The group managed to collect about $1.3 million. But they knew that they would have to raise many times that amount in order to make a legitimate offer on the property. “If we don’t do anything, then nothing will happen.” So, in late February, the group announced to its 7,000 Instagram followers and some 500 Facebook friends that it was hosting a sit-in to protest the housing development. That’s when streams of young people and seasoned environmentalists started setting up camp and mounting peaceful protests. On the morning of February 25, 2021, things came to a boil. Sheriffs arrested eight protestors – half of whom were
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traditional Chumash songs, played guitar, and clapped. That afternoon, an elderly man, three younger men, and the four indigenous women were set free; some were crying; all were applauded by their fellow activists. The incident prompted the two sides to come together and negotiate a 90-day peace agreement. After the announcement of the truce, the nonprofit raised a total of $1.7 million. “We’ve had an outpouring of support and continue to grow based on small to midsize donations,” said Tubiolo. “What will push us to our goal are bigger donors.” Meanwhile, the sheriff’s department has dropped all charges against the eight protestors it arrested. Save San Marcos Foothills is trying to meet its first benchmark on March 24, when it must raise an additional $4 million – and keep on raising money until they have $18 million. Saldivar, one of the indigenous women and arrestees, said she is undeterred. “We’re not going to stop fighting for the land, so you might as well join us.” Additional reporting by K. Sharp. •MJ
Last Week’s Solution:
By Pete Muller & Andrew White For each of the first five mini crosswords, one of the entries also serves as part of a five-word meta clue. The answer to the meta is a word or phrase (five letters or longer) hidden within the sixth mini crossword. The hidden meta answer starts in one of the squares and snakes through the grid vertically and horizontally from there (no diagonals!) without revisiting any squares.
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When the women and other suspects arrived at the jail, Tungui said that she saw some deputies firstbump one another in a gesture of congratulations. “(T)hey pointed at us and laughed,” she wrote on Facebook. She said that sheriffs tried to remove face jewelry from the women. Tungui added that she had asked the sheriff to sanitize his hands before he touched her or her jewelry. When the officer couldn’t remove her adornments, he let her wear them. Deputies placed a small indigenous woman in a cell alone, Tungui said. Tungui herself was placed in a room crammed with other protestors and next to women who were suffering from mental-health issues. It was so crammed that Tungui said she had to sit on a urine-stained floor. Meanwhile, outside the jail, about two dozen protestors had arrived to show their support. People huddled under trees to shade themselves from the sun; others tried to talk to deputies. They waited for several hours. Then, the first suspect was released from jail. The waiting crowd cheered. A few people outside the jail sang
indigenous women. That escalated the tension as many protestors objected. Sheriffs said that the demonstrators were arrested on suspicion of violating two sections of the California penal code: one that prohibits a person from blocking a contractor from gaining access to a site; and another forbids one from obstructing the free movement of another. One indigenous woman who was arrested, Noemi Aidee Tungui, described her experience on a public Facebook page. “Three SB sheriffs violently arrested me in a crowd of white folks. We were not read our rights or told why we were being arrested.” She said that two big white deputies “twisted my arms so violently that my hands, arms, and eye remain cut (and) bruised.” Isa Saldivar, another indigenous protestor in her early 20s, was also arrested. She said that “just our presence was a threat to (the sheriffs).” Deputies loaded the protestors into a van and drove them to the Santa Barbara County jail on Calle Real. The Montecito Journal followed them.
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• The Voice of the Village •
Across 1 LG product 5 Expressed amazement 7 Organ connected to a fallopian tube 8 Like populations in cities 9 Flower child?
Down 1 Part of many a sweatshirt 2 Symbols of peace 3 Macbeth's title 4 Component of a Biblical citation 6 Used henna on, say
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Our Town
by Joanne A. Calitri
Joanne is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@yahoo.com
Arts in Lockdown #23: Sharon Hendrix
Sharon Hendrix in the studio during lockdown with daughter Jade
Joanne Calitri interviews Sharon Hendrix over Zoom
S
haron Hendrix is an icon. As a black American female singer working in a predominately white-male, music industry since 1978, her vocals, dance routines, stellar stage outfits, nonstop smile, professionalism and business savvy grace the world’s top performing arts venues. She’s played the London O2 Arena, Broadway Theatre, Las Vegas, and Europe, numerous TV specials and has appeared in commercials. During lockdown, she has performed for the Santa Barbara Unity Church, most recently for the Valentine’s Day concert, and for the St. Charles Borromeo Holy Family December Telethon for the homeless. She has three hit singles topping Spotify charts, and has been doing international session work. Sharon and daughter Jade raised funds for the Thomas Fire/Mudslides [MJ March 2018]. Born in San Francisco, she was singing at age two in church. Her family moved to Ventura County when she was nine. Sharon began her professional career at 17 with the Young Americans Association Choir, and has toured with Barry Manilow, Tom
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Jones, Bob Dylan, Elton John, and Billy Preston, backed by world-famous orchestras such as the BBC. Her genres span pop, progressive rock, blues, jazz, classical, and fusion. Her top records include a duet with Barry Manilow, “Ain’t Nothin Like the Real Thing,” on his Manilow LP, and vocals on Bob Dylan’s Knocked Out Loaded LP. She plays classical piano, is a fitness enthusiast, and is a deeply spiritual mother of three, and a grandmother of two. When I interviewed her, she spoke about experience, love, hope and inspiration. In what follows, she reminds us of the importance for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts. Q. What is your experience with diversity, equity, and inclusion? A. When I first started singing professionally in the ‘70s, I’d be hired to join a group of singers and dancers to perform with headliners in Vegas such as Debbie Reynolds, Sammy Davis Jr. and Mitzi Gaynor, or to be on television variety shows. The running joke among my fellow African-American peers was, ‘Isn’t it crazy that there could never be more than two of us
in a group, one black female and one black male?’ Carol Dennis is one of the most dynamic and talented singers that I know, and is one of my closest friends for almost 50 years. It was always either her or me who could be on any given gig, never both of us at the same time, because that would be just one too many black girls in the show. We called ourselves “tokens,” because that is exactly what we felt like. I believe there is still tokenism in the industry and being constantly told you were not good enough by the people representing and hiring you. It’s absolutely better today than it was. But there is still racial disparity in all the entertainment arenas. It was especially difficult for women to tactfully evade the sexual harassment that was constantly around us. We had to keep our jobs and push on regardless. Now women have the power to call it out and to be acknowledged in the arts because we are brilliant and we deserve the respect. How is it being a mom and on the road? I’ve been a dedicated hands-on mother, even when I was on tour. I arranged to have my children with me and I taught them their school lessons during the day. They were on side stage when I performed and were respected by whomever I worked with. They learned the business from the inside and are all extremely talented and successful. How does music influence the human condition? Music is the language of life. Music influences change by reflecting the stories of the generation by its generation. I just finished watching The United States vs. Billie Holiday, which is a biographical drama film about how the federal government tried to keep Billie from singing “Strange Fruit,” a song that paints a vivid picture of the lynching of black people in the American South. She really was a forerunner of the civil rights movement. She stood on the front lines and
“Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder
Sharon live on Broadway pre-COVID
shined a light on the horrors of racism in our country. A lot of the music in the ‘60s and ‘70s were songs of protest against war and inequality. I love to listen to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On,” where he sings about racial and economic disparities in our society and about environmental issues. Every generation has its artists who are called to bring attention to the issues facing the world. How was your transition from live performing to working from home? It’s actually been pretty easy. Honestly, after being on the road for over 45 years, it was nice to be home and not always having to pack a suitcase and get on a plane. Dan Voss Jr. and I filmed the video for “Hold On” in our home during the first month of the shutdown. My daughter Jade and 18 – 25 March 2021
Sharon and Jade in the recording studio
Sharon backing Barry Manilow on Broadway pre-COVID (photo credit: Kiyomi Matsudaira)
I are getting a good amount of calls for session work, which is all done following COVID safety rules. That’s been wonderful because Jade and I LOVE doing studio sessions together. I’ve also received calls to perform as a guest soloist at Unity Church in Santa Barbara, which is very fulfilling for me. How are you staying creative and inspired? The lockdown truly made me stop and take a breath. There was nowhere to go and no distractions, so I was forced to take a good, hard look at myself, which at times, was a scary thing to do. I’ve always loved learning, so I started taking online classes from Penn State University, and from the Great Courses Plus and The Master Class apps. I took classes in economics, history, art, religion, philosophy, music theory, Spanish, Italian, Astronomy, and Space Travel, which have changed me forever! I took a Master Class by ISS commander and astronaut Chris Hadfield, and I became completely hooked on the idea of one day traveling to the ISS. His description of what it’s like to see our beautiful, blue planet on one side, and the endless Universe on the other side was a sacred experience for him and was so inspiring to me. I’ve always been reluctant to think about what is out there beyond our planet, but taking these classes opened my mind to 18 – 25 March 2021
the beauty and magnificence of the Universe and its possibilities. I am completely fascinated and intrigued by the concept of one day colonizing Mars. I think the most significant thing I did last year was to get back to the study of social and child welfare. I actually wanted to get my master’s degree in social work, not music, but God/The Universe had other plans for me. I ended up having this beautiful career in music. Yet, returning to something that was in my heart so long ago has really opened my spirit. I’m training to be a court-appointed Special Advocate for children who are in foster care as a result of abuse or neglect. Tell me about your three lockdown singles. “Hold On” and “Believe and Become” were written with the love of my life and my producer, Dan Voss Jr., 12 years ago. As their messages are about hope and perseverance, we wanted to re-release them for 2020 with a new electronic sound, and collaborated on that with Aaron Zepeda. “Adeleigh” is a song about drug abuse, how it affects people in all economic classes, and it is also about hope, a theme of mine. What is your natural vocal range and key? My vocal range is three-and-a-half octaves. As I get older, my lower
range gets deeper and lower, which I love! The key always depends on what song I’m singing, but I find B-flat to be a good place for me most of the time. On Valentine’s Day, I sang at Unity Church and performed Whitney Houston’s song “The Greatest Love of All.” Knowing that singing first thing in the morning is a challenge in itself, I thought I would play it safe. I asked the musical director to learn it in the key of B-flat, what I believed to be a whole step lower. I got to the church Sunday morning to rehearse before service, and the pianist played the intro. I asked him what key he was playing in and he said B-flat, a whole step HIGHER than Whitney’s! I panicked for a minute, then I breathed into the challenge. There’s something to be said about going outside your comfort zone. The performance was successful I felt a deep satisfaction that I actually sang a whole step higher than the magnificent and incomparable Whitney Houston! What’s next for you? Performing in Barry Manilow’s show at the Westgate Las Vegas in June is on the books and we’re keeping our fingers crossed. Recently, Jade and I had such a blast working on the new Henry Dennis record project titled “Remember” by Henry Dennis and the Fumes of Mars [release date Fall 2021]. The songs are brilliantly written. He is an incredible singer-songwriter, as his amazing producer Norman Arnold. What is your dream collaboration team? It would be recording an album of songs by Laura Nyro, my favorite singer-songwriter, with both my daughters, Jade and April. They both grew up with me playing her songs all through their childhood and they know her music as intimately as I do, so I think it would be pure joy. Do you have any vocal tips for female singers out of work right now?
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I believe you have to try to sing every day, whether you’re working or not. And vocal exercises are so important for keeping your vocal cords in shape. I follow vocal coach Jeff Rolka on YouTube. He does wonderful vocal exercises for soprano and mezzo-soprano that I really love. I encourage singers to keep their voices ready and in top shape for whatever is waiting for them down the road. Never stop perfecting your craft. Always sing from the truth deep inside you, no matter whether your voice is feeling great or tired. The honesty will always come through and that is what your audience longs for. And always, always be willing and ready to grow and learn. We can never have enough knowledge about our craft. Know that there is only one you, that there will never be another talent like yours, so share your gift joyfully. What are your views on the world and what do you want to change? The world is looking a bit brighter to me now. There are still some dark clouds around, but there is a glimmer of sunlight on the horizon. And there is hope. I don’t know what this year is going to bring. I am giving it to grace. I continue to study and sing, and to learn all that I can in this very still time in which we find ourselves. I pray for our country, our world and I am steeped in gratitude that we all have made it this far. I would like to see us resume our lives, go back to work, for children to go to school, for the entertainment and music industry to get back on its feet. I’m just not sure what that is going to look like. I would like to see a gentler, more accepting America. We’ve got to seriously address the division in this country. It’s so deeply embedded in our soil. But I continue to be hopeful. 411: https://sharonhendrix.net Instagram: @sharonhendrixmusic Facebook: @sharonmuffyhendrix Spotify/Apple/Amazon Music: Sharon Hendrix MONTECITO JOURNAL
•MJ
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Nosh Town (Continued from page 16) The Tavern at Zaca Creek’s new chef Cullen Campbell has transitioned the eatery from an American chophouse to a Europeaninspired brasserie with unique and savory dishes
Creative cocktails are also part of the new menu
here with scotch, bourbon, and sparkling wine. We change it out with every dish,” he said. “It adds a little bite to the acidity of the berries, producing a flavor that works well with the menu.” The seasoned chef is certainly having fun with caviar, which is making its way back onto chefs’ menus in some unique and unconventional ways. Campbell produces a cast iron caviar pizza on focaccia with burrata and Bianco tomatoes. Notably, the happy hour menu features Calvisius caviar, crème fraîche, egg, and chives served over fries. “I got the inspiration from the old-school pot-luck party type dip, and because I love fries, I thought it would be fun to combine them with a caviar dip.” Caviar dishes range from $14 to $35. Game meat has always been part of Zaca Creek’s culinary program. Venison, antelope, and wild boar will be a staple on the menu, Campbell said. The new lineup includes a wild boar white Bolognese with fennel served over pappardelle ($30). Campbell couldn’t resist bringing over some of his Japanese-inspired, award-winning dishes from Crudo, including lobster with dynamite sauce, blue fin with basil, orange and peanuts, and king salmon with beet ponzu, wagyu tallow (beef fat) and shaved radish ($16-$20). As for the outdoor space, The Tavern at Zaca Creek is decked out in rustic woods, ivory, and navy blues, with metal accents. The patio seats up to 60 guests comfortably and is socially distanced with planters filled with edible herbs and flowers. The Tavern at Zaca Creek is located at 1297 Jonata Park Road in Buellton. The eatery is open Thursday through Saturday from 3 to 6 pm for Happy Hour; 5 to 10 pm for dinner. Brunch is served on Sundays from 10:30 am to 2 pm. For more information or to make a reservation, call 805-688-2412 or visit zaca-creek.com. •MJ
The Tavern at Zaca Creek has transitioned from American Chophouse to American Brasserie
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“Where flowers bloom so does hope.” – Lady Bird Johnson
18 – 25 March 2021
DINE OUTSIDE |TAKE-OUT Montecito Journal wants to let readers know who’s offering a taste of winter with take-out and delivery service and outdoor dining. We encourage you to support your local dining venues and wine boutiques!
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FROM OUR TABLE TO YOURS Sunday-Thursday 11:00-8:30 Friday and Saturday 11:00-9:00 1209 Coast Village Road Santa Barbara, CA (805) 565-0642
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D’ANGELO BREAD 18 – 25 March 2021
7am to 2pm
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CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING (805) 565-1860 ESTATE/SENIOR SERVICES THE CLEARING HOUSE, LLC
ITEMS FOR SALE TRESOR We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry. Located in the upper village of Montecito. Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation. 1470 East Valley Rd suite V. 805 969-0888
Recognized as the area’s Premier Estate Liquidators - Experts in the Santa Barbara Market! We are Skilled Professionals with Years of Experience in Downsizing and Estate Sales. Personalized service. Insured. Call for a complimentary consultation. Elaine (805)708-6113 Christa (805)450-8382 Email: theclearinghouseSB@cox.net Website: www.theclearinghouseSB.com MOVING MISS DAISY
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Full Service SAFE Senior Relocation and Estate Liquidation Services Including: Packing and Unpacking, Estate Sales, Online Auctions and our own Consignment Shop! We are Licensed, Bonded, Liability Insured, Workers Comped, Certified by The National Assoc Of Senior Move Managers (NASMM) and The American Society of Estate Liquidators (ASEL). Glenn Novack, Owner. 805-770-7715 info@movingmissdaisy.com MovingMissDaisy.com Consignments@MovingMissDaisy. hibid.com WRITING SERVICES Accomplish Something Exceptional While Sheltering at Home Preserve your life story! The story of a person’s life, told properly, is a marvel. It can be preserved as family treasure, or it can fade away. I write biographies and autobiographies, producing beautiful books that are thorough, professional, distinctive, impressive and entertaining. Many of my projects are gifts to honor beloved parents or spouses. I also assist with memoirs or other books. David Wilk (805) 455-5980 wilkonian@sbcglobal.net. Excellent references. www.BiographyDavidWilk.com
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Shane Rockney Physical Therapy MPT Masters in Physical Therapy I have over thirty years experience as a physical therapist. I specialize in orthopedics including joint replacements, Parkinsons, Alzeheimers, stroke rehabilitation and Pediatrics. My work includes helping people achieve optimal health and fitness. To schedule an appointment contact Shane at (805) 699-1645
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It’s Simple. Charge is $2 per line, each line with 31 characters. Minimum is $8 per week/issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email text to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860 and we will respond with a cost. Deadline for inclusion is Monday before 2 pm. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu
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WE BUY BOOKS Historical Paintings Vintage Posters Original Prints
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info@losthorizonbooks.com
LOST HORIZON BOOKSTORE now in Montecito, 539 San Ysidro Road WANTED TO BUY Vintage and Better quality costume jewelry. Victorian to Now including silver and ethnic/tribal jewelry and beads. Call Julia (805) 563-7373 Asian antiques including porcelain, jade, snuff bottles, jewelry, silver, textiles, bronzes, etc. Call Julia (805) 563-7373
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE FARIA BEACH HOUSE: FULLY FURNISHED 2 BEDROOM 1 1/2 BATH. 50’ FRONTAGE. LARGE DECK WITH FIREPIT. LARGE BACK PATIO. Entertainment kitchen with outdoor BBQ. $3,295,000. David Vartabedian (805)770-0977.
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“Good Food for Good People”
LUCKY’S steaks /chops /seafood /cocktails
Dinner & Cocktails Nightly, Lunch Monday-Friday, Brunch Saturday & Sunday Montecito’s neighborhood bar and restaurant. 1279 Coast Village Road Montecito CA 93108 (805)565-7540 www.luckys-steakhouse.com Photography by Alexandra DeFurio