put up, even if they don’t apply to him

Montecito on the Move by Sharon Byrne, Executive Director, Montecito Association A Great Montecito Neighbor is Making Stories Matter

Riding home to Montecito from the Unity Shoppe in style – a 1954 Cadillac El Dorado convertible festooned with pink flamingos (image courtesy of Dana Hansen)

She originally wanted to convene a Honor, in part for “sharing and prethree-day retreat session during the serving stories of women who were 2021 SBIFF, but COVID killed that once marginalized and stigmatized...” idea. So she’s taking it to Zoom, as but due to her work “these women an eight-week online course event. are now celebrated for their indeWhile the focus for this first Stories pendence and personal agency.” The Matter session is local, she envisions it Medal is officially recognized by both could well become national in scope. Houses of Congress and is one of our For this first run, they’re recruiting six nation’s most prestigious awards. Past young women to start in January. The recipients include Presidents Clinton focus will be on biography and mem- and Reagan, Elie Wiesel, Sen. John oir as forms. Some of the completed McCain and HSH Prince Albert II of

Community godfather and Christmas Elf Dana Newquist organized the second Montecito-To-Unity toy works would be featured in ENTITY Monaco. Last Sunday, community godfather and Christmas Elf Dana Newquist organized the second and fundraising drive and caravan for delivery Zsa Zsa. Leslie has a great project starting up in January, one that spoke to my heart, as I used to produce youth MAG, which has a readership of more than 1 million. For Leslie, here’s why Stories Matter… matters: “Our goal is to So the moral of this story: 1. You never know who you’re going to meet at the Montecito-toUnity motorcade procession. Don’t Montecito-To-Unity toy and fundrais- theater here locally. She’s partnering advise, inspire, and help these young miss it next year! ing drive and caravan for delivery. with the Santa Barbara Independent women find their voice, tell their 2. Someone who drives a classic A great group met up at the Upper Film Festival’s Roger Durling to cre- story (or the story of someone around red convertible named Tempsst and Village in classic cars, ready to donate ate something brilliant: Stories Matter them), and show them their story mat- also loves pink flamingoes has simply toys and funds for the second week – a program of professional female ters. Mentees will be chosen on their got to have a very interesting story. in a row. Dana asked me to get up writers nurturing and supporting the ability and desire to learn how to tell Definitely get in the car with them! on the 1937 Fire Engine, masked up next generation of storytellers through a story, their commitment and a com- 3. If our fabulous Editor-in-Chief of course, and ding the bell as we mentorship. Writing and producing mitment to then give back to younger Gwyn Lurie has her way, we’ll be made the route from Montecito to is a tough business. When writers girls. The emphasis is on inspiration, reading some of the stories that come the Unity Shoppe. This was a dream first start out, rejection is the norm. empowerment of others, sharing and out of Stories Matter in these very gig for me, of course, and I eagerly Having a team of mentors could be a love of the written word.” pages! applied myself. About halfway there, magic winning formula to launching Leslie brings serious industry heft If you are interested in participating or Dana asked whether I could tone the that next generation of storytellers – a to this mission. She’s a best-selling sponsoring the inaugural launch of Stories bell-ringing down from deafening, brilliant idea! author, writer, and award-winning Matter, or know someone who would be, and showed me how to work the floor Leslie is particularly interested in documentarian. In 2021, Leslie will please contact storiesmatter101@gmail. siren – even cooler! mentoring young women aged 18-28. be awarded the Ellis Island Medal of com. •MJ

Once we dropped the goodies to Unity, it was time to return to Montecito, but I needed a lift back, as Dana had to go on to Goleta to stow the engine. A really nice lady in the Montecito Tide Guide coolest classic red convertible offered to run me back. Day Low Hgt High Hgt Low Hgt High Hgt Low Hgt

I eagerly got in the backseat, after noting that the license plate read Thurs, Dec 24 5:54 AM 4.9 12:53 PM 1 06:50 PM 3.2 011:47 PM 1.9 “Tempsst.” I noticed the pink flamin- Fri, Dec 25 6:23 AM 5.2 01:30 PM 0.5 07:42 PM 3.3 goes tied on to the car. Anyone who brings a 1954 Cadillac El Dorado conSat, Dec 26 12:23 AM 2.1 6:51 AM 5.5 02:03 PM 0.1 08:25 PM 3.4 vertible festooned with pink flamin- Sun, Dec 27 12:57 AM 2.2 7:19 AM 5.7 02:34 PM -0.3 09:04 PM 3.5 gos has got to be fun, right? I felt Mon, Dec 28 1:30 AM 2.3 7:49 AM 5.9 03:07 PM -0.6 09:41 PM 3.5certain I was riding with very good company here. Tues, Dec 29 2:03 AM 2.4 8:21 AM 6 03:40 PM -0.8 010:18 PM 3.6 We stayed masked up as we Wed, Dec 30 2:37 AM 2.7 8:54 AM 6.1 04:15 PM -0.9 010:56 PM 3.6 made introductions and drove back. My driver was Leslie Zemeckis, Thurs, Dec 31 3:13 AM 2.5 9:30 AM 6.1 04:52 PM -0.8 011:36 PM 3.6 a Montecito neighbor of 19 years, Fri, Jan 1 3:49 AM 2.6 10:07 AM 6 05:32 PM -0.8 accompanied by her lovely daughter 10 MONTECITO JOURNAL “There is no winter without snow, no spring without sunshine, and no happiness without companions.” - Korean Proverb 24 – 31 December 2020

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

No Dumping

Like most of us, I can’t help notic- picture of a rather fierce-looking dog, ing the signs and notices people and the Latin words: “Cave Canem” put up, even if they don’t apply – an exact equivalent of “Beware of to me. One which inevitably catches the dog.” my eye is on a white picket fence I Another very common admonitopass every day, while walking to or ry sign says, “No trespassing.” This from my office. It’s a probably store- always reminds me of the Lord’s FREE IN HOME CONSULTATION bought sign, and says simply, “No Prayer, as I learned it in school, Dumping.” There are several odd which says “Forgive us our trespassthings about this. First, I have never es, as we forgive them that trespass seen such a sign before, anywhere in against us” – although the now more town, where, except for our down town commercial area, there are rela common version says “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debt- www.MontecitoKitchens.com tively few pedestrians – and certainly ors” (commercially somewhat quesnot outside an ordinary house on an tionable, I would say, in an economy Don Gragg 805.453.0518 License #951784 ordinary street, based on credit). Then there’s the

Secondly, there does not appear to irreverent version beloved of jourbe any particular reason why anyone nalists: “Forgive us you our press should choose that particular spot passes.” to do any large-scale, or even small- And people who don’t want to be scale disposal of trash, which is what bothered by the Fuller Brush Man or that word “dumping” usually refers the Avon Lady, or all the other people to. Of course, sometimes the usage who (especially in hard times) were is metaphorical. In the 1949 movie wont to peddle door-to-door a variBeyond the Forest, Bette Davis made ety of items, ranging from bath-soap memorable use of the term “What to Bibles, are fond of signs warna dump!” to disparage the modest ing, “No Solicitors.” There’s also the house she shared with her husband, equally unfriendly sign, often found a small-town doctor. in public or commercial locales where

But thirdly, I must confess that the people might otherwise like to gathvery existence of that sign appears, er: “No Loitering.” to my devilish mind, something of a challenge. Without the sign, I’d never The only member of this bunch of have thought of dumping anything bans which has always been dear to there. But, since picking up litter my own heart is the “No Smoking” is one of the few ways in which I sign, which, by the grace of education attempt to justify my existence, and and medicine, is now no longer so since, I sometimes have difficulty necessary – ironically being somefinding anywhere to dispose of it, times replaced by signs indicating the why not just toss it over that white few restricted places where smoking picket fence? is permitted.

Forgive me for having such an evil But notices of what’s forbidden can thought. I don’t know who lives in of course be traced back to the Ten that house. They may have had good Commandments, eight of which can reason for putting up that sign. The be classified as “Thou Shalt Nots.” pity of it is that those words, in them- And, for those tempted to disobey, selves, no matter how prominently we have, in George Orwell’s dystothey’re displayed, have no legal force. pia, 1984, the omnipresent warning It’s like the much more common sign, of: “Big Brother is Watching You.” “Beware of the Dog.” Dog owners All this makes me wonder why think that it will protect them from we don’t have more positive public liability. But the situation is actually messages. Wouldn’t it be nice to see much more complicated than that. In a sign saying “Strangers Welcome” the U.S., laws vary from state to state – especially if you happen to be a – but in no state do those words alone stranger yourself? And, if some might have any legal validity. Nevertheless, find even that objectionable, surely they have a long history, going back we could tolerate, if not embrace, at least as far as 79 A.D., the year signs reminding us to “be kind,” “be You may be able to avoid major orthopedic procedures and joint replace-when the Roman town of Pompeii helpful,” – or simply to “enjoy life!” ment procedures with a less invasive alternative utilizing an injection of was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Among the artifacts buried in that disaster which have since been recovered, is a mosaic, evidently situWho knows, such exhortations might actually lift our spirits, especially if, recalling what prompted these musings, we’re feeling down in the your own stem cells. Harvard trained experienced orthopedic surgeon Richard Scheinberg has extensive experience with technique that may save you from surgery. Call 8056821394 for consultation ated at the entrance to a villa, with a dumps. •MJ 24 – 31 December 2020 • The Voice of the Village • MONTECITO JOURNAL 11