In the Mart

CASA cares, and you can too, page 24

IN THE MART

VONS IS NOW PAVILIONS. OAT BAKERY IS MOVING IN. CHANGES ARE COMING TO MONTECITO COUNTRY MART. (STORY STARTS ON PAGE 5)

One Year at the Spa

Montecito Med Spa celebrates their oneyear anniversary with tasty bites and samples of their services, page 12

Art Announcement

It’s An Artful Affair at Riven Rock and there’s still time (and tickets) to join in on the festivities, page 14

AFTERNOON TEA IN THE GARDENS

TEA SANDWICHES

Curried Jidori Farms Chicken Salad

Almond, Apple, Celery, Gruyere Cheese Gougère

Cambridge House-Smoked Salmon

Whipped Chives Crème Fraiche, Rye

Persian Cucumber

Garden Herb Butter, Pickled Onion, Pullman Bread

Freshly-Baked Savory & Sweet Scones

served with House-made Jam, Butter, & Clotted Cream

SEASONAL SCONES HOUSE-MADE

Fresh Fruit Tartlette

Seasonal Choux Pastry

Meyer Lemon Cookies

French Macarons

Dream. Design. Build. Live.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

5 Village Beat – Montecito Country Mart, HWY101 widening updates, plus MUS has its AHA! moment

8 Montecito Miscellany – One805LIVE! has some special guests, State Street Ballet gala, an evening at Bellosguardo, and more miscellany

10 Banned Book Week – With the current surge in book censorship, celebrate the embrace of all penned views during this holiday Tide Guide

11

On Entertainment – Martha Graham dances through town, Carmen sets the stage, nature films are on track, and more

12

18 The Optimist Daily – The right-to-repair movement gains traction in California with the passing of this new senate bill

20 Dear Montecito – Daian Martinez writes in on her ideas around innocence in the digital age

22

24

Our Town – Montecito Med Spa celebrates its first year in business and the Coastal Clean-Up crew was busy on the beaches

14 Society Invites – The annual artful exhibition and fundraiser for the Art Foundation of SB is on the way and tickets are still available, but extremely limited

16

Your Westmont – Theater stages the timeless Godspell, two new trustees bring experience to the board, and Zola Sokhela wins another race

26

Brilliant Thoughts – A reflection on the way it was phrased and other colloquialisms found over time

The Giving List – It can be a confusing process and overwhelming experience when a child is removed from a home, but CASA helps ease the transition and ensure the kid is getting the care they deserve

On Wellness – Stand up and start moving towards proper posture with Judi Silverman and teachings of Spinefulness

28

30

32 Stories Matter – As the weather cools, these page turners will keep the reader warm and entranced with their worlds... make sure not to get lost in them

36 Far Flung Travel – This year’s rains made it a perfect setting for wildflower gazing and kit fox searching – that is if you can find one in all of the flora

37 Robert’s Big Questions – What happened to the old traditional conspiracies? And what’s different about the new ones? Maybe it’s a conspiracy...?

44 Calendar of Events – Lemons in Goleta, Pianos on State, AI on discussion, and more happenings this week

46

Santa Barbara by the Glass – The vines are ripe and the time is now for the popular Santa Barbara Vintners Festival

Celebrating History – An evening at Bellosguardo leads to a riveting reading of Liz Brown’s Twilight Man: Love and Ruin in the Shadows of Hollywood and the Clark Empire

Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales

47 Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles

Local Business Directory – Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer

Photography: @virtourmedia

Village Beat

Montecito Country Mart Happenings

Oat Bakery owners Louise Ulrich and Lou Fontana are prepping to open their third location in the Santa Barbara area; this one in Montecito Country Mart later this fall

by Kelly Mahan Herrick

Montecito Country Mart is preparing to welcome two new businesses: the Mart’s anchor grocery store, Vons, has been under construction the last 1.5 years to be rebranded as Pavilions, which officially takes place this week with a ribbon cutting and grand re-opening. The store boasts expanded produce and bakery departments, a new floral department, expanded deli, and other improvements.

Also coming to the Mart: Oat Bakery, the cult favorite that started in downtown Santa Barbara and recently opened a second location in Goleta, is set to open later this fall.

Owned by Louise Ulrich and Lou Fontana, the Danish-style bakery uses whole grains, local produce from the farmers market, and superfoods like oats, chia seeds, and flaxseeds to make healthy and nutritious bread, which is organic and made in small batches. Flavors include pumpkin seed, date and almond, sourdough focaccia, country sourdough, “supersede,” Danish rye, and many others. The bakery sells out of bread nearly every day, and the Goleta location also offers an expanded menu with lunch offerings.

For more information, visit www.oatbakery.com. Montecito Country Mart is located at 1016 Coast Village Road.

Highway 101 Construction Continues

W hile progress continues on both roundabouts in Montecito, crews are prepping for the start of the highway widening through Montecito, building new safety railings and retaining walls for both sides of the San Ysidro overcrossings, clearing vegetation, setting temporary barriers, and working on temporary electricity connections for the

Village Beat Page 64

A stack of 24 safety barriers perched near the San Ysidro Road exit caught the eyes of many drivers over the past week (courtesy photo)

AN ALLURING OASIS FOR HOLLYWOOD’S LUMINARIES,

ARTISTS, AND WRITERS

start of freeway improvements.

Part of that work is bringing in materials and equipment and placing it temporarily in the area. One such load catching the attention of drivers in the area is a stack of 24 sections of k-rail perched near the southbound San Ysidro Road exit, with a second stack sitting nearby. We received a letter about the material, with the author voicing concern over the precarious position of the k-rail, and what would happen if there was a weather anomaly bringing heavy rains to the area.

Upon investigation, we’re told the k-rail, aka temporary safety barriers, will be placed along the lanes of the southbound freeway, in preparation for the construction which begins in the spring. It’s expected they will be placed by the end of this week; as of press time one section of the barriers had already been moved. We’re told that there will likely be much more material and equipment placed temporarily in the area over the next year, related to the highway widening. “This material and equipment is necessary to bring in, in part because the project is required to keep two lanes open in each direction during the freeway widening,” said a project spokesperson. The safety barriers will allow crews to build the third lane while traffic continues to flow in the neighboring two lanes.

Heavy work on the widening will begin in the spring, after the expected rainy season. For more information, visit www.sbroads.com.

Montecito Union Partners with AHA!

As MUS superintendent Anthony Ranii mentioned to the Montecito Association earlier this month, AHA!, a local nonprofit serving teens, families, and educators in Santa Barbara County, is now utilizing MUS’s Nature Lab for its Littlest Little Farm.

The Littlest Little Farm, launched in fall 2019, is one of the nonprofit’s afterschool programs, teaching participants about regenerative farming and agricultural skills. Participants work as part of a team, building friendships, getting hands in the soil, and communing with plants, animals (goats, chickens, and a tortoise), and insects. The former location of the farm was a private residence.

JOIN US FOR OUR LITERARY CLUB SERIES

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2023 • 12:00PM TO 2:00PM

PAUL RUDNICK

Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5 • 3:30PM TO 5:30PM

GEN Z SYMPOSIUM

Featuring Guest Speakers: Zach Gottlieb, 17-year-old founder of Talk With Zach, a Gen Z community that hosts live conversations on Instagram about emotional well-being Victoria Hammett, Deputy Executive Director Gen Z for Change Dr. Maryam Kia-Keating Ph.D., The University of California Santa Barbara Dr. Yalda Uhls, Founder of The Center for Scholars & Storytellers

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2023 • 12:00PM TO 2:00PM

THOMAS PERRY

Murder Book

$75, with 3-course lunch, signed book and complimentary parking

The Nature Lab at MUS invites students to imagine, build, and get messy in nature as they care for the planet and one another. They do this by creating and sustaining an experiential outdoor ecosystem rooted in biodynamic/regenerative agriculture and nature-inspired arts collaboration. “While Nature Lab is used by MUS students every school day, part of our mission is to share this resource with the larger community,” Ranii said.

AHA! teens and facilitators will assist in all aspects of caring for the Nature Lab’s garden and tending the livestock (baby goats, chickens, and a tortoise). Students earn a $40 stipend per four-week cycle or community service hours. One-third of the harvested produce will be donated to community partners, including Storyteller Children’s Center.

AHA!, which stands for Attitude, Harmony, and Achievement, utilizes a unique social and emotional learning model that gives young people the tools to feel safe, seen, and emotionally connected as part of a positive peer community. Teens 13 to 18 years are invited to enroll in four-week sessions, which meet on Saturdays from 10:30 am to 12 pm. To enroll, contact Paulina Romero , AHA! Enrollment Coordinator, at (805) 229-1079 or paulina@ahasb. org. For more information visit www.ahasb.org.

As part of MUS’s commitment to sharing its Nature Lab with the greater community, the school has partnered with AHA! to offer a program called the Littlest Little Farm, which teaches teens all aspects of farming

Kelly Mahan Herrick, also a licensed realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, has been editor at large for the Journal since 2007, reporting on news in Montecito and beyond.

Montecito Miscellany A Royal Rockin’ Time at One805LIVE!

by Richard Mineards

One805LIVE!, the organization founded in 2018 after the mudslides that devastated our rarefied enclave, is now By Royal Appointment!

For the second consecutive year, Oscar winner Kevin Costner opened the gates of his 10.25-acre Carpinteria oceanside estate, just a tiara’s toss from his $145 million beach compound, which attracted a record 3,000 guests and raised more than one million dollars for all three First Responder groups – fire, police, and the sheriff – providing equipment, supporting public safety, and taking care of those who care for us.

Prince Harry and his actress wife Meghan Markle, wearing an outfit by Carolina Herrera, just back from attending the Invictus Games for disabled veterans in Dusseldorf, Germany, added a decidedly majestic touch when they presented the Heart of the Community Awards, designed and created by Lynda Weinman, to Costner, Adam McKaig, founder of Adam’s Angels, and Alexa Fullerton, who has offered her home on Rincon Beach to allow firefighters to recuperate and recharge with their families.

“We can celebrate people that you’d maybe never meet,” said the Yellowstone star. “Ones who are the first to run in. It’s a place where I’ve had a lot of good

luck in my life, and I try not to put a wall around it.”

Former TV talk show titan Oprah Winfrey was also on stage interviewing Santa Barbara County Firefighter Sam Dudley .

Cars were parked at the nearby Santa Barbara Polo Club with guests being shuttled by buses and trolleys to the venue.

New Montecito resident Adam Levine of Maroon 5, who bought the Picacho Lane estate of actor Rob Lowe, led the impressive list of rockers performing, including Goleta’s Alan Parsons and singer John Fogerty, 78, who was singer-songwriter and founder of Credence

Miscellany Page 414

Kelsey Douglas, Tanya Thicke, Lisa Douglas, Arthur von Wiesenberger, and Tom and Karla Parker (photo by Priscilla)

Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig with honoree Adam McKaig receiving

The Heart of the Community Award from some special guests (photo by Priscilla)

Allan Glaser and Richard Weston-Smith at the One805 event (photo by Priscilla)

Banned Book Week

Bonfire of the Inanities

by Jeff Wing

“Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed to Repeat

It.” This quaint bromide is periodically hauled out to remonstrate against ideas that seem determined to repeat some wanton mistake from the past. Book banning fits that description like a glove. There is in this country a newish state law on the books – HB 3979 – that prohibits reading material that makes an individual “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race or sex.”

Banned Book Week this year is from October 1-7 and celebrates those literary tomes that have been targeted for the book chopping block. Book banning in the United States (of all places) has surged to its highest level in 20 years. The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom “…tracked 729 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2021, resulting in more than 1,597 individual book challenges or removals. Most targeted books were by or about Black or LGBTQIA+ persons.” It’s as if Gutenberg’s world-lifting achievement was about disseminating comfort, and not knowledge. I caught up with Library Services Manager Molly Wetta to get her thoughts on the growing practice of book banning. Here is an excerpt of our conversation.

Q. Do you see the censoring of books getting better, worse, or just holding steady over time?

A. I would say it has definitely intensified in terms of the numbers – and how organized the groups are today in challenging books.

How do you mean?

Beginning in 2016, we’ve seen organized calls from groups that have this objective – not in response to what their own children are reading, or concerns over an isolated incident, but targeted, strategic pushing back against public education, which has started to incorporate more historical fact about institutional racism, and then oftentimes sexual education in schools that is trying to maybe cover more topics than previous generations were exposed to. Topics like the racial history of our country, and then gender identity and sexuality are the most frequently cited reasons for challenging materials.

Most people can name a book they detest for one reason or another, but they also broadly realize that removing written material from public access has grotesque historical antecedents. The term “book burning” suggests something reflexively negative to most people, and few would publicly declare: “I’m against all new ways of thinking.” And yet that unspoken sentiment seems to fuel the modern book purge.

One of the tenets of library science is, “Every reader, their book – every book, their reader.” We want to make all materials, all ideas available within the constraints of our budget and our shelf space. So our collection is designed to represent a wide spectrum of ideas and perspectives, and every book should be able to find its reader. That does not mean that every book or DVD we have is going to appeal to everybody, and it shouldn’t – because we’re a diverse community with many different perspectives and ideas, and it’s good to encounter new ways of thinking, new ideas – even if you decide in the end that the idea isn’t for you, or that you don’t like it. That’s part of living.

Do you think there will always be eruptions of this sort, or do you believe that there will be some renaissance of common sense – that people will once again start to revere the very notion of the Idea itself, and the rich landscape of ideas ripe for exploration?

I think it’ll always be cyclical. When I first became a librarian, it was kind of like, “…oh, Banned Books Week. How cute! Glad we’re past that.” But right now, it is very much in the culture. In Florida we see school library bookshelves emptying because of it. As close as in Huntington Beach there was a proposal (by the town’s Mayor Pro Tem, Gracey Van Der Mark) for all purchases made by the public library to go through the city attorney’s office, which was sort of a wild idea. That doesn’t reflect an understanding of how librarians curate content. We have master’s degrees in the organization of information and collection management, something we take very seriously.

Just from a cultural standpoint, it’s odd that we who should know better – given Stalinism and Nazism and the roaring book bonfires historically associated with top-down fascism – that we don’t make that connection, don’t fear the creeping insidiousness of wanting any book to disappear.

Right. And just because it’s not right for your child doesn’t mean that it’s not going to literally save the life of another child.

Save the life…?

I still have a copy of a young adult book that nobody would remember to this day. It was called Willow and is about a young girl who participated in self-harm activities, but successfully worked through that part of her life and victoriously moved on. [Wetta here becomes visibly moved] Written in pencil on the cover page – in three separate sets of handwriting – were notes from three subsequent readers about how that book had led them to get help with their own self-harming behaviors. Really early in

MONTECITO TIDE GUIDE

my career that said, yeah, books quite literally can save people’s lives.

Celebrate the freedom to read by joining the discussion of favorite books by BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors. Complimentary copies of books will be given away and coffee, tea, and pastries will be served.

Registration is not required but is appreciated so we can ensure there are enough seats and refreshments. This event is in conjunction with Pride & Joy Santa Barbara.

Books and Breakfast:

A Pride & Joy Santa Barbara Event Faulkner Gallery

Friday, October 6, 2023

10 – 11:30 am

Jeff Wing is a journalist, raconteur, autodidact, and polysyllable enthusiast. A longtime resident of SB, he takes great delight in chronicling the lesser known facets of this gaudy jewel by the sea.

Jeff can be reached at jeffwingg@gmail.com.

Executive Editor/CEO | Gwyn Lurie gwyn@montecitojournal.net

President/COO | Timothy Lennon Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net

VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood leanne@montecitojournal.net

Managing Editor | Zach Rosen zach@montecitojournal.net

Art/Production Director | Trent Watanabe

Administration | Jessikah Fechner

Administrative Assistant | Valerie Alva

Graphic Design/Layout | Stevie Acuña

Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Nadel, Bryce Eller

Contributing Editor | Kelly Mahan Herrick

Copy Editor | Lily Buckley Harbin, Jeff Wing Proofreading | Helen Buckley

Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz

Contributors | Scott Craig, Ashleigh Brilliant, Kim Crail, Tom Farr, Chuck Graham, Stella Haffner, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Sharon Byrne, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye

Gossip | Richard Mineards

History | Hattie Beresford

Humor | Ernie Witham

Our Town/Society | Joanne A Calitri

Travel | Jerry Dunn, Leslie Westbrook

Food & Wine | Claudia Schou Melissa Petitto, Gabe Saglie

Published by:

Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC

Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108.

How to reach us: (805) 565-1860; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108; EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net

On Entertainment

The Ongoing Innovation of Martha Graham Dance

by Steven Libowitz

It’s appropriate that Santa Barbara gets the third stop on the Martha Graham Dance Company’s (MGDC) new tour, the beginning of a three-year celebration of the legendary dancer-choreographer’s work and legacy in anticipation of MGDC’s centennial in 2026. After all, Graham graduated from Santa Barbara High after her family moved here from Pittsburgh when she was 14, and it’s where she first started her lifelong love of dance.

“The contrast in the culture and the light and the space was life-changing for her,” explained Janet Eilber, who has been artistic director of the Martha Graham Dance Company, School, and Archives since 2005 after a performing career that included a long stint dancing under Graham. “She really credited all those elements with her approach to theater and dance.”

Graham, of course, is credited with innovating an American art form, creating a revolution in dance, one borne of her beliefs that the rhythms, the physicality and the mentality of our nation were unique, as was our relationship to time and space, the spirit to be imbued in the dance, Eilber said.

“Her genius was based on her own intuitive sense of body language and the challenges of being human,” she said. “She took that idea of identifying how a person feels by the way they move, and she turned that into a dance language.”

Graham’s vast output and influence made a three-year celebration a fitting approach to marking the milestone of her company.

“There is just so much in her history and legacy that there was no way to fit it into one season,” Eilber said.

Eilber came up with three themes in putting together the programs for the seasons. “American Legacies,” highlighting Graham’s social activism, Americana, and modernism, will be followed by “Dances of the Mind,” focusing on the choreographer’s more psychological works, and “The Masterpieces,” examining the question “What is an American?” from Graham’s 1939 work, American Document

Each individual program will feature at least one of Graham’s works and one by her contemporaries as well as new pieces representing either recent repertory work or commissions. But calling them classics vs. contemporary, or tradition vs. innovation doesn’t fit, Eilber said.

“Martha Graham and her company were always on the forefront of the art field. It’s only as the company got older that tradition started to creep in,” she said. We couldn’t be a museum until we had a collection, and the collection was created out of innovation. My job has been to continue that trajectory of innovation and use it as a frame for what we now call our classics.”

To that end, MGDC will perform Graham’s 1946 modernist work Dark Meadow Suite and, for the first time, Agnes de Mille’s 1942 Americana classic Rodeo, alongside CAVE, a 2022 high-energy work by Hofesh Shechter that serves as a visceral collective movement experience drawn from the rave and techno club scene. For its reconstruction of Rodeo, the company commissioned a reimagining of Aaron Copland’s score from composer-arranger-fiddler Gabe Witcher of Punch Brothers, who will lead a live bluegrass ensemble on stage.

“Copland borrowed actual American cowboy songs and wove them into his score, so by orchestrating it for bluegrass, we’re almost returning those songs to their roots,” Eilber said.

While CAVE pushes a much more extreme edge, Eilber said it’s all part and parcel of Graham’s legacy.

“When you put the new works on a program with ‘classics,’ the audience experiences the trajectory of dance,” she said.

“Today’s choreographers are the beneficiaries of this legacy of innovation, the history of contemporary dance for the last over

On Entertainment Page 394

“Santa Barbara Design and Build was fabulous. Don and his crew were the BEST from day one. He was honest, timely, flexible, artistic, patient and skilled. They understood my vision and built my dream home”.

-Santa Barbara Resident

Martha Graham Dance Company has always approached the artform from different angles (courtesy photo)

Dog Training

Unleash your dog’s full potential and your own. Learn from Santa Barbara’s most quali ed dog trainer, Nathan Woods. Training available for dogs of all ages and behavioral issues. There are many packages which are speci cally designed to set dogs and owners up for maximum success.

Dog Daycare

Available for dogs 16 weeks and above. This program is exclusive to a limited number of lucky dogs. This is a great way to develop a young dog’s social skills as they learn proper etiquette, and most importantly, how to pace themselves. This will help them avoid many behavioral issues they may encounter in public.

Our Town

Montecito Med Spa Celebrates One-Year Anniversary in Montecito!

by Joanne A Calitri

The Montecito Med Spa (MMS), a local Montecito business, celebrated its one-year anniversary at its Coast Village Circle location on Thursday, September 21, from 2 to 7 pm, with a champagne party for its clients and their guests.

Owner Karen Neary, MSN, RN, had her vision come true last year by opening the spa in Montecito. “I wanted to create a space where both men and women can be treated with a more personalized and specialized approach to their aesthetic needs while providing the highest quality service and delivering the safest results.”

A certainty with her background of 20 years as a perioperative nurse and working with plastic surgeons. She is a member of the American Med Spa Association and participates in continuing education in her field, providing the latest in treatment modalities.

On her team are Giana Miller RN, a Santa Barbara area native with 19 years in the aesthetics industry, and receptionist Ashley Ayers. Always happy, smiling, and creating quick Instagram videos for fun, they saw the fruits of their dedicated work with a packed house of devotees and newbies to their spa. When I arrived, the spa was abuzz with happy clients congratulating the team, buying product at a discount, and taking photo ops. Seen at the event were Andrea Steward, Viviana Contreras, Izabella Alvaro, Gail Kvistad, Kim Brice, and Melodie Girard

In addition to champagne, cake, and fresh appetizers, guests toured the four spa

Our Town Page 344

In our lobby, we o er an array of curated products that you and your dog are sure to love.

“I’ve found that most people consistently underestimate their dog’s potential.

Retail Boutique NATHAN

My purpose in life is to help people bring out the best in their dogs.”

Gail Kvistad, Kim Brice, and Melodie Girard (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Celebrating their one-year anniversary are Karen Neary, Giana Miller, and Ashley Ayers (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Andrea Steward, Karen Neary, Viviana Contreras, and Izabella Alvaro (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

RENDERING OF THE PLANS BY THE WARNER GROUP

Society Invites

Art Foundation of Santa Barbara Annual Exhibition Announced

by Joanne A Calitri

The Art Foundation of Santa Barbara (AFSB) has announced its annual art exhibition and sale titled, An Artful Affair at Riven Rock, on Sunday, October 8, from 3 to 5 pm, at the historic Riven Rock estate of Frank McGinity. Tickets are limited to 150 lucky guests and selling fast.

I met with McGinity and his team, AFSB President Keith W. Moore, treasurer Maria McCall, trustee and event emcee John Doordan, Diane Brighton, and Eric Mack at his Riven Rock estate. The lovely, landscaped front gardens and lawn area is where the art will happen. Moore shared that the mission of the AFSB, a nonprofit organization established in 2005, is:

“To educate the public in the works of artists with special focus on Santa Barbara County and the Central and South coasts of California. Santa Barbara County and areas have a long history of art produced by now nationally famous artists and continues as an important source of works from a large community of contemporary artists.”

The art event features nine local artists selected by the AFSB – Ralph Waterhouse, Ann Sanders, Chris Potter, Patricia Post, John Iwerks, Ray Hunter, Chris Chapman, Danuta Bennett, and Andrea Anderson. Waterhouse will draw a landscape work on the spot at 4 pm, which will also be for sale by live auction. Montecito Bank & Trust is the event sponsor. For tickets, check the 411.

411: www.artfoundationofsb.org

“Whatever you want in life, other people are going to want it too.” – Diane Sawyer

At his Riven Rock estate front lawn is Frank McGinity with Maria McCall and Keith Moore (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Joanne A Calitri

photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@ yahoo.com

Your Westmont Music, Theater Combine in ‘Godspell’

by Scott Craig

Westmont presents Godspell, one of the most popular musicals of all time, on October 12-15 at 7:30 pm and October 14 at 2 pm in Westmont’s Porter Theatre. Music and theater students join together to stage a production for the first time since 2019. Tickets, which cost $20 for general admission and $12 for students and seniors, are available online at westmont.edu/boxoffice.

Director Mitchell Thomas, a theater arts professor at Westmont, decided to perform a chamber musical with a smaller cast replete with strong roles for theater and music students. “We hope to encourage audiences to return to live theater to see a beloved musical that is inspiring, funny, touching, and connected to our Christian identity as a college,” he says.

Thomas has recruited a creative production team that includes four talented alums to provide design and dramaturgy. He last directed a musical, the relatively unknown Animal Farm: The Musical, in 2012. “It’s such a pleasure to work on Godspell – great music, wonderful characters, and a profound and playful story,” Thomas says. “There’s a reason Godspell endures. Theater is always a collaborative art form, especially so in musicals.”

The students collaborate at the intersection of musical theater, including clown performance, storytelling, and theological exploration. “All of it is connected to our own personal journeys as seekers and people of faith in the world,” Thomas says.

Ruth Lin, Westmont director of music, oversees the Godspell band of four, while Christina Ramsay directs vocals. JohnMichael Tebelak conceived and originally directed Godspell in 1971. Stephen Schwartz, the three-time Grammy and Oscar winner who wrote music for Wicked in 2003, provided the music and lyrics for the musical.

“Godspell isn’t after teaching you how to be like Jesus or teaching you who the histor-

ical Jesus of Nazareth was,” says dramaturge Diana Small (’09). Godspell aims to show how it takes a thoughtful, graceful, and messy community to chase the peace, love, and justice that God invites us to nurture.”

Parents of Alum, Student Join Trustees

The parents of a Westmont alumna and a current student joined the Westmont Board of Trustees in May. Mary Barbour, whose daughter, Anna, graduated from Westmont in 2022, and Marcus ‘Goodie’ Goodloe, whose daughter Hannah is currently a senior and will graduate in spring 2024, look forward to supporting the college’s mission on the board, which oversees the operations of the college.

Barbour, who served as president of the Westmont Parents Council and representative to the board of trustees, is from Pennsylvania, where she has been an active community volunteer. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, attended John Hopkins University for a master’s degree, and has served on several boards of nonprofit organizations including educational institutions. She enjoys history, reading, studio, and applied arts. Her husband, Al, is an entrepreneur and business owner.

“Like so many Westmont parents, we wanted the principles we raised our daughter with to be reflected in the higher education she received,” Barbour says. “An excellent education combined with Christian values is what makes Westmont distinctive.”

Goodloe travels the country mentoring students, educators, business professionals, athletes, entertainers, and faith communities about cultural and interpersonal relationships, leadership, character formation, and faith. He has written three books, including King Maker: Applying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s

Godspell poster design by Creed Bauman (’25)

Director Mitchell

Thomas (photo by Brad Elliott)

T H A N K S G I V I N G

Enjoy a crafted 4-course pre-fixed dinner featuring locally sourced ingredients thoughtfully crafted for the occasion.

5:00 p m to 9:00 p m

Adults $130 ears $65

A prix-fixe menu featuring Chef Massimo’s take on holiday classics with a regional twist, that feature seasonal ingredients harvested by local farmers

3:00 p m to 9:00 p m

Adults $215

Children 4 to 12 Years $95

Honor traditions with a memorable gathering on the coast featuring holiday classics accompanied by festive activities for children.

Buffet available from 12:00 p m to 3:00 p m

Buffet available from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Adults $175

Children 4 to 12 Years $65

California Joins the Right-to-Repair Revolution

On September 12, the California State Assembly passed Senate Bill 244 with a unanimous 50-0 vote, marking a historic milestone for the right-to-repair movement. This historic measure, which was also approved with an amazing 38-0 vote in the California Senate in May, now needs a final concurrence vote in the Senate before reaching Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk.

California has now joined Minnesota and New York as the third state to pass right-to-repair legislation. However, California’s measure differs in that it requires corporations to offer access to repair resources like parts, tools, documentation, and software for a longer period of time. This commitment lasts three years for products priced between $50 and $99.99 and seven years for those priced at $100 or higher. The act applies to gadgets and appliances made after July 1, 2021.

While California is not the first state to support the right-to-repair campaign, its importance cannot be overstated. As the home of many Big Tech businesses and one of the most populous states in the United States, California frequently sets the tone for legislative trends that spread across the country.

Notably, Apple recently made waves by publicly endorsing California’s right-to-repair bill, reversing years of opposition to repair rights. This change of attitude is consistent with a broader trend in which regulators are putting pressure on digital behemoths like Apple to be more repair-friendly. European regulations, for example, persuaded Apple to integrate USB-C in its most recent iPhone 15. Apple’s renewed commitment to repairability was highlighted during the Wonderlust event on September 12, just hours before SB 244 was passed.

Nathan Proctor, senior director of the Public Interest Research Group’s rightto-repair campaign, recognizes this movement but cautions that there is more work to be done: “That’s good news, because as important as this legislation is, we have more to do if we want a more sustainable relationship with the electronics that power our modern lives.”

While the path to complete right-to-repair legislation is not without problems and roadblocks, the success of SB 244 in California is a monument to the power of lobbying, a portent of change in an industry where repairability is becoming a fundamental part of the debate. All three bills are planned to go into effect in 2024, with New York’s coming first in January, followed by Minnesota’s and California’s in July, promising a brighter future for consumers and the environment alike.

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Dear Montecito Innocence in the Age of Information

hat does it mean to retain innocence in the age of information? This week, 22-yearanswers this ques-

Daian is a talented young writer whose recent work as a Raab Writing Fellow at UCSB explored the big and little things that affect today’s youngest generation. After seeing her zine “In the Middle” – an exploration of middle school students’ lives in a technology-driven era – I asked Daian if she would share what she has observed with us in the Dear Montecito column.

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Blessings of the Animals Luncheon

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On a June morning, three days into summer camp, a young boy joined late. He walked in with confidence, a pair of boots, and a cowboy hat. I thought it looked funny, maybe even out of place – it was a hot and humid day after all, but the young girls at camp found it intriguing. One of them quickly became fond of the boy. She found him playing carpet ball later that day and walked around him giggling and whispering with her friend, hoping to catch his attention. I watched on the sidelines laughing to myself, but relating nonetheless. I had behaved similarly when I was in middle school. I would get so jittery around my crush and purposely raise my voice, so much that my laughs would become cackles (even though he wasn’t really all that funny), but it was all in hopes of getting his attention.

I cringe thinking back on it now, except I know it was part of my growth and innocence.

You see Montecito, I saw small glimpses of myself through the lives of the middle school students I mentored during a summer camp. They were full of dreams – not daydreams, but of an ambition and passion that drove them forward. They shared stories about a future where they were architects, artists, doctors, and engineers. One of them even mentioned becoming a YouTuber. But amidst these stories, their eyes darted back and forth, exchanging glances to make sure they were not being laughed at; and that maybe their aspirations were not too far-fetched.

A particular student was an artist in disguise. She fiddled with words elaborately, describing a mundane event as an out-of-body experience – I was dispensed from reality hearing her speak. She was a natural speaker, a writer, and poet all combined. She had shared her dreams of becoming an author with her friends, but they discouraged her, saying, “authors don’t make money, at least not livable money. I read that online.” And that was as far as her words reached.

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I wondered if in that moment she felt the pangs of innocence, of her imagination coarsening and shrinking inward – and she, exiled, because she was older now (by way of new knowledge), aware of societal expectations and financial insecurity. I wondered if that simplicity is something she could have kept longer, that is, to not have her dreams spoiled by mundane affairs. But maybe not. As we acknowledge the reality of our society, we understand that information and opinions – however unwarranted –flood our screens incessantly, like moths to a flame. So even if that student didn’t hear those discouraging words from her friends, she would have probably found it online herself. And while it’s impossible for students to disconnect from online spaces, it’s not impossible to help them cultivate their innocence.

Innocence is not ignorance, or naiveté, but rather discernment. Students are constantly exposed to images, information, ideas, videos etc., and many of them can negatively affect their lives. If the artist-in-disguise student had embraced inno-

Daian Martinez is a Raab Writing Fellow at UCSB

Brilliant Thoughts

The Way It Was

by Ashleigh Brilliant

In the now-almost-forgotten days when many of us regularly watched an early evening network newscast, Walter Cronkite, who was then recognized as the Dean of American Newsmen (there were very few newswomen), used to sign off his report with the words, “And that’s the way it is…” To me, and perhaps to many other members of his audience, there was something reassuring about these words. At least, there was somebody out there who knew the score, and could tell it like it is (or was).

Reality is never easy to pin down. Before you know what’s going on, a new reality has been slapped down over it. I remember a cartoon, possibly in The New Yorker, which showed a man who has got up from his sofa and is pointing angrily at the TV screen, shouting “No, Walter – that is not the way it is!”

Without any doubt, there are always many ways that it could be. This concept intrigued me even as long ago as 1945, when I was 12 years old. And I cannot resist sharing with you something I wrote then (which has never been published before):

THE WAY AHEAD

When the burden’s getting heavy And your soul is nearly dead, Don’t give up in the middle, For there’s still the way ahead.

When happiness departs from you And sorrow comes instead,

Cheer up, don’t be downhearted, For there’s still a way ahead.

And when death comes to take you, Don’t think that life has fled, Go forward bravely, boldly –For there IS a way ahead.

Somewhere along the way from then to now – I seem to have become considerably less confident about the future. But, for better or worse, I now have much less future to be confident about.

There are of course many different ways of saying “that’s how it is.” One, which may have bounded out of basketball, says: “That’s the way the ball bounces.” Another, perhaps cooked up in a kitchen, declares: “That’s how the cookie crumbles.” They both look to our linguistic love of alliteration.

And many proverbs are also on the “way” – as, for instance, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” – which, however, leads in a legalistic (if not grammatical) direction, to “Where there’s a will, there’s relatives.”

And then we have catch-phrases, like “My way or the highway” – which can’t help but remind us of Frank Sinatra’s musical reminiscence (written by Paul Anka) about how “I did it my way.” We are moved to admiration by those proud and defiant words:

Yes, there were times I’m sure you knew When I bit off more than I could chew But through it all, when there was doubt

I ate it up and spat it out I faced it all, and I stood tall, and did it my way.

But when it comes to leading a nation, or any group of people, how can anyone know the right way? The choice always seems to be between the extremes of boldness and caution. On the bold side, Julius Caesar, in 49 B.C., leading his army in rebellion to take command at Rome, dared to cross the Rubicon River, which was the boundary of the Roman Republic, and thus bring on a civil war. On this occasion, he is said to have uttered the words, “Alea iacta est,” a gambling metaphor, meaning “I have thrown the dice.” In other words – “I am taking the big chance.” (But he thereby gave us a useful expression meaning “to take an irrevocable step”: to “cross the Rubicon.”)

As for caution, we may cite the case of Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, who in 1938, to avoid a war with Hitler, flew to Munich, and there negotiated concessions to the Nazis – mainly letting them march into Czechoslovakia – which were later bitterly regretted. Yet, at the time he was greeted at home as a great leader, who had brought what he said he believed was, “Peace in our time.” (The Second World War began in the next year, with another Nazi march, into Poland.)

Of course, no way is more important than the way home. But that is not always easy, nor is the homecoming always happy. Hansel and Gretel almost didn’t make it out of the forest because the trail of breadcrumbs they’d left was eaten by the birds. And, although getting home took Odysseus 10 years, when he arrived, he was recognized only by his dog.

Ashleigh Brilliant born England 1933, came to California in 1955, to Santa Barbara in 1973, to the Montecito Journal in 2016. Best-known for his illustrated epigrams, called “Pot-Shots,” now a series of 10,000. email: ashleigh@west. net. web: www.ash leighbrilliant.com.

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The Giving List CASA

by Steven Libowitz

When a child is removed from their home due to abuse or neglect, they are faced with something no youngster should ever have to go through: navigating a confusing world of court proceedings amid competing interests with their future hanging in the balance.

The children are provided a lawyer, but their attorney likely has hundreds of other cases to handle simultaneously. The child’s social worker is also burdened with a full caseload that prevents much focused attention, and even the judge – whose goal is to issue rulings that are best for the child – sees them too infrequently and only in the sterile courtroom setting.

That’s where Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Barbara County gets involved. CASA’s mission is to assure a safe, permanent, and nurturing home for all abused and/or neglected children by providing a highly trained volunteer to advocate for them in the court system. The advocates, who are paired with just one child at a time, or perhaps a couple of siblings, have one simple goal: to make sure the child is getting everything they need to not only survive but thrive during the very vulnerable transition period after being removed from the home, whether they eventually end up back in their biological parents’ home or elsewhere.

I wrote almost exactly those same words in my column about CASA back in spring 2021, and all of it still applies today.

“The story doesn’t change, because we’re doing the same thing this year that we did last year, and the year before,” agreed Kim Colby Davis, CASA’s executive director. “And we’re going to be here next year doing the same thing: making sure these children get what they need by spending

time with them and working with child welfare and with the attorney, so the court knows everything helpful to determine what’s in the best interest of the child.”

What also hasn’t changed, unfortunately, is some misconceptions about CASA and the kids that they serve, and what it takes to get involved.

“One of the first things that we have to clear up for people is that the kids haven’t done anything wrong,” Colby Davis said. “Good grief. A third of our children are between zero and three. They are just kids who didn’t ask to be placed in this situation. The vast majority are in the foster care system because they are neglected and basically abandoned. Their parents have become so addicted to the drug world that the children are literally in danger in their homes.”

Which leads to another misunderstanding, she said.

“The kids generally don’t realize that anything is wrong. It’s just home to them. Now they’ve been physically removed out

of whatever is their comfort zone and suddenly placed into a strange scenario. That’s how every single child that we serve has experienced trauma that we can’t even begin to understand.”

But what CASA and its advocate volunteers can do is be with the children, listen, and uncover the needs and desires beyond basic food and shelter that might otherwise go unnoticed by the court system that decides their fate. The advocates can bring up the little things that can make a huge difference in a child’s life, such as getting involved in a soccer program or taking a dance class when they weren’t able to before. CASA advocates can both facilitate getting things approved and then the nonprofit can cover costs where funds aren’t available.

“It’s the things that a parent would do, like signing a permission slip, or having a kid get a fun haircut, those things where normally people would check in with the parents,” Colby Davis explained. “Our kids have to check in with their social worker and sometimes the judge on these things and that can be intimidating. Our volunteers help facilitate that and follow through by bringing it forward to the court so that the judge can see beyond that sterile case plan that he gets from social workers. It really brings the children to life and humanizes them in that courtroom environment. That little extra effort makes a huge difference.”

All that comes from the CASA volunteer being deeply invested in this one child’s well-being. Which brings up another misconception about the organization: that it takes a special background and an overwhelming commitment to get involved. Both myths, Colby Davis said.

“Our volunteers come from all walks of life,” she said. “We have retired attorneys and still-working plumbers, and grandmothers and young engineers. Anybody can do it. That’s proven by the fact that about two thirds of our volunteer force work full time.”

After a 35-hour training period, volunteers average only 10-12 hours a month for the year’s commitment. And the vast majority re-enlist – the average CASA volunteer spends about 52 months working with the

nonprofit. But many more are needed.

Which brings us to the last thing that hasn’t changed for CASA in recent years: despite having advocates for nearly 400 children last year, the organization still isn’t able to actually serve all of the children in need.

“We had 60 on our waitlist,” Colby Davis said. “I feel horrible knowing that we should be helping them and that we’re not.”

The good news is that it takes only $2,500 to sponsor one year of advocacy for a child through CASA. Thinking big, about $150,000 would let CASA grow its staff or trainers and support services to completely eradicate the waitlist and get more kids a devoted advocate as they navigate the court system. But every dollar helps.

Colby Davis mentioned that longtime CASA board president Tony Papa used to regularly say, “You get a lot of bang for your buck at CASA.”

“If you leave a kid in chaos, then you can be guaranteed that you’re manufacturing another generation of chaos. But if you interrupt that and put a committed volunteer in the way and show them a different, more stable path, then you can change that life and change the trajectory.”

To learn more about CASA, inquire about volunteering, or support the local nonprofit, visit www.sbcasa. org or call (805) 739-9102.

With an overburdened system, CASA advocates can step in to facilitate legal matters and more when a child is removed from the home

CASA volunteers can help facilitate a child getting into a sports program or other extracurriculars that may require parent permission, or even court approval

Americana Royalty

Nickel Creek

with special guest Hawktail

Sun, Oct 8 / 7 PM / Granada Theatre

“Nickel Creek made Americana the new Indie Rock.” NPR

Featuring Chris Thile and siblings Sean and Sara Watkins, revolutionary roots trio Nickel Creek returns to Santa Barbara with an ambitious album’s worth of dazzling new music.

Superstar Trio’s U.S. Debut

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

Lisa Batiashvili, violin

Gautier Capuçon, cello

Tue, Oct 10 / 7 PM / Granada Theatre

“When you have the possibility to play incredible music with great friends onstage, this is just pure luxury. There is nothing better than that.” – Gautier Capuçon

In this evening of chamber music at the highest level, three friends and exquisitely talented artists join forces for a captivating program of piano trios by Haydn, Ravel and Mendelssohn.

Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends

Featuring choreography by Michelle Dorrance, Alonzo King and William Forsythe

Wed, Oct 25 / 8 PM / Granada Theatre

Award-winning New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck embraces the role of director with an innovative, handpicked repertoire by some of today’s most exciting talent.

Lead Sponsor: Jody & John Arnhold

Dance Series Sponsors: Margo Cohen-Feinberg & Bob Feinberg, Donna Fellows & Dave Johnson, Barbara Stupay, and Sheila Wald

West Coast Premiere

On Wellness Learning the Way of a Painless Life Through Spinefulness

by Amélie Dieux

Judi Silverman , a longtime local of Santa Barbara, is a woman to meet! Her kindness shines through her personality and her approach to life will make you want to learn about what she’s teaching. “I am a body posture teacher,” she expressed. It’s a technique that will change your way of being and your life. Fine-tuning one’s body posture is a great way to be conscious and in harmony with your body and mind.

She was an elementary school teacher for many years after completing her B.A. degree at UCLA, and with an academic understanding of psychology and a passion for teaching and yoga, she became a certified yoga instructor utilizing B. K. S. Iyengar’s concepts with her clients for 10 years. By applying her unique background, Silverman has enhanced and mastered how to teach people to feel better and without feeling any pain in their daily life through the learning of proper spine alignment.

Indeed, after injuring her shoulder during a yoga position, she felt the need to understand what the underlying state of her pain was. By mere coincidence, she discovered an article about the Aplomb Institute – founded by the French woman Noëlle Perez-Christiaens – who was discussing the necessities of the correct body alignment. This was the start of Silverman’s journey to understand the deeper meaning of our body and bone structure. This quest led Silverman to study for two years in San Francisco – a hub for yoga instructors at that time – to become a certified Spinefulness yoga instructor since 2002.

So why is it important to stand properly in your daily life? Silverman said, “The bones are naturally lined up with gravity.” And that gravity line goes right up into the center of the hips, through the spine and the neck, creating the right alignment for your body to be in its original position from birth to three years old… until children start to mimic the body movements of their parents and adults.

So what went wrong at first? Unfortunately, “Eighty percent of the people in Western countries have back pain sometimes at some point in their life.” The theory brought up by Silverman and her peers is that, “all bending is in the knees, hips, ankles and shoulder joints, but in the Western world, people have created subconsciously a joint in the lower back.” It all started around the 1920s – an era of mass industrialization – a look into the fashion industry trends of the era shows that the body was becoming misaligned and even at times deformed. “The pelvis started to unnaturally move forward by these new fashion statements for

both men and women, and it continued even in the 1950s and still nowadays,” as Silverman mentioned. It became a cultural predicament and disposition – and no longer a natural condition.

We have all seen pictures of people in developing countries balancing out heavy items on their head with much ease and even sometimes barefoot. This is because they still know how to be in their body and how to be aligned with their gravity line, as compared to the industrialized countries. “The life got softer here, but we have to carry the weight of that mistake.”

But what are some of the causes of this misalignment in our Western countries nowadays? The fault goes to computers, phones, driving, office hours, furniture, as well as stress, and sports like pickle ball, ballet, and even playing piano for instance. Indeed, all these activities plus our daily routines, like carrying groceries or even walking and standing, if not practiced correctly can cause some discomforts, pain, and even injuries. “I love watching people in general for example in Montecito coffee shops or even at the Santa Barbara Airport… but unfortunately the majority of them have bad postures,” said Silverman. Thus the importance of learning the right way of being in your body. “I’m teaching two things: how to have the correct posture so that your bones are lined up with gravity, and that the proper place for the pelvis is the center of the body.” She clarified by saying that if you put the weight of your body on your bones – the way nature intended to hold the body’s weight – the bones can stay stronger naturally. However, if you’re off the gravity line, the weight goes to the muscles that are then forced to hold you up and result in tremendous stress and possibly a poor circulation of the oxygen and blood flow throughout the body. It can take a while to change these old, hard habits, but with Spinefulness’ teachings, people can correct their body postures through little modifications at first. Sitting on the edge of a chair will improve a better back position; putting your car seat lower to approximately a 90-degree angle will help straighten your back, as well as avoid crossing your legs; and while sitting, placing the body weight equally on both hip bones will help as well.

Not only is this what Silverman can offer, she also treats clients through teaching classes to people of all ages and even one-on-one for those who wish to heal naturally from an injury instead of having surgery. Spinefulness is also for those who simply want to correct their body posture, or for the curious minded who would like to feel the benefits of a better and more overall conscious body transformation. Changes can occur even after the first appointment due to an innate bone memory of the original alignment from when you were just three years old.

Long ago, the people of California started the movement of having a healthier lifestyle, which still takes place today. And thanks to this year’s rain and magnificent blooms, the outdoors here in Montecito and Santa Barbara is a mustsee. Through the wise teachings of Judi Silverman and the connection of Spinefulness, it’s much easier to enjoy hiking, biking, surfing, etc. or just feel the comfort of your home without thinking of pain again. Visit

Jackson Brown, Jr.

F O R E V E R Y G E N E R AT I O N .

T H I S I S W H Y W E W A L K .

A t t h e A l z h e i m e r ’ s A s s o c i a t i o n Wa l k t o E n d A l z h e i m e r ’ s ® , w e ’ r e fi g h t i n g fo r a d i ffe r e n t f u t u r e . Fo r f a m i l i e s f a c i n g t h e d i s e a s e t o d a y. Fo r m o r e t i m e . Fo r t r e a t m e n t s .

We ’ r e c l o s e r t h a n e v e r t o s t o p p i n g A l z h e i m e r ’ s B u t t o g e t t h e r e , w e n e e d y o u J o i n u s fo r t h e w o r l d ’ s l a r g e s t f u n d r a i s e r t o fi g h t t h e d i s e a s e . R e g i s t e r t o d a y a t a l z . o r g / w a l k .

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GREAT FOOD

Santa Barbara by the Glass

Harvest Party

Santa Barbara Vintners Bring Back Annual Feast

AM7:0012:00AM

by Gabe Saglie

Santa Barbara Vintners, the group that represents and advocates for most of Santa Barbara County’s wine companies, is once again hosting its annual fête of record. This year’s Santa Barbara Vintners Festival is slated for Saturday, October 14, from noon to 4 pm, at the new Vega Vineyard in the town of Buellton. Dozens of winemakers will host hundreds of wine fans, and there’s plenty that’s new on the agenda of this longstanding affair to wow them all. Here are five reasons this one-day party is well worth putting on our calendars.

The History: Now on its 39th year, the Santa Barbara Vintners Festival holds the distinction of being one of the oldest events of its kind in the county. It started small, put on by a group of winemaker friends at a time – the

early 1980s – when the region was in its nascency. Fast-forward to 2023, and many of those original pourers are still at it, alongside a brand-new wave of intrepid winemakers. And their repute has certainly grown: Wine Enthusiast Magazine, for one, named Santa Barbara County its Wine Region of the Year in 2021, a global distinction. But while the crowds have gotten bigger – several hundred wine buffs will descend on this year’s feast – that original sense of community remains, making the level of vintner participation at this festival the best in the area.

The Location : This year’s festival features a brand-new location, and a chance for guests to explore one of the region’s newest destinations. Vega Vineyard and Farm sits on what was once Mosby Vineyard, the 200acre viticultural playground founded in 1976 by the affable Bill Mosby, who passed away in 2020. It’s now owned by hospitality industry veterans Demetrios and Karen Loizides , who opened Vega a year ago this month, and who reimagined the property as a farmto-table-inspired winery, restaurant, and catering operation. The talented Steve Clifton leads the winery operation. Guests can feed farm animals, buy produce and homemade pies, and, now through November, visit the pumpkin patch. The festival takes place this year on a spot that really is a snapshot of ag life in the Santa Ynez Valley.

The Wine: This is the festival’s big-ticket item, of course – hundreds of wines to choose from. More than 60 wineries will be participating, and you

From pinots to dry whites, taste your way through the Santa Barbara Vintners Festival

Not to be missed is the chance to taste some sparkling wines in the Bank of Marin Bubble Lounge

Visionary Artificial Intelligence Insider

Mustafa Suleyman

The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century’s Greatest Dilemma

Thu, Oct 5 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

Tickets start at $25 / FREE for UCSB students

The co-founder of Inflection AI and DeepMind and former Head of Applied AI at Google, Suleyman warns of the unprecedented risks that fast-proliferating technologies pose to global order, and shows how we might contain them while we have the chance.

Corporate Sponsor: Sage Publishing

Supporting Sponsor: Natalie Orfalea Foundation & Lou Buglioli

Investigative Journalist and Bestselling Author

Jeff Goodell

Life and Death on a Scorched Planet

Tue, Oct 17 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

Tickets start at $20 / FREE for UCSB students

Part of the Earth, Air, Fire, Water series. Buy the series and get a copy of Goodell’s new book. Probing archaeology, science, history, current events and more, Goodell presents a completely new understanding of the impact that temperature rise will have on our lives and our planet.

Earth, Air, Fire, Water Series Sponsors: Audrey & Timothy O. Fisher, Justin Brooks Fisher Foundation, and Sara Miller McCune

Award-winning Historian and Acclaimed Journalist

Jill Lepore

Amend: Rewriting the Constitution

Tue, Oct 24 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

Tickets start at $20 / $10 all students (with valid ID)

“Jill Lepore is a national treasure.” – Adam Hochschild, author of Bury the Chains

Historian and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Jill Lepore brings her wisdom, empathy and razor-sharp insight to a discussion of the Supreme Court and the looming crisis of the U.S. Constitution’s unamendability.

Books will be available for purchase and signing, courtesy of Chaucer’s

Major Sponsor: Sara Miller McCune

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Celebrating History

Twilight at Bellosguardo

by Hattie Beresford

Alate afternoon sun graced another lovely event at Bellosguardo on Thursday, September 21. That day, the Bellosguardo Foundation hosted a reception and book talk by Liz Brown, author of Twilight Man: Love and Ruin in the Shadows of Hollywood and the Clark Empire. As guests mingled and explored the estate, docents were on hand to explain the architecture, furnishings, and decorative elements of the beautiful rooms of the mansion. Outside, attendees were drawn to explore the gardens and take in the bluff views before returning for wine and appetizers and the soft strains of guitar music.

Bellosguardo was an appropriate venue for a talk by Brown, who is related by marriage to William A. Clark, Jr., founder of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hollywood Bowl. Her grandmother was a favored niece of Clark’s second wife, Alice McManus Medin, and spent a great deal of time with her aunt and uncle, who adored her.

When Brown took to the dais in the fading light of the courtyard, she explained how the book had come about. After her grandmother (also named Alice) passed away, Brown discovered a photograph in a drawer. A Rudolph Valentino-like portrait stared intensely and seductively from its frame. The photo was inscribed, “for Alice

McManus, With Sincere Good Wishes, Harrison Post, 1922.” Intrigued by the photo, Brown learned that Post had been a homosexual lover of William A. Clark, Jr. and had actually known her grandmother.

A few years later, the desire to know more about Post drove her to action, and Brown began a journey into the past to discover the story behind a boy named Albert Weis Harrison, who had reinvented himself as Harrison Post. In so doing, she also explored the inner character of William A. Clark, his son, Will, Jr., and the America in which they lived.

Brown’s ability to lyrically weave historical context into the story is one of the great strengths of her writing. She connects, for instance, the Clark fortune in copper mining in Butte, Montana, to the glamorously dissolute Hollywood where Post and Clark lived a gilded and illicit life.

“The copper had been clawed out of the earth and smelted,” she writes, “the arsenic and sulfur gone, never mind the poisons burned into the air and seeping into the water table. Now the purified metal sparked and the current jumped, arching from one carbon electrode to another. The key lights shone down on the kohl-eyed beauty collapsing in the lead’s muscled arms. The copper rushed the electricity through the projector’s motor, beaming the gorgeous people out through the curved lens across the dark room and onto the wide waiting screen.

“Outside the current sped through the lamps, flinging columns of light up to the night sky. The radiant stars stepped out of their gleaming chauffeured cars. They turned to the clamoring crowds, flashbulbs exploding. They smiled and they waved, their names glowing on the marquee above.”

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Liz Brown has written for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and the London Book Review, among other publications

The photo of Harrison Post that inspired a book

“Will Clark might shrink from the camera,” continued Brown, “but not Harrison Post. In a photographer’s studio, his double-collared shirt open at the throat, he crossed his arms, lowered his head, dark eyes glowering, and nearly smiled when the shutter clicked.”

Brown’s exquisitely researched book traces Post’s life from childhood to an early death and from the East Coast to California, Nazi Prison Camps, and Mexico. It’s a fascinating and well-told tale. Twilight Man will soon be avail-

able from the Santa Barbara Historical Museum and is available online.

Hattie Beresford has been writing a local history column for the Montecito Journal for more than a decade and is the author of several books on Santa Barbara’s historic past

The Bellosguardo Foundation provided elegant appetizers for the reception

Stories Matter Fall Reads

by Leslie Zemeckis

The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok is the story of Jasmine, a Chinese girl who has fled her small village to escape an abusive husband and to find her daughter that was taken from her and sent to America. With no legal credentials, Jasmine must work in a sleezy bar, turning herself into an object of unwanted desirability putting herself in increasing danger. Uptown, a successful but-on-the-brink publishing executive, Rebecca, juggles her floundering career, her husband’s suddenly secret behavior while trying – mostly failing – to be the best mom she can be to their adopted daughter. When Jasmine and Rebecca’s paths cross it makes for an unexpected intersection that ends tragically. This is a beautiful read, suspenseful and engrossing. Kwok is a smart writer that brings the emotion while keeping the suspension taut.

teen. This goes under the you-couldnot-make-this-up category except – full disclosure – it is pure fiction. However, it is so smartly written you will be sucked in. The cast of characters have varying agendas that conflict dramatically with the real hunt for Sara. In fact, the missing girl becomes an afterthought, while a wily producer inserts herself into the “program” and a naïve detective finds himself in over his head and compromising his integrity. It’s raw and troubling as the book barrels towards an ending you won’t see coming. There are so many twists, it will leave you gasping.

The Refugee Ocean is one of those breathtaking and simultaneously heartbreaking stories that slides under one’s skin and stays. Pauls Toutonghi begins his epic tale in Syria with teenage Naim and his mother fleeing Aleppo in 2014 after a devastating bombing that leaves his hand mangled. Interwoven with Marguerite’s story that begins in Beirut in the late 1940s, a talented musician who has been promised in marriage to a man who will crush her spirit, by a father who sees her as only a commodity. Unbeknownst to her family, Marguerite has been accepted into a prestigious music school in Paris, but before she can make her way there, the opportunity is snatched from her. Toutonghi

follows Naim and Marguerite’s journeys as refugees, from Cuba to Washington, D.C. where their stories will intersect. It is a story of the power of music and its ability to bring lives and hope together and to heal wounds that threaten to sink the soul.

Joan Didion fans will delight in Evelyn McDonnell ’s intimate portrait of the author and her work in The World According to Joan Didion, through a lens of art, homes, and flowers that brought her joy and an idyllic California childhood. McDonnell is a smart, concessive writer, not only praising the obviously talented Didion but ruminating on her shortcomings. McDonnell reminds the reader of the rockstars, politicians, and artists that both informed Didion’s work and how her work informed out culture. It is a thoughtful read.

Daniel Sweren-Becker dives into the world of true crime in his gripping Kill Show about the disappearance of Sara Parcell and the subsequent Searching for Sara reality show shot in real time during the hunt for the missing

James Ellroy is back with The Enchanters, taking on the death of Marilyn Monroe in his distinctive style filled with staccato dialogue. Ellroy is at his finest when he slinks through the underbelly of Los Angeles, bringing back less-than-heroic, ex-cop Freddy Otash, hired by Jimmy Hoffa to dig up some Monroe/Kennedy dirt. Loaded with a cast of fringe characters as only Ellroy can paint them, a little bit of filth clings to everyone, moving the story at break-neck speed. Though I found it less “enchanting” once Monroe was found dead, still it is Ellroy’s best work in years.

Leslie Zemeckis is an awardwinning documentarian, best-selling author, and actor. The creator of “Stories Matter,” professional female authors mentoring the next generation of female storytellers, co-sponsored by SBIFF.

Leading creative thinkers discuss their inspirations, process and perspectives

Art, Design & Quantum Computi ng

What will the future bring?

Principal Artist in Residence

Quantum AI Santa Barbara

7PM - Thursday, October 12, 2023

Fé Bland Forum at Santa Barbara City College 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93109

Refreshments and reception to follow. Free admission. RSVP required. Visit www.vadatalks.org

conversation facilitated by Les Firestein

Presented by VADA - The Visual Art & Design Academy of Santa Barbara High School

The Friends of VADA: a 501c3 raising awareness of and support for the creative students of SBHS

Forest Stearns

Google

A

Founder & Editor, The RIV

Robin Donaldson, AIA Architect & Founding Partner ShubinDonaldson

Dr. Erik Lucero Lead Engineer & Site Lead Google Quantum AI Santa Barbara

treatments rooms, each hosting a different treatment modality. Alison Rivera repping the Emsculpt NEO device gave mini treatments to build muscle and lose fat to anyone interested. She mentioned that doing four treatments on the stomach area is similar to doing 20,000 crunches, provides 25% increase in muscle, 30 percent decrease in fat, as well as helps with back pain and related abdominal strengthening benefits – think Kim Kardashian, Megan Fox… Other treatment rooms had demos and try-ons with ALASTIN Skincare rep Erika Adato, fillers, neurotoxin injectables, and UPNEEQ® – the FDA-approved prescription eyedrop for ptosis.

Everyone received a gift bag and raffle ticket to win some amazing presents from the spa. Karen and Giana shared: “We are so honored and thrilled to be a part of the Montecito community. We send our sincere appreciation to everyone who has supported us during our first year. We look forward to seeing you in the next year.”

411: montecitomedspa.com

Facebook and Instagram @montecitomedspa

The 2023 Coastal Cleanup Day at Montecito Beaches

Montecito is extremely lucky to have Pyp Pratt lead the cleanups for Butterfly Beach. He is the Beach Captain for the third year during this important annual Coastal Cleanup Day that takes place along California’s entire coast. Along with his dad Paul Pratt and mom Rali Kirova, they have been doing beach cleanups in Montecito for over five years. When I arrived on Saturday, September 23, Pyp was called by the Coastal Cleanup team to help a few other beaches, including East Beach and up the coast at Refugio Beach! Following that, he went on to do his volunteer work at the Sea Center.

Volunteers till the end of cleanup time were Westmont College students Desiree Tinkess and Analee Josselyn with minors in environmental studies who brought their friend from Santa Cruz, Jared McConnell. Separating all the trash for the count and MarBorg pickup were annual volunteer Sawyer Smythe, a Junior at Anacapa School, and prior volunteer Santiago Sierra who brought his friend Mayra Mosqueda for her first beach cleanup. Mosqueda shared, “I’m so surprised about the trash on the beach,

it’s like, the trash can is right there, why can’t they put it in the trash can?”

Here is the cleanup tally of trash collected from the 58 volunteers:

Total pounds of trash = 163

Total pounds of recyclables = 95

Distance cleaned = about a mile on Channel Drive and the neighborhood around Butterfly Beach

Most unusual items = game console, a bike frame, and a shopping cart

And it just gets better, as the Laguna Blanca School team marked its 10th year at Hammond’s Beach. Yes, down that steep rocky incline headed 64 volunteers who pulled up 150 pounds of trash, including rusted metal parts, a carpet that couldn’t fully be removed, and a new teddy bear toy with baby clothes. The team leaders were teachers Allison Armstrong, Katie Pointer, and Kevin Valdez, and school parent and All Saints Church parishioner Allison Grisham.

Pyp is the only under-18-year-old Beach Captain in the area. In between studies and volunteer work, he was generous to take time for a quick interview:

Q. Tell us about being Beach Captain.

A. I was honored to be selected again this year as a Beach Captain for Butterfly Beach on Coastal Cleanup Day. I have my parents on my team because they taught

Westmont College students Desiree Tinkess (left) and Analee Josselyn with their friend Jared McConnell volunteering for Coastal Cleanup at Butterfly Beach (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Pyp Pratt with his dad Paul at East Beach after leading the Butterfly Beach cleanup (photo courtesy of Pratt)

Sawyer Smythe, Rali Kirova, Mayra Mosqueda, and Santiago Sierra (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

me the importance of caring for our environment and participating in community service. I see my role as a Beach Captain as organizing, guiding, and managing the cleanup operation. The real cleanup effort would not be possible without the many volunteers who do the real work of collecting hundreds of pounds of trash and recyclables on Coastal Cleanup Day and during regular community beach cleanups. I graduated from Santa Barbara Middle School in May and now go to Midland School. Midland School is an independent boarding high school in Los Olivos with a special outdoor education program.

Why is the ocean and environment important to you?

My love for the ocean and awareness of the importance of ocean conservation started at a very young age when walking with my family and dog on the beach and surfing in the Pacific. In 2018, I started participating in beach cleanups with Explore Ecology and volunteering at the Santa Barbara Sea Center to educate people and raise awareness of the many marine species and ecosystems in the Santa Barbara Channel. I have also been volunteering with the University of California Santa Barbara’s Marine Science Institute to document changes in beach width and erosion on another local beach here in Santa Barbara.

I have seen the impact of ocean pollution, specifically plastic pollution, as an ongoing problem for the ocean. When I participate in beach cleanups, I not only do my best to collect trash but also report the data through the Ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell application. About 75 percent of the trash we collect is plastic. Plastic debris can kill wildlife and leak toxins into the environment. These toxins can enter the food chain, such as the fish we have for dinner. The trash that our volunteers collect will not end up in the ocean.

I was selected earlier this year as an Ocean Ambassador with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Completing a training program with NOAA has helped me meet other people who are passionate about the ocean, study the threats to our ocean, and learn about possible solutions. I am hoping that it will lead me to new opportunities to become more involved in ocean conservancy and connect more deeply with my community.

I have not yet decided on what I want to do for my career. I do know that regardless of what I choose to do professionally, I will continue to be a voice and a positive influence for the ocean.

Pyp said he is happy to talk to anyone interested in learning more and getting involved; his email is listed in the 411. The team at the MJ thanks Pyp and all the volunteers for keeping our beaches clean!

Coastal Cleanup Day is brought to you by Explore Ecology and the County of Santa Barbara Resource Recovery and Waste Management. The California Coastal Commission organizes the statewide event and the international event is organized by the Ocean Conservancy.

411: PYP contact: ppratt@midland-school.org

Coastal Cleanup Day: https://exploreecology.org/coastal-cleanup-day/



cence, that meant consciously and deliberately making choices that filter out the overwhelming information she received that could negatively impact her mind –and heart. It meant approaching the complexities of the world and maintaining a steadfast focus on what truly mattered. It meant recognizing that societal expectations and financial insecurities could be a part of her reality, but they didn’t have to define her dreams or sense of self. It meant acknowledging her self-worth. Another student said she was working hard to become a doctor. Throughout the camp, I saw her sitting alone on her phone during break times. I went up to her and asked if maybe she wanted to play with the other kids. She didn’t. She was watching a YouTube video titled: College Acceptance Reactions 2023.

I was surprised because I hadn’t watched those kinds of videos until my junior year of high school.

During my junior year of high school, I was excited about going to college. I watched other students who had received their college acceptance in hopes of living vicariously through them. It was just for fun, I must have thought. But soon I found myself in a spiral of similar videos – about GPA’s, SAT/ACT scores, extracurriculars, clubs, volunteering opportunities, personal insight questions etc. I began comparing myself to these strangers online. I felt small, like a mustard seed.

Did she feel small as well?

Living vicariously through people online is a scary thing. Okay, well, it’s a really fun and enjoyable experience until your world begins to shrink and your experience of reality becomes skewed – when your primary lens of viewing the world comes from an online perspective. The online world is curated. For example, the videos and posts students see may not accurately represent the full spectrum of college experiences or the diversity of individuals. It was hard for me to understand this as a high school student. How much harder would it be for these middle school students who have fostered an online presence at a much younger age?

Middle school students, who are still developing their sense of self and forming their identities, are particularly susceptible to the influence of social media and online content. They have much more limited life experiences, especially if they’re living their lives behind screens. They become vulnerable to creating unrealistic expectations and comparisons.

So I want to say this again: let’s help our youth embrace innocence. By cultivating innocence, they can protect themselves from living in a distorted reality where self-worth and personal success are measured by superficial standards set through an online landscape. Montecito, we can help these middle school students question what they see, or hear – to understand the limitations of a digital world. Our youth may think they fall short to the idealized versions they encounter online, but really their worth and personal success transcend pixels and likes. Instead, it’s contingent on their personal growth through authentic experiences – through their passions, meaningful connections, and developing their interest or talents.

Innocence is a mental filter. It’s an emotional filter. It’s the lens through which our youth can view the world with curiosity and discernment. I think we should also embrace innocence and lead by example. Let’s empower our youth to feel safe within the confines of such a fast-paced and technologically-defined world.

Best,

Daian Martinez

From the shores of Scotland, Stella Haffner keeps her connection to her home in Montecito by bringing grads of local schools to the pages of the Montecito Journal

Dear Montecito (Continued from 20)

Laguna Blanca School leads the Hammond’s Beach/Miramar Beach Coastal Cleanup with Allison Armstrong, Allison Grisham, and Katie Pointer (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Far Flung Travel

Grassland Solitude

by Chuck Graham

From afar, the Temblor Range in the Carrizo Plain National Monument was swept in different shades of yellow. Rancher’s fireweed, goldfields, and hillside daisies brightened the arid mountain biome. From where I stood at the base of the Caliente Mountains looking east, it was the only color on what are typically barren hillsides.

Another super bloom had arrived. Absurd amounts of rain during the winter

Fleeting Natural Wonders

of 2022/23, along with substantial snowfall, had brought on another spring full of vibrant wildflowers. With solid rain totals and mostly consistent rainfall from November through the end of March, it ended another dreaded drought. As spring approached, anticipation mounted with each passing week. It felt like a bloom was coming. The Carrizo Plain wasn’t just green, it was acid green. The vegetation was lush and dense. Places where I’d spotted active kit fox, badger, and giant kangaroo rat dens in the past were completely smothered in fresh growth.

Gear up this Fall Get closer to nature

I pulled off Elkhorn Road on the northeast side of the semi-arid grasslands and hiked an old ranch road to the rolling ridge of the Temblors. Up close, a multitude of colors revealed themselves. Blazing stars, California poppies, and Parry’s mallow are native wildflowers that close-up at the end of each day. They don’t begin to open again until the sun hits them the next morning.

However, after walking up to the top of the ridge at 3,600 feet, all the colors, the wildflowers hidden amongst all the yellows started to pop. Valley phacelia was abundant on the hillsides. Chia, blue dicks, and owl’s clover were also there.

One of my favorites though was just starting to bloom. Desert candles were still just getting going in mid-April. Sometimes reaching four feet tall, the yellowish lime-colored stocks were beginning to burst into their beautiful magenta-colored blooms. They looked incredible, standing above the hillside daisies and blazing stars, the perfect blend of yellow, orange, and deep purple popping on the Temblors.

The Waiting Game

Due to all that significant rain, most species of native flora were waist-high, and so thick it wasn’t allowing for much open ground. It made it very tough locating wildlife. That, and lots of visitors enjoying the abundant wildflowers across the Carrizo Plain kept mammals and birdlife hunkered down and/or further out across the expanse of the veld.

Rancher’s fireweed was particularly dense. Places where I’ve located kit fox dens in the past were well hidden this time. I did get lucky, though.

An active kit fox den that was very busy with six pups in 2020, was active once more. In 2021 and 2022, it was not active at all, but I decided to walk up the hill just to be sure during the second week of April 2023. The den was surrounded in the Rancher’s fireweed, but in the middle of it all was a barren patch of dirt. It was busy.

With my binoculars I counted four entry points to the den. All the telltale signs were there. Plenty of flies buzzing around the openings. Leftover prey was scattered about, even a couple of giant kangaroo rat

tails were probably nothing more than play toys at that point. And there were no spider webs solidified across the entry points. Kit foxes were underground.

I posted up in the fireweed and sat waiting. All I had on me was binoculars, my camera with a 300mm lens, and some water. After 35 minutes the dad rose above an opening. First there were his ginormous ears, some of the biggest amongst all canids. It was like a periscope rising out of calm seas. However, once his entire head was exposed, he slowly vanished, lowering himself out of sight. Another 35 minutes passed, and with the same results. Then 15 more minutes past and a cute pup exited the den. It looked about four weeks old, and flopped down in the dirt, sunning the afternoon away. Its dad passed by once, and then another pup rose above ground only to quickly vanish into another entry point. Wildlife is always on its own schedule.

Patience was needed for both another bloom and thriving grassland fauna, but enough rain will always be the ultimate factor. It determines how grassland flora and fauna will fare through the rest of the year.

Locating and photographing that active kit fox den jumpstarted the spring for me. From there, my senses were heightened, and the last of California’s semi-arid grasslands came alive.

A kit fox playing its favorite game of Hide and Seek

Desert candles are best known for their ability to adorn birthday cakes

A morning of wildflowers and searching for the closest Starbucks

Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer based in Carpinteria, where he also leads kayak tours and backpacking trips in Channel Islands National Park

“You need to believe in yourself and what you do. Be tenacious and genuine.” – Christian Louboutin

can expect most to be manned by the winemakers whose names are on the labels. So much wine, in fact, that it can be daunting, so a plan of attack is key if you’re going to maximize your visit. What’s your pleasure? If you’re like my wife, it’s all about the pinot, and here’s a chance to strategically compare and contrast styles from the Santa Maria Valley and the Sta. Rita Hills. Or maybe you wander from stand to stand as you explore dry whites, or syrah-grenache blends, or nothing but cabs. Strategy can pay off at an event that so nicely spotlights Santa Barbara’s uniquely diverse potential for growing pretty much anything. When time comes to cleanse the palate, the Bank of Marin Bubble Lounge will house nothing but sparklers, including Fess Parker, Presqu’ile, and Carhartt.

The Food : Actually, this is my favorite palate cleanser – the food! And one thing that I’ve seen improve at this festival over the years is the variety of options to pause sipping and recharge with samples from some of the region’s top chefs, caterers, and bakers. More than 30 of them will dole out food at this year’s event, including top-tier purveyors like the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Pico in Los Alamos, the new Victor Restaurant in Santa Ynez, Finch & Fork at Santa Barbara’s Kimpton Canary Hotel, and The Willows at the Chumash Casino Resort.

The Buzz: Fall is probably the best time of the year to visit wine country – the temps are milder, the crowds are smaller, and those grapevines are at their plumpest and fullest. On visuals alone, a visit to the Santa Ynez Valley in October is a must. So the timing of this event is perfect, especially in the way it taps the buzz of the moment: the 2023

Robert’s Big Questions

Conspiracy Theories Not What They Used to Be?

by Robert Bernstein

social media were evaded by creating Dark Web gathering places. 4Chan alone has an estimated 22 million guests each month.

grape harvest is in full swing, and wine growers are starting each day well before the sun comes up to pluck this year’s bounty. The Vintners Festival brings these agrarians together in one place –women and men in the throes of what is arguably the most exciting and critical moment of the year for them – and fosters a unique camaraderie that we, as visitors, get to take part in. The unique ability to mingle and chat with winemakers is perhaps this event’s greatest attribute, and the guests that gain the most are those who take time to, above the sipping and the eating, do just that.

The $125 per person pricing is worth it for the early admission – noon versus 1 pm. General admission, from 1-4 pm – is $95 and a non-wine tasting ticket, for designated drivers and kids, is $25. Most guests will park offsite for free and take a five-minute shuttle to the event. There’s also roundtrip bus transportation from the Hilton Beachfront Resort in Santa Barbara for $50 for those who’d rather leave the driving to someone else. Live music from The Coals and cooking demos are also part of this year’s Vintners Festival.

For more information and tickets, check out sbvintnersweekend.com. See you there!

Conspiracy Theorists Are Alarmed by What They’ve Seen”

“Even

was the title of a recent New York Times article.

I grew up in an era of real conspiracies. Senator Frank Church of Idaho conducted hearings after Watergate investigating the horrific abuses by the CIA, FBI, and NSA. Perhaps most shocking for U.S. citizens: Operation MKULTRA, which involved the drugging and torture of unwitting Americans in mind control experiments.

Americans were also under attack by COINTELPRO. The surveillance and infiltration of U.S. organizations working to end the U.S. war in Vietnam and working for civil rights.

The committee also revealed the Family Jewels program to assassinate foreign leaders. Seven case studies of lawless foreign covert interference were uncovered, but only one was allowed to be publicly revealed: The original 9/11 (9/11/1973) – The overthrow of the elected government of Chile, which installed the brutal dictator Pinochet; the country has never fully recovered.

They also revealed the NSA’s Secret Watch List of millions of names, many of whom were prominent law-abiding U.S. citizens.

The most famous conspiracy theories of my era involved the assassination of President Kennedy. Unlike the Church cases, these have never been fully laid to rest.

Drug running tied to CIA operations was investigated by the Kerry Commission and found to be true in indirect ways.

But conspiracy theories expanded with the advent of late-night radio talk shows. An endless stream of fringe theorists were guests and listeners could call in. But at least there was still a moderator.

That changed in the Internet age. The notable change: the new conspiracy theories were not even theories. A proper theory should have a story line and internal logic with specific players and motivations. And evidence.

The World Trade Center attacks of 9/11 created “9/11 truthers” who presented evidence that the buildings collapsed from explosives placed in the buildings. They were wrong, but at least they had physical explanations. As with some other such conspiracies, supporters came from the political left and the right. That is not true with the latest fringe claims.

Social media allowed fringe claims to attract followers. The minimal restrictions of

There has been an actual conspiracy by fossil fuel companies for decades to spread disinformation about global warming. We are now facing the consequences as our state burns and insurance companies are pulling out.

But Congress member Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) advanced another “theory” for the fires: space lasers. She also implied there was a Jewish conspiracy behind it. Jewish space lasers.

I was shocked to see recent Facebook posts by friends who seemed to believe some or all of this “theory.”

A good friend confided that another friend believed in the lizard-people “theory.” Apparently, this was invented by British conspiracy theorist David Icke It apparently also involves Jews and was advanced by QAnon.

One point noted in The New York Times article by journalist Jonathan Vankin: Traditional conspiracy theories challenged power, whereas newer “theories” serve powerful interests.

“Traditional” conspiracy theorist Stephen Miles Lewis also noted that in his era, there was no big money in this work. They might sell books and tapes and ads on radio shows. But the infamous Alex Jones is estimated to be worth $270 million.

These wacky non-theories have led to real violence. The absurd “Pizzagate” conspiracy led to a real shooting. Most notably, the absurd “theory” that Democrats “stole” the 2000 election led to the violent insurrection of January 6. Trump continues to incite his followers to lesser acts of violence based on this nonsense.

In fact, Nixon conspired to keep the U.S. war in Vietnam going as part of his 1968 campaign to steal the election. We now have the tapes.

Traditional conspiracy theories may seem to be all gloom and doom. But they actually were optimistic. If we could just get rid of these nefarious actors, true democracy could thrive.

Current fringe claims just create division and chaos. Fueled in part by real conspiracies of bots from real bad actors like Russia. Soon to be turbocharged with AI. Can people at least make an effort to learn critical thinking skills? And to check facts before repeating fringe claims?

I do think we can build a better society if we can transcend the chaos and focus on the world we want to create.

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

– Zig Ziglar

The festival offers pours from over 60 of the area’s wineries

Take a break in tasting the myriad wines, to sample some bites from top restaurants

Gabe Saglie has been covering the Santa Barbara wine scene for more than 15 years through columns, TV, and radio. He’s a senior editor with Travelzoo and is a leading expert on travel deals, tips, and trends.

100 years. The classic works bring a historic perspective to the new works and the new works bring a fresh eye to the classics.”

Martha Graham Dance performs at 8 pm Wednesday, October 4, at the Granada Theatre. For tickets and information call or visit (805) 899-2222/ www.granadasb.org or (805) 893-3535/ https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.

Here Comes ‘Carmen’

A lot of the buzz surrounding Carmen is, naturally, centered around Sarah Saturnino, the young mezzo-soprano who makes her Opera Santa Barbara (OSB) and role debut as the fiery heroine of the title. Deservedly so, as Saturnino, who in April was chosen as one of the winners of Metropolitan Opera’s prestigious nationwide Laffont Competition, has reportedly had her fellow cast members streaming tears during her arias early in the rehearsal period.

But don’t overlook the stage director Fenlon Lamb who is returning to helm an OSB production for the first time since a spring 2016 double bill of Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi. The Puccini pairing was conducted by Kostis Protopapas, then in his first season as OSB’s Artistic and General Director, which was also the last time the company mounted Carmen

Bizet’s masterpiece, among the world’s most performed opera and a true workhorse of the genre, returns to the Granada Theatre to open OSB’s 30th anniversary season, with each of the selections savoring Spanish romantic themes. The company partnered with Opera Southwest on set design, which will be invariably aided by digital projections, many from photographs taken by Lamb in Seville this summer.

“I spent time taking in the textures and the feel of the bull ring, and the tiles in the castles and churches, and the dark alleyways juxtaposed against this beautiful wide-open river,” Lamb said. “I was able to bring back that atmosphere of Seville to use with our fairly traditional staging.”

Of course, the set is merely the frame for the story and the cast delivering the passionate and tragic tale that has kept audiences enthralled for nearly 150 years. Lamb brings experience both as a former singer who performed Carmen’s title role several times and has directed five previous productions, anchoring her take on Bizet’s classic.

“Everybody has an idea of what Carmen is and how to do it,” Lamb said. “But what it boils down to is sharing the story about the underbelly of society during a certain time period in which verismo was coming into style and focusing on real people’s struggles and the essence of the characters.”

For Lamb, the communication that’s required – especially in such an actionpacked piece – comes from the actors embodying their characters somatically as well as through singing and emotion.

“That physicalization has to be clear to the audience so they know who that person is from the moment they step on stage,” said Lamb, who was an athlete and self-professed “stage animal” in her younger years. “You need to tell the story from a full physical body perspective, which has to be grounded, because it’s easy to get in our heads when we’re singing. Having the actors get out of their own head and into their bodies, the bodies of the characters, is my hope for every performer.”

On stage this weekend, Saturnino as Carmen will be joined by a host of company favorite artists and collaborators of Protopapas. Tenor Nathan Granner and bass-baritone Colin Ramsey make their role debuts as Don José and Escamillo, and soprano Anya Matanovic returns as Micaëla.

“They’re excellent, the whole cast and crew,” she said. “Everybody has been open to working with me and trying new things to create this big, huge production altogether in collaboration.”

That includes Lamb’s partner, athletic and business coach William Mitchell, who has been watching as rehearsals roll out, taking in the process from an unusual perspective.

“He knows my point of view, so he’s been watching what I do and say and how that translates into the process and giving me feedback,” she said.

Lamb has a lot of experience with Carmen and she realizes that much of the audience will also be very familiar with the opera. But there’s no substitute for how it hits home, and insights still to be gleaned, she said.

“These are subject matters and lessons that we maybe haven’t fully learned as a culture yet,” she said. “There’s still plenty of violence against women that we haven’t solved. So it’s a little chance at looking at the reality of our life through a lens that is far enough back that we can relate and be touched. More than anything, it’s a cathartic experience.”

Opera Santa Barbara performs Carmen, sung in French with English supertitles, at 7:30 pm on Friday, September 29, and 2:30 pm on Sunday, October 1, at the Granada Theatre. Call (805) 899-2222 or visit www.granadasb.org.

Focus on Film: NatureTrack in Goleta

The NatureTrack Film Festival is back in a big way for South Coast folks as the nonprofit’s re-mounting of its nascent festival moves to Goleta’s Fairview Cinemas for a weekend packed with nature-centric movies spanning adventures and stories via feature film and documentaries October 6-8. With new curators in place, the fest promises to be well worth watching for fans of the touring BANFF and Mountainfilm festivals, as well as anyone with an interest in nature and the environment.

Friday’s festivities include a screening of opening night film Wild Waters, which documents intrepid female kayaker Nouria Newman, followed by a party at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara Santa Barbara, while the rest of the movies have been slotted into 17 film blocks over Saturday and Sunday encompassing shorts, feature films, or both. A number of filmmakers and/or subjects are expected to attend for further discussion. We’re told Out There: A National Parks Story, Range Rider, and My Alaskan Journey are among the flicks not to miss.

Details about the films and times and a variety of ticket packages from individual ($12) to VIP ($200) are available at https://naturetrackfilmfestival.org/filmfestival. The fest’s YouTube channel (www. youtube.com/@OfficialNatureTrackFilm) boasts trailers and more.

Down Ventura way, the Central Coast Int’l Film Fest, which sports genre-diverse independent films adjudicated by a team of industry experts and academics from the Ventura County area, has a single debut screening at Namba Arts. Q&A sessions with the cast and crew of select films are part of the five-hour event starting at 2 pm on September 30. Admission is $10. Visit www.nambaarts. com/central-coast-intl-film-fest.

Notes Around Town

Santa Barbara musician Chris Shiflett , who gracious gives his hometown a Christmas gift each

December via performance parties at the 300-max SOhO, shows up at the slightly bigger venue of the Santa Barbara Bowl (capacity 4,600) with his somewhat more famous band Foo Fighters on September 28, a late add to the venue’s schedule but one sure to sell out… An even more classic band gets its due the same night, when Philadelphiabased Get the Led Out pays tribute to Led Zeppelin with a show ranging from the British band’s bombastic and epic to folky and mystical songs at the Lobero… A more subdued celebration is set for the Santa Barbara Records release of CaliAmericana Volume II , which features several of the label’s artists covering songs by Montecito’s own Kenny Loggins . Visit https:// santabarbararecords.com for details. Other concerts of note include Foreigner, who once performed at the Fess Parker hotel’s rotunda for the Black and Blue Ball, getting hot blooded at the Chumash Casino on September 29; the sensuous Swedish/ American singer-songwriter Sofia Talvik at SOhO October 1; and the final Wharf Wednesday concert on Stearns Wharf with Down Mountain Lights, and tribute band Rumors of Fleetwood Mac at the Arlington, both on October 4.

Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage

Bizet’s Carmen comes to the Granada on Friday, September 29, and Sunday, October 1

Wild Waters opens the NatureTrack Film Festival

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Bids open at 2:00 PM on Thursday, October 19, 2023 for: 23STM1 STORM DAMAGE REPAIRS CAT CANYON RD MP 3.4 DAMAGE SITE 4J08 IN THE 4TH SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT

COUNTY PROJECT No. 23STM1-4J08, FEDERAL AID PROJECT No. 23STM1-4J08

General project work description: Embankment reconstruction, Imported borrow, HMA, RSP, Hydroseed

The Plans, Specifications, and Bid Book are available at https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=4 3874

The Contractor must have either a Class A license or any combination of the following Class C licenses which constitutes a majority of the work: C-12

The DBE Contract Goal is 11%.

For the Federal Training Program, the number of trainees or apprentices is 0.

Submit sealed bids to the web address below. Bids will be opened available at the web address below immediately following the submittal deadline.

PlanetBids https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874

Complete the project work within 20 Workings Days

The estimated cost of the project is $ 446,000

A mandatory pre-bid meeting is scheduled for this project on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at 11:30 AM at SITE LOCATION. This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).

A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of PCC Section 4104, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code (LAB) Section 1725.5. It is not a violation of this section for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Business and Professions Code (BPC) Section 7029.1 or by PCC Section 10164 or 20103.5 provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to LAB Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded.

Prevailing wages are required on this Contract. The Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations determines the general prevailing wage rates. Obtain the wage rates at the DIR website https://www.dir.ca.gov/

The federal minimum wage rates for this Contract as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor are available at https://www.wdol.gov/. Copies are also available at the office of the Department of Public Works –Engineering Division, 123 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

If the minimum wage rates as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor differs from the general prevailing wage rates determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations for similar classifications of labor, the Contractor and subcontractors must not pay less than the higher wage rate. The Department does not accept lower State wage rates not specifically included in the federal minimum wage determinations. This includes helper, or other classifications based on hours of experience, or any other classification not appearing in the federal wage determinations. Where federal wage determinations do not contain the State wage rate determination otherwise available for use by the Contractor and subcontractors, the Contractor and subcontractors must not pay less than the federal minimum wage rate that most closely approximates the duties of the employees in question.

Inquiries or questions based on alleged patent ambiguity of the plans, specifications, or estimate must be submitted as a bidder inquiry by 2:00 PM on 10/13/2023. Submittals after this date will not be addressed. Questions pertaining to this Project prior to Award of the Contract must be submitted via PlanetBids Q&A tab.

Bidders (Plan Holders of Record) will be notified by electronic mail if addendums are issued. The addendums, if issued, will only be available on the County PlanetBids website, https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874

By order of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Barbara this project was authorized to be advertised on 09/19/2023

Scott D. McGolpin Director of Public Works

Published September 27 and October 11, 2023

Montecito Journal

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Bids open at 2:00 PM on Thursday, October 19, 2023 for: 23SMT1 STORM DAMAGE REPAIRS HAPPY CANYON RD

MP 6.1 DAMAGE SITE 3J26 IN THE 3RD SUPERVISORIAL

DISTRICT

COUNTY PROJECT No. 23STM1-3J26, FEDERAL AID PROJECT No. 23STM1-3J26

General project work description: Embankment reconstruction, Imported Borrow, RSP, HMA, Hydroseed

The Plans, Specifications, and Bid Book are available at https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=4 3874

The Contractor must have either a Class A license or any combination of the following Class C licenses which constitutes a majority of the work: C-12

The DBE Contract Goal is 9%.

For the Federal Training Program, the number of trainees or apprentices is 0.

Submit sealed bids to the web address below. Bids will be opened available at the web address below immediately following the submittal deadline.

PlanetBids

https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874

Complete the project work within 25 Workings Days

The estimated cost of the project is $ 988,500

A mandatory pre-bid meeting is scheduled for this project on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at 9:00 AM at SITE LOCATION. This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of PCC Section 4104, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code (LAB) Section 1725.5. It is not a violation of this section for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Business and Professions Code (BPC) Section 7029.1 or by PCC Section 10164 or 20103.5 provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to LAB Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded.

Prevailing wages are required on this Contract. The Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations determines the general prevailing wage rates. Obtain the wage rates at the DIR website https://www.dir.ca.gov/

The federal minimum wage rates for this Contract as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor are available at https://www.wdol.gov/. Copies are also available at the office of the Department of Public Works –Engineering Division, 123 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

If the minimum wage rates as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor differs from the general prevailing wage rates determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations for similar classifications of labor, the Contractor and subcontractors must not pay less than the higher wage rate. The Department does not accept lower State wage rates not specifically included in the federal minimum wage determinations. This includes helper, or other classifications based on hours of experience, or any other classification not appearing in the federal wage determinations. Where federal wage determinations do not contain the State wage rate determination otherwise available for use by the Contractor and subcontractors, the Contractor and subcontractors must not pay less than the federal minimum wage rate that most closely approximates the duties of the employees in question.

Inquiries or questions based on alleged patent ambiguity of the plans, specifications, or estimate must be submitted as a bidder inquiry by 2:00 PM on 10/13/2023. Submittals after this date will not be addressed. Questions pertaining to this Project prior to Award of the Contract must be submitted via PlanetBids Q&A tab.

Bidders (Plan Holders of Record) will be notified by electronic mail if addendums are issued. The addendums, if issued, will only be available on the County PlanetBids website, https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874

By order of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Barbara this project was authorized to be advertised on 09/19/2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

Invitation to Bid No. 2023-001.3

Removal & Replacement of Asphalt Parking Lot Fire Station 91

The Montecito Fire Protection District hereby invites the submission of sealed bids for:

ITB# 2023-001.3 – Removal & Replacement of Asphalt Parking Lot Station 91

Bid Opening – Monday, October 16, 2023 at 9:15 a m in the conference room at Montecito Fire Station 91, 595 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara.

ITB documents may be viewed on the Montecito Fire Protection District (MFPD) website at www.montecitofire.com or a copy may be secured from MFPD at 595 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara CA between the hours of 8:00 a m and 5:00 p m , Monday through Friday. Responses must be sealed, clearly marked “Station 91 Parking Lot” and returned to:

Montecito Fire Protection District

Attn: Anthony Hudley, Battalion Chief 595 San Ysidro Road Santa Barbara, CA 93108

Bids will be accepted until 9:00 a m October 16, 2023. Bids received after this time will be returned unopened. Faxed bids will not be accepted.

Published September 20 & 27, 2023

Montecito Journal

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Sallys Cakes Ruhl, 309 Arden Rd, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105. Sally Ruhl, 309 Arden Rd, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 5, 2023. 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. 2023-0002155. Published September 27, October 4, 11, 18, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Blue Flower Artisan Pizza, 480 Toro Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93108. Joseph W Cordero, 480 Toro Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 6, 2023. 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. 2023-0002158. Published September 27, October 4, 11, 18, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Olivia Loewy, PH.D And Associates, 1379 Camino Meleno, Santa Barbara, CA, 93111. Olivia R Loewy, 1379 Camino Meleno, Santa Barbara, CA, 93111. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 12, 2023. 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. 2023-0002206. Published September 20, 27, October 4, 11, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

Santa Barbara County on August 25, 2023. 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. 2023-0002094. Published September 20, 27, October 4, 11, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAMESTATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Ruiz Maintenance and Landscape, 628 W De La Guerra, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. Martin Ruiz, 628 W De La Guerra, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 1, 2023. 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. 2023-0002142. Published September 13, 20, 27, October 4, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Ecolawn SB, 103 North Nopal Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Manifest Building, 103 North Nopal Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 28, 2023. 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. 2023-0002101. Published September 6, 13, 20, 27, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

Scott

D. McGolpin Director of Public Works

Published September 27, 2023 Montecito Journal

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Vicente’s Tree Service, 2827 Jourdan St, Oxnard, CA, 93036. Vicente Anastasio Juan, 2827 Jourdan St, Oxnard, CA, 93036. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Beauty + Order, 1953 Elise Way, Apt E, Santa Barbara, CA 93109. Julie A Engelsman, 1953 Elise Way, Apt E, Santa Barbara, CA 93109. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 25, 2023. 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. 2023-0002088. Published September 6, 13, 20, 27, 2023

Clearwater Revival.

Others included David Pack , Dishwalla, Elliot Easton, Dan Navarro, Steve Postell and the Night Train Music Club, Pete Muller and the Kindred Souls, and the Plastic Harpoons.

Among the heavenly hoard of supporters, some paying $12,000 a table, were founder Richard Weston-Smith and Kirsten Cavendish WestonSmith , John Thyne III , Gretchen Lieff , John Palminteri , Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey , Wayne and Sharol Siemens , Keith and Mary Hudson , Sheriff Bill Brown , County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig , City Police Chief Kelly Ann Gordon , Penny Bianchi , Catherine Remak , Ellen DeGeneres , Wendy McCaw and Arthur von Wiesenberger , Christine Emmons , Larry Gosselin , Donna Reeves , Randy Solakian , Tanya Thicke , Leslie von Wiesenberger , Jeremy Lindaman , Scott Wood , Ursula Nesbitt , and Allan Glaser .

Taupin Talks Memoir

Longtime Santa Ynez Valley resident Bernie Taupin, 73, longtime lyricist for rocker Elton John, has published a new

memoir Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton, and Me

Taupin provides insight into his close friendship with the legendary piano man and their remarkably successful collaboration which produced over 50 Top 40 hits.

He was a founding member of the Hollywood Vampires, a notorious celebrity drinking club founded in the 1970s by rocker Alice Cooper with former Monkee Micky Dolenz , Ringo Starr , Harry Nilsson, Keith Moon, and John Lennon.

In one particularly amusing episode, Taupin recalls hanging out at a popular New York drag bar, The Gilded Grape, with Queen singer Freddie Mercury and tennis legend Billie Jean King, when two drag queens got into a fistfight which ended at their table.

“Sequins scattered, wigs went flying, and mascara and tears ran in rivulets,” he recounts. “While I was mildly amused, Freddie was positively ecstatic getting into the spirit of things egging them on with a gleeful commentary of camp encouragement.”

Taupin sold his 30-acre ranch, where he lived for 25 years, for $4.7 million in 2017.

A Gala on Pointe

It was a scene worthy of Degas as 130 guests arrived at the Santa Barbara home of board member Gary Dorfman for the State Street Ballet gala honoring founder Rodney Gustafson and the Gail Towbes Center for Dance.

Dancers, beautifully dressed in full ballet attire, graced the entrance to the boffo bash, which was co-chaired by Alex Nourse and Nicole Callahan, and was expected to raise more than $180,000 for the popular company, which celebrates its 30th anniversary next year.

Gustafson, 72, formerly danced for New York’s American Ballet Theatre, working with the likes of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alvin Ailey, George Balanchine, Rudolf Nureyev, and Jerome Robbins, before founding State Street Ballet in 1994.

He also appeared in The Turning Point and Baryshnikov’s Nutcracker, danced in several Live from Lincoln Center programs on PBS, and created several full-length ballets, including The Jungle Book, Romeo and Juliet, and Cinderella, all of which I have been lucky enough to see.

The 14,000-square-foot center carries on the legacy of Gail Towbes, a generous philanthropist and lifelong dance lover, opening in 2008 and catering to hundreds of State Street Ballet Academy students.

The Merryl Brown-designed sunset fête featured a tribute to Gustafson from Megan Philipp and Cecily MacDougall, and he received a retirement present of an inscribed Movado wristwatch, following dance vignettes from Saori Yamashita and Ryan Lenkey.

Santa Barbara baritone singer-songwriter Mendeleyev, who appeared on

the TV show The Voice, was in fine form before further dance vignettes from Arianna Hartanov, Noam Tsivkin, and Marika Kobayashi

Ubiquitous auctioneer Geoff Green, head of the City College Foundation, sold an Aladdin’s cave of goodies including a walk-on role in The Nutcracker at the Granada, a two-night stay at Chicago’s SOPHY hotel, a private tasting and tour at the Folded Hills Winery, a two-night stay in Maine, and a Santa Barbara staycation at the Rosewood Miramar.

Among the bounteous bevy of balletomanes turning out were Palmer and Susan Jackson, Brooks and Kate Firestone, Carrie Towbes, Scott and Ashley Adelson , Barbara Burger , Margo Cohen-Feinberg, Jamie and Marcia Constance, Bill Soleau, Roger and Justine Thompson, Leila Drake, Tim Mikel, Peter and Kathryn Martin, George and Laurie Leis, Dan and Meg Burnham, and Andre Yew

It was all tutu much....

Parcel for Sale

Casa del Herrero, the historic George Washington Smith-designed home and gardens located on East Valley Road, is selling a two-acre parcel connected to the property.

By an overwhelming majority vote of the board of trustees, including full support from the Bass and Steedman family members serving on the board, the land sale was approved.

Medora Steedman Bass, the last family member to reside in the property and the generous creator of the nonprofit vision for the casa, provided for a sale in her letters and instructions as a way to ensure the enduring sustainability and success of Miscellany Page 424

Jameson Acos, Mark Mattingly, Holly Murphy, and Christine Emmons (photo by Priscilla)

Bernie Taupin publishes his memoir (photo by Lauren Maeve Photography)

Arianna Hartanov entranced the audience (photo by Heidi Bergseteren)

Cecily MacDougall, Rodney Gustafson, and Megan Philipp (photo by Heidi Bergseteren)

Toby Donner and gala host board member Gary Dorfman (photo by Heidi Bergseteren)

Casa del Herrero as both an historic treasure and a community resource.

The board of trustees will be utilizing a portion of the proceeds to complete the capital improvement and restoration project that is currently ongoing at the property, including critical improvements and repairs to infrastructure – roofs, systems, mechanicals – restoration of interiors, conservation, and repairs to key elements of the 17th and 18th century arts and collections, as well as restoration and upgrades to the gardens and grounds.

“I am so pleased Medora Bass had the foresight and vision to grant us the options necessary to guarantee that we as a board can be true stewards of the casa, both in terms of maintaining its historical integrity and allowing it to grow as the beloved casa we all know and appreciate,” says Heather Biles, president of the board.

The listing of the parcel is represented by Maureen McDermut of Sotheby’s International Realty.

A Bellosguardo Affair

I was last at Bellosguardo, the 24-acre oceanfront estate owned by the late copper heiress Huguette Clark, who died in 2011 at the age of 104, for a megabuck fundraising gala five years ago, so it was nice to return to the magnificent aerie when the Bellosguardo Foundation, with assistance from the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, hosted a lecture

by Harvard Law School graduate Liz Brown on her fascinating tome Twilight Man: Love and Ruin in the Shadows of Hollywood and the Clark Empire. Brown, a relative of the family, spent more than a decade researching the book, which she describes as “a history of power, corruption, greed, and betrayal.”

She discovered a long-lost photograph of Harrison Post, a gay companion of her great-grand uncle William Andrews Clark Jr., an heir to the Montana mining fortune, who founded the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hollywood Bowl.

On his death in 1934, Clark left Post a substantial bequest in his will, more than four million dollars in today’s money, which was somehow purloined by Post’s “treacherous” sister, with later chapters covering time spent in a Nazi prison and a Mexico City nightclub.

“I never met Huguette although I could have,” says Brown, who practiced law in Boston, San Francisco, and London. “I regret that now as a missed opportunity.”

She is now working on another novel involving another relative.

Among the 85 guests turning out for the enchanting sunset soirée were the foundation’s president, Jeremy Lindaman, museum Executive Director Dacia Harwood , Montecito Journal historian Hattie Beresford, radio host Catherine Remak, and Santa Barbara Revels founder Susan Keller

It’s nice to see the estate opening more to the public with more talks and lectures planned...

Discussing the Journey

Oprah Winfrey has candidly opened up about obesity and why she has shied away from using Ozempic during her own weight-loss journey.

The 69-year-old former TV talk show titan hosted a panel in front of a live audience in New York as part of Oprah Daily The Life You Want series.

“I don’t know there is another public person whose weight struggles have been exploited as much as mine,” says the Montecito resident.

“For those of us that are adipose storers, no matter how many times... You’ve all watched me diet, diet, diet, and diet. It’s a recurring thing because my body always wants to go back to a certain weight.”

Oprah added: “I am Oprah Winfrey and I know what comes with that, and I get treated differently if I am 200-plus pounds versus under 200 pounds. There is a condescension. There is a stigma.”

A Golden Book

To Chaucer’s, the bibliophile bastion in Loreto Plaza, to hear Chicago-based author Melanie Benjamin, 60, expound on her latest novel California Golden, about two sisters navigating the surf culture and tangled ties between mothers and daughters in the ‘60s.

A prolific historical novelist, Benjamin wrote The Aviator’s Wife on Anne Morrow Lindbergh, which has been optioned for a movie by actress Jennifer Garner’s production company, Vandalia Films.

Other works include Mistress of the Ritz, and The Swans of Fifth Avenue

“As to my next one, I’m unsure,” she tells me. “But I don’t think it will be an historical novel.”

Rent in Dispute

Santa Barbara warbler Katy Perry is claiming millions of dollars in lost rent from an ailing 83-year-old veteran who claims he mistakenly sold his Montecito estate while under the influence of opiates.

Katy and her British actor fiancé Orlando Bloom says they have lost out on $2,670,000 in rent they could have charged on the 9,285-square-foot home.

Veteran Carl Westcott’s lawyers have spent that time trying to nix Westcott’s $15 million deal for the property he signed six days after undergoing major back surgery in July 2020.

Katy, 38, and Orlando, 46, came out fighting to get their hands on the eight-bedroom residence. They also want millions in compensation, according to court documents obtained by the London Daily Mail

The substantial sum includes $1,428,571 in rent, more than $325,000 in mortgage interest, $343,759 in property taxes, $145,407 for gardening, and $8,919 for “research – cable and internet.”

Stay tuned...

“Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.” – Bill Bradley

Josh Conviser, Wash Westmoreland, author Liz Brown, and Jim Patton (photo by Priscilla)

Susan Keller, Loretta Redd, and Catherine Remak in the beautiful Bellosguardo Music Room (photo by Priscilla)

Touring the lavish hall are Frank Smith, Marco Leone, and Anne Wilder Lum and Dr. Robert Lum (photo by Priscilla)

Author Melanie Benjamin signing for Katherine Hunter to present to her 13-year-old granddaughter, Eloise Grewe, who is a competitive surfer (photo by Priscilla)

Author Melanie Benjamin with Chaucer’s Mary Hershey and Mike Takeuchi (photo by Priscilla)

Top Notch Advice

Ted Cronin, founder and executive chairman of Manchester Capital Management, has once again been honored among Barron’s Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors.

The ranking reflects the volume of assets overseen by the advisor and their team, revenues generated by their firm, and the quality of the advisor’s practice.

Ranked 12th this year, it is Cronin and Manchester Capital’s 17th consecutive mention on the list.

Heady stuff...

Concertmaster for each of the Academy Festival Orchestra concerts, the Academy Chamber Orchestra, and the Lehrer Vocal Institute Opera Orchestra. Her legacy will live on each summer at the Music Academy.

Remembering David McCallum

Remembering Irene Hymanson

On a personal note, I remember philanthropist and longtime Casa Dorinda resident Irene Hymanson , who has moved to more heavenly pastures at the age of 81.

Irene was the daughter of violinist William Hymanson, a member of the Music Academy faculty from 1959 to 1969.

After living and working in Los Angeles as a paralegal, she moved to Casa Dorinda in 2017, following in her father’s footsteps.

For the academy’s past four summer festivals, Irene got to know the chosen six violin fellows who served as the William Hymanson Endowed

On a personal note, I mark the passing of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. actor David McCallum, who has died in New York, aged 90.

Scotsman McCallum played Illya Kuryakin from 1964 to 1968 and starred on 475 episodes of the CBS drama NCIS from 2003 for two decades.

I last saw him at NCIS creator Don Bellisario’s 80th birthday bash at his Montecito estate near the San Ysidro Ranch in 2015.

A charming and accomplished actor...

Sightings

Singer Lady Gaga performing at a charity gala at the Rosewood Miramar... Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow filling up her Mercedes G Wagon at Chevron on CVR... Rockers The Lumineers celebrating their Santa Barbara Bowl concert at the Pickle Room.

Pip! Pip!

Leadership Lessons in Working with Athletes and Entertainers (2015), Habits: Six Steps to the Art of Influence (2017), and his most recent The Next Level: Growing with God…in His word, your walk, and your worship (2022). He earned a doctorate of philosophy with an emphasis on leadership and social movement theory from Dallas Baptist University. Dr. Goodloe’s research examined the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his work with athletes and entertainers during the Civil Rights Movement. He and his wife, Lucy, have two children.

“The college’s overall commitment to academic excellence, while shaping and influencing leaders to meet and embrace not only the challenges but the opportunities of our time with critical thinking, is most evident,” Goodloe says. “Moreover, doing so while having at the core of its mission the heart and commitment to advance God’s kingdom, places Westmont on a unique path for impact and promise not only for the Santa Barbara community but for the state of California, our nation, and the world.”

Barbour praises Westmont’s founder Ruth Kerr and the many students, alumni, faculty and leaders who have gone

before, building the strong Westmont community over the past 85 years. “I’m joining that strong community as a trustee at a time when the college looks ahead to meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond,” she says. “I hope to add my voice to that conversation, respecting the mission of the college as it continues to meet the needs of today’s students.”

Goodloe says he hopes to advance the mission of the college, help it meet strategic short- and long-term goals and maximize the educational and faith-based learning experience for our students. “Additionally, I hope and desire to see Westmont continue to grow in its diversity among students, faculty, and staff,” he says. “This will be critical for the college to maintain its position as one of the leading Christian liberal arts colleges in the nation.”

Zola Legs Out More Honors

Westmont’s Zola Sokhela picked up the pace at the end and ran to victory in The Master’s Invitational September 23, finishing the 8K cross country race in a season-best: 24:08.2. As a result, Sokhela earned PacWest Runner of the Week honors for the second time this season. The junior from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, will next race for the Warriors in the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational on October 7 in Claremont.

Ted Cronin honored by Barron’s (courtesy photo)

Irene Hymanson R.I.P. (courtesy photo)

David McCallum R.I.P. (photo by MarineCorps marathon, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

From musings on the Royals to celebrity real estate deals, Richard Mineards is our man on the society scene and has been for more than 15 years

Mary Barbour (courtesy photo) Marcus ‘Goodie’ Goodloe (courtesy photo)

Zola Sokhela wins The Master’s Invitational by 0.5 seconds (photo by Lindsey Connolly)

Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Calendar of Events

by Steven Libowitz

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

SB Reads 2023 Kickoff – Each year, Santa Barbara Public Library encourages local residents to read the same book at the same time to connect with one another, engage in discussions about issues that matter, and examine the world from viewpoints other than their own. SBPL distributes free copies of featured titles throughout the community and offers programs and book discussions in order to engage deeply with issues explored in the novel. This year’s book is A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende, a sweeping historical novel that follows two refugees from the Spanish Civil War as they build a new life in Chile. Allende explores timeless themes of belonging, family, and the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity and profound sorrow in an ultimately hopeful story. Tonight’s opening event finds Backbone Storytelling’s Jenna Tico hosting participants sharing stories on the theme “Blood is Thicker,” and is also the first opportunity to pick up a print copy of Petal in English or Spanish. Books will also be distributed at all SBPL locations while supplies last at all SBPL locations, while eBooks and digital audiobooks are available through Libby/Overdrive.

WHEN: 6-9 pm

WHERE: WyldeWorks, 609 State St.

COST: free

INFO: https://library.santabarbaraca.gov/sb-reads-2023

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

Revisiting the Classics – UCSB Pollock Theater launches its 2023-24 season with a new series that embraces our filmic past through modern interpretive lenses. Not simply a celebration, the series explores such areas as how complicated questions of politics and aesthetics emerge through practices of adaptation and interpretation, and how the changing landscape of film logistics in the internet era affects the formation of canon and the making of new classics. The first of five events features Nashville, a Robert Altman mosaic-style 1975 narrative masterwork that consistently shows up on Top 100 alltime film lists. The outstanding ensemble cast plays characters centered in the country music industry with nods to politics and violence. The post-screening discussion is with Carsey-Wolf Center director Patrice Petro and writer-director-producer Paris Barclay, a two-time Emmy Award winner with vast single-camera TV directing experience who

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

Give ‘em Enough ‘Rope’ – Theater season on the major stages around Santa Barbara launches in a week, but if you are at the end of your rope missing actors on stage, head over to Ojai for a production of Patrick Hamilton’s 1929 thriller Rope. Inspired by the infamous Leopold and Loeb murder case, the gripping drama serves as a chilling tale of intellect, deception, and suspense in which two university students aiming to prove their superiority flaunt their audacity by hosting an elaborate dinner party with a chest containing a dead body as the macabre centerpiece. The ordinary gathering turns into a psychological labyrinth of intrigue and suspicion, the thrilling mystery serving as a thought-provoking exploration of human nature and the boundaries of intellectual arrogance. A live TV production featuring takes of long duration in turn inspired Alfred Hitchcock to create his feature film, his first in Technicolor. Kimberly Demmary directs the Ojai Art Center Theater’s pre-Halloween production of the macabre tale.

WHEN: 7:30 pm Fridays & Saturdays, 2 pm Sundays, tonight-October 22

WHERE: Ojai Arts Center, 113 S. Montgomery St.

COST: $22-$24

INFO: (805) 640-8797 or https://ojaiact.org

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

Get Zesty at the Lemon Festival – Don’t be bitter: Think yellow! It’s time for the 30th annual Goleta Lemon Festival, launched in the early 1990s as a tribute to the vast lemon groves that once dominated Goleta in its pre-city days but now the biggest annual celebration in the Goleta area. A full weekend of family fun boasts nonstop entertainment, carnival rides and games, an auto show, and much more in the expansive space behind Costco known as Girsh Park. Saturday’s Goleta Fall Classic car show showcases a variety of classic cool cars ranging from Corvettes and Camaros to trucks and pickups, plus motorcycles and bicycles. Both days boast Safe Zone, the largest interactive display of Fire, Police and Emergency Services, both vehicles and booths, in the county. Kids can explore the ins and outs of firetrucks, check out police cars, meet the Sheriff’s Mounted Enforcement Unit and several Sheriff K-9 teams, and even take a photo with Smokey the Bear. Rides and games include mini golf and bounce houses, plus inflatable bubble obstacle courses and Euro Bungee, and much more. Popular local bands appearing on stage include Area 51, Fight 805, and The Tearaways. There are more vendors than you can shake a stick at, and, of course – lemons! Lots of ‘em, in dishes or pies or other desserts.

WHEN: 10 am-6 pm Saturday, 10 am-5pm Sunday

WHERE: Girsh Park, 7050 Phelps Road, Goleta

COST: free

INFO: (805) 967-2500 or https://lemonfestival.com

also served two terms as the President of the Directors Guild of America.

WHEN: 2 pm

WHERE: Pollock Theater, UCSB Campus

COST: free

INFO: (805) 893-4637 or www.carseywolf.ucsb.edu

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1

Calling on Collier – UCSB Arts & Lectures launches its 2023-24 season in a big way, with the debut Santa Barbara performance by Jacob Collier, one of the most gifted young artists of our time, amid a night full of festivities. The 28-year-old Collier has notched five Grammy wins and six more nominations including “Album of the Year” in 2021, winning respect from critics and colleagues as he moves fluidly across jazz, pop, and R&B, and creates mesmerizing soundscapes using layered vocal tracks and sophisticated digital editing techniques. Exploding onto the global stage with the viral success of his multi-frame, multi-instrumental YouTube covers, Collier caught the attention of Quincy Jones and under his mentorship released his debut album, In My Room, in 2016, which was recorded, produced, and played entirely by Collier. The artist’s latest, the four-volume project Djesse, features an astonishing array of artistic peers from Malian singer Oumou Sangaré to John Mayer, T-Pain, and many others, across the spectrum of musical themes that encompass everything from orchestral composition to folk song, R&B, rap, and pop. Witness his latest endeavors at Campbell Hall after pre-concert fun on the plaza in front of the theater with food trucks and a live DJ set by KCRW program director Anne Litt.

WHEN: 7 pm

WHERE: Campbell Hall

COST: $55-$125

INFO: (805) 893-3535 or https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5

AI yi yi – The lecture portion of UCSB A&L’s season gets going with Artificial Intelligence pioneer Mustafa Suleyman with a conversation about the most controversial

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” – Benjamin Franklin

Key-ing in on Creativity – Pianos on State has been enlivening Santa Barbara’s downtown for 14 years every October with a project that is at once fine art, performance art, and utterly user friendly. This year, for the 15th anniversary, spinets donated by residents get freshly painted in a huge display of design and whimsy by a range of local artists over a weekend at Community Arts Workshop. Starting today, 12 will be positioned at different locations along State Street and environs from Cota Street to Arlington Plaza, as well as on Stearns Wharf and out at the airport. The effect is to spontaneously introduce music and art into people’s everyday lives as they go about their business, as the pianos are there for anyone to play. No tests or special qualifications – the pianos merely await your imagination and your fingers’ fancy. A few pop-up performances by professionals are planned, but the pianos are open for anyone to play at all other times. Other associated events include the first-ever Pianos on State Gallery Show at CAW featuring non-piano pieces by artists who have painted at least two pianos over the years (an artists’ reception takes place 5:30-8 pm September 29; the show runs through October 15). The 3rd annual Masq(p)arade! performance progressive takes place on the final Friday of Pianos on State (5:30-8 pm October 20) with performers and pianists creating 15-minute works in succession moving up State Street. Audience members are encouraged to take part in the fun by donning bedecked and bedazzled masks for the occasion; four mask-making workshops for all ages will be held during October.

WHEN: Today-October 22

WHERE: Lower State Street-plus

COST: free

INFO: https://pianosonstate.com

technological innovation of the 21st century. As co-founder of Inflection AI, former Head of Applied AI at Google and co-founder of DeepMind, Suleyman has been at the center of the AI revolution from the beginning, with a humanistic perspective always driving his development. Suleyman now sounds an urgent warning about the unprecedented risks that AI and other fast-proliferating technologies pose to global order, and shows how we might contain them while we have the chance. Attendees will receive a copy of Suleyman’s new book The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century’s Greatest Dilemma at the event.

WHEN: 7:30 pm

WHERE: Campbell Hall

COST: $25-$40

INFO: (805) 893-3535 or https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4

A Quarter Century Later… – September marks the 25th anniversary of the release of the Starr Report to Congress, the document that paved the way for Bill Clinton’s impeachment in connection with his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Trust and Confidence by local writer and ethics specialist Jim Lichtman is his inside account of the 1998 battle between the Secret Service and independent counsel Kenneth Starr over agents testifying about what they knew of the president and the White House intern. Lichtman utilizes interviews, documents from Lewis Merletti’s files as director, and previously unreleased documents from The National Archives to share a story that Kirkus Reviews called, “A well-researched, enthralling history … a gripping political drama.” Chaucer’s hosts a talk and signing with Lichtman tonight.

WHEN: 6 pm

WHERE: 3321 State St. in Loreto Plaza Shopping Center

COST: free

INFO: (805) 682-6787 or www.chaucersbooks.com

ODESZA’s Unmissable 2023 Tour

A Night to Remember at the Santa Barbara Bowl

by Noa Lurie-Firestein

On Saturday, September 30, ODESZA, the iconic electronic music duo, will make their way to the Santa Barbara Bowl as part of their highly anticipated 2023 tour. Following their headlining performances at prestigious music festivals such as Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, and Electric Forest, ODESZA is gearing up for a monumental night for fans and music enthusiasts alike.

What makes this tour truly exceptional is the top-tier lineup of supporting artists joining ODESZA on select dates, including performances by an A-list of talents including Bob Moses, a DJ set by Bonobo, Big Boi, TOKiMONSTA, Drama, Neil Frances, QRTR, and Olan.

ODESZA’s live performances have earned them legendary status for their ability to transport audiences to an otherworldly state of musical euphoria. So get ready to go on an energetic musical journey with ODESZA this Saturday night at our very own Santa Barbara Bowl.

BY LARISSA

ODESZA is coming to the Bowl with their vibrant style this weekend

WHEN: Saturday, September 30

WHERE: Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St.

COST: $65.50-$155.50

INFO: https://sbbowl.com

“Very, very funny...this clever satire is something for which to be truly thankful.” HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

FASTHORSE DIRECTED BY BRIAN McDONALD

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING (805) 565-1860

ESTATE/SENIOR SERVICES

MOVING MISS DAISY

REVERSE MORTGAGES

ATTENTION SENIORS!!! IS A REVERSE MORTGAGE RIGHT FOR YOU?

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PERSONAL SERVICES

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NMLS # 251258 / Company NMLS # 12007

Direct Mortgage Funding

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Equal Housing Lender

Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act

PHYSICAL TRAINING & THERAPY

Stillwell Fitness of Santa Barbara

How did you get to be where you are today? What were your challenges? What is your Love Story? I can help you tell your story in an unforgettable way – with a book that will live on for many generations. The books I write are as thorough and entertaining as acclaimed biographies you’ve read. I also assist with books you write – planning, editing and publishing. David Wilk Great references. (805) 455-5980

www.BiographyDavidWilk.com

PERSONALIZED IN-HOME DOG GROOMING

A relaxing experience, in your own trusting environment Complete, detailed body inspection and treatment Specializing in elderly and special-needs dogs Owner - 16+ years of experience Kirstie McCormick: 805-252-5255 www.goshowem.com

Great downtown Location

Townhouse Apartment for rent

Unfurnished 2 Bedroom2-1/2 Bath

2 Car garage

1 year Lease

Available Oct. 1, 2023

Maxwell 805-252-9372 or Email Maxkim76@aol.com

Montecito, Santa Barbara, Ca Furnished home for rent $30,000.00 per mo. with a 5yr. lease, 4bd+4ba, nanny quarters, & guest hse + pool Bob 310-472-0870

FOR SALE

2008 PORSCHE CAYENNE GTS. 122k miles. Great condition. $18,000. OBO. Text: 805-450-5487

AUTOMOBILES WANTED

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

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

APPAREL

Timeless, elegance – Nightwear, robes, loungewear www.shopglamourhouse.com

805-969 5285 Ann@shopglamourhouse.com

POSITION WANTED

Trusted, Experienced Caregiver, CA State registered and background checked. Vaccinated. Loving and caring provides transportation, medications, etc.

Lina 650-281-6492

In Home Personal Training Sessions for 65+ Help with: Strength, Flexibility, Balance Motivation, and Consistency

John Stillwell, CPT, Specialist in Senior Fitness 805-705-2014 StillwellFitness.com

GOT OSTEOPOROSIS? WE CAN HELP

At OsteoStrong our proven non-drug protocol takes just ten minutes once a week to improve your bone density and aid in more energy, strength, balance and agility. Please call for a complimentary session! Call Now (805) 453-6086

ARCHITECT SERVICES

ADU ARCHITECT SERVICES? Need help to define your house addition, renovation? Harvard grad, licensed architect with over 30 years experience specializing in custom residence projects, reasonable rates! www.ArchWork.com or call (310) 801-8660

ELECTRITIAN

Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections

Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575

FOUNDATION REPLACEMENT

Local free foundation inspections for homeowners. 20 years experience in foundation replacement, sister, foundations, house, bolting, and more. Call 877-40 RETRO.(788526)

$10 MINIMUM TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

It’s simple. Charge is $3 per line, each line with 31 characters. Minimum is $10 per issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email Classified Ad to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860. All ads must be finalized by Friday at 2pm the week prior to printing. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex (3% surcharge)

We buy Classic Cars Running or not. Foreign/Domestic Chevy/Ford/Porsche/Mercedes/Etc. We come to you.

Call Steven – 805-699-0684 Website – Avantiauto.group

DONATIONS NEEDED

Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland CA 93067 (805) 969-1944

Donate to the Parrot Pantry!

At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies.

Volunteers

Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help.

(805) 969-1944

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

K-9 PALS need volunteers to be foster parents for our dogs while they are waiting for their forever homes.

For more information info@k-9pals.org or 805-570-0415

Foreachofthefirstfiveminicrosswords,oneoftheentriesalsoservesaspartofa five-wordmetaclue.Theanswertothemetaisawordorphrase(sixlettersor longer)hiddenwithinthesixthminicrossword.Thehiddenmetaanswerstartsin oneofthesquaresandsnakesthroughthegridverticallyandhorizontallyfrom there(nodiagonals!)withoutrevisitinganysquares.

Dos Pueblos Abalone (4pcs)

Jimmy the Greek Salad with Feta

arugula, radicchio, belgian endive and sauteéd onion

Sliced Steak Salad, 6 oz � ,

arugula, radicchio, shrimp, prosciutto, cannellini beans, onions

Chopped Salad

Cobb Salad tossed with Roquefort dressing

romaine, shrimp, bacon, green beans, peppers, avocado, roquefort

Lucky’s Salad

Charred Rare Tuna Nicoise Salad

two shrimp, 2 oz crab, avocado, egg, romaine, tomato, cucumber

Seafood Louie

w/ grilled chicken breast

Caesar Salad

reggiano parmesan, balsamic vinaigrette

Arugula, Radicchio & Belgian Endive Salad

roquefort or thousand island dressing

Wedge of Iceberg ��������������������������������������������������������

• Salads and Other

sauerkraut and gruyere on rye

Pastrami Reuben

mushroom sauce, french fries

Sliced Filet Mignon Open Faced Sandwich, 6

bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado

Grilled Chicken Breast Club on a Soft

choice of cheese (burger patty is vegan)

Vegetarian Burger, 5 oz �

choice of cheese

Lucky Burger, 8 oz

choice of hash browns, fries, mixed greens, Caesar, fruit salad

• Sandwiches •

Mixed Vegetable Frittata w/ Gruyere

tortillas, melted cheese, avocado and warm salsa

Huevos Rancheros, two eggs any style

Corned Beef Hash, and two poached eggs

Petit Filet 7 oz � Steak, and two

Home Made Spanish Chorizo Omelet w/ avocado

Wild Mushroom and Gruyere Omelet

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

California Eggs Benedict w/

Classic Eggs Benedict w/ julienne ham

choice of hash browns, fries, sliced tomatoes, fruit

•

• Eggs and Other Breakfast Dishes

toasted bialy or bagel, cream cheese, olives, tomato &

Cambridge House Rope Hung Smoked

Waffle w/ fresh berries,

Brioche French Toast w/

Lucky

Matzo Ball

French Onion

Burrata Mozzarella (Puglia),