VILLAGE BEAT (Continued from page 12)
about both Bixler and Perkins, sharing heartfelt stories about their respective time on campus. Perkins, who became a Crane parent back in 1980, started the still thriving parent group, PFC (Parents For Crane). “Not much time elapsed at Crane before Anne officially founded PFC in 1982. She not only was the first PFC president, but also the third and the seventh. Her goal was to enlist parents to take on tasks and fundraise,” said Crane Director of Development Debbie Williams. “One such fundraiser was the selling of holiday greens. Her family owns a cattle ranch where mistletoe grows. So Anne had this great idea to sell the mistletoe – pure profit for Crane. Hmmm … mistletoe grows high in trees and how did Anne get it down? Turns out that the way to harvest mistletoe is to shoot it out of trees with a rifle, which is exactly what she did!” Williams recalled with a laugh. Perkins went on to become an assistant teacher, working alongside five teachers over her 26-year career at Crane. She is known for helping to organize the school’s Baja trip every year for 24 years, and this year she was an integral part of the planning of Crane’s 90th anniversary celebration, which included a weekend of alumni festivities. “Anne can do just about anything. Whether it is roping a cow, hosting a sit-down dinner party for fifty, or turning a classroom into a pasta factory, somehow she makes it all happen. Her creative thinking and willingness to try anything has amazed us and touched us in so many, many ways,” said Gayle Sandell, Head of Lower School. “Crane legend” Pat Bixler began teaching at the school in 1983, and is known by the name “Bix” to both faculty and students. “Bix loves kids, and he 100% recognizes that kids are at the heart of what we do. This has been evident in everything that he has done in his 36 years at Crane. No doubt, Bix is a Crane legend. His success may partly rest on his magic – that winning blend of folksy Oklahoman, intellectual science guy, devout sports fan, lover of literature and crossword puzzles, gourmet appreciator of bacon chili cheese everything – but a larger part of his success rests on his sympathy for adolescent psychology. In other words, not only does Bix like kids, he really gets them,” said Peggy Smith, Head of Upper School. “If you want to know who Mr. Bixler really is, watch him coach. He loves winning, hates losing, and brings intensity and seriousness to everything he does,” said Louis Caron, a former student of Mr. Bixler’s who graduated in 1997. “This of course extends from the field, back into the classroom. In an era where teachers agonize over how to make their lessons more fun and engaging, Mr.
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Bixler reminds us of the basic secret to good teaching: if the teacher likes to have serious fun, the students inevitably will follow.” Bixler is known for his creative lessons in math and science, balancing fun and learning to engage students in curriculum. “Several students have recently said to me, ‘You’ll never replace Bix.’ They’re absolutely right; we won’t. And we’ll also never forget him, because for 36 years he’s been a daily reminder of what great teachers are all about – lifting kids up by embracing and appreciating who they are,” Smith said. At the end of the assembly, Head of School Joel Weiss welcomed four retired staff members to announce that their names were now forever present on the campus: a new set of plaques honoring retired “staffulty” who have given 25 years of service or more was unveiled near the Oak Tree Quad. Those include Toni Mackie (1985-2010), Janey Cohen (1989-2014), Ellen Bonning (1984-2015), Dan McCaslin (1980-2016), Bob Ingersoll (1978-1984 + 1992-2018), and now Pat Bixler (1983-2019) and Anne Perkins (1993-2019). “It’s important to acknowledge the positive impact that they’ve had on all our lives,” Weiss said about Bixler and Perkins. “They show a loyalty and commitment to their school that is rarely seen today.”
Sweet Wheel Farm & Flowers
Leslie Person Ryan, the owner of Letter Perfect on Coast Village Road for 35 years, ventured into Summerland at the end of 2018, opening the Summerland Center for the Arts, a shop, gallery, and gathering space on Lillie Avenue. Last week she added a mobile produce shop to the Center, called Sweet Wheel Farm & Flowers, which has gained the positive attention of locals and vacationers. “All day people are stopping by and are so happy we are here with fresh produce,” Person Ryan told us during a visit to the shop. Summerland Center for the Arts is located in the former home of Just Folk, across from the CarpinteriaSummerland Fire District. “I’ve wanted to be out here for a long time, and after last year’s disaster I decided now was the time to take the plunge,” she said, adding that Letter Perfect on Coast Village Road isn’t going anywhere. The Center offers retail on the ground floor – a mini collection of the Letter Perfect goodies Person Ryan has become famous for – and upstairs is a light-filled gallery featuring the works of mostly local artists including Ray Cirerol, Michael Drury, Sydelle Foreman, Jeremy Harper, Holli Harmon, Larry Iwerks,
The upstairs gallery at the Center features art from mostly local artists
Virginia Pierce, and several others. True to the Summerland spirit, the Center hosts various spiritual evenings, in addition to community events, art openings, art classes, yoga, and self-improvement workshops. April saw a packed house as local artist and author Rod Lathim and the Reverend Pamela Bollinger of the Church of the Comforter in Santa Barbara called all the Summerland Spirits to visit. On June 22, the Center hosts Fran Leigh, best-selling author and world-renowned spiritual guide. The Gallery’s next exhibition is for Masha Keating, whose paintings will be on display from June 30 to July 25. Keating, an Otis College of Art graduate, will show her bold nature inspired paintings; a portion of the sales will be donated to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, where Keating will be teaching a painting class on June 22. The newly launched Sweet Wheel Farm & Flowers offers mostly organic produce sourced locally from Summerland, Carpinteria, Goleta, and Santa Maria, from many of the same farmers who frequent our local farmers’ markets. “It’s the only place in Summerland to get fresh fruit and vegetables,” Person Ryan said. The ultimate goal is to have 100% of the produce sourced from Person Ryan’s own homegrown farm in Summerland. “I want to offer beautiful produce for reasonable prices, to serve the residents of Summerland so they can just go down the street for their produce,” she said. In addition to seasonal fruit and veggies, there are fresh flowers and various locally sourced products including honey sticks and date bars. Person Ryan plans to expand the offerings at the Center in the near future, making it a true hub for the Summerland community. For more information on the offerings, visit www.summerlandcenterforthearts. com. The Center is located at 2346 Lillie Avenue in Summerland.
Montecito Water Quality Update
Last week Montecito Water District released the 2018 Annual Drinking
“I’m convinced that there is nothing truly good. Hell, sunshine can wilt a flower.” – Kay Whitley
Water Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), which is now available online at www.montecitowater.com/doc/ ccr2018. This report describes the District’s water sources, provides information on water quality and how it is measured, and presents the District’s 2018 test results which show that drinking water met, or was better than, state and federal water quality standards. The report also includes this message from General Manager Nick Turner: “2018 was a year of challenges and opportunities for MWD, as it was for the entire community. When the rains came shortly after the Thomas Fire, and caused the January 9, 2018 debris flows, MWD’s infrastructure was severely impacted. Our disaster response was immediate, and included the issuance of a Boil Water Notice. Water service was fully restored within 30 days, including all work needed to access, repair and disinfect our heavily damaged facilities. The MWD team, with tremendous support from mutual aid and neighboring agencies, did a remarkable job in extreme conditions. “While nothing could have prepared us for the unprecedented twin disasters, in completing the needed repairs we’ve utilized all available opportunities to upgrade infrastructure, thereby maximizing the resilience of MWD facilities. The test results included in this report demonstrate that MWD’s water quality met or exceeded all state and federal standards in 2018. The Montecito and Summerland communities can be assured of MWD’s unwavering commitment to providing a reliable supply of high-quality water to our customers – under any circumstances.” Landlords, businesses, schools and other groups are asked to share this information with tenants, students, and other water users who may not be customers receiving communications directly from Montecito Water District. For more information, visit www. montecitowater.com. •MJ 13 – 20 June 2019