MUS Faces Its Past

Farm Fresh – These mollusks are imperial, piccolo, and red all over… Take a tour of The Cultured Abalone Farm, P.12

Singing ‘Justice’ – Women in the Supreme Court… That’s something to sing about, and ETC’s new play does just that, P.20

MUS Faces Its Past

The MJ ’s Gwyn Lurie speaks with Montecito Union School District Superintendent Anthony Ranii following the recent letter updating parents and staff on the legal proceedings regarding sexual abuse allegations from 1972 to 1976 (Story starts on page 5)

Honoring a legacy of support at this luncheon, page 14

School is Out – Before a summer of play, these graduating students are getting out the caps & gowns, P.28

Imagine This…

Vintage planes, sparkling supercars, and industry thought leaders… all ready to inspire the imagination of aviation’s next generation, page 6

Howdy Pardner!

Rosewood Miramar… the home of Michelin-starred eats, elegant seaside relaxation… and now, the Sheriff’s Substation, page 10

champagne brunch at the stonehouse starters

Strawberry Stuffed Avocado

Persian Cucumber, Local Market Strawberry Gazpacho

Sungold Tomatoes, Piment d’Espelette, Sea Salt

Dungeness Crab Cake

Sweet Corn, Baby Zucchini, Circus Frisée, Pea Shoots, Roasted Tomatillo, Local Avocado Salsa Verde

Sicilian Burrata and Prosciutto Ruliano

Heirloom Tomatoes, Riviera Ligure Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Bronte Pistachios, Purple Watercress, Ciabatta Crisp, Arugula Pesto

entree

Roasted Vegetable Shakshuka

Za’atar Spiced Tomato Sauce, Feta Cheese, Crispy Brussels, Organic Egg, Grilled Fresh Herb Ciabatta

Pan Seared Pacific Halibut

Hope Ranch Mussels, Napa Cabbage, Pickled Sweet Peppers, Cilantro Lemongrass Coconut Curry Broth

Buttermilk Fried Chicken &Waffles

Country Gravy & Vermont Maple Syrup

Grilled Prime Flat Iron Steak

Confit Potatoes, House Smoked Bacon, King Oyster Mushroom, Gorgonzola, Garden Herb Salsa Verde

Smoked Salmon Benedict

Yukon Gold Potato Rosti, Avocado, Wild Arugula, Meyer Lemon Hollandaise

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Thick Cut Applewood-Smoked Bacon, Strawberry Jam, Vermont Maple Syrup

dessert

Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brûlée

Seasonal Berry Medley

Assortment of Three Cheeses

Murray’s Cave Aged Reserve Barnstorm Blue, Roomano Extra Aged Gouda, Époisses

SYR Profiteroles

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Chantilly Manjari Chocolate

Trio of House Made Sorbets

Seasonal Flavors includes free-flowing mimosas, champagne, and ty bellinis

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5

Editorial – The MJ ’s Gwyn Lurie speaks with MUS Superintendent Anthony Ranii following this week’s letter concerning the ongoing legal battle

6 Imagine – That’s the single-word theme of this Saturday when crowds will come to the SB airfield for an inspiring day of aviation 8 Montecito Miscellany – El Mirador goes to auction, the Scholarship Foundation of SB does what it does best, The Many Shades of Choral, and more miscellany

Bytes – Sheriff’s substation finds a home, MAW heads to State St., CVR welcomes The Well, and other tidbits Crime in the ‘Cito Tide Guide

Dear Montecito – Take a tour of The Cultured Abalone Farm and see what’s cooking with California’s largest farm culturing these mollusks

Society Invites – The Friendship Center hosts its Legacy Society luncheon once again, and the MUS Foundation gala

Jerrad Burford Senior Vice President Financial Advisor 805-695-7108

jerrad.burford@ morganstanleypwm com

The Burford Group at Morgan Stanley 1111 Coast Village Road | Montecito, CA 93108

Jeanine J. Burford Senior Vice President Financial Advisor

805-695-7109

jeanine.burford@ morganstanleypwm.com

16 An Independent Mind – A look at DOGE and the efficacy of business leaders in government roles

Your Westmont – Museum director retires; orchestra tours Iceland; and new teachers are celebrated

On Entertainment – Theater Justice, a musical invasion at Center Stage, Claire Chase at Ojai Music Festival, and Opera SB’s new move

22

Brilliant Thoughts – Trim away the fluff and get to the roots of haircuts, barbers, and hair we lost along the way

24 Spirituality Matters – Do you miss Lucidity…? Here are some other festival happenings for the year with similarly nourishing vibes.

26 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – A lucky street find takes the reader on a tour through 3-D graphic and textile design before computers

27

Montecito Health Coach – Welcome to Talkcast – the podcast club with a touch of psychodrama getting at the root of different issues

28 Our Town – It’s graduation season and Joanne’s 23rd year covering the local graduates – first up… Cate School

29

Locals & Legends – The area’s full array of musical talent was on stage to honor the late David Crosby at the Granada’s latest concert

32

Foraging Thyme – The sun is out and the peaches are dropping off the tree – get the season rolling with this cobbler

34 Stories Matter – Get your towel and umbrella ready, here are some beach reads to accompany you, the sun, and the sand

44 Calendar of Events – 1st Thursday happenings, a Growth Spurt on stage, the magic of science at MOXI, and more

46

Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads

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

Editorial Sins of The Father…

by Gwyn Lurie

With the #metoo movement born out of sexual harassment and sexual assault charges made against a slew of well-known media heavyweights, the California legislature passed Assembly Bill 218, known as the California Child Victims Act. This bill significantly extended the statute of limitations for filing civil lawsuits related to childhood sexual assault, allowing individuals to bring claims up to 40 years of age, or five years after discovery of the injury, whichever is later. Additionally, AB 218 allows for treble damages (triple the amount of actual damages) if the victim can prove a cover-up of sexual assault.

In March 2023 by Montecito Union School District Superintendent Anthony Ranii sent a letter to MUS staff and families informing them that an accusation was made that a district employee had sexually abused three individuals from 1972 to 1976. The accusers in the formal complaint, named as John Doe one, two and three, allege that the school knew and failed to prevent the abuse.

This week Superintendent Ranii sent out a follow-up letter updating the community on the status of this complaint. In his letter, Ranii says that the district denies these allegations and has joined with other school districts and public agencies in seeking a legislative fix to “the dire situations facing a number of districts who have been impacted by large jury verdicts.”

I sat down to talk with Superintendent Ranii to ask him about the allegations and the reasons why the district is taking such a hardline position on such a highly explosive and sensitive case.

Gwyn Lurie [GL]. Can you give me some context on the letter you just sent out including why you’re sending it out now, two years after you first informed the MUS community of the allegations by an employee from 1972-1976?

Imagine

Igniting the Skies and Minds of

Tomorrow’s Aviators

by Zach Rosen

At first glance, the “Imagine” event hosted at Santa Barbara Airport may appear to be a sleek showcase of aircraft and classic cars. But at its heart, Imagine is far more than a static display – it’s a living, breathing movement to inspire the next generation of aviation professionals, created by a woman whose life was transformed by flight and who now wants to pay that gift forward.

Presented by the Montecito Motor Classic, Imagine takes flight on Saturday, June 7, at Atlantic Aviation. The daylong event isn’t just about marveling at meticulously restored aircraft or rare automobiles – it’s designed as a dynamic educational forum. With a robust STEM-focused job fair and hands-on interaction with aviation professionals, Imagine is a launchpad for students across California’s Central Coast interested in exploring real career possibilities in aviation and aerospace.

At the helm of this visionary initiative is Dolores Johnson, who is the driving force behind MMC and has dedicated over four decades to aviation. Her passion for flight and fierce commitment to mentorship drive the mission of Imagine. “If I can impact a couple of students that never knew this was available and it changes a life like it did mine, that would be a success,” Dolores shared earnestly.

For Dolores, aviation was not a path laid before her – it was one she carved out herself. “When I was in school, women were told to be a nurse, a teacher, or a secretary. I tried that. It didn’t fit,” she recalled. Her serendipitous discovery of Santa Barbara Aviation in 1981 changed everything. With no formal aviation training, Dolores was hired on the spot by Judy and Joe Heslin – who remained avid supporters throughout her career. “It changed my life,” she said. “They took me under their wing and 44 years later, here I am”.

That transformative opportunity is something Dolores now wants to extend to young people who might never imagine a future in flight. Imagine’s primary mission is to introduce students to aviation not just as passengers or spectators, but as future pilots, engineers, air traffic controllers, mechanics, and innovators. With help from organizations like the Wellness Collection Club and support from industry leaders, Dolores and her team have coordinated outreach to junior highs and high schools across the region.

The educational component is front and center. “There are hundreds of scholarships available to students,” Dolores emphasized. “But if you don’t even know they exist, you don’t even know that that’s what you want to do – or even try.” Imagine doesn’t just provide information; it provides inspiration. With QR codes linking to scholarship resources, career guides, and volunteer mentors on site, students will have access to real-world pathways into aviation.

The speaker lineup alone is enough to fuel any young dreamer’s imagination. Chris Hastert, airport director, will share insights at 10:30 am into the role of regional airports in aviation infrastructure. Darren Pleasance, President and

Page 364

These aviators and engine enthusiasts are ready to inspire you (photo by Alma Rose Midleton)

Montecito Miscellany

Estate Sale

by Richard Mineards

One of Montecito’s greatest estates, 70-acre El Mirador, is being auctioned off by Kaminski auctions in Beverly, Massachusetts.

The expansive property belonged to the family of John J. Mitchell Jr., a founding force behind United Airlines and heir to one of Chicago’s most prominent banking dynasties.

The auction takes place over three days this week.

Mitchell’s life and legacy are part of American industry, aviation, and high society. But it is through his marriage in 1921 to Lolita Armour, only child of meatpacking magnate Philip D. Armour – in that day second only to John D. Rockefeller in wealth – that a uniquely American tale of wealth, taste, and transcontinental elegance comes to life.

Their combined fortune was estimated at $120 million at the time.

The contents of the auction span from Chicago’s Gold Coast to the sun-soaked Santa Ynez Valley.

Later the tony twosome expanded

their holdings with the acquisition of Ranch Juan y Lolita, a 12,000-acre property at Zaca Lake in the Santa Ynez Valley. The land would remain in the family until its sale in the 1960s to Hollywood icon James Stewart.

Among the auction highlights are several rare Chinese antiques acquired during extensive travels through Asia, including a remarkably well-preserved 19th century Imperial Chinese robe. There are also important pieces of American and European furniture and art.

Foundational Support

The Santa Barbara Historical Museum was socially gridlocked when the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara hosted its annual dinner after handing out checks in the south county with $3,892,647, bringing the total to $7.7

million for 2,125 students in the county as a whole, $600,000 more than last year. Since forming in 1962, the foundation has awarded in excess of $167 million to more than 64,000 county students.

Board chair Danna McGrew welcomed

Miscellany Page 334

Viviana Hall, Danny Cooper, and Tim Figueroa (photo by Jay Farbman)

Evelia Adame, Deana Aguilera Arroyo (one of the student speakers), Carlos Adame, and Maria Arroyo (photo by Jay Farbman)

Joseph and Marilee Green (photo by Jay Farbman)

1050 Cold Springs Road / Montecito / 93108

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Enter the private gates of this grand and wholly reimagined 6.2-acre ocean view coastal estate that is Montecito’s beloved and historic ‘’Ca di Sopra’’ (House Above the Clouds) first built in 1914 by famous architect Guy Lowell and completely redesigned in recent days. The owner spared no expense to fundamentally transform and elevate this 7-bedroom, 8-bathroom Italian Villa’s classical architecture to today’s most rigorous standards and top design. From the meticulous landscaping surrounding the prominent half-moon pool beset by Greek Ionic columns, to the temperature-controlled wine cellar/tasting room, multiple entertainment balconies overlooking the Pacific Ocean, home theater, two gracious family rooms, gourmet kitchen, formal dining room, large gym, and a truly impressive primary suite featuring an enviable indoor/outdoor bathroom, walk-in closet, and sweeping sitting areas opening to the stone terraces, there is no shortage of awe-inspiring venues throughout the property. Lending to the versatility and functionality of this compound is a modern two-bedroom guest house above the three-car garage and a carriage house with a bathroom that could be a perfect artist retreat. This rare opportunity is reserved for the most selective buyers.

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News Bytes Miramar to Host

Montecito Sheriff Substation

by MJ Staff

In a remarkable development for local public safety, the Montecito Association has announced that the long-anticipated Sheriff Substation will now be hosted by the Miramar Hotel – at no cost to the community. The generous offer, which includes covering all associated expenses, marks a major milestone in a years-long effort to enhance law enforcement presence and response times in the area.

Initially, the Association’s Safety Committee had secured a lease on San Ysidro Road and received a $30,000 grant from the Montecito Community Foundation for IT infrastructure. The Foundation also served as the project’s fiscal agent, facilitating community contributions. Thanks to the unexpected and generous commitment from the Rosewood Miramar, those funds will now be returned and repurposed for other vital local needs.

The project has been a true community effort, with support from donors, volunteers, Sheriff deputies, County officials, and organizations such as Montecito Union School, Casa Dorinda, and Birnam Wood. The Association extends special thanks to committee members and property partner Kat Hirsch for their contributions.

MA Safety Committee Chair Jacqueline Duran states in a press release, “This project is a testament to the strength and unity of the Montecito community.”

MCRIME IN THE ‘CITO

Sheriff’s Blotter 93108 . . . .

Disturbance, Warrant / Finney Beach

Monday, May 5, at 07:57 hours

A County Parks ranger called to report a 415 verbal disturbance in the Finney Beach parking lot. Deputies contacted a female & her ex-boyfriend. The male was found to have an outstanding warrant. He was arrested for 273.5PC (Corporal Injury) and was booked at SBJ.

Domestic Violence, Attempted Murder / 1400 block S. Jameson Rd

Monday, May 5, at 10:56 hours

Suspect strangled his estranged wife, threw her down, threatened to kill her, and prevented her from leaving. He was arrested on the listed charges. An Emergency Protective Order (EPO) was granted and served.

Wildfire Preparedness Meeting for the Community

MF Chief David Neels has announced the Wildfire Preparedness Meeting with local public safety partners on Thursday, June 26, at 6 pm at Montecito Union School. The MFD with the Montecito Water District, Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, neighboring fire agencies, and local community organizations will discuss how your public safety agencies collaborate before, during and after emergencies. Event is free and attendance is encouraged. Light refreshments served.

Music Academy Launches New Downtown Hub

The Music Academy of the West has announced the acquisition of 901 State Street, a landmark property in downtown Santa Barbara, marking a transformative expansion

Vehicle Registration, Outstanding Warrant / 171 Ocean View Ave

Monday, May 5, at 15:04 hours

Traffic stop was initiated for expired tags. The driver was arrested on an outstanding warrant for 148-PC (Resisting Arrest) and 20002-VC (Misdemeanor Hit and Run).

Possession of Oxycodone / Ortega Hill/Pierpont

Monday, May 5, at 02:15 hours

Traffic stop was initiated for rolling through a stop sign. The driver consented to a search of the vehicle and was found in possession of one Oxycodone pill, without a prescription. Subject was cited.

Prowling / 1500 block East Valley Rd

Friday, May 23, at 21:11 hours

Subject, on probation for 69PC (Resisting an Executive Officer) and 243(b)PC (Battery on a Police Officer) entered the property and exhibited bizarre behavior at the front gate. Subject was arrested for prowling and booked at SBCJ.

Montecito Tide Guide

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

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

Managing Editor | Zach Rosen zach@montecitojournal.net

MoJo Contributing Editor | Christopher Matteo Connor

Art/Production Director | Trent Watanabe

Graphic Design/Layout | Stevie Acuña

Administrative Assistant | Kassidy Craner VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood leanne@montecitojournal.net

Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Jessica Sutherland, Joe DeMello

Contributing Editor | Kelly Mahan Herrick

Proofreading | Helen Buckley Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz

Contributors | Scott Craig, Ashleigh Brilliant, Chuck Graham, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye, Elizabeth Stewart, Beatrice Tolan, Leana Orsua, Jeffrey Harding, Tiana Molony, Houghton Hyatt, Jeff Wing

Gossip | Richard Mineards

History | Hattie Beresford

Humor | Ernie Witham

Our Town/Society | Joanne A Calitri

Health/Wellness | Ann Brode, Deann Zampelli

Travel | Jerry Dunn, Leslie Westbrook

Food & Wine | Melissa Petitto, Gabe Saglie, Jamie Knee

Published by: Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC

Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by

Music Academy of the West is coming to State Street (courtesy photo)

Dear Montecito

The Cultured Abalone Farm: The Local Tour Stop You Never Knew You Needed

by Beatrice Tolan

Along-gone California pastime was catching abalone off the coast, but in 2001, white abalone became the first marine invertebrate to be added to the endangered species list, and soon after, all commercial and recreational capture of abalone became outlawed. But just a quick drive up to Gaviota, one can relive the past and see what the abalone have been up to at the largest abalone hatchery and farm in California.

INC. P.O. BOX 20183 SANTA BARBARA, CA 93120 805-451-3459 |

The Cultured Abalone Farm was first established in 1989 on the Gaviota Coast to raise native red abalone, though they also conserve white and green abalone. If you’ve had red abalone at a restaurant in Santa Barbara, chances are you’ve eaten an abalone raised at The Cultured Abalone Farm – Lucky’s, El Encanto, and the San Ysidro Ranch all serve their abalone, to name a few.

For this interview I spoke with Andie Van Horn , a recent UCSB graduate and The Cultured Abalone Farm’s tour coordinator. She’s got a peppy spirit and rocks an abalone-shell septum piercing and nautical-themed tattoos. Though she grew up in the distinctly landlocked suburbs of Sacramento, Van Horn spent formative summers by the ocean and in the woods. “I was always the one right up next to the ranger asking all the questions,” she said playfully.

Days spent at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Bodega Bay deepened Van Horn’s appreciation for the ocean. Van Horn graduated in 2024 with a degree in aquatic biology and museum studies, and thus works as a farm

technician on the farm, as well. Van Horn discovered the Cultured Abalone Farm while working at REEF (Research Experience and Education Facility), UCSB’s beachside touch tank.

Van Horn has now worked at The Cultured Abalone Farm for eight months. From Tuesday to Friday, Van Horn helps maintain the farm – like distributing the weekly 20 tons of kelp harvested from the Santa Barbara Channel to the hungry abalone, monitoring their growth progress, and hosting tours for schools. Saturday is dedicated to tours for the public, though I had the luxury of indulging on a weekday.

Like crops at a traditional farm, The Cultured Abalone Farm is lined with hundreds of open, bubbling tanks holding over one million abalone. The abalone are grouped by size to promote an equitable biome where larger abalone can’t hog food. Each day, over 2.3 million gallons of saltwater are pumped through the farm’s tanks from a pipe 400 yards out and 40 feet deep in the ocean.

Van Horn first led me to the hatchery – tanks with abalone only a few months old – where I began the hardest game of Eye Spy. Smaller than half a grain of jasmine rice, Van Horn had to bring out one of the tank grates to show me the babies. Before I could gasp, she informed

Dear Montecito Page 304

Andie Van Horn, The Cultured Abalone Farm’s tour coordinator and fellow farm technician

The Cultured Abalone Farm’s delicious crop (courtesy photo)

Society Invites Friendship Center

Annual Legacy Award Luncheon

by Joanne A Calitri

The Friendship Center Montecito held its annual Legacy Society Award Luncheon on Wednesday, May 28, at the University Club. This annual event has returned from its lockdown-related hiatus. The organization honors those who have committed to allocate funding via their estate to support the FC endowment.

FC Board Finance Chair and Legacy Leadership Committee member, Jeffrey Krutzsch, chaired the event and welcomed the guests. He introduced the Legacy Leadership Committee Chair Cyder Sinclair , Estate Attorney at Mullen & Henzell Jay Beckerman, retired CEO SB United Way and Financial Planner Paul Didier, Financial Planner at Duran Capital Management and board member for the FC and Montecito Association Jacqueline Duran, retired CEO SB Museum of Natural History Karl Hutterer, Elder

Law Attorney SB Estate Planning & Elder Law Julianna Malis ; retired FC bookkeeper Craig Markson; and fiduciary at Quinn Fiduciary Services Tamara Skov. Legacy Liaison and former FC Executive Director of 38 years, Heidi

Holly introduced and presented the Legacy Society Award to Mary Walsh Walsh was first executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association in the 1980s, served on the FC board. She currently resides at Wood Glen, where she is active on their committees. Receiving flowers and a plaque, Walsh blushed and spoke of her time at FC and her belief in its work.

Speaking about the use of the Legacy Society’s funding was FC Executive Director Kathryn Westland. She pointed out the funds serve to keep the FC open for seven hours daily, whereas most care centers close at 2 pm or do half-day service. The funds will be used for the future of the Friendship Center, which

is planning to have many satellite centers across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties to serve the growing population of seniors with safe and dignified care. One such center recently opened in Carpinteria. Examples of sites that may be put to this use are commercial vacancies and community centers in churches. Westland asked that anyone in the community with knowledge of a prospective location contact her and her team.

Didier and Sinclair speaking separately both added their support of planned gifts for philanthropy in estate planning – whereby one donates to the Friendship Center to further its work

Page 314

Murphy King Realtors

Jeffrey Krutzsch, Cynder Sinclair, and Paul Didier at the Friendship Center Legacy Society luncheon (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Heidi Holly and Kathryn Westland, former and current Executive Directors for the Friendship Center (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

An Independent Mind Musk, Attila the Hun, and DOGE

by Jeffrey Harding

Ilike Elon Musk. He’s one of the greatest innovators of our time. He revolutionized the automobile industry with Tesla, outpaced NASA with SpaceX, created a global wireless network with Starlink, and is on the cusp of a brain-computer interface with Neuralink. Think Thomas Edison.

Musk – supposedly the world’s richest man – is a creative and technical genius, but also monumentally erratic, utopian, awkward, on the spectrum (Asperger’s), and often wrong. I’ve followed him for years, read Walter Isaacson’s fascinating biography, and even keep track of his growing brood (14 kids, at last count). He wants to live on Mars.

There’s a common perception that billionaire business leaders are geniuses who can do anything. They’re not. Musk’s foray into politics is a prime example.

Of course, most politicians aren’t much better. Their vision rarely extends beyond the next election, and they’ll do whatever it takes to stay in power. Long-

term consequences? Not their concern. “Kick the can down the road” might as well be a genetic trait.

Then there’s Donald Trump. He was elected largely due to a binary choice: Democratic candidates – first a senile Joe Biden, then a competency-challenged Kamala Harris – or Trump, the reincarnated Attila the Hun. He was the outsider who said whatever he felt like, promised a return to pre-woke America, and came across as real, not packaged. He vowed to drain the swamp – this time, he meant it.

Trump began swinging his axe on January 20 with Executive Order 14158, creating the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and appointed Elon Musk to lead it. Its mission: eliminate waste and streamline government. “He knows what he’s doing,” Trump said. Musk promised to cut $2 trillion in waste.

But Musk misread the terrain. His $2 trillion goal showed little understanding of the federal budget. Once Trump exempted defense, Social Security, Medicare, and interest on the debt, there was much less to cut.

There are smart ways to reduce spending, but Musk ignored seasoned budget experts and instead brought in his tech bros and tasked them to do whatever they thought was necessary to reduce bureaucracy and cut waste. It didn’t work.

It was doomed from the start – not just because $2 trillion was unrealistic, but because neither he nor his staff had a full understanding of how government operates, the budget process, how government is funded, or the laws governing the many bureaucracies. As a result they ran into brick walls. Courts reminded them there were laws restricting firings of civil servants, that certain programs couldn’t be closed or suspended, and that they couldn’t ignore the fact that budgets and spending were the prerogatives of Congress, not the president. There were major clashes between Musk and Trump’s staff, loads of lawsuits, errors, and inflated results.

Musk was soon seen as a loose cannon in the Administration. He was frustrated that he couldn’t be Musk the business genius, plus he saw that anti-Trump/ Musk sentiment was harming Tesla, his main money machine.

The $2 trillion goal became $1 trillion, then $150 billion. Today, DOGE claims $175 billion in cuts, but few believe their numbers.

The Chinese have a saying, “Head of a dragon, tail of a snake” which means you approach a project with great enthusiasm and activity but when the reality of inevitable difficulties arise, one’s enthusiasm and effort dwindles off like a snake’s tail.

I predicted Musk would last six months. I was wrong – he lasted four. This is the problem with business leaders in government. They have vague ideas of how things really work. Government isn’t a business where they can bark out orders and have them done. They are serious and enthusiastic at the start, brimming with confidence after their appointment. But it’s rare that their orders will nudge the bureaucracy. Musk was unfortunately the poster boy for this.

I thought the whole DOGE concept was a great idea. We could look at DOGE positively in that it brought attention to government spending and waste. We can applaud Trump for the effort. But it failed. Maybe it was all theater.

If Trump truly wants reform, he needs to work with Congress. Trump has a majority in Congress, and he could pass real spending limits and slow the growth of federal debt. But he must act before the midterms. Runaway debt is a time bomb – and it’s ticking.

Your Westmont

First Museum Director Retires

by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott

Judy L. Larson arrived at Westmont in 2008, four months before the college broke ground for the Adams Center for the Visual Arts and the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. As the inaugural R. Anthony Askew professor of art and the director of the museum, she taught an art history course while organizing her first exhibition featuring 35 Rembrandt etchings in Reynolds Gallery.

She published the first collections catalogue in 2010 with 400 works of art; today the collection features 2,500. She retires this year after 17 years of establishing and developing the museum and its holdings.

In 2014, the Berger Print Collection gave the museum 21 of the Rembrandt prints interpreting Old Testament themes and featuring the artist’s prominent 17th-century Jewish neighbors. The museum created a catalog of the collection, which has traveled to museums in Iowa, Florida, Texas, Ohio, Oregon, and Solvang.

The first exhibition in the new art museum, which opened ahead of schedule in September 2010, offered a 30-year retrospective of John Carlander , who co-founded the Westmont Art Department with Tony Askew

Previously, Larson directed the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., where she completed a $25 million endowment campaign. She also led the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia, where she coordinated the acquisition of a multi-million-dollar American art collection. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art history from UCLA before completing a doctorate at the Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts at Emory University.

In 2013, Larson organized Invisible Realms: Encountering the Sacred showcasing contemporary artists of the four major world religions who address spirituality in their art. “So many Westmont art students want to sincerely communicate their faith through their art in meaningful ways that cause the viewer to ponder and reflect on their own souls,” she says.

SAFEGUARD YOUR SUMMER

Post Alarm protects Montecito homes with purpose and precision.

With the rise in visitors and traffic throughout Montecito this summer, not everyone entering the community has good intentions — as evidenced by the recent home invasion incident near Butterfly Beach.

Post Alarm Patrol Services are built to protect the entire community—not just individual homes. Our visible presence acts as a powerful deterrent against crime, helping to create a safer, more secure environment for everyone in Montecito.

Marked Patrol Vehicles actively monitor your neighborhood, looking for suspicious activity.

Frequent Patrols increase visibility and act as a deterrent to criminal activity.

The exhibition’s enthusiastic reception led Larson to invite five of the Invisible Realms Christian artists to present solo exhibitions at the museum: Kent Anderson Butler, Marie Schoeff, Adam Belt , Linda Ekstrom , and Duncan Simcoe. “Developing abiding friendships with each of these artists has been a highlight of my time at Westmont,” she says.

Larson also appreciates Stephen and Denise Adams, who contributed to the first professional museum space on campus. “They were art enthusiasts with a passion for introducing students to the arts and supporting college students in the visual and performing arts,” she says. “They helped us become a collecting museum as well.”

Major donors include Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, who gave artwork by Camille Corot as well as Barbizon paintings and Orthodox icons. Faith Mell

(‘62) and Dewayne Perry (’62) contributed Old Master prints and funded additions to the print collection. The Arts Alliance of Ventura County under the direction of Andrew Voth donated a collection of Lawton Parker paintings, Keith Puccinelli bequeathed his own art and American outsider/folk art, and the Berkus and Family Art Collection bestowed international contemporary art, as did Arnold and Marie Forde. Jere and Fima Lifshitz added African art selections. Steven Pattie (‘74) gave the museum important outsider art from his collection.

When Chris Rupp (‘00) suggested the idea for the wildly popular “5x5” exhibitions, Judy worked with him to launch this fundraiser. Under her leadership, the museum hosted five themed Family

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Armed Patrol Officers respond quickly to suspicious persons, vehicles, or alarm activations.

Community Participation helps us protect more homes, more effectively.

Westmont

Larson exhibited the work of Chakaia Booker in 2014

On Entertainment Taking Theater to Court

by Steven Libowitz

What theatrical subject could be more suited to serious investigation than the first three female justices of the U.S. Supreme Court; the ladies who broke through a more than 200 year-old glass ceiling to reach the highest court in the land? Not to mention that Sandra Day O’Connor, the groundbreaker, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor – the latter the first Latina Justice on the Supreme Court – are pretty much political polar opposites.

But a musical?

“I know, I understand,” said director Jenny Sullivan, the longtime Santa Barbara resident who has helmed myriad productions at Ensemble Theatre Company – as well as at Ventura’s Rubicon, multiple L.A. and SoCal theaters, and at venues all around the country. “I just love telling people I’m doing Justice, this play about the first three women on the court. Then I’ll take a beat and say… and it’s a musical.”

It’s not as crazy as it seems.

First, there’s the book by Lauren Gunderson – one of America’s most produced playwrights over the past several years – which follows the three women’s extraordinary journeys from law school to the highest court in the land. The story delves into the personal and professional obstacles they overcame in a male-dominated legal world, taking stock of their accomplishments, challenges, and relationships with a stirring mix of levity and drama.

“It’s a vast play in that it covers a huge swath of time,” Sullivan said.

But much of the story and emotional depth are experienced through Bree Lowdermilk’s music and Kait Kerrigan’s lyrics, Sullivan said, these songs given added presence by the addition of Santa Barbara musician Sio Tepper performing on stage alongside the actors.

Entertainment Page 384

BY: Pearlman Wealth Management of Raymond James Featuring Presentations by Natixis and Lord, Abbett & Co.

Nate Stevens, CFP® Evan Calvo, CIMA Tuesday, June 10, 2025 5-7 p.m. The Granada Building, Floor 5

Valerie Perri, Heather Ayers and Julie Garnyé star in ETC’s Justice (courtesy photo)

SANTA BARBARA BEACHES

Brilliant Thoughts

Haircut

by Ashleigh Brilliant

There is something special about a man’s relationship with his barber. The very essence of a barbershop is masculine. Unfortunately, it is no longer a place for singing quartets – but at least it’s not what it used to be – a place for surgery. The very word Barber is related to the word “Barbarian.” “Barb” meant beard, and Barbarians were so uncivilized that, unlike the Romans, they let themselves get shaggy. In battle, the Roman army had its primitive equivalent of medics, who specialized in treating wounds. Somehow, they also got into cutting hair. Thus there came to be a sort of linkage between barbering and surgery. Believe it or not, this explains why, even today, the trade-sign of a barbershop is a pole, bearing red and white stripes, which symbolize the blood and bandages of those early surgeons.

Of course, those pole-signs have become much more elaborate more recently, with the pole being glassed-in, and revolving electrically. But the actual practice of cutting hair has remained pretty basic. True, the chair the customer sits in is now adjustable in various ways, to go up and down, and to revolve, enabling the barber to get at the customer’s head.

I can tell you exactly the location of my first barbershop. It was in Toronto, Canada, at the corner of College and Havelock – a one-man shop, right across the street from the apartment building in which lived my mother’s parents, with whom we were staying. I was six years old, but was trusted to go across the busy street by myself, and pay the barber his fee of 25 cents.

But the first barber I had in this country enjoyed no such mechanical aids, and had to stand on a stool to get at the top of my head. Even more bizarre, she was an elderly lady, who worked out of doors.

It was during the year when, shortly after arriving in California, I was fortunate enough to secure a scholarship at what was then the Claremont Graduate School (now Claremont Graduate University). My award covered tuition costs, but nothing else. I was extremely poor and had to economize in every possible way. I was allowed to eat at no cost at a student cafeteria. But that was available for only two meals a day. For lunch I allowed myself one ten-cent can of sardines, which I had in my room.

So, when the time came that I needed a haircut, I couldn’t afford to patronize the local men’s establishment. And I was glad to learn of this little lady haircutter who only charged a quarter. I can’t remember her name, but apparently she was wellknown in the community, and I was so satisfied with her work that I wrote an article in the student newspaper, headed “Try My Barber.”

The other barber who stands out in my memory was one I patronized for many years right here in Santa Barbara – until he retired. (That’s one unpleasant feature of living in one place a long time. Sooner or later, the professional people you have come to depend on – your doctor, your dentist, even your lawyer – leave the scene and have to be replaced.)

His name was Richard Long, and the barbershop was one he shared with two other men in the heart of downtown. Eventually, he and I became good friends. He had been in the Navy in World War II, and was on a ship that had to be abandoned after it was struck by a Japanese suicide bomber. Somehow, in that action, he lost the tip of one finger – but this did not prevent his becoming a barber. After the war, he was stationed in Japan, where he acquired a Japanese wife, whom I met, but who never learned to speak much English.

After he retired, he unfortunately began to show symptoms of dementia, and finished his days in a “retirement facility.” I visited him once or twice, but I’m not sure if he knew me. His son, however, works in a local market –and it was from him that I eventually learned the sad news that his Dad had passed away.

I now have a barber named Arturo, whose name is on his shop. He is very skillful, and I always congratulate him on the excellence of his work.

As for my thoughts on hair in general, I offer you this:

“Isn’t it sad that so much hair is wanted where it isn’t, and unwanted where it is.”

Honoring Those Who Served

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*Borrowers must continue to pay Property Tax, Homeowners Insurance, HOA payments and maintain their home. Reverse Mortgage is for homeowners 55 years of age and over. Consult with your CPA on Taxes. The loan may become due and payable when the last borrower or eligible non-borrowing spouse dies, sells the home, permanently moves out, defaults on taxes, or does not comply with the loan terms. $1000 Veteran credit to be applied towards closing costs.

and

Spirituality Matters

Out of Town Opportunities: SoulPlay Marks a Decade

by Steven Libowitz

The late, lamented Lucidity Festival is long gone from its residency at Live Oak Camp. Launched in 2012, the successful festival was swamped by the inordinate rainy season in 2023, and then forced to cancel by fire concerns after moving to June for the 2024 fest. The 2025 Lucidity Festival, which was supposed to relocate to Monterey County, was canceled in September with no refunds being offered. But there are a number of alternative gatherings that might meet the need, all within the state but nowhere nearby.

The thumping beat of EDM, etc., is a pulsing center for many of the festivals, including Same Same But Different, the Lake Perris fest considered a sister to Lucidity, and which accepted 2025 Lucidity tickets at their event last September. SSBD takes place again this year September 26-28; details at www.ssbdfest.com

But for those who were more partial to the workshop and personal growth element of Lucidity, an even deeper dive can be found at SoulPlay, held at Mandala Springs Wellness Center in Cobb, California, about 90 miles north of San Francisco. SoulPlay is a substance-free gathering that is focused on intentional connection and mindful pursuits. The festival is going through a transition as well, as its founder, Romi Elan – who led workshops at Lucidity early on during the local fest’s run –departed after last year’s event.

The new leaders are maintaining the festival’s commitment to create a gathering focused on heart-opening connection, personal expansion and play, coming together as a community to connect, explore and grow. The curated workshops, activities and spaces are designed to challenge –

whether gently or more aggressively – our self-limitations, comfort zones, and old paradigms to encourage vulnerability that leads to transformation.

Activities at SoulPlay, celebrating its 10th anniversary June 12-15, include movement sessions, partner exercises, relational games and activities and experiences to emotional landscapes to create multiple avenues for self-exploration and expression.

What’s new – at least in the sense of a more intentional focus – is the concept of offering a refreshing alternative to counter our era of increasing political polarization and social division. The four-day immersion aims to cultivate and cement radical belonging, consent culture and creating community across differences.

A new Inclusion and Belonging Team is an ongoing effort to reflect the organization’s commitment to bringing to life its evolving philosophy.

“We believe that playful connection has the power to bridge the divides that dominate our current cultural landscape,” says Holly Burlet, SoulPlay’s founding member and creative director, in a press release. “For 10 years, we’ve been evolving a container where people from diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and identities can begin to drop their armor and experience a sense of belonging –something many participants tell us they rarely find elsewhere.”

SoulPlay’s lineup of presenters/workshop leaders include Z Griss of Embody More Love, who makes offerings at the edge of grief and eros; Matt Sturm, who leads Joygasm; Daway Chou-Ren, whose processes make space for our rage; William Winters of Bonobo Network for impact play; men’s sexual integrity coach Mischa Byruck; “Permission Fairy” Marcia Baczynski’s Spicy Truth or Dare; “Blindfolded Contact Dance” and

Dance Roulette with empathy provocateur Gabriel Diamond, and many others.

To be sure, music is also an integral part of SoulPlay, with some 20 conscious music acts scheduled to perform, although mostly not until the evening, with the workshops spread over seven different spaces, with other explorations – including taking advantage of the spectacular natural surroundings – also occupying the daylight hours.

In its entirety, SoulPlay serves as an environment to explore your essence, a magic-making playground where people can play with a purpose, and “dare, dance and thrive in a joy-seeking, soul-stirring community where authentic connections bloom without the buzz of substances.”

Find out more and get tickets online at www.soulplay.co

Back in Town, Soup for the Soul

It’s not nearly as immersive, given that you can head right home and sleep in your own bed, but Yoga Soup still has an impressive slate of soul-stirring, heart opening, mind awakening and body centering special events on tap at its downtown studio.

The weekly Dance Hive hosted by INSPIRATIA on Sunday afternoons from 12-3 pm including CommuniTea before and after the dancing is augmented by the monthly First Friday Ecstatic Dance with DJ sets from Ean Golden and Sierra Noland on June 6, with the DryshTea lounge open for more verbal connection and farmers market food and treats when the music stops.

More sound experiences include Darren Marc’s monthly Heart Songs Kirtan with Cacao on June 7, and Michelle Anise’s multi-instrumental sound healing journey that includes a guided deep relaxation induction, Himalayan singing bowls, therapy harp, crystal bowls and more, concluding with optional toning and meditative chanting. On June 14, Ojai’s Brothers Koren, recently in town for a screening of their doc at the Illuminate Film Festival, will present their Mystic Voice journey,

which explores the power of singing in community through breathwork, gentle vocal exercises, simple toning, melodies and familiar songs. The next day finds Mitsuko McGavock and Darren Marc teaming up for a Reiki Sound Bath, combining the two modalities. Visit www.yogasoup.com.

Up on the Roof for Wellness

Hotel Californian welcomes locals and visitors alike for a weekend of wellness activities surrounding Global Wellness Day on June 14. Events include a Reiki Infused Chakra Sound Bath with Marquita Davis on Friday night; Morning Yoga with Natasha Hughes and Pilates Stretch with Victoria Popoff on the hotel’s rooftop, and a Wellness Expo boasting local shops, businesses and experts on maintaining a healthy mind and body (free for everyone) on Saturday; and Sculpt + Stretch with Rachel McClusky back on the rooftop on Sunday. All classes welcome participants of all levels, with mats and towels provided. Tickets may be purchased for the full weekend, or on a class-by-class basis, and admission includes a beverage station featuring wine from the Foley Family Wines portfolio, with gift bags provided. Visit https://tinyurl.com/HotelCaliWell

Earth Circle Expands

Alexis Slutzky’s last Land Listening Earth Circle of the season (before a summer break) takes place at 2 pm on Summer Solstice, June 21, right around the time that the famous downtown parade concludes. The practice, conducted in a circle before and after a period of solitary communing with nature, focuses on listening and attunement to the land as a gift to receive the stories, experiences, and relational gifts in reciprocity. The special solstice event goes until 6 pm and extends the practice of dismantling human supremacy by feeding the holy in nature through ritual and song. Details and registration at www.alexisslutzky. com/land-listening-earth-circle

The Lounge at Caruso’s unveils an exciting new look for an elevated coastal experience like never before. Guests are invited to relax and indulge in à la carte coastal fare and handcrafted cocktails—perfect for a pre-dinner aperitivo or a leisurely post-dinner moment. Inside, a baby grand piano fills the space with live instrumental music, while world-acclaimed artwork and refined design details add a sense of sophistication to the oceanfront setting.

To complement the refreshed ambiance, Chef Massimo Falsini has crafted a seasonally driven menu inspired by his Southern Roman roots and the vibrant flavors of Coastal California. Summer favorites include oysters, Baja kanpachi crudo, and Roman-style carbonara. A new cocktail menu rounds out the experience, showcasing fresh ingredients from local farmers, ranchers, and purveyors in celebration of the season.

Elizabeth’s Appraisals Graphic Design Through the 20th Century

by Elizabeth Stewart

Agift that the universe gives to the right person is rare. Take Emma Howard, a talented local designer (I have permission to use her name). Emma – owner of Studio 3 Hand Rendered Textiles and Surface Designs (her office is on hiatus today) – was visiting her son when she noticed a pile of trash in front of a vacant house in his neighborhood. Against the heap of old furnishings was a designer’s dream: a vintage graphic design work, rendered by hand with the old-fashioned tools of water-based gouache, a paint brush, and a ruling pen, supported on a heavy paper board. The uneven edges of the design indicated to Emma that this find was a hand-done work; there would be no need for an artist to make perfectly finished edges, because this template would have been used as a basis for a side-by-side fabric design for a woven or printed fabric.

Emma asked my opinion on the age of the piece, which was without its frame and glazing on the street that day, but was in remarkable condition. There are two ways to research the date of creation; one is to research the technical developments in graphic design – more to the point, the history of 3-D design from the pen to Computer-Aided Design (CAD) for a PC.

The other way to research this work’s era is to compare it to other graphic designs in selected STYLES (a stylistic/ artistic analysis). I researched a few select eras: one, the 1920s-1930s when graphic design was moving from Art Nouveau to Art Deco, and the other era, 1950s-1960s, for graphic design influenced by Op Art.

Firstly let us take the technological approach. When did 2- and 3-D software become predominant over hand-rendered graphic design? An artist in 2025 may, of course, work without software to create a graphic design by hand – but the higher likelihood is of a hand-rendered work having been created

Which of these two stylistic eras best reflect the treasure that Emma found?

prior to the appearance of such software. It was not until the 1980s that computer assisted 3-D design was thought of as becoming a future industry standard. By the early 1990s, affordable personal computers helped usher in this new period of software-assisted design.

The first 2-D software was created in 1963 and was called “Sketchpad.” The first affordable PC was developed in 1981 by IBM. So the likelihood is that the design that Emma found could be of either the Art Deco period OR the Op Art period; both eras would have graphic designers who predominantly worked by hand.

The characteristics of Art Deco design –prevalent for a few years in the U.S. between 1920s-30s – are bold, graphic shapes, strong lines, unusually rich colors with black or old metallic accents, glamour, luxury, zigzags, triangles, chevrons, streamlined patterns, clear order, and symmetry. These are evocative words for this period.

What characterizes Op (Optical) Art design, popular from mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, are primary or slightly off primary (neon) vivid, eye-popping colors, repeating abstract patterns, clean geometric shapes and layouts, abstract repetitions.

I compared Emma’s creation to my very favorite Deco design, the gorgeously rich elevator doors of the Chrysler building’s lobby in Manhattan (my grandfather was an elevator engineer and had something to do with these elevators). The doors were designed by William Van Alen in 1927-1930, and they are not PURE deco, as he borrowed from the previous stylistic era (Nouveau) as we can see by a hint of an exotic organic curvilinear line. The colors are rich deep tones, exotic wood and gold leafing. The color scheme of Emma’s treasure leads me to believe that the stylistic period is likely NOT Deco: yellows and sky blues were not typical. AND the paperboard is in unusually good shape for a 100-year-old board. It makes me lean towards the 1960s...

Design for fabrics has always been important in the U.S. Amazingly, we see the cult of George Washington in 18th century textiles. His image on fabrics is ubiquitous, printed from copper plate or woven, with early federalized images of the eagle. One fabric shows “The Apotheosis of Ben Franklin,” a tribute to Franklin upon his death in 1790, with George Washington leading his funeral cortege which is drawn by leopards. Franklin floats over the scene in a beaver fur cap. The Bauhaus (1919-1933) offered a degree in textile design, and geometric woven wool wall hangings produced in this era are artworks. In the 1950s, Frank Lloyd Wright worked with the fabric company Schumacher to design a line of textiles based on his architectural vocabulary. These became iconic and highbrow purchases.

I would place a value of $2,500 on Emma’s work of graphic art.

The yellows and sky blues were not typical of Art Deco, indicating this piece came from the Op Art period

Elevator doors of Chrysler Building, 1927-30 (photo by SiefkinDR via Wikimedia Commons)

Montecito Health Coach

Communal Table:

The Importance of Connection

by Deann Zampelli

Afew months ago, I attended a Talkcast at Jane Restaurant downtown. According to Jane Chapman, founder and co-host, “Talkcast is a podcast club” that meets at Jane on the third Wednesday each month.

I had heard about these women-only events before, but whenever I went to buy a ticket, they were always sold out. This time I wasn’t going to be left behind! The minute they announced it, my BFF and I scored our tickets with fists of victory pumping in the air. It was there that I first connected with Chapman and Dr. Diana Hill (frequent collaborator on Talkcast).

The first one I attended was about helping to overcome movement blocks. Dr. Hill had pre-arranged to have a guest do a live play “psychodrama” as she refers to it, which helps to uncover the block itself and aid the subject in seeing it in a new light. It was very moving and honest, and the small room of women was supportive and kind. Right there, in that moment, I realized I had been missing group events. Women’s groups like these, yes, but other kinds as well that had been taken away during COVID and that I somehow never replenished. Group fitness classes, girls’ weekends away, lectures at UCSB. I needed people! At the end of the evening, I introduced myself to Dr. Hill and said I would be interested in coming to the Talkcast she had mentioned on creative blocks as I have been “blocked” (more like chronically constipated) on my novel for over a year. Her face lit up and she asked if I would be the subject for it. I must have had a glass of wine, because I agreed. And last week, it happened. I was the subject. I was the psychodrama.

It was an intimate group of around 15 women, and we talked about the very essence of creativity, how it plays a role in so many aspects of our lives, and we all shared little bits of ourselves. When it came time for me to go up with Dr. Hill and tell my story, we were all a bit surprised by how it unfolded. There were tears! Mostly mine, of course, as I untangled the blocks I was having with the story and the blocks I was having personally. It was crazy cool, and I truly believe that it was as much due to the supportive nature of these women (most of whom were previously strangers to me) as to Dr. Hill’s prowess at her profession. This got me thinking. What was it about this night, about these events, that made it so easy for me to basically have a live and very public therapy session? I think it

has something to do with why Chapman started these in the first place, “I started Talkcast a few years after launching Communal Table to widen the access to presence-based conversations in our community. I wanted to create an approachable on-ramp to connection.”

Talkcast is a monthly meetup at Jane where a guest facilitator leads a conversation on a specific topic and engages in some form of interaction with the audience. Communal Table is a bit smaller (usually 8-12 guests) and has a pre-arranged topic that you discuss over a shared meal at either someone’s home, a winery or wherever their Table lands.

After the event, I spoke with Chapman and asked her to share her favorite parts of Talkcast and its sister event, Communal Table, which is now approaching its 5th anniversary, and this is what she shared: “My absolute favorite part of Communal Table and Talkcast is the quality of presence we create and experience at our events. The conversations are high vibe and the lingering feeling of authentically connecting with the incredible women here in our community nourishes my spirit to the max. The women who join Communal Table events inspire me each and every time, truly they are the greatest gift and the best part.”

How much does any of this really matter?

Well, according to the Stanford Center on Longevity, a great deal. In fact, “The researchers estimate that having strong and secure relationships not only increases our happiness but also our longevity by roughly 50 percent.” 50 percent? That is just the beginning. Having a strong social network can decrease stress, raise our overall level of happiness and satisfaction and according to The Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Amit Shah, “We hear so much about the risks of obesity and

smoking, but loneliness and social isolation are just as much of a health risk.”

But if you are someone who doesn’t have a lot of social connectivity, what are you to do about it? Shah goes on to explain that if you are open and get a bit creative, it might not be as difficult as you think. Here are some of his suggestions.

1. If you are having hearing issues, get hearing aids! It is one of the main reasons people start self-isolating.

2. Get out of the house. Find your Ikigai (the Japanese concept of your reason for being). Volunteer, read to kids, offer to mentor in a subject you are good at, help socialize foster animals, join a trail cleaning club, you get the idea.

3. Adopt a pet. Pets have been shown to lower blood pressure, improve depression and raise overall life satisfaction.

4. Take a class. Think of something you have always wanted to learn and go for it. It is also a great way to meet people.

5. Talk to your neighbors. Have a chat by the mailbox. Small connections can lead to larger ones.

We are social beings that need one another. We need to laugh and break bread together (well, in places that eat bread), and throw block parties and share memories and create new ones. We need to be silly and serious, we need to learn and spread knowledge. And sometimes, we need to be a part of a psychodrama that brings us to tears.

I left the night with smeared mascara and at least two new friends, knowing I would be back for more.

Health and humor in the MJ. National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach trained at Duke Integrative Medicine, Deann Zampelli owns Montecito Coaching & Nutrition. She also has a Masters in Clinical Psychology and has been a resident of Montecito since 2006.

Our Town

23rd Annual Graduation Issue

Week 1: Cate School

by Joanne Calitri

The Cate School’s 112th graduation – “Go Rams!” – was held on Sunday, May 25, at 10 am, outside at the school campus. The ceremony began with the graduates’ processional from the field to their grandstand seating area to the accompaniment of “Pomp and Circumstance” by Edward Elgar, arr. by John Whitney and performed by the Cate School Orchestra.

Head of School, Alexandra Lockett, welcomed the guests and introduced Michael Szanyi, English & Humanities Instructor, for the Invocation. He said, “Take three collective breaths, inhale presence, curiosity, and action. An invocation sets intention and grounds people to a place. I would like to call in courage, care, compassion, connection, truth, and hope.”

Lockett provided her Head of School remarks saying, “My advice for you today is this: carry the spirit of this place with you. Carry its rhythm. Its heartbeat. Press it into the corners of wherever you go. Make space for joy. For connection. For play. For inquiry.

To the Class of 2025: May you go forth with courage. May you seek beauty, create value, and leave things better than you found them. And if you happen to ever forget, remember, you’ll always find your way home through Beauty, Virtue, Play, Quiet Study, Hard Work, and Service. Congratulations, Class of 2025. We are so proud of you. We will miss you. Thank you.”

Nathan Newlove (‘25) gave the Senior Address. He shared about being in Mr. Pierce’s last class at Cate, and how during that class, faculty and admin came by to honor him. Newlove reflected on how Pierce may have felt saying, “I wonder what went through his mind. From the moment before the applause and before the future. I feel the class of 2025 is facing that right now. The time we spent together at Cate is too meaningful to be viewed as a series of events. The future is not something you wait for, it’s something you create.”

Next, the annual awards were presented by faculty, students and Lockett:

William New, Jr. Class of 1959 Servons Award: Lisa Stanson (’92) Trustee

Jeffrey Sumner Pallette ‘88 Award: TJ Weir

The SB Scholarship Cup: Alison Wang

Ellis Cup: TJ Weir

Morgan Gwynne Temby ‘69 Award: Daisy Gemberling

The Miramar Award: Cody Mast

The Brownlee ‘85 Cup: Stella Rogers

Ben Williams Inquiry Award: Nicholas Forry

Dohrmann Pischel ‘14 Bronze Medal: Samantha Jimenez

Nelson Jones ‘48 Silver Medal: Mike Barrera

SB School Gold Medal: Peter Lehman

Head of School Award: Joba Samson

William Shepard Biddle ‘18 Cup: Colette Chang

The Faculty Address was given by English Dept. Chair Nicole Sintetos where she talked about Plato, and the nature of education, saying, “Here are the faculty who have delighted in teaching you, who have fought to make each of you feel seen and loved, and that you grow and trust your voice.”

Diplomas were awarded by Lockett and the faculty members, with a statement about each student’s attributes and contributions. Following a collective congratulations of the class by attendees, the grads processed out to a receiving line. The event concluded with a luncheon at the school.

The Cate School 2025 graduates are:

Nyle Ahmad, Stephanie Foluke Akinfolarin, Maggie Regnaud Albrecht, Samuel Anum, Mike Barrera, Tallulah Nadja Bates, Hudson Bonsignore, Henry Joseph Bouma, Adeline Christine Bracher, Baye Breene, Christian James Busse, Uriel Beltran Campuzano, Colette Tse-Ling Chang, Zachary Coulter, Sophia Cruz, Max DeVore, Zyla Dhillon, Sanai Nicole Edwards, Sienna Charvel Enthoven, Alexander I. Espinoza, Zoë Flint, Nicholas Alexander Forry, Johnny Foster, Brooke Sydney Friedman, Jacob Elton Gabbay, Daisy Aldyn Gemberling, Ethan L. Gibson, Zachary Bailey Goins, Marco Antonio Gomez, Kylee Greene, Mia Caroline Groeninger, Lucy Jane Guilbert-Neal, Lucas Huiner, Nico Huiner, Peregrine Anne James, Samantha Jimenez, Jeeyou Jung, Henry Thomas Koepp, Nicholas Koh, Peter Charles Lehman, Elías Lieser, Joshua Taylor Ludviksen, Cody Mast, Kate McCoy, Eli Meisel, Jailyn Mejia, Grant Mitchell, Valerie Madriz Montero, Nathan Fisher Newlove, Mack William Nieman, Sophia Steen Ospina, Madeleine Patrick, Avery Polynice, Quinn Pullen, Ethan Carl Rehnborg, David Stow Saimasina Rissel, Stella Ray Rogers, Colby Mapanao Roof, Oluwajoba Samuel Samson, Marcus Scudder, Yangchen Lhamu Sherpa, Christopher Soto, Zadin Alexander Stephens, Phineas Stephenson, Harry Su, Francesca Vivien Sok Yin Sutch, Riley Valente, Anneke Nellie van Lynde, Quinn Cohen Vanasco, Ziyu Wang, TJ Weir, Lillian Sperry Whelan, and Benjamin White

The Cate School 2025 graduates (photo by Freddy Randall)

Cate School 2025 grads cheering their upcoming commencement (courtesy photo)

Locals & Legends

And the Beat Goes on at the Granada

by Hattie Beresford

Forced by COVID to find ways to bring the music to a house-bound audience, the Granada Theatre teamed up with the Santa Barbara Symphony to create intimate podcasts that both illuminated and entertained. Out of this collaboration grew the idea of presenting cross-genre performances, the first one being Moondance which featured the music of Van Morrison as played by the Santa Barbara Symphony in concert with local rockers, the Double Wide Kings, in November 2023.

A year later, for its Centennial, the Granada reinstituted the Granada House Band which drew on local talent for a blockbuster show that nearly blew the roof off.

This year, on May 24, the collaborative idea came to complete fruition with the inaugural Locals & Legends concert. To celebrate the music of the legendary David Crosby, the Santa Barbara Symphony and the local All-Star Band, led by Tariqh Akoni, featured renditions of Crosby’s music through the vocals of five local artists, who also presented their own original work.

It was a show not to be missed, if for no other reason than to see conductor Nir Kabaretti, who can eloquently wave

his baton to the swaying rhythm of a Strauss waltz, or groove to Crosby’s signature folk-rock beat. Stories were told and hearts were touched, and several local singers took to the stage to honor Crosby. Featured local artists included guitarist/songwriter Glen Phillips; Americana musicians and father-son duo, Chris and John Beland; the blended country style of Jonathan Firey;

the musical storytelling of Kathleen Sieck ; and the dulcet-toned Shawn Thies, whose clear, haunting voice on her own “Oh, Nightingale” had the audience mesmerized.

The incomparable Lois Mahalia and Miriam Dance sang back up, adding touches of richness, whimsy, and soul to the performances before each broke out on her own to thrill the audience with their powerful voices. And the band, comprised of Austin Beede, Steve Postell , Randy Tico , David Delhomme, James Raymond (Crosby’s son), and Fausto Cuevas melded with the Symphony beautifully. Crosby was celebrated, and Crosby was reimagined in memorable ways.

Some of the greatest artistry was created behind the scenes, as scores were rewritten for orchestral performances that would blend and augment the original instrumentation, adding but not detracting, exciting but not overwhelming, the original motifs. That and the sound engineers who had to make it all work together.

An incredible undertaking and a prodigious achievement.

The inaugural concert of “Locals and Legends” was presented in part by Santa Barbara Records. Founded in 2021, the label’s vision is to build a platform that helps deliver professional sustainability for artists and positively impacts the local creative economy. Through its innovative advocacy, the Granada Theatre is creating, supporting, and presenting new trends and modes in entertainment. Not bad for a 101-yearold dowager.

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

Tariqh Akoni, executive producer and music director (center), and bassist Randy Tico, express their heartfelt appreciation of singer/songwriter Steve Postell’s performance (courtesy photo)

A standing ovation for the final bow! (courtesy photo)

Running the musical gamut from Celtic to Jazz to Folk and Rock music, Shawn Thies’ own beautiful song “Oh, Nightingale” touched the audience (courtesy photo)

Hattie

(Continued from 18)

me abalone are intertidal, meaning they can poke their heads out of water from time to time.

Next we visited the intermediate abalone, which are bred for consumption and typically sold at three to four years

of age. All visitors are welcome to hold the abalone, and I happily took the opportunity; I felt its sides – or epipodial fringe – dance in the shallow water collecting in my palm, petite bubbles popping from its nearly indecipherable mouth. With much effort, I peeled the abalone off my hand. They can attach to surfaces so tightly farm technicians carry paint spreaders to pop them off their tanks.

Finally, I got a glimpse of the brood stock, or older abalone tasked with spawning the next generation. “In the wild, abalone can live up to 40 years,” Van Horn went on to tell me. These abalone were bigger than the size of a baseball, living harmoniously amongst other sea creatures like sea urchin (uni), which The Cultured Abalone Farm sells alongside their abalone. By the end of the tour, I was cooing and cawing at the abalone like they were newborns. “See, that’s what happens: you start thinking abalone are cute, then they become your favorite animal.”

Days that attracted hundreds of local families. In all, the museum organized 111 art exhibitions and published 22 catalogues during her tenure.

Judy hired Chris as a ceramics instructor, curator and collections manager in 2009, and he’ll serve as interim director of the museum. “Chris is very knowledgeable about contemporary art, and I respect his eye in acquisitions,” she says.

Orchestra Tours Iceland

They performed at Hof Cultural Center, shared a concert and dinner in Langholtskirkja with the University Choir of Iceland, learning more about traditional Icelandic vocal music. Lin Wei, Chinese-born violinist who plays with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, hosted a masterclass with Westmont students Corrie Bascom (’26), Sophia Chan (’25), and Jesse Nieman (’25) at Harpa Concert Hall.

Magical Music of The cal Music of

When I asked Van Horn what her favorite part of working at The Cultured Abalone Farm was, she said: “I take pride in keeping this species going and being able to provide them as a food source. Every weekend when we have tours, you hear so many stories of, ‘Oh, I used to go catch abalone with my dad, my uncle, my best friends. I’m bummed we can’t anymore but we’re all happy we can still have the food source.’”

In what felt like a betrayal to my new friends, I aptly ended the day by stopping at one of The Cultured Abalone Farm’s distributors, the Santa Barbara Fish Market in Goleta, and ate abalone for the first time. It definitely won’t be my last.

Contact The Cultured Abalone Farm to schedule a guided tour, or order their abalone at their website, www.culturedabalone.com.

Van Horn keeps their Instagram @culturedabalone chock-full of stupendous abalone content.

The orchestra toured Iceland for nine days following Commencement, visiting tourist sites, including Reykjavík, the Golden Circle, Reykholt, the Ring Road waterfalls, the Blue Lagoon, Akureyri, the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, various botanical gardens and museums.

Before the trip, the orchestra performed its Iceland tour program featuring works of Copland, Chadwick, Morton Gould, Leroy Anderson, Steve Heitzeg, and John Williams on April 25 at First Presbyterian Church.

Celebrating New Teachers

A standing-room only crowd attended the Westmont Department of Education’s 21st annual Celebration of Teaching to honor the 13 graduates and their cooperating teachers April 25 in Westmont’s Founders Room. The student teacher presentations were interspersed with heartwarming slideshows, videos and talks by professors Andrew Mullen and Carolyn Mitten The student teachers included Hannah Hutton , Christine Venzor , Ashley Kytlica , Chloe Harber , Claudia Canizares Guerra , Kiersten Patzia , Brenna Tang, Mikaela Vander Molen, Kira Mark, Macey Preciado, Faith Tonelli , Matthew Wiese and Julia White. They were placed at Canalino, Cleveland, Monte Vista and Vieja Valley schools, as well as San Marcos and Dos Pueblos high schools.

Sadie Calhoun, The Cultured Abalone Farm’s productions logistics coordinator holding their fastest-selling abalone: Balthazars, at over 2 pounds each (courtesy photo)

The orchestra performed with University Choir of Iceland in Langholtskirkja (courtesy photo)

Beatrice Tolan is a fine artist, animator, and writer living in Los Angeles after residing in Montecito for 20 years. She is invested in building community through unique perspectives and stories. beatricetola @gmail.com

Larson taught an art history course for 17 years

The 13 recent Westmont graduates and future teachers

serving the needs of both compromised seniors and their dedicated caregivers. The event concluded with hugs, and guests received a mini-potted plant decorated by FC members to take home.

411: www.friendshipcentersb.org

MUS Foundation Gala Funds New Fitness Center

The Montecito Union School Foundation Annual Gala was held elegantly at the Rosewood Miramar Beach on Friday, May 30. This year hit a record high of over 262 guests, noting women in their flowing ball gowns and floral hair adornments to match the gala theme, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The theme pays tribute to last year’s gala that funded the MUS Library. Another first for this year – every MUS teacher was sponsored to attend.

Speaking of MUS teachers, retiring this year are music teacher Ron Zecher who oversaw and advanced MUS’s violin program and school orchestra, and PE teacher Linda Trigueiro. When I asked Zecher about retiring, he had a huge smile on his face saying, “It’s time, I’ve been there over 30 years and loved it.” Also changing gears is Tara Fergusson who has served as President of the MUSF for five years, passing the baton to Kendle Evans

First time co-chairing the event were MUSF board members Casey Kallenbach and Mally Chakola. Both are parents of students at MUS and have their own businesses. Chakola also serves on the Music Academy board. Their event committee members were Greta Bachhuber, Kendle Evans, Taylor Kwok, Blaine May, Joy Perry, Saba Riley, and Naomi Yamada. They also wished to recognize Ben Hyatt for his IT skills for the online auction. Hyatt is the husband of Houghton Hyatt, the executive director of the Montecito Association.

The event committee’s attention to the details made for a delightful evening and successful fundraiser. Guests

were treated to champagne, open bar with signature cocktails (think Lavender infused), fresh roses for centerpieces, five-star dinner, and music by DJ Gavin Roy. The after party featured dancing to DJ Samantha Ronson I arrived early to take the key photographs and briefly chat with Kallenbach and Chakola. In answer to the question ‘what is different for this year?’ Chakola said, “Casey and I have been together and worked strategically to celebrate the achievement of MUSF for the past year. We are celebrating the redevelopment of our Innovation Lab and Library. They are completely redone and are amazing, wonderful, and welcoming spaces for our children. And then we are also raising

money this year for a Fitness and Wellness Project which will redo the track at MUS and build Parkour play structures on the upper terraces. It is open to the public, especially on the weekends and evenings. This is really an amazing and enriching program, not just for our students but the community as a whole. For that we need to raise $200,000 this evening.”

I also met with MUS Superintendent Anthony Ranii and his wife Lindsay We talked about what is new at MUS, Ranii, “We will have the new Fitness Center – its track and gear – ready by end of this summer 2025 to start the school year. MUS will share the fitness area with the local community for free. We also achieved our goal of hiring four new teachers this year to accommodate

ADVENTURE READY FOOTWEAR

the increase in student population both from TK enrollment and new families who arrived after the Palisades fires. Our new library needs new books and we are open for donations for that online.” Ranii shared that due to his eldest son graduating college this year, he will miss the 2025 graduation. Principal Nick Bruski will be holding that helm with ease.

The auctioneer was Tim MortonSmith, an MUS parent of four students. His unique skills raised approximately $102,000 for the Live Auction and $142,500 at the Paddle Raise, well over the needed $200,000 funding goal. Additional funds are incoming from ticket sales and the Silent Auction. Congrats! Corporate sponsors included Rosewood Miramar Beach; Violet; Carlito’s; Daniel Allen Construction Inc.; Litchfield Builders; Emily Kellenberger and Associates; Fine Properties and Estates; Becker Studios; Pure Aquatic Solutions; LaBarge Estate Vineyard and Winery; Dinner wines by Beckman Vineyards. Family Sponsors included IRIS; Brewster Morfit Family; Evans Family; Reitman Sternberg Family; Guerin Family; DAHLIA; Zoe and Marco Perego; PRIMROSE; Loughlin Family; McLeod Murray Family; Perry Family; Sikors Family; Stad Family; and the Vik Family.

411: www.musfoundation.com

Birkenstock Altra on salomon blundstone merrell oboz fleks archies

The Event Committee (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

The event co-chairs Casey Kallenbach and Mally Chakola (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Ron Zecher and Linda Trigueiro (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

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Foraging Thyme Peaches

by Melissa Petitto

t’s the beginning of stone fruit season and Burkdoll Farm has some of the very first peaches! Plump, juicy, ranging in color from white to deep golden, the peach is one of those quintessential summer treats. The peach originated in China over 8,000 years ago and is packed with nutritional value. A peach is chock full of antioxidants, two specifically known as carotenoids and caffeic acid, both having anticancer properties. They are also full of polyphenols, and in one study those found in peaches were able to inhibit the growth and spread of breast cancer cells. Peaches also have the ability to help prevent the release of histamines in the body, which may help reduce allergy symptoms. The fiber content of peaches, half of which is soluble and the other half insoluble, is great for aiding our digestive system. The Soluble fiber helps provide food for the healthy bacteria in our gut, while the insoluble fiber adds bulk to our stool and helps push food through our system. Peaches also have been shown to boost immunity through the beneficial immune-boosting nutrients and antioxidants, to help reduce blood sugar levels, and may protect against certain toxins. Let’s make something delicious with these beauties!

Summer Peach Cobbler

Yield: 6 Servings

4 large ripe peaches, thinly sliced

¼ cup coconut sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Batter

½ cup Miyoko’s salted butter

½ cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon oat or cashew milk

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.

2. To prepare the peaches, add the sliced peaches to a bowl and mix together with ¼ cup coconut sugar and cornstarch. Spread them out in the prepared dish.

3. To make the batter, in a large bowl mix together the melted butter, coconut sugar, vanilla, and oat milk. Now add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix to combine. The batter will be thick.

4. Using a spatula, sprinkle the batter on top of the peaches and spread it out just a little bit. Try and cover the peaches.

5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the crust is slightly golden and the peaches are bubbly. Remove from the oven and serve with coconut whipped cream or your favorite plant based vanilla ice cream.

Nothing says summer like plenty of peaches (photo by Jack Dykinga via Wikimedia Commons)

Suit Filed

The occasion also marked the departure of six board directors including Montecito Bank & Trust CEO Janet Garufis, a member since 2009 and president from 2013 to 2015, and Matt Rowe, a member since 2016 and chairman from 2021 to 2023.

Among the crowd were Ed and Sue Birch, Roger and Sarah Chrisman, Joanne Rapp, Gina Carbajal, and former mayor Helene Schneider

Like Father, Like Son

One of Montecito philanthropist Michael Hammer’s final wishes before his death from brain cancer three years ago was that his film star son, Armie Hammer, play him in a feature film.

Barry Avrich, director of the Netflix art scandal documentary Made You Look, tells the tabloid New York Post’s Page Six that former Manhattan gallery owner Michael was lobbying for Armie to play him in the film adaptation.

Avrich has also written a new tome on the art world scandal The Devil Wears Rothko.

“We are still shopping, and Michael was keen to use his son, Armie, or Tom Cruise as him – and offered to introduce us to both,” says Avrich.

Michael, a keen car collector, owned the Knoedler gallery, Manhattan’s oldest, which closed in 2011 after being accused of selling $80 million of fake art.

Home Renovations

Actor Ashton Kutcher and his actress wife Mila Kunis are turning lemons into lemonade.

Artistic Director/ Conductor JoAnne Wasserman encourages applause for the Choral Society singers (photo by Maxx Hennard)

Their $17 million Carpinteria beach house is undergoing a major improvement to the property near Kevin Conan O’Brien

George Lucas

The renovation will add a 2,146 square foot, two-story addition. The twosome bought the property for $10.1 million in 2017.

‘The Many Shades of Choral’

Santa Barbara Choral Society marked the conclusion of its 77th season with The Many Shades of Choral under veteran director JoAnne Wasserman with accompaniment by Kevin Su Fukagawa at Trinity Lutheran Church.

The entertaining concert featured a wide range of composers beginning with selections from Mozart, including his final work for his hometown Salzburg Cathedral before he left for Vienna.

On the contemporary end of the timeline, Morten Lauridsen ’s shimmering “Sure on the Shining Night,” featured a poem by James Agee. And “Soon Ah Will Be Done,” an arrangement of an African American spiritual by William Dawson.

Great fun...

Matrimony in Mexico

The late Carpinteria actor Alan Thicke’s singer son, Robin , 48, finally married his longtime girlfriend April Love Geary , 30, with a lavish ceremony in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, at the weekend.

The bride, who has three children with Thicke, wore a stunning white lace gown and a ruffled veil.

In a loving gesture to his late father, the twosome left a seat in the first row empty. Alan died in 2016 aged 69.

The couple’s son, Patrick, 2, served as ring bearer.

Thicke proposed to Geary twice – the first time in December 2018, and last month at the luxurious Hotel du Cap – Eden Roc in the south of France.

The couple started dating in 2014 after Thicke split from his first wife of ten years, actress Paula Patton

Carpinteria actor Kevin Costner, 70, has been slapped with a lawsuit from a woman who worked on his film Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter Two Devyn LaBella, filed a lawsuit against the Yellowstone actor alleging sexual harassment and the creation of a hostile work environment.

Jetsetting

Prince Harry made a surprise trip to China as his father, King Charles, landed in Canada with Queen Camilla for a state visit.

The Duke of Sussex was attending a tourism conference in Shanghai.

It was his first visit to the country and the Riven Rock resident spoke of his role with Travalyst, an organization that provides environmentally friendly foreign travel.

Making the List

In other royal news, Time Magazine’s Time 100 Philanthropy 2025 lists Prince William and his wife Kate for their focus on mental health, as well as the royal twosome spotlighting innovative solutions to climate change launching the Earthshot Prize, an environmental award founded by William in 2020.

Air Waves

Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed the great lengths she has gone to prevent her signature golden locks from falling out.

The Oscar winner has undergone various treatments to keep her hair, even injecting her scalp.

The latest treatment involved a plastic surgeon and a device that uses acoustic sound waves and air pressure to stimulate hair growth.

“It is completely painless,” says Paltrow. “Honestly, I think my hair already feels a bit fuller.”

Sightings

Kevin Coster noshing at Tre Lune... Oscars host Conan O’Brien at Pierre Lafond... Weakest Link host Jane Lynch at Montecito Country Mart.

Pip! Pip!

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 18 years

Bass section’s Brooks Firestone shares his love for singing as a “late-bloomer” (photo by Maxx Hennard)

‘Climbing in Heels’

Climbing in Heels is the perfect summer beach read. Superagent/producer (she shepherded the careers of JLo and Julia Roberts to name just two) Elaine GoldsmithThomas debuts with a witty, sexy book about breaking through the boys’ club of ‘80s Hollywood in the fashion of former glamour queen Jackie Collins. And she does it with aplomb and grit. Super-agent Beanie is breaking up a trio of former secretaries at a hot talent agency climbing their way to the top in Hollywood with a liberal sprinkling of sex, drugs, and stilettos. Often overlooked, these women do what they gotta do to be seen and heard. It’s witty fun and delightfully juicy. I look forward to more from the uber smart Goldsmith-Thomas, a woman who broke many glass ceilings in Hollywood.

‘Austen at Sea’

Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner is a gem of an ode to the wildly popular

Stories Matter Beach Reads

by Leslie Zemeckis

Jane Austen, and the latest in Jenner’s series venerating the author. Set in 1865, two sets of siblings make rash decisions to sail from America to London to meet with the only surviving sibling of Jane Austen. It is not only a physical journey but one of the mind and spirit for the pair of Austen devotees. It is a captivating story of the power of literature, burgeoning feminism, and unexpected love for many of the cast members – the plot framed within the context of a rigid society that means to keep women and their ideas in place.

‘The Palace at the End of the Sea’

Local author and J.R.R. Tolkien’s grandson, Simon Tolkien’s Palace at the End of the Sea is the story of a young man’s journey beginning in the 1920s as fascism is on the rise in many parts of the world. With a Jewish American father and a Catholic Mexican mother, young Sterling is unsure of his own identity. From New York City to Spain and England, this novel of self-discovery plays on as the world spins out of control and close to war.

‘The

Busybody Book Club’

Freya Sampson is back with The Busybody Book Club with a cast of quirky characters set in a small Cornish village. Nova, a vintage-wearing girl from the city, is struggling to make

the book club at the community center a success. With only five disparate oddball members, it is a disaster. Then a large sum of money is stolen from the office at the community center, and a member disappears, accused of murdering his mother. Following their favorite genre of books the remaining members set about solving the mystery of the vanished member, the death of his mother, and the missing money. Sampson never fails to deliver in another cozy mystery.

‘What

is Wrong with Men’

“W

hat is Wrong with Men” author Jessa Crispin asks. In her

new book she claims all the answers can be found in the oeuvre of Michael Douglas films. She makes a compelling case that the patriarch and women’s movement is to blame. Crispin’s argument? As women gained their liberation, men lost theirs. She isn’t blaming men but rather explaining how, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, men and women’s roles were changing as the patriarchy abandoned men. Crispin doesn’t point the finger at Douglas, but instead writes that the times obliged him to perform masculine, male-optimizing roles, from Wall Street’s greedy Gordon Gekko, to unfaithful husband, to a man spiraling during a midlife crisis. Who knew we only needed to look to Douglas to explain men’s evolving crisis in masculinity?

‘The

Backwater’

Ais

to put down.

is on the run twelve years after escaping custody following a suspicious fire that killed nine people. She has been living on the river in Australia checking in with her sick grandpa whenever she can. One night she is spotted by a neighbor who happens to be a journalist looking for a story. What happens next reveals a powerful tale of corruption, class, and justice.

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.

new thriller from Vikki Wakefield, The Backwater

hard

Sabine

into the heart of the city. This ambitious new hub for music education and community engagement is made possible by a $20 million gift from Cheryl Goldberg, in honor of her late husband, Michael Goldberg, a former Berkshire Hathaway executive. The new center will offer concerts, classes, and collaborative programming, serving as a vibrant complement to the Academy’s Montecito campus. Slated to open ahead of the Academy’s 80th anniversary, this development represents a major investment in Santa Barbara’s cultural future. “This is a defining moment for Santa Barbara’s future… a city where the arts don’t just survive, but flourish,” said Mayor Randy Rowse. The initiative promises to deepen community connections through the unifying power of music.

The Well’s Montecito Outpost Open

Summerland’s popular antique, garden, and home boutique, The Well, has opened its new location at 1080 Coast Village Road, in the former location of Mad Dogs & Englishmen Bike Shop. This is only the second location of The Well, besides their L.A. warehouse, Big Daddy’s Antiques. The Well’s offerings of luxury vintage and modern goods promise to be as sought-after here as they are in Summerland. More to come soon…

Court Halts Restart of Controversial Central Coast Oil Pipeline

A Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge has granted a temporary restraining order blocking the State Fire Marshal from approving the restart of a failed oil pipeline that ruptured in 2015, causing one of California’s worst coastal oil spills. The order comes in response to a lawsuit by the Environmental Defense Center (EDC), which alleges that the state bypassed required environmental reviews and public input.

The pipeline, now under the control of Houston-based Sable Offshore Corp., is part of a broader attempt to revive aging ExxonMobil infrastructure, including offshore platforms and processing facilities along the Gaviota Coast. The EDC and allies argue that waiving pipeline safety standards – particularly corrosion protections – poses serious risks to the environment and public safety.

A follow-up hearing is scheduled for July 18 to consider a preliminary injunction. This is the second legal block against the restart in two weeks, signaling growing judicial concern over the state’s approval process.

SBNC Breaks Ground on New Westside Facility

Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics (SBNC) officially broke ground on its new Westside Clinic at 621 W. Micheltorena Street on Friday, May 30. The event marked

a major milestone in expanding access to healthcare for underserved communities on Santa Barbara’s Westside.

Community leaders, including SBNC CEO Dr. Mahdi Ashrafian, City Councilman Oscar Gutierrez, and Co-chairs Janet Garufis of Montecito Bank & Trust and Jim Jackson of the Jackson Family Foundation, gathered with supporters to celebrate the start of construction on the three-story facility.

Expected to open in September 2026, the new clinic will serve over 8,300 people annually and increase SBNC’s capacity by 25%, from 20,000 to 25,000 patients. It will offer integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services under one roof, reinforcing SBNC’s mission of whole-person care.

“This is more than a clinic,” said Dr. Ashrafian. “It’s a sustainable model for community health – removing barriers and making care more accessible for all.” SBNC currently serves one in 10 local residents, with 92% of patients classified as low-income.

Santa Barbara Visual Artists at Paseo Nuevo

The Santa Barbara Visual Artists will be hosting a two-month exhibition from June 1 through July 31 at their 707 Paseo Nuevo location. There will be Artist Receptions from 5-7 pm for June and July’s 1st Thursday and 3rd Friday (6/05, 6/20, 7/03, 7/18).

SBVA consists of active Santa Barbara artists who are celebrated for their exceptional artwork, encompassing various mediums and artistic styles across a broad spectrum, including abstract, landscape, seascape, portrait, still life, and photographic compositions.

Partial list of exhibiting artists: Jan Baker, Cheryl Barber, Frank DiMarco, Stan Evenson, Tricia Evenson, Mary Freericks, Louise Gerber, Kip Glover, Marilyn Harrison, Helena Seyffert Hill, Kent Karnofski, Carissa Luminess, Kerry Methner, Dee Faia Parkins, Soheyle Valleie, Judith Villa, Felice Willat, and Rich Wilkie

Head Librarian Jody Thomas Announced Retirement

The local librarian of the decade, Jody Thomas , announced her retirement from the Carpinteria Branch Library effective June 2. Thomas took the pen in her own hands to write about it for the local Carp paper. Her opening paragraph reads, “In January 2022, I was hired to transition the Carpinteria Branch Library into an independent municipal library to serve the residents of Carpinteria Valley. Although I had never been a library director, I had supervised the Montecito Library for six years, been responsible for the adult education and programming at the Santa Barbara Public Library for many years, and managed grants and programs all over California while working at the California State Library. But my favorite and best part of the job was the day-to-day interaction with people.”

Thomas was brought on board to design and update the Carpinteria Community Library at a time when it was teetering on the brink of oblivion. To say she saved the library in three years is an understatement. Her unwavering commitment was necessary to its continuance, and inspired all who worked with her on staff and contributing community partners.

Her vision was to move the library into the next millennium with computers, updated software for inhouse staff and borrowers; the hiring of skilled librarians; and creation of a user-friendly website to research and reserve books,

News Bytes Page 384

Coast Village has a new store with a familiar face (courtesy photo)

Rendering of the new Micheltorena Street facility (courtesy photo)

SBNC members and community leaders breaking ground on the site (courtesy photo)

CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), will speak (12:30 pm) to the evolving landscape of general aviation.

And then there’s Tracey Curtis-Taylor (2 pm), sponsored by the Sir Robin Foundation, the celebrated British aviator who has retraced the daring journeys of early female pilots across continents in a vintage Boeing Stearman biplane. From Cape Town to Goodwood, the U.K. to Australia, and across the U.S. airmail route, CurtisTaylor’s adventures symbolize the very spirit of imagining – and achieving – the impossible. Her book, Bird, recounts these extraordinary journeys and her battle against a male-dominated industry, and she will be at Imagine to speak and sign copies.

Throughout the day, guests will also hear from legendary car collector Monte Wilson , who will serve as Master of Ceremonies and interviewer, bringing voices from the aircraft and auto world directly to the crowd. “We’re going to have tables where people can talk about careers, from flight schools to control tower operations,” Dolores noted. “We even have envelopes for people to donate $200

to give a student their first flight – to see if they’d like to fly. It’s about giving them that moment .”

Imagine blends the timeless wonder of aviation with the modern tools of opportunity. Attendees can witness the roaring arrival of aircraft like the P-51 Mustang, talk one-on-one with aviation professionals, explore FBO operations, and even admire artwork from aviation-themed artists like Mark Stehrenberger, the Swiss car designer. But for Dolores, the moments that matter most are the quiet sparks of inspiration.

She tells the story of a young boy she met at a local breakfast spot. “I handed him a flyer and told him about the airplanes and cars. He came back and thanked me when they left.” Another teen grabbed the flyer before his dad could, exclaiming, “We’re going, Dad!” These are the connections Dolores hopes will lift students from casual curiosity to committed ambition.

Dolores is quick to credit the volunteers, sponsors like SpaceX and Planes of Fame, and especially her mentors the Heslins, who first believed in her when she knew nothing about aviation. “They changed my life,” she said. “Now, I want to give that gift back to someone – or to many.”

With Imagine, Dolores Johnson is doing just that: building a runway of hope, lighting the beacon for future flyers, and proving that a single conversation (on a Saturday afternoon) can chart a course for a lifetime. Imagine a world where every child believes they can fly – not just metaphorically, but in real aircraft, with real careers, and real dreams.

That’s the future Dolores imagines. And on June 7, that vision will take off.

“A light wind swept over the corn, and all nature laughed in the sunshine.” – Anne Bronte

Aviation ain’t no boys club: Sierra Chavarria, Tracey Curtis-Taylor, Dolores Morelli Johnson, Emmi Berg, and Mel Viteri (photo by Alma Rose Midleton)

It’s not just planes at Imagine – there will also be some of the area’s esteemed supercars

Tracey Curtis-Taylor, the celebrated British aviator, in her vintage Boeing Stearman biplane (photo by Alma Rose Midleton)

set up a user account, and more. She made the CCL a part of the Black Gold inter-library system, thus adding even more resources for system borrowers. Today’s CCL digital borrowing options include Enki eBooks, Hoopla Digital, OverDrive eBooks/audioBooks and Luna Digital Collections, and OverDrive Magazines. She added Zip Books, a way for people to request to buy a book not in the system. And there is a free NY Times membership and a code of ethics. The Little Library That Could is now a thriving place to hang out, play chess, engage your reading skills from preschool through seniors, build your resume using their computers, and take part in its many regular monthly groups – like songwriting, for instance. You can even be part of a book club.

The Friends of the Carpinteria Library write, “After years of passionate service and unwavering dedication, our beloved city librarian, Jody Thomas, is turning the page to a well-earned retirement. We toast the woman who has inspired generations through the power of books, learning, and community.” 411: https://carpinterialibrary.org

Dr. Fitzgibbons

Elected to Cottage Health Board of Directors

Cottage Health has elected Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons to its Board of Directors. Fitzgibbons currently serves as the Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and holds multiple medical directorships within Cottage Health, including for Infection Prevention and Control and the Cottage Center for Population Health. She also serves on the boards of the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics and Sansum Diabetes Research Institute and is a medical advisor for the global humanitarian organization Direct Relief. Fitzgibbons was awarded Cottage Health’s Outstanding Physician of the Year, the Central Coast Medical Association’s Physician of the Year and the 2025 LEAP Award.

Pedro Paz, Director of SB Education Foundation Resigns

The SB Education Board has announced the resignation of Pedro Paz, executive director, effective June 7. Paz sent his letter to the foundation after holding the position for three years. He plans to move on in his career and thanked the foundation for the opportunity to serve. In response, the SB Education Board sent a press release stating, “The Board of Directors supports Pedro in his decision and extends its deep gratitude for his leadership and service over the past three years. During his tenure, Pedro helped advance SBEF’s mission to support programs that enrich the academic, artistic, and personal development of all students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. Under his leadership, SBEF developed a comprehensive Strategic Plan and strengthened its operational effectiveness to lay a strong foundation for the future.

To ensure a smooth transition, the SBEF Board has appointed longtime SBEF Program Manager Katie Szopa as interim executive director, and will soon launch a broad search for a permanent executive director. The Board of Directors thanks Pedro for his integrity, professionalism, and dedication, and wishes him continued success in all of his future endeavors.”

“These four women on the stage, that alone is pretty powerful,” she said. “But the music is really the text of the play. I keep finding myself laughing or crying because I’m so excited about what they’re saying or doing, and that’s all revealed in the music.”

The songs lean heavily on modern Broadway tropes and power ballads, similar to the Wicked soundtrack,” Sullivan said.

“There are some really tough songs, with very difficult harmonies that these three do together very powerfully. But then they all have these solo numbers that are very eclectic. They reveal the inner self of these characters. For the Sandra Day O’Connor character, her solo songs have a guitar because she’s a ranch girl from Texas and Arizona, while Ginsburg’s songs are almost musical theater.”

Sotomayor at first serves as the narrator of the play, taking the audience through the story and the relationship – including conflicts – between O’Connor and Ginsburg before Sotomayor herself gets nominated for the court by President Obama. Sotomayor’s difficult confirmation hearing and approach to the Court is the subject of “Blaze,” her show-stopping solo number.

“It’s her inner monologue about how to step up to represent the Latina population of the U.S., and it’s a wickedly good song,” Sullivan said.

Bush v. Gore, the controversial decision that handed the presidency to George Bush in 2000, is actually the title of another catchy song in the show. But the melody doesn’t undercut the import of the ruling and how it has played out in the intervening years. Indeed, while they’re not characters in Justice, more recent Supreme Court justices, including Elena Kagen, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and even Amy Coney Barrett are name-checked in moments that look at where the court has gone in recent years, and how the progress of that earlier era has been largely dismantled.

“If there were the right materials in the lobby, people would make signs and walk out into the street after the show,” Sullivan said.

But Justice – which is having its Southern California premiere and only second production since it was reworked in 2023 – is also ultimately uplifting, she said.

“It’s a rabble rouser. But it’s not political. It’s really about us and our democracy and taking responsibility for it … We present something that says what we have as a democracy is really worth paying attention to and saving. The fact that the story really goes to that place of ‘our lives have changed – but we still have to get along the way the justices do’ – kind of forces you to be engaged.”

Sullivan said she recently came across a phrase she heard years ago and wrote down at the time, and it applies to Justice.

“Artists are the gatekeepers of the truth. I really believe that’s true. As artists, that’s what we have to do… We should be selling merch in the lobby, buttons that say ‘Equal justice under the law.’ That is what’s inscribed on the Supreme Court building, which is part of our set. One little play isn’t going to make much difference, but we all do what we can.”

The Musical Apocalypse

If a musical about Supreme Court justices seems far afield, how about a zombie apocalypse comedy horror musical spoof?

The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, which performs at Center Stage Theatre in a school-friendly version this weekend, tells the story of what happens when a meteor crashes in a town called Hatchetfield, bearing an extraterrestrial hive mind effect that has the townspeople helplessly singing and dancing for no apparent reason. That’s a major issue for Paul, an accountant who is just an average guy, but absolutely can’t stand musicals. The musical pandemic escalates to where the townsfolk begin committing murder. It’s up to Paul and his friends who haven’t been infected to save the town, and humanity, from the musical apocalypse.

The show began life in a small L.A. theater in 2018 through StarKid Productions, with just a few hundred people seeing it live. But it has become a YouTube sensation over the years, with more than nine million viewers to date, and has also spawned two sequels and a series.

Now the musical – loosely inspired by 1956 horror film Invasion of the Body Snatchers – is coming to Santa Barbara. The show is produced and

An invasion of musical machers is coming to Center Stage (courtesy photo)

Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons (courtesy photo)

Pedro Paz (courtesy photo)

directed by longtime Montecito resident Megyn Price, the award-winning actor, writer and director best known for her TV roles (Claudia on Grounded for Life, Audrey in Rules of Engagement), in a project with her daughter, Grace Cotner, a senior at Santa Barbara’s Fusion Academy.

Think of the show as a cross between 1950s-era B-movie horror pictures and Schmigadoon, the recent TV send-up of musicals.

“Instead of zombies walking around, the invaders are singing and dancing with jazz hands,” Price said. “It’s really fun and very different, with music that jumps all over the place and quotes from many sources. Grace is a big fan.”

Putting on the show from scratch was an exercise in producing and assembling not only a cast, but a theatrical team from connections and a bunch of strangers. Creating an opportunity for other young actors to perform was a big motivating factor.

“Working with more avant-garde musicals wasn’t the only reason that I did this,” Cotner said. “There are a lot of schools in town that have cut funding to arts programs, and I wanted a way of getting students into the field who didn’t have dedicated theater programs in their schools.”

The cast has a number of high school students as well as younger City College freshmen, including Adam Hibbard, who will enroll in PCPA’s program in the fall. Grace is among the actors portraying a number of characters in the fast-moving show. The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals performs June 6 & 7 at Center Stage Theatre. Visit https://centerstagetheater.org

Over in Ojai: Chase-ing the New

Claire Chase, the innovative virtuosic flutist who has “world premiered” hundreds of compositions by a new generation of artists, was the first flutist to be awarded a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship (2012) as well as the nearly-as prestigious Avery Fisher Prize (2017). Two years later, she was a Mosher Guest Artist at Music Academy of the West, where her recital broke all sorts of classical music boundaries. In 2020 she joined MAW’s remote learning platform as an Innovation Speaker –giving evidence to the recent New York Times story calling her “the North Star of her instrument’s ever-expanding universe.”

This weekend, Chase returns to the area to serve as music director for the 2025 Ojai Festival, expanding upon her visits as a performer in previous years. Plans are for the always-expansive and groundbreaking fest in the mountain village to push the new-music frontiers even further – with four days of programs that run from Marcos Balter’s Alone on Thursday night to an appearance by all of the festival artists on Sunday afternoon. That rousing final curtain will include the JACK Quartet (who played at Hahn Hall for MAW’s Mariposa Series earlier this year) performing the world premiere of Terry Riley’s Pulsefield 3.

This year’s fest also features the West Coast premiere of Susie Ibarra’s Sky Islands, which won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Music in May.

In a recent email list post, Chase called Ojai “a four-day feast of wonder, exuberance, reflection, and renewal,” terming the weekend’s works “divergent in their stylistic and notational approaches” yet bound together by “a courageous commitment to an ethos of making music in community… On stage, a spirit of generosity grows like a ginger root, wild and multidirectional.”

Chase, who will perform in an astounding 10 different programs over the weekend, also invited the festival artists – a multigenerational cohort of performers, composers, improvisers and sound artists “working at the fissures of different disciplines”

– to incite new collaborations with one another.

“We’ll be treated to world premieres of work written expressly for this place and this gathering, and we’ll have our imaginations set ablaze while witnessing improvisations that come into being before our very eyes, in dazzling encounters that will only happen once, here, never to be repeated.”

The open-form scores concept of several of the pieces not only nods to a culture of creativity – as the musicians as the performers sculpt the compositions in real time with one another, the audience and the surroundings – but also one that can counteract our current cultural divides, Chase said.

“These pieces are playful provocations to listen unconditionally to one another, in delighted deference to the unexpected outcomes that such listening inspires. What results is not just speculation about a more compassionate world; the music creates and enacts that very world, where life’s tenderness and brutality, grief and uplift, are embraced. However briefly, we get to live in a more capacious world, one shaped consciously and lovingly by our deep and unruly interdependence.”

Amen.

Visit www.ojaifestival.org

Classical Corner:

Opera Opportunity Outside the Box

Opera Santa Barbara has neatly transformed itself into an efficient juggernaut that seems to have made the company more sustainable, at least for the moment, by staging all of their opera productions twice at the Lobero, rather than ranging from the grand stage of the Granada to the Lobero and the intimate Center Stage theatre. The new approach has proven spectacularly successful so far, as all three of the 2024-25 shows sold out in advance, and were well-received and reviewed by audiences and journos alike.

Now, in an effort to further encourage early ticket buying, the Opera is introducing something basically unheard of in show biz: Refundable tickets.

OSB has announced that all season ticket packages purchased before June 15 will be fully refundable until September 30. And if subscribers missed that deadline, they can receive refunds for tickets that are returned in time to be resold. (The option to donate back tickets you can’t use, or exchange them for future shows will, of course, remain in place.)

Kudos to Kostis Protopapas, OSB’s Artistic and General Director, for the creative idea.

“As far as I can tell, we are the only company in the U.S. to offer refundable tickets,” Protopapas said.

The idea is to secure enough sales to have production finances in hand as early as possible, which saves money in the long run. In this no-lose deal, subscribes not only get to lock in their seats, but can also change their mind up until mid-September; just six weeks before Cavalleria rusticana opens at the Lobero on November 7. That production will kick off the new season, which will end with OSB’s first modern effort in two years – Robert Aldridge’s 2007 opera Elmer Gantry. Visit www.operasb.org.

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

Innovative flutist Claire Chase leads this year’s Ojai Music Festival (photo by Annelies van der Vegt)

MONTECITO SANITARY DISTRICT

NOTICE OF A HEARING TO CONTINUE THE PRACTICE OF COLLECTING MONTECITO SANITARY DISTRICT SEWER SERVICE CHARGES ON THE COUNTY TAX ROLL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at 1:00 p.m. on the 25th day of June 2025, a hearing will be held to enable the MONTECITO SANITARY DISTRICT Governing Board to hear any objections to the collection of annual sewer service charges by use of the County Tax roll rather than billing monthly or quarterly. This meeting will be held at the District office located at 1042 Monte Cristo Lane, Santa Barbara, California as well as available remotely via Zoom meetings (Meeting ID 861 1897 5917) Information for joining the meeting will also be posted at the District office 72 hours prior to the meeting time and on the District’s website at www.montsan.org/meetings

A report, which will be available at the time of the hearing in the Office of the MONTECITO SANITARY DISTRICT, contains a description of each parcel (APN) of real property within the MONTECITO SANITARY DISTRICT to which sewer service is presently being rendered, and for which an application for service has been made to the District on or before June 30, 2025. The report also sets forth the charge to be made for sewer services to each of said parcels for the Fiscal Year 2025-26

The District has elected to collect sewer service charges by use of the County Tax Roll in previous fiscal years and is proposing to use the same procedure for collection in Fiscal Year 2025-26 Sewer service charges, which are placed on the County Tax Roll for collection will be due and payable in the same manner, and the same time, as general taxes appearing on the County Tax Roll.

As set forth by Resolution No. 2025-983

Adopted by the Governing Board at its meeting on May 12, 2025

Published June 5 & 12, 2025

Montecito Journal

MONTECITO WATER DISTRICT NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2025 9:30 A.M.*

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors of Montecito Water District to be held on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at 9:30 A.M. the Board will hold a public meeting to consider the adoption of the following Resolutions:

1. Resolution No. 2302: A Resolution of the Board of Directors of Montecito Water District Adopting a Schedule of Miscellaneous Fees and Charges for Fiscal Year 2026 Miscellaneous Fees and Charges are imposed by the District for specific services to recover the District’s costs for providing those services.

2. Resolution No. 2303: A Resolution of the Board of Directors of Montecito Water District Establishing Capital Cost Recovery Fees and Connection Fees Effective July 1, 2025 Capital Cost Recovery Fees and Connection fees are paid to become a customer of the District and include: (a) the actual costs of physically connecting to the District water system (Connection Fees) and (b) charges to fund a proportionate share of the District’s facilities (Capital Cost Recovery Fees).

Information concerning the fees and charges is available for public review at https://www.montecitowater.com/

At the public meeting, oral and written presentations may be made and/or heard concerning the fees and charges under Resolution No. 2302 and Resolution No. 2303

*The public meeting will be conducted in person at the District office located at 583 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. Remote participation information will be available on the meeting agenda posted at the District office, on the website www.montecitowater.com, and by calling 805-969-2271.

###

Run, MJ Public/legal notices section, June 5 & 12, 2025

LEGAL NOTICE

SANTA BARBARA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET

The proposed 2025-2026 budget for the Santa Barbara School District will be available for public inspection at the Santa Barbara Unified School District Office at 720 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara starting June 5, 2025 during regular working hours. The public hearing on said budget will be held on June 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM in the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board Room at 720 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara. The budget adoption meeting will be held on June 24th in the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board Room at 720 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara.

Published June 5, 2025 Montecito Journal

MONTECITO WATER DISTRICT NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON WATER AVAILABILITY CHARGE

TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2025, 9:30 A.M. 583 SAN YSIDRO ROAD* SANTA BARBARA, CA 93108

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors of the Montecito Water District (District) to be held on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 9:30 A.M., the Board will hold a public hearing to consider the adoption of Resolution 2298 to continue an existing Water Availability Charge for the purpose of funding water distribution system improvements. A written report, detailing the description of each parcel of real property and the amount of the charge for each parcel for the year, is on file and available for public review at Montecito Water District’s Office located at 583 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108 For information on a specific parcel’s acreage and proposed charge, owners may call 805.969.2271 or email info@montecitowater.com

The District is proposing to continue the existing charge as it was established in July 1996 and with such exceptions as have previously been granted by the Board, with no increase in th e charge or change in the methodology by which it is calculated. The District will continue to collect such charge on the tax rolls, as in previous years.

At the Public Hearing on June 24, 2025 the Board of Directors will hear and consider objections and protests to the written report and application of the charge Any objection or protest must be presented to the District on or before the close of the June 24, 2025 Public Hearing or be precluded from consideration for the 2025-2026 tax year.

*The public meeting will be conducted in person at the District office location referenced above. Remote participation information will be available on the meeting agenda posted at the District office, on the website www.montecitowater.com, and by calling 805-969-2271.

LEGAL NOTICE

MONTECITO UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET

The proposed 2025-2026 budget for the Montecito Union School District will be available for public inspection at the Montecito Union School District Business Office, on June 6, 2025 during regular working hours. The public hearing on said budget will be held on June 10, 2025 at 9:40 a.m. at the Montecito Union School District, Board Room The budget adoption meeting will be held on June 17, 2025 at 4:40 p.m. at Montecito Union School District, Board Room.

Published May 29 & June 5, 2025 Montecito Journal

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME

STATEMENT:

The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: Better View Windows and Power Washing, 2833 State St, 5, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. Antonio Martinez, 2833 State St, 5, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on May 19, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20250001236. Published May 15, 22, 29, June 5, 2025

NAME STATEMENT

OF ABANDONMENT:

The following person(s) has (have) abandoned the use of the Fictitious Business Name(s): Santa Barbara Auto-Truck-4x4 Accessory Store; Santa Barbara Camper Shells; Tru-Fit Sheepskins; Santa Barbara Auto Accessories, 5737 Hollister Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117. Steven W Fox, 270 Ribera Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. This statement was originally filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 5, 2021. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed May 7, 2025. Original FBN No. 20210000020. FBN 2025-

0001155. Published May 22, 29, June 5, 12, 2025

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Empresa Belica, 2338 Juleston Drive, Santa Maria, CA 93458. Carlos D Perez Mendoza, 2338 Juleston Drive, Santa Maria, CA 93458. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on April 21, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2025-0001033. Published May 15, 22, 29, June 5, 2025

wanted everyone to know that this is going to have ramifications for our district and the ramifications may be significant.

GL. Who in the legislature have you been talking to?

AR. I met with our attorney and Senator Monique Limón. She was very thoughtful and asked good questions. She was interested and agreed that there were some issues. So, we found her to be interested in this case and in the AB 218 ramifications. We’ve also spoken to Assembly Member Gregg Hart’s staff. And again, they were really responsive, they were thoughtful.

GL. Significant changes. So, when you say Senator Limón and Assembly Member Hart’s staff were thoughtful, did they agree with you?

AR. My impression is that they agreed that there were some pretty intense ramifications for public agencies and they wanted to look into what could be done.

GL. What are some of the avenues for remediation that you see?

AR. So, we’ve gone through a few rounds of mediation and we’re going to continue to work on that up until we find a negotiated agreement or it’s a court case and the court case is scheduled for this summer. So right now, the two likely scenarios are either an agreement through mediation or we go to court.

GL. You’ve settled one of the cases, but two are still active?

AR. That’s correct.

GL. Do you think this law never should have been, or should it have been in a different form?

AR. I personally think that it was a sensible idea that the legislature wanted to allow folks to go back for several decades in order to look at things from the past because we know a lot more today about sexual abuse. I think the legislature was on the right track. I think that they made mistakes on the nuances. There’s not a lot of ways that we can even mount a successful defense from 1972 to 1976, although we’re mounting an aggressive defense, to be clear. It’s hard to find witnesses. It’s also hard to deal with a case where the alleged perpetrator is long dead. And I don’t think the legislature thought through what would happen if a public agency didn’t have insurance. And so I think that the legislation, while well-intentioned, made some significant errors. And that’s why the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, FCMAT, has given a list of ways that the legislature can look at some of these cases. I know that there have been bills proposed to make some changes; for instance, changing the evidentiary standard for these civil cases. So rather than just a preponderance of evidence, some kind of higher standard or limiting the amount of damages that could be given, especially in the case of a public agency that’s uninsured. There are some common-sense kinds of things that would balance the rights of alleged victims as well as public institutions. Look, nobody that works here now worked here in 1972.

GL. I understand why this puts the district in a bad position. On the other hand, as a survivor of something similar when I was in junior high school, 40-something years ago, I didn’t tell anyone, and I don’t even know that that guy’s alive. I doubt he is. So it is a tricky thing and I just wonder how you speak to something like that. AR. I’m devastated that that happened to you. I’m sorry.

GL. Thank you. And it’s not unique to me. This was and continues to be such a prevalent issue.

AR. Yeah, and to me, damages are for at least two reasons. Number one, to make sure that people who have been proven to have been truly victimized can have some money to get back on their feet, to pay for therapy, to be made whole, to the degree that money can do that. And let’s be fair, money can never do that completely, but it can help with therapies and different things. That’s one purpose. And the other purpose is to sort of force a reckoning with the institution, to force the institution to take this seriously. But that second part just doesn’t make any sense when an organization has completely turned over. I don’t know what happened in 1972 to 1976. I wasn’t here. I don’t know if it did or didn’t happen. Ultimately that wouldn’t be up to me, that’d be up to a jury. But what I do know is what happened in 1972 to 1976 doesn’t have anything to do with the current staff, the current policies, the current procedures, and certainly our standards for care in Montecito Union School are extremely high.

GL. You said to me today, and in your statement to the community, that the district denies the allegations. AR. Yeah.

GL. How can you deny allegations or affirm allegations that you weren’t a part of? AR. That would have to come out in court. I mean, I can’t really go into the facts

of the case. I’m not going to be able to try the case in the public eye. But if this goes to trial, we are going to mount a vigorous defense because we deny these allegations. But unfortunately, until we get to court, that’s all I can say.

GL. The one thing you didn’t cover in your communication to the community is a real understanding that this is an ongoing problem. That it’s not like what existed in 1972 doesn’t still happen. It does. And the law was at least in part intended to put institutions on notice that these things continue to happen. Was that a conscious choice — to not say anything about your awareness that you’re denying these allegations isn’t because you don’t think this is any longer a problem?

AR. That’s a fair point. In the original communication, we talked a little bit more empathetically to the horror of having to deal with this issue at all, because we are very much aware that there’s real abuse, there’s real abuse in churches, there’s real abuse in schools. Organizations must take steps to prevent this from ever happening again. And it’s a fair point. Maybe we should have made that clearer in the communication. But it’s certainly a heartfelt belief that we do understand that. In this case, we have not yet found our system of support and protection to be lacking. In fact, we found it to be laudatory. And that’s why we understand the legislature’s intent. But I do think it got some details wrong because there’s a difference between forcing a reckoning and a conversation, and doing something that’s going to have an outsized negative impact on what is a public institution. Remember our charge is to serve the kids that are here today. So, I don’t think when the legislators wrote this law, they were intending for resources to be taken away from the students of today in order to harken to allegations that happened in 1972.

But we at Montecito Union School do understand that sexual abuse is a real thing, that sexual abuse has happened in schools, and that every school leader needs to put policies and procedures and protections in place for our kids. And it is important, and I’m glad you brought that up, and I do want to make that clear. So I agree with that.

GL. You said that notice was never given back in the time. Doesn’t saying that fly in the face of the reason the law existed to begin with, which takes into account that traumatic events like this can be suppressed and also that the political and social environment at the time weren’t necessarily conducive to reporting such things?

AR. Yeah, it’s a fair point. To me, there is a difference between suing a private entity and a private person and a public agency because public agencies have different responsibilities that private agencies don’t. A public agency is required by law to make sure that money that is given is only given for the public good. And so the legal point that we’re making is how can we not even just be sure, but how can you even have an inkling that we are not taking public funds and gifting them for private purposes if we didn’t have any ability to preserve documents, to interview potential witnesses? In our view of the law, that was a requirement that was missed. And so while that might not be present for a private individual or private company, we think that’s an important protection to make sure that the public dollars stay for public purposes.

GL. Can you explain what safeguards are in place today if a child experiences anything that feels wrong?

AR. So, there’s required yearly training every year for every staff member. And that has to do not with just reporting out when you suspect child abuse of any kind but also preventing abuse. This includes training about what is grooming. Grooming wasn’t even a word in 1972, but it’s something that’s not only a word, but we all need to understand what grooming means, how to look for it, and how to stop it. We talk a lot about not creating private spaces in schools. So, we’re always balancing different kinds of safety. For example, our windows have shades so that we can create safety if there’s some kind of event on campus, protecting from an outsider. But we want to be able to see into those rooms so that the students are protected. Not because we think that there’s anything untoward going on with our staff members, but because we want to set up systems that create a safe environment for everyone. We also want to make sure that every child has multiple safe people at school. In some ways, that’s the most important thing. For example, every month the instructional assistants meet with our assistant principal, and one of their common exercises is they put all the names of all the kids up on the wall, and we all check all the kids that we personally know, that we personally have a good working relationship with. And if there are kids that don’t have a lot of check marks, we’re reaching out to those kids. Kids are encouraged to talk to their teachers, talk to any trusted adult. We even have lessons about bodily autonomy that we provide for the kids in an age-appropriate way so that they know, hey, they can make choices about their body.

You’ll even see it with teachers now. It used to be that a teacher would run up and give a kid a hug, and now it’s much more common to say, “Do you want a hug, a high five, a fist bump? Or do you want a handshake, or do you want none of these?” So from an early age, we’re telling kids they’re in charge of their body, and if you don’t want to do a high five, you don’t have to. You’re not forced to because that’s a touch. And we treat our parents as partners in this as well. And if they have any questions or concerns, then we would want to remediate those and take those very seriously. So I think there’s a lot of policies, rules, and procedures in place to protect kids and

to take seriously any allegation. And there are procedures in place to make sure that those would be investigated with care and with speed and with diligence.

GL. So if you are a student or a parent, and you feel something inappropriate has happened, what’s the course of action?

AR. You can report it to any school adult, and it doesn’t have to be – it can be confidential. It could be named, and we get those reports, not for sexual abuse, but we get unnamed reports that say, “Hey, I heard that so-and-so and such and such were in an altercation. Can you check it out?” And we don’t demand to hear the name. We say, “Yeah, we’ll check it out.”

GL. Is there anything else you want the public to know that you feel is important to communicate?

AR. I want people to know that I understand that even a discussion of sexual abuse is difficult and it brings up personal memories, it brings up concerns. It’s hard to talk about. In this case, while we want to make sure that – in this case my primary responsibility is to the students of Montecito Union School, and we want to make sure that our resources can be allocated to serve those students well, because that’s the charge that I have from the public. And so, I want the public to know that we’re working hard to conduct ourselves the way we always do with kindness, respect, and integrity, and with a focus on our core mission, which is to serve our students well. Certainly, the district and I don’t relish having this conversation with the public, but the public needs to know that this is happening, that there is a risk to Montecito Union School that didn’t exist a little bit ago. And that the nuances of AB 218, which were well-intentioned, and which were brought about with thinking about victims and potential victims, got some significant things wrong. And it’s going to have ramifications not just for our school district, but for public agencies across the state of California, unless it’s fixed. And I think that people could both want to protect public education and protect public agencies while at the same time caring deeply about the rights of those who allege abuse has happened.

GL. Thank you.

Letter sent from MUS on June 2, 2025...

Dear MUS Staff and Families,

In March 2023, we shared with our community that MUS had been served with a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse from 1972-1976 by a former employee. While we are limited in what we can discuss due to the ongoing litigation, the Montecito Union School District Board has asked me to communicate what we can about this matter.

Like hundreds of school districts and other local public agencies across the state, the sex abuse lawsuit MUS is grappling with is the result of the legislature’s allowance of new cases to be filed for decades-old allegations. As a result of AB 218, passed in 2019, a period of time was established during which such suits were permitted to be filed without regard to the statute of limitations or timely claims filing requirements.

In the suit against MUS, the claims involve allegations from 1972-1976. The lawsuit was filed by three individuals – now in their late 50s – who allege they were sexually abused by a staff member and that other staff were aware of and failed to prevent the abuse. The district has denied the allegations.

The alleged wrongdoer is long deceased, and no current MUS employees were working at the district during that time. We have negotiated a settlement with one of the plaintiffs, and we are proceeding with the defense of the two remaining claims.

AB 218 has drawn considerable scrutiny, including by the media, as it has been estimated that school districts will spend $2-$3 billion on these cases – money that will not be replenished by the State.

In modern cases, districts are protected by liability insurance. However, like many public entities facing lawsuits from decades ago, MUS has not been able to locate records, like insurance policies, dating back to 1972. Our board of education records include references to specific insurance companies, but they became insolvent long ago. Despite a diligent search including the hiring of a firm that specializes in locating insurance coverage, we have been unable to locate an insurance policy. This means that any settlement agreements or judgments at trial will be the responsibility of the district.

In the defense of this lawsuit, our legal team at Griffith and Thornburgh argued that allowing lawsuits based on 50-year-old allegations, of which the district had no prior notice, was an unconstitutional gift of public taxpayer funds that goes into the pockets of private litigants. Along with similar challenges by other school districts in different courts around the state, we submitted legal briefs to a three-judge Court of Appeal

panel, which denied the claim after nearly a year. One justice saw merit in our position and recommended taking the matter to the California Supreme Court. We did so, but the California Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

We’ve also joined with other school districts and public agencies in seeking a legislative fix to the dire situations facing a number of districts who have been impacted by large jury verdicts. MUS provided input to the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team of California, which produced a report for the California legislature that warned of the fiscal danger from AB 218 and produced recommendations to the legislature about how to help. It seems deeply unfair that allegations from 19721976 would need to be resolved by taking away resources from students in 2025, but to date the legislature has not been willing to undertake the steps needed to protect school districts from the dire threats posed from these lawsuits.

As a result, our legal team is vigorously defending this lawsuit despite the lack of evidence and the fact that few remaining former staff members are available from that era. Prior to the filing of the lawsuits, MUS had never received any notification concerning the events in the lawsuits. The only information about abuse comes entirely from the claimants.

As of this writing, trial of the case is scheduled for this summer. Depending on what transpires, through either settlement or trial, there could be a substantial financial impact on MUS.

We want to reassure you:

- Your children are safe.

- The allegations against MUS involve purported events from many decades ago.

- MUS remains dedicated to keeping students protected.

- If you or your child hears about the case and needs support processing the news, please contact their teacher or our counselor, Michelle Villegas, at mvillegas@montecitou.org.

As we move forward, we remain committed to our core values: kindness, respect, and integrity. We continue to uphold strict standards of professional conduct, ensure proper supervision of all employees, conduct yearly training for all school staff, and provide multiple ways to report concerns. While we are unable to discuss further details of this ongoing litigation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly at aranii@montecitou.org with any questions.

Sincerely,

Anthony Ranii, Superintendent

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Calendar of Events

by Steven Libowitz

FRIDAY, JUNE 6

You Oughta Know – Alanis Morissette ’s surprising smash hit debut album Jagged Little Pill gets the every-track tribute honor to celebrate its 30th anniversary, featuring passionate performances of the entire groundbreaking 1995 album. Jamie Green of Flannel 101 and Smelly Cat channels Alanis’ raw emotion, energy, spirit, angst and authenticity for such hits as “You

THURSDAY, JUNE 5

1st Thursday – Hot times, summer in the city.

Well, not quite, but the season is the theme at a few stops on the downtown art and culture stroll this month. Art & Soul (1323 State) opens Blue Skies and Shimmering Seas, a radiant new exhibition by American Society of Marine Artists Signature member Brad Betts. The exclusive preview weekend kickoff features artist meet-and-greets, live demos, and plein air painting sessions to capture our coastline in full summer light, plus a steel drum session from Brad’s son Ben Betts… The shore and environs are also featured next door, where Santa Barbara Fine Art (1321 State) exhibits Santa Barbara Beaches, including artwork by area painters including John Comer, Richard Schloss, Kelly Hine, Arturo Tello, Michael Drury, John Wullbrandt, and Rob Robinson Rodolfo Rivademar is this month’s honorary local with Andy Vogel serving as guest artist and photography from Robert Werling Summer Vibe is the theme for the June show at 10 West Gallery (10 W. Anapamu), where warmth is in the air with a playful vibe humming through the brightly lit gallery. View the latest work by 11 local artists including a full-sized suede-covered surfboard, waves burnished into aluminum panels, abstract paintings, stone sculpture, figurative drawings and more… Despite its name, you don’t need an appointment to visit the studio By Appointment Only (1221 State #24), boasting prints by artist-architect Julian Harake featuring 15 inkjet prints on translucent Japanese gampi paper, each developed through a seamless process of hand drawing, flatbed scanning, digital manipulation and artificial intelligence… In the same complex, Rilascio Chiropractic (1221 State #200) invites you to crane your neck (not too far, lest you need an adjustment) to view the creative works of Crane Country Day School’s 8th grade class. Using the Renaissance underpainting technique, the student artists drew from landscapes, still lifes, and their imaginations to create the art on display for the evening of inspiration, refreshments, wellness resources, and a special giveaway… Sullivan Goss (11 E. Anapamu) has the artist’s reception for the gallery’s third solo show for Leslie Lewis Sigler, whose hyperreal paintings of heirloom silver are expressions of family and connectedness, with the text-centric “TL;DR” and the Spring Salon still on view… Off the beaten path, SBCAST (513 Garden) exhibits cutting-edge research and new media artworks from the Media Arts & Technology (MAT) at UCSB, a transdisciplinary graduate program that fuses emergent media, computer science, engineering, electronic music and digital art research, practice, production and theory… In the entertainment arena, Sam Kulchin, who first burst on the scene more than a dozen years ago with the popular teen band The Caverns, covers classic rock and pop from the ‘50s to the ’70s on the 800 block of State, while Ensemble Theatre (33 W. Victoria) offers two-for-one tickets to a preview performance of Justice, a new musical about the first women members of the U.S. Supreme Court.

WHEN: 5-8 pm

WHERE: Lower State Street and side streets

COST: free

INFO: (805) 962-2098 or www.downtownsb.org/events/1st-thursday

SATURDAY, JUNE 7

‘Growth Spurt’ – Don’t blame me: that really is the tongue-in-cheek title for the current comedy tour starring Brad Williams, the dwarf comic – that’s what he calls himself (yes, his new hot sauce line is called “Death by Dwarf” and comes in more flavors than he is feet tall). His bio boasts that Williams is the funniest comedian in the country “pound for pound.” An outsized dynamo in performance, Williams was also the first stand-up comedian to headline a Cirque du Soleil performance with 2022’s Mad Apple. A longtime L.A. stalwart, Williams filmed his first-ever one-hour special Fun Size, an instant hit on Showtime, right here at the Lobero Theatre. That’s where he also performed on his last visit to town just 17 months ago, but now Williams is stepping up (sorry!) to the more than twice as large (sorry!) Granada for Growth Spurt, which, like all his specials, features a whole lot of self-deprecating jokes about his size and much more.

WHEN: 7 pm tonight, 3 pm tomorrow

WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street

COST: $29.50-$64.50

INFO: (805) 899-2222 or www.granadasb.org

Oughta Know,” “Ironic” and “Hand in My Pocket” and the whole record in the early set – then is joined by singers Miriam Dance and Jenna Tico for a Smelly Cat dance set.

WHEN: 8 & 9:30 pm

WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State St., upstairs in Victoria Court

COST: $20 in advance, $25 day-of ($10 after 9:30)

INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 7

Showing Some Moxy – You’ve got to wonder if MOXI – whose official name is the Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation – gave any thought to the potential acronym of this evening’s after-hours event; Academy of Science + Sorcery . For the special family-friendly evening of STEAM magic, MOXI is summoning spell-enthusiasts, wizards, witches and curious non-magic (e.g. muggle) folk of all ages for a night of enchantment. The immersive event transforms the museum into a whimsical world with potion-making fun and enchanting experiences where kids can try on the Sorting Hat, get placed into a MOXI STEAM Wizarding House or design their own wand, while grown-up wizards can enjoy themed cocktails and beer provided by Validation Ale plus a spellbinding live band. Wizarding robes and magical attire are encouraged.

WHEN: 5-8 pm

WHERE: MOXI, 125 State St.

COST: $35 general, $25 children 2-17 ($10 discount for museum members) INFO: (805) 770-5000 or www.moxi.org

SUNDAY, JUNE 8

Pared Down Players – A smaller subset of the still fledgling Santa Barbara Chamber Players performs a special fundraising concert this afternoon that showcases the group’s versatility and supports its mission to bring accessible classical music to the Santa Barbara area. The three dynamic and contrasting chamber works begin with a woodwind quintet taking on Eric Ewazen ’s Cumberland Suite , a vibrant and lyrical work that highlights the composer’s signature blend of rich harmonies and Americana flair. Nielsen’s “Serenata in Vano” follows, with a mixed wind and string quintet playing the light-hearted and humorous piece full of playful character and wit before the concert closes with Schubert’s “Octet in F major, Op. 40,” one of the

SATURDAY, JUNE 7

Zoo Brew is Back – The Santa Barbara Zoo‘s annual fundraiser reliably bridges the gap between beer and beasts, promising a “brew-tiful” late afternoon of sipping on a whole herd of beverages, as well as interacting with the local brewers who crafted them. While the animals will all have gone bye-bye for the evening, visitors get to enjoy the Zoo’s enviable hilltop ocean view just across the street from the East Beach volleyball courts. This year’s event features more than 25 beverage makers from California, boasting their collective best in beer, cider, hard seltzer, wine and more. Pub food and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase.

WHEN: 5-8 pm (VIP 4 pm)

WHERE: Santa Barbara Zoo, 500 Niños Drive

COST: $75 general, $110 VIP (includes early entry and appetizers)

INFO: (805) 962-5339 or www.sbzoo.org

cornerstones of the chamber music repertoire, known for its expansive scope, melodic beauty, and warm ensemble writing.

WHEN: 3 pm

WHERE: Trinity Lutheran Church, 909 N. La Cumbre Rd. COST: $20

INFO: www.santabarbarachamberplayers.org

THURSDAY, JUNE 12

Musing From the Stage – The folk- and gospel-infused duo Sarah Nutting and Karisha Longaker, known as MaMuse, perform mostly in Santa Barbara in community sing-style events, leading song circles and/or workshops with the audience joining in the multi-part music. Today the full band makes a rare local appearance with a show featuring old favorites, previews of songs from their upcoming album, and an audience-inspired improv section – all interweaving brilliant and haunting harmonies over lyrics bursting with honed emotional intelligence to open the heart.

WHEN: 8 pm

WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State St. COST: $25 ($65 with VIP pre-show meet-and-greet)

INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 8

It’s a Dog’s World – Safety Dog Diego Gets Adopted , the first children’s book in a planned series by SoCal husband and wife authors Angel and Tracey Jimenez , is based on their own story starting in spring of 2020. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Angel, a job safety professional with over 18 years of experience in OSHA training and construction safety inspections, was sent to work full-time in San Diego and took their newly adopted puppy, Diego, with him to work. Two years later, when they found out they were about to become grandparents, Tracey was inspired to create a book series for their grandson, Alexander , from her own childhood memories of her grandmother personalizing stories for her. Now, Safety Dog Diego – a bright-eyed pup with a heart full of curiosity and a tail that won’t stop wagging – is the centerpiece for their engaging and educational stories that teach children about safety and kindness. Chaucer’s Books will donate 10% of sales to Santa Barbara Animal Care Foundation during the Jimenez’s storytime event.

WHEN: 1:30 pm

WHERE: Chaucer’s, 3321 State St. in Loreto Plaza Shopping Center COST: free

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

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING (805) 565-1860

Your Trusted Choice for Estate Sales, Liquidation & Downsizing

Moving Miss Daisy’s providing comprehensive services through Moving Miss Daisy since 2015. Expert packing, unpacking, relocating to ensure your new home is beautifully set up and ready to enjoy. Miss Daisy’s is the largest consignment store in the Tri-Counties - nearly 20K sq.ft.- always offering an unmatched selection of items. We also host online Auctions.

Glenn Novack, Owner 805-770-7715 www.missdaisy.org info@movingmissdaisy.com

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

ELECTRICIAN

Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections

Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575

PHYSICAL TRAINING & THERAPY

Stillwell Fitness of Santa Barbara 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

AUTOMOBILES WANTED

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

TILE SETTING

Local tile setter of 35 years is now doing small jobs only. Services include grout cleaning and repair, caulking, sealing, replacing damaged tiles and basic plumbing needs. Call Doug Watts at 805-729-3211 for a free estimate.

PET/HOUSE SITTING

Do you need to get away for a weekend, week or more? I will house sit and take care of your pets, plants & mail. I have refs if needed. Call me or text me. Christine (805) 452-2385

PERSONAL SERVICES

Tell Your Story

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

LANDSCAPE

Casa L. M.

Landscape hedges installed. Ficus to flowering. Disease resistant. Great privacy.

Certified root stock assorted fruit trees. Licensed & insured. Call (805) 963-6909

WATERLILIES and LOTUS since 1992 WATERGARDEN CARE SBWGC FOR LEASE

Montecito Home, $10,495 per month. 3 BD 2.5 BA, 3,400 sq ft, and unmatched views! One-year lease. (805) 722-5396

RIVERIA APARTMENT FOR RENT

1-Bdrm - Bright with Ocean Views. Lovely Garden Setting. Hardwood Floors. Updated Kitchen and Bath. Carrara Marble. Quiet Street. No Smoking. No Pets. $3,300. 310-795-3867

renovated mid-century 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom with Ocean views in Santa Barbara foothills, available July and August.

$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)

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Carpet Cleaning Since 1978 (805) 963-5304

Rafael Mendez Cell: 689-8397 or 963-3117

PIANO LESSONS

Openings now available for Children and Adults.

Piano Lessons in our Studio or your Home. Call or Text Kary Kramer (805) 453-3481

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

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