Chippin’ Away – Montecito Fire has been working hard with the community this summer to help wildfire mitigation, P.24
The Lodi Lowdown – Napa, Sonoma, … Lodi? While Lodi may not often be a top of mind wine region, it may just be Cali’s best-kept secret, P.28
The United Boys & Girls Clubs rallies 4 the kids, page 25
‘Love & Laughter’ – Rorem’s Four Dialogues and Bolcom’s Lucrezia get an era-driven spin at Lehrer Vocal Institute upcoming show, P.31
Fez, Kashmir Paisley, Fig Leaf, Shani Floral, Bukhara Ikat, and Starburst… No, these are not the new hot names for babies born this year… It’s the new collaboration with designer Peter Dunham launching at Hudson Grace (Story starts on p.14)
Taking on life’s challenges one trash bag at a time… Elaine Gale and her trusty unicorn tell all on stage in Trash Club, page 5 Fun Brewing
The Condor Express and MClub get a visit from a special family… and it turns out this group is a matcha steeped in friendship, page 16
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On Entertainment – Finding community, love and more in the Trash Club and other theatrical
Beings and Doings – Batman, Captain Marvel, Green Lantern, Black Canary. The DC Universe has a new player in town. And boy can she drive.
Montecito Miscellany – Dinner for the Polo Training Center, the Fiesta fun gets started, and more miscellany
Curator’s Choice – This new weekly feature offers a glimpse into just one of the 3.5M specimens, artifacts, and documents from the SB Museum of Natural History News Bytes – Offshore oil drilling debate starts back up, San Ysidro Ranch gets Icon Status, 101 updates, and more Tide Guide
18 Your Westmont – Conference stresses importance of human connection in face of AI, a new major focuses on sustainability, and exhibition stays open
20 Sporting Life – Professional soccer player Hannah Adler and her Beyond the Baller events are instilling skills, confidence, and leadership in women players 22 Brilliant Thoughts – Read with care on the subject of humans’ efforts to improve safety and preserve life
23 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – Here are ten ways of overcoming a block in writing, painting, and other creative endeavors
24 Hot Topics – A roundup of the preventative measures that Montecito Fire has been busy with
25 The Giving List – The United Boys & Girls Clubs provide vital support for youth across the county
29 Stories Matter – Summertime reads spanning photojournalist Dickey Chappell, a cursed hotel, art hiding in a Tuscan villa, and more
30 Far Flung Travel – With the annual elephant seal rookery, it is both a time of breakfast and danger for the newborns
31 This Week @ MAW – These well-kept fifties housewives rule the roost, and Four Dialogues on love at the Lehrer Vocal Institute’s upcoming performance
33 Crime in the ‘Cito
36 Calendar of Events – CAW goes Woof, 50 years of soaring the skies, a tribute concert and Celebration of Life honoring David M. Mendoza, and more
38
Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales
39 Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles
The Tea Family – The MClub gets some special visitors aboard the Condor Express during its
cruise
28 Petite Wine Traveler – Take a tour through Lodi – one of California’s often overlooked wine areas
Local Business Directory – Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer
by Steven Libowitz
Eight years ago, Elaine Gale was the center of adoration in the wake of her provocative and daringly self-revealing one-woman autobiographical play One Good Egg . The moving and riotous meditation on fertility and frustrating relationships had enjoyed a sold-out run at Center Stage Theatre.
The show drew the attention of a producer in Los Angeles, who was in the process of preparing to produce a six-week run that would culminate with the show landing on Broadway. Yes, that Broadway.
Then the pandemic hit.
After a series of defeats that included coronavirus-induced isolation, Zoom fatigue, divorce, the Covid-related death of her mother, and a bout of depression, Gale found her salvation in garbage. Literally.
Gale is a sixth-generation Nebraskan, former religion reporter at the Los Angeles Times, and a full professor in Communication Studies at California State University. As her difficulties mounted, Gale – who by then had relocated from Santa Barbara to Silver Lake – consoled herself by picking up trash while on walks around her neighborhood. Seeing others similarly sweeping up garbage, she posted flyers in Silver Lake to see if anyone might be interested in joining forces.
“The unicorn was the mascot because it has a built-in trash grabber,” Gale said.
More than 40 people showed up. What was planned as a one-time event morphed into biweekly gatherings that now boast more than 2,000 members. The group has collected more than 5,000 bags of trash over three years.
“It really changed my life,” Gale said. “I met all these amazing people and it became a big turning point for me.”
Inspired by the experience, she started researching and studying trash, deep diving (researching, that is) garbage dumps and landfills, sustainable recycling, and the field called garbology. “I even found there’s a goddess of garbage in the Aztec tradition,” she said.
Garbage became the metaphor for a 10-minute piece that played at Center Stage as part of the Anima Theater series earlier this year. The piece has since been expanded into a full-length show on the losses Gale suffered in the early 2020s. Now called Trash Club, the work has its premiere back on the same stage August 6 & 7. The title is meant to be both literal and a metaphor.
“When you get divorced, there’s all this stuff you have to decide about,” she said. “What do you keep and what do you throw away? But also what do you keep and what do you throw away interpersonally and energetically? Even an ex-husband – is it better to be friends or do you throw that connection away?”
Her mother’s death also raised unan swerable inquiries, namely “How can I live without something I can’t live without?”
But there’s lots of actual garbage that runs throughout the piece, recalling the Silver Lake club during the pan demic, the piles of discarded gloves, masks and other detritus. Excessive drinking (getting trashed, that is) also makes an appearance.
Most important, Gale said, was her turning inwards to separate the wheat from the chaff (to mix some metaphors).
“I needed to learn how to not trash myself, to get perspective instead of trashing my own life because things didn’t go the way I thought they would, married with two kids with a mom who would live to be 95,” she said. “I had to re-learn to appreciate what you have and not just focus on what was thrown away. Meeting people who were living on the street – for whom a piece of cardboard is a treasure, not trash – gives you a whole new perspective on gratitude.”
Entertainment Page 324
by Jeff Wing
It’s not an uncommon occurrence. For his own reasons, a nefarious jackass unleashes a quantum mechanical nuisance, which quickly goes haywire and wreaks the usual havoc at scale. The destruction is apocalyptic. Skyscrapers topple and plow into each other, the townsfolk scatter and shout amid boxcar-sized hunks of plunging masonry, the film score hollers with jarring minor chords. The panic is pell-mell and somehow worsens rush hour – which on a good day is already a bummer. Now someone has smashed into your car on the maddened expressway, knocking your ride out of commission. As you frantically attempt to restart the engine, a monstrous, slow-moving shadow engulfs the scene, cast by the 150-story office tower now leaning gigantically into frame and headed straight for your stalled Jetta ®
Yeah. Happy Monday.
“The first AD came out and he gave me general direction. Then the sound people came out and I got wired for sound. When they were actually ready to film the scene, Mr. Gunn came out.” I’m talking to the doomed commuter mentioned in paragraph one. On the very cusp of personal obliteration under 540,000 tons of granite and steel, she is pleasantly upbeat. Given the moment, this doesn’t feel like a healthy optimism. Au contraire, cinéphile enragé.
“That whole sequence – for at least for my part – took two days of filming.” You know that thing where you spend your life immersed in an art form, decide to try your hand at acting, and within a few short years you land a plum, extravagant cameo in one of the most wildly anticipated movies in recent memory? This is that story. And this buoyant peep is Melissa O. Bowen. If you’re a fan of the new globe-conquering summer blockbuster Superman: Legacy, you know Melissa as Woman in Car
You can find her in the voluminous closing credits between Jarhanpurian Villager #2 ( Chaim Jeraffi ) and Boravian Commander ( Torsten Kellar ). The “Mr. Gunn” she refs above is award-winning American filmmaker and Superman writer/director James Gunn. Melissa has taken a few moments to describe to us the inde-
scribable: prepping for and shooting her scene in a ginormous movie of such pop cultural gravity it nearly boggles.
Melissa is a proud military wife, her family presently stationed in Kentucky. She is a mom to two girls, an artist, and – yeah – a movie star. The actress’ brief but explosive turn in the eye-popping new Superman movie is the talk of Metropolis. You can find Melissa in your local movie theater, 30 feet high and anchoring a category six Hollywood action sequence that will have you blowing popcorn out of your nose.
“As a day player, you’re always worried,” she says. “A lot of times it comes to the editing room and you get cut and you don’t wind up on screen. But I knew this was part of a massive action sequence, so it was at least going to be in there.” The insanity of the scene suggests she and actor David Corenswet (Superman to you and me) may not have been in the same room during the shoot. The director told her where to look and she did the green screen thing. “They’re like, ‘Superman’s going to be right here. He’s right here.’” Melissa pauses and summarizes the art form with a self-deprecating chuckle. “You just have to use your imagination.”
Since Covid, live auditions have gone increasingly to self-tapes. You send in a clip of yourself following the casting director’s instruction. How do you audition for the role of a lady being buried under a collapsing city? A part these days more commonly known as Woman in Car. “I had to submit a self-tape, pretending that I was in traffic, trying to get away from a forest fire. Oh, and there’s a
Beings & Doings Page 344
by Richard Mineards
It was a very in-tents occasion when Santa Barbara Polo Training Center hosted its 9th annual gala dinner for 120 all-white clad guests at the Carpinteria locale – which enabled the purchase of a much needed $77,000 John Deere tractor.
Each year, the 13-year-old organization makes $10,000 grants to UCSB and Westmont College polo team members
to cover expenses at the Santa Barbara Polo Club’s polo academy. In addition to running costs, the PTC runs four youth polo tournaments each summer.
President Rhys Williams emceed the sunset soirée in a giant marquee next to the historic clubhouse. Rhys and Mindy Denson conducted the live auction which included a Hollywood Bowl VIP box for a Cyndi Lauper concert, and a $10,000 Ben Soleimani rug.
Social gridlock reigned at the charming Casa del Herrero’s second annual Fiesta fest.
More than 75 guests, numbers limited by local ordinance, crowded into the East Valley Road estate, which is also celebrating its 100th anniversary.
The sunset soirée, chaired by David Bolton, Gonzalo Sarmiento, and Jenna Jobst Reichental, starred ubiquitous classical guitarist Chris Fossek and 2023 Spirit of Fiesta Jack Harwood along with
Miscellany Page 324
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Tucked into one of Montecito's most tranquil enclaves, this elegant Mediterranean residence offers 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms on nearly an acre of lavishly landscaped grounds framed by mature oaks and sycamores. The peaceful setting and grand scale of the estate offer quintessential California living just minutes from world-class beaches, dining, shopping, and nature trails. A thoughtfully designed floor plan connects generous interior spaces to a sprawling backyard made for effortless al fresco living. French doors throughout invite natural light and create seamless indoor-outdoor flow. Vaulted ceilings, multiple fireplaces, formal and casual living areas, and an expansive outdoor space perfect for entertaining — this is a great opportunity that blends privacy, design, and location.
John James Audubon’s painting of the American Bald Eagle feasting on a catfish was made in 1828. It was originally engraved for his famous work, The Birds of America, by Robert Havell in London. In 1858 the work was printed in New York by means of chromolithography for the Bien edition. Audubon described the bird plummeting to seize its prey as “like a falling star,” and he presciently noticed that the Bald Eagle’s numbers were diminishing due to habitat change. The Bald Eagle was removed from the Endangered Species list in 2007 and has become a symbol of wildlife conservation. The bird is the largest native eagle of North America and the National Bird of the United States. The Maximus Art Collection of antique natural history prints at the SB Museum of Natural History has a copy of Audubon’s painting. Past gallery exhibits can be viewed online at MaximusGallery.org.
CWhite headed Eagle, The Birds of America, Bien ed., John James Audubon, chromolithograph
urator’s Choice is a new weekly column from the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, offering Montecito Journal readers a glimpse into the remarkable stories behind special items in our collections. With over 3.5 million specimens, artifacts, and documents, the Museum preserves the natural and cultural heritage of our region while promoting scientific literacy and a deeper connection to the natural world. This mission is made possible through the generosity of our community: 350 volunteers contribute more than 17,000 hours annually, supporters donate $3 million each year, and a growing number of legacy donors are securing the future of our cherished scientific and educational institution by adding the Museum to their will.
The Museum’s new Space Sciences exhibit, Our Cosmic Coast, is open now for your viewing pleasure and galactic wonder
by MJ Staff
Arenewed legal and political firestorm is brewing off the Central Coast as federal authorities and fossil fuel companies push to restart oil production at the long-shuttered Santa Ynez Unit (SYU), while local environmental groups and Santa Barbara County mount legal resistance.
The U.S. Department of the Interior has hailed the project’s revival as a major success. “Thanks to [President Trump’s] leadership and Secretary Burgum’s commitment, we’ve turned a decade-long shutdown into a comeback story for Pacific production,” said Kenneth Stevens, Principal Deputy Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). “In just months, BSEE helped bring oil back online safely and efficiently – right in our own backyard. That’s what Energy Dominance looks like: results, not delays.”
Sable Offshore Corp., the company behind the restart, acquired the SYU assets from ExxonMobil earlier this year and has already resumed operations at Platform Harmony, with plans to bring Platforms Heritage and Hondo back online by the end of 2025. The platforms were idled after the 2015 Refugio oil spill dumped over 120,000 gallons of crude onto the coastline.
In response, a federal court has allowed the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) and allied nonprofits to intervene in a lawsuit Sable filed against the county over its refusal to transfer key operating permits. “The court’s decision gives the nonprofit groups a voice in the case,” said EDC Executive Director Alex Katz
Representative Salud Carbajal denounced the administration’s actions as reckless: “Restarting these rigs only enriches Big Oil while sacrificing the Central Coast’s environmental and pub-
lic health.” With litigation ongoing and environmental oversight being effected by federal authorities, the future of offshore drilling along California’s iconic coastline remains deeply uncertain.
San Ysidro Ranch has recently achieved “icon status,” according to Travel + Leisure, which ranked it the #2 Best Resort in California, #3 Best Resort in the Continental U.S., and one of the Top 100 Resorts in the World in its 2025 World’s Best Awards. Condé Nast Traveler featured it on its prestigious 2025 Gold List, while The Hollywood Reporter honored it among the best hotels in Southern California. Additionally, the 2024 Boutique Hotel Awards named San Ysidro Ranch the World’s Best Romantic Hotel, America’s Best Romantic Hotel, and Best Honeymoon Hotel.
Worth repeating here and do keep the link on your smart phones. Los Padres
News Bytes Page 124
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
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Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108.
How to reach us: (805) 565-1860; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108; EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net
Forest has started their annual fire restrictions on all campgrounds and for hikers, effective now through January 31, 2026.
No open fires, campfires or charcoal fires are permitted outside of developed recreation sites or designated Campfire Use Sites; no smoking of any kind; no guns. Permits must be obtained in advance for stoves being brought into the forest. See link for all specifics and permits.
411: www.fs.usda.gov/r05/lospadres/alerts/fire-restrictions-los-padres-national-forest
Friday, August 1, at 6 pm marks the first of a series of Movie Nights at the Montecito Country Mart. The movies are family friendly all ages classic movies. Popcorn is available or order take out from one of the restaurants at the mart. Poppy Marché’s last of its weekly Crafts Camp for Kids is on Wednesday July 31, from 3-5 pm.
Significant progress is underway in Montecito as part of the Highway 101 widening project. Southbound lanes between Olive Mill Road and Posilipo Lane have been shifted to the median and divided by safety barriers to enable construction through summer 2026. Crews are actively breaking and removing old pavement, grading for new lanes, and installing electrical components for upgraded lighting. Major work continues at the San Ysidro, Romero, and Oak Creek bridges, where demolition of old bridge sections is followed by excavation and shoring.
Ramp access remains impacted: the southbound on-ramps at Olive Mill Road and Posilipo Lane are closed until spring 2026, with detours via Sheffield Drive; the San Ysidro Road off-ramp is closed for three months. Flaggers are stationed on N. Jameson Lane to guide traffic during weekday fencing installation between Sheffield and Olive Mill. These updates are part of a broader effort that now includes $134 million in newly secured funding for the Santa Barbara North segment. This funding supports not only freeway construction but also interchange upgrades, new carpool lanes, and multimodal improvements such as pedestrian paths, EV charging stations, and zero-emission buses.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announces construction for the North Fork Matilija Creek Bridge Safety Improvement project on State Route 33 (SR-33) in the Los Padres National Forest. The critical project addresses the need to widen the roadway and replace the aging rock block wall barrier with a modern concrete barrier, aimed at reducing collision rates and minimizing the severity of runoff-road collisions. The improvements will better serve motorists, bicyclists, and emergency response vehicles in the area. To accelerate construction there are three weekends of 55 hours scheduled that will close off the area: Aug 15-18, Aug 22-25, Sept 19-22. The construction is expected to continue on and off through Winter 2028-29.
The Los Padres National Forest has a new Forest Supervisor, Dr. Kimberly Winter. She succeeds Christopher Stubbs, who left the post in December to become forest supervisor on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland in Colorado. Winter comes to Los Padres from the U.S. Forest Service’s National Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where she served as director of Conservation Education. Before that, she worked as the NatureWatch national program leader and as acting assistant director for the Biological & Physical Resources staff. A native of Missouri, Winter earned her PhD in wildlife ecology and management, and her Master of Arts in ecological anthropology from the University of Georgia. She also holds a B.S. in fisheries and wildlife from the University of Missouri.
National Night Out is on Tuesday, August 5 from 5-7 pm at Linden Field, Carpinteria. This is a nationwide annual campaign to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the local communities to build partnerships and foster neighborhood spirit to help create safer, more connected communities. At the event, there are opportunities to interact with public agencies and organizations who work to keep our community healthy and safe, and hands-on activities and engaging demonstrations. It is family friendly and all ages. As Montecito usually has their event on the first Tuesday of August as well, we will update as we know more.
by Joanne A Calitri
Iattended the Hudson Grace Montecito’s opening launch of their new collaboration with Los Angeles based interior designer Peter Dunham Congratulations to Monelle Totah, co-owner of Hudson Grace, and Dunham; it is just brilliant!
Both Totah and Dunham were holding court at the launch, as interior designers, architects, fans and loyal customers flocked to have the first look at the tastefully designed tableware and linens set to be a mix and match – a wide variety of color and design. Each piece is hand printed, the tableware is made in Italy and the linens in India. The color palettes are shades of yellows, blues, greens and reds; and the designs are Fez, Kashmir Paisley, Fig Leaf, Shani Floral, Bukhara Ikat, and Starburst.
Both brands are a destination for timeless style, and the collab seals it. The concept of hand printing Dunham’s
colorful palette and tastefully designed prints onto classic Hudson Grace tableware and linens is your new go to
The launch at the Montecito store was specifically timed with Dunham’s 320page hardcover book release, The World of Peter Dunham, Global Style from Paris
to Hollywood, by Vendome Press. The book showcases his work and various design concepts for his clients.
I spoke at length with Totah and Dunham at the launch. Totah explained how the collab was spawned. “Prints were something not on my list, but I knew if I ever wanted to do a print, I wanted to do one with Peter because I admire his sense of color, and his color is so bold, so bright, and so cool, and he mixes and matches like nobody’s business. He’s British and has that in his spirit. The minute I met him it was like best friends. We had a ball and pulled this collab off in two to three months. The designs we are using are from Peter’s fabric designs, and we changed some of the colors. So for example, this is his Kashmir design, and we made it into a napkin, isn’t it fun!? For the tableware, each one is hand painted in Italy, which you can feel – and each one is a little different. They’re just so great!”
Dunham added, “It was wonderful to do a collaboration with Hudson Grace just as my book was coming out, because it celebrates a lot of patterns and color –and that is what Hudson Grace came to me for; an expertise in color and pattern. The collection we did is really from a lot of my most successful designs. We are going to go forward and do a collection for fall, Christmas, and Spring again. It has been a wonderful fun time with them.
They have a great approach – friendly and fun. This feels like the right place. It was done really quickly, and they did an
by Sigrid Toye
Santa Barbara is a city with spectacular events, exciting adventures, and a ton of surprises in between! The highlight of the season is Old Spanish Days with its confetti-ladened Fiesta celebrations, although the summer months are packed with fun stuff everywhere! One of my favorites is the Hawaiian Cruise aboard the Condor Express. The whale watching ship’s owner, Hiroko Benko, hinted that ‘special guests’ might be aboard this year who’d come a long, long way – piquing my curiosity and making it a weekend not to be missed!
and photo ops, the family joined the passengers for Hula dancing, having fun, and celebrating the day while cruising along our beautiful Santa Barbara coastline. The highlight of their visit, however, was yet to come.
Once on board I was greeted by (almost) the entire MClub membership shepherded by Maria McCall of Montecito Bank and Trust. Katherine Murray-Morse, Jill Nadia and Gary Simpson , Danuta Bennett , Diane Galvin and Marian Jean, and Bobbie and John Kinnear were among the passengers awaiting the mystery guests. But to the MClub those guests were no mystery! “Thanks to Hiroko, our guide, many of us were introduced to her ‘Tea Family’ on our last Club trip to Japan,” revealed McCall. “Not only that, but we were invited to participate in the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony at the home of Kobori Sojitsu, the 13th Grand Tea Master of the Enshu Sado School, who serves the Emperor along with many others.
Case solved! First cousin Kimiko Kobori, the Tea Master’s wife, her daughter Yuko Kobori, a schooled Tea Master, and son-in-law Shundo Fukuda arrived on board to be smothered by hellos and hugs from a cluster of MClub members. After more meet-and-greets
The following day the ‘Tea Family’ hosted a traditional tea ceremony for the entire Benko clan and a few guests, including Mary and Bob Gates and Penny and Steve Gundry, in Hiroko’s beautiful Japanese-themed garden. “In Japan this ceremony is called Sado or Chado, meaning the way of the tea, conceived by the early tea masters of the 15th and 16th centuries,” explained Benko. “Their philosophy of Wabi Sabi signified celebrating beauty in imperfection and simplicity, embracing the cycles of nature.” While preparing to conduct the ceremony, Yuko Kobori shared, “Matcha, the ritual green powdered tea, and the intricate tea ceremony is actually based on everyday life, yet mastering this art requires great cultivation for it represents the quintessence of Japanese aesthetics and culture”.
My knowledge of the ancient rites of Japan is limited to James Clavell’s spectacular novel, Shogun, and the 2025 Emmy winning FX TV series based on his book. Clavell’s 1,200 plus pager focuses on this period in Japanese history as does the 2025 series, although through an Asian lens. The main character ‘Toranaga’ represents an actual historical figure whose name was Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first great shogun responsible for unifying Japan after the decisive Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. After revisiting the book, the series, and Professor Google, imagine how exciting it was to
Tea Family Page 264
We’re expanding access to same-day care with more doctors, more appointments and extended hours. Get seen today at Sutter Santa Barbara Urgent Care.
We’re open 7 days a week for treatment of moderate illnesses and injuries.
Same-day appointments are available or just walk in!
Book now at 800-472-6786 or sutterhealth.org/welcomesansum
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
Higher education must enhance student experiences and foster meaningful relationships if it’s to meet the challenge of rapidly advancing AI. That was the message at Westmont’s Impact Conference, which brought higher education technology leaders to campus from July 24-25. They stressed that technology should serve, not supplant, the social networks and values at the heart of learning and opportunity.
Students from Westmont’s Center for Applied Technology Lab (CATLab) presented their second year of progress,
CATLab students and Impact Conference speakers (by Christine Venzor)
evolving intersection of AI and human connection, emphasizing the importance of social networks in career opportunities. She highlighted that AI is outcompeting human connections in areas like therapy and career advice. She proposed a framework for pro-social AI to support human connection, focusing on face-toface interactions, building social ROI and enhancing help-seeking skills.
turning their AI prototype into a deployable solution that focuses on serving students. They highlighted their key achievements, including integrating AI to streamline study abroad applications while maintaining tight security.
“These programs allow for students to be able to have meaningful relationships and experiences that they’ll carry with them the rest of their lives,” said senior Darian Choi. “We invest in people, in experiences, and in communities – in a world where that’s becoming increasingly rare.”
Julia Freeland Fisher , director of education research at the Clayton Christensen Institute, discussed the
“Why are we designing for students who don’t want to talk to humans and giving them resources to this other channel, instead of trying to design ways to help support students talking to humans?” she asked. “I’m worried that AI is fueling help-seeking aversion and that’s going to have hidden costs. It certainly could affect retention, but also graduates’ ability to navigate the world and the workplace.”
Randy Bass, vice president for strategic education initiatives at Georgetown University, emphasized the need to balance technology with human values. “What does it mean to teach critical thinking through experience? Can we imagine critical thinking that doesn’t just come from books?” Bass asked. “We need to use all the resources we have – our smarts from being in business for 2,500 years, our successes, our knowledge, our values, the passion and power we get from working with our students – and convert those to very intentional actions.”
Beginning this fall, Westmont offers a new environmental studies major to engage pressing climate-related issues, explore environmental stewardship through the lens of Christian theology and ethics, and examine the links between social and environmental justice. Since adding an environmental studies
by Steven Libowitz
Beyond the Baller – the women’s soccer brand with a mission to create opportunities for young female players to develop their skills, confidence, and leadership both on and off the field – is hosting its first-ever youth camp held in collaboration with Nike Soccer Camps at UCSB Rec Center Field from August 4-8.
The organization was co-founded in Santa Barbara by professional soccer player Hannah Adler just two years ago. The goal not only to continue to grow the sport and coach young competitors, but to provide leadership off the field as well.
“It’s called Beyond the Baller because there’s so much more to athletes than just being a soccer player,” Adler said. “It’s creating top notch athletes, top notch soccer players, but we also want to instill confidence and teach how to be a leader, and cultivate environments where we create really good people, which is even more important.”
While next week’s camp is coed, oriented toward both experienced and aspiring players ages 6-14, there will be several female coaches who have played at the collegiate and professional levels assisting Adler in the program.
“It’s about empowering women because I am a female athlete who played in college and on several professional teams, but throughout my life I have never had a female coach,” said Adler. She started for four years at the University of Denver before turning pro in 2020, joining pro teams in the Middle East and in Europe, including the UEFA Champions League. After competing against some of the best clubs in the world, including FC Barcelona, Arsenal, and Hoffenheim, Adler returned to the U.S. to sign with Racing Louisville of the National Women’s Soccer League. “I have always wanted to show these young girls that not only can they play professional soccer, they can also be a coach or anything else in the soccer world.”
The camp offers a structured curriculum with a low camper-to-coach ratio. The program features elite technical training and game knowledge development –both in formal instruction and through competitive and fun scrimmages, Youth are grouped by age and ability level.
“We don’t want players to feel like they can’t join just because maybe they haven’t played soccer for that long,” Adler said. “It’s about meeting players where they’re at; putting them in groups where they will benefit the most.”
While the camp is primarily focused on regular soccer played on grass fields out at
UCSB, Adler couldn’t help but sneak in a single day at the end of the week for her latest conquest of beach soccer. That’s a faster-paced game played on a much smaller area, just five players per team versus 11 at the pro or club level. Adler discovered the beach game while on hiatus from two straight decades playing regular soccer.
“I was tired of moving to a foreign country for a full season, and all of the travel,” she said.
While serving as a volunteer assistant coach at Pepperdine University and kindling that coaching passion that led to Beyond the Baller, Adler discovered that the beach game actually had a national team. She sent a “cold email” to the coach and was invited to a training camp to try out.
To put it mildly, it went very well.
Just months after joining, Adler was named U.S. Women’s Beach Soccer National Team female Soccer Player of the Year in 2023 and received the honor again last year. Meanwhile, her club team, Cali Beach Soccer Club (CaliBSC) is considered one of the best in the world. The commitment is much shorter, allowing Adler to both play beach soccer and run Beyond the Baller as the teams fly her to the tournaments.
Adler is profoundly proud to be playing soccer under the U.S. soccer umbrella, calling the chance to represent her country an incredible honor.
“To wear the U.S. soccer crest is every American soccer player’s dream,” she said. “It’s something I’ve wanted ever since I was a little girl. We’re currently fighting to get a FIFA-recognized beach soccer World Cup on the women’s side. There have been 12 men’s beach soccer World Cups, but zero for women. And there are talks about it becoming an Olympic sport in the near future.”
Adler praised the national team and U.S. Soccer’s environment and coaching staff for being very supportive of the team players. “It’s really helped me to be able to thrive in the two first years of my beach soccer career. That’s part of what I want to bring to youth today with Beyond the Baller.”
The campers will get their chance to check out the beach game on Friday, August 8, when the event moves to East Beach, where BTB staged one of the first U.S. tournaments as a three-on-three competition last summer. The Nike camp is the big focus for the organization this summer, but Adler hopes to expand the beach game in town next year.
“It’s super fun. I think people will love it.”
Visit https://beyondtheballer.com or www. ussportscamps.com/soccer/nike/nike-soccercamp-beyond-the-baller-santa-barbara
by Ashleigh Brilliant
One of the most popular words in the lexicon of modern society is “care.” People in general don’t like to be handled roughly. Of course, there are exceptions, such as arranged fights or episodes of sexual passion. But we are delicate creatures, in comparison with the hard surfaces of our natural and man-made environment. When collisions occur, it is our human flesh and bone which are most likely to suffer (as the staff of any Emergency Room will tell you).
Skilled surgeons were not as available in centuries past – arguably because there was less need for them. In our progress towards a better society, we’ve also created all manner of new hazards, wounds, infections, and diseases. In the days when the fastest vehicles were horse-powered, the injuries suffered in an accident were far less likely to be life-threatening in the way they have since become – most especially if the vehicle is one which travels through the air, with hundreds of people aboard.
“Safety” as a watchword is one gift of these dangers to our contemporary vernacular. As a child, I was taught to equate the word with such precautions as care in crossing streets, obeying traffic signals, and not running out from between parked cars. “Safety First” meant that survival was more important than speed or comfort. Vehicles eventually came with an increasing number of safety features, such as shatterproof glass, seatbelts, and padded interiors.
In the meantime, we have introduced into the automobile all manner of “unsafety” features, such as portable telephones, narcotics, and built-in entertainment systems.
Of course, the occupants of modern vehicles are far safer, with their airbags and warning signals, than the unprotected pedestrians who may be in their way. During the “Hippie Era” of the 1960s, it became fashionable among adherents of the “Counter Culture” to contend that motorization was the way of the Past, not of the Future, and that the streets had to be “taken back” in the interests of safety and civility. As a close observer of this scene, I was moved to immortalize the movement in one of the songs I wrote to the tunes of well-known melodies, this one using the song “Hey, Look Me Over:”
Hey, Run Me Over, all round the town –
See every chauffeur try to knock me down!
Streets are for people – that’s what people say –
I figure that means a pedestrian should have the right of way –
But you can die being right, man, wrong people thrive –
Stay out of sight, man, and you may survive –
So, if you want to live in security, avoiding violent shock –
Just don’t ever leave your block!
Safety at sea, of course, is a different matter. Ever since the Titanic went down in 1912, there have been iceberg patrols and improved regulations about the number of lifeboats a ship must carry. But in that strange situation called wartime, the object of the game becomes to make conditions for the other side as unsafe as possible, while still trying to maximize the safety of your own side.
When it comes to shipping goods rather than people, different standards of safety apply. On the one hand, whatever is being shipped must be protected from all the hazards of rough handling and mechanical processing. (My own little company has experienced losses through the damage sometimes wrought upon such delicate items as Compact Discs by postal machines.) On the other hand, the Post Office and all its competitor shipping services are concerned about what may be in your package, which could be a hazard to those persons and devices handling it – which is why you may be asked to specify contents (as if any ill-intentioned person would be likely to give an accurate description of his bomb or poison gas).
For all our emphasis upon safety, and despite the remarkable fact that longevity appears to be on the increase (have you heard that “100 is the new 80?”) the world still remains a very dangerous place, habitation of which is inevitably fatal. Whatever safety we find is, sadly, only temporary. There are statistical signposts, for example that married people tend to live longer than those who remain single. But the ultimate deathrate is still a staggering 100%.
That is why such anodynes as religion, drugs, competitive sports, and political extremism are still so popular, and why so much of our economy is devoted to trying to ensure that, on our way to oblivion, we are still being handled with care.
by Elizabeth Stewart
AWS, my artist friend in Montecito, has experienced the phenomena we call “artist block,” and has taught a class to a local Arts Association about ways to overcome “creative block.” He called last week to report the results of teaching that class and asked that I share his findings with my readers who, as he said, are no doubt “creatives.”
What do other artists of any medium do when they feel unhappy – and stuck? The elegant artistic portrayal (illustrated) The Passion of Uncertainty by Leonid Pasternak (1862-1945), shows a writer wrestling with creative block, reflecting the painter’s own frustration. Pasternak was an artist who knew firsthand how painful “uncertainty” was. A portraitist who had to flee Russia and then Germany during WWII – he nevertheless went on to illustrate the classic War and Peace and other Tolstoy novels. He was also the father of Nobel prize-winning novelist and poet Boris Pasternak. Leonid Pasternak’s painting The Passion of Uncertainty feels familiar, as I experienced a creative writer’s block recently after the loss of a family member.
Austrian psychologist Edmund Bergler first coined the term “Creative Block” in 1947, defining the exquisite anxiety that accompanies confronting a new canvas or writing a new work. In my case, because (prior to my writer’s block) I loved to write, well-known author friends recommended “free writing” –the liberating technique endorsed by author Dorothea Brande in her 1934 book, Becoming a Writer:
2. Go as far away from where you are as possible. Leave the house, the studio… Observe chaos, see how it resolves in the natural order (waves resolving on a shore, for instance, or the waning of the moon). YOU are part of that order. You will win your work back from the uncertainty that you feel.
3. When you feel stuck, remember that doubt drives your work. ‘Stuck’ is a part of the discovery of where you will go NEXT.
4. Another artist friend said, “Adversity is your wealth; you don’t need to get rid of this feeling. It’s one of the sources of energy and wisdom.”
5. Ask your best friends about your project: Does this make sense? Are these concepts getting across? How can I improve on this project? Then listen –but don’t always follow the advice.
6. Go see art, listen to poetry or music. Make a mental note that the music or poetry or canvases you saw or heard were at one time new babies. Then write, paint, or compose – put things down… those thoughts are also NEW.
7. Go eat noodles with friends. Be a kid again with trusted folks.
Write or paint for fifteen minutes each morning – forget about grammar or structure, or composition, and avoid the feeling of commitment to your art – just write, or just paint. Do not fear a blank canvas or a white page and make no corrections.
Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac, along with Burroughs and Ginsberg, pioneered free-form spontaneous writing. Here are the tips AWS gathered from his class on overcoming artist block. AWS asked his students “what is YOUR remedy for becoming ‘unstuck’?” AWS reports that many blocked artists fall prey to self-criticism, apathy, resentment, fear of failure, and rigid, repetitive, negative self-talk. As I said, this topic is dear to my heart: After losing a loved one, all I could do was stare at the blank page. Many friends suggested that I loosen my thought process. Polling his class, AWS reported ten salient approaches to overcoming “creative block.” Here are those proposed remedies and action plans for artists who wish to become unstuck:
1. Do the opposite of what you’ve been doing. If you’re working on a large project, do a small one, take it to an uncomfortable place. “Go to an extreme,” my artist friend said, and then, “move back to a more comfortable place.”
8. Read an artist who soothed themselves through a hard time, such as those poems by Rilke or Browning. Creative people are sensitive – and they must KNOW they’re not alone and need to remind themselves of that fact.
9. When you feel stuck, or stagnant, make circles. Draw them until you don’t look at them anymore. Make notes under each circular drawing about how the circle helped you (hypothetically) to get un-stuck… then take a hot bath. Feel as much of the world as fits in one bath, drain it all, dry off – and walk away.
10. Look at Renaissance and Old Master paintings, or read some Dante or Chaucer. Remind yourself that art and creativity are good, and that you – as the creator – need patience, and remind yourself that you are one of select group in this world.
Elizabeth Stewart, PhD is a veteran appraiser of fine art, furniture, glass, and other collectibles, and a cert. member of the AAA and an accr. member of the ASA. Please send any objects to be appraised to Elizabethappraisals@ gmail.com
by Christina Atchison
There’s no panacea for wildfire. But a multi-tiered approach to building resilience to wildfire by Montecito Fire Department, coupled with the community’s investment in preparedness, is providing priceless returns.
As we head into a new month, we’re looking back at recent Wildfire Prevention Programs that incrementally strengthen our ability to combat future wildfire challenges.
In its 16th year, 300 Montecito properties opted to participate in the 10-week Neighborhood Chipping Program that ran from February to late June 2025. The Neighborhood Chipping Program asks 1,800 residents within the community to cut overgrown vegetation within 100 feet of structures and driveways, and stack it in piles along the curb.
Our contractor, Eco Tree Works, then chips the cuttings on-site and hauls it away to a local recycling center.
The result: approximately 260 tons of flammable material were chipped and removed from Montecito.
Additionally, about 90 tons of vegetation such as palm fronds, succulents, vines, grasses and leaves that cannot be chipped were disposed of in roll-off dumpsters staged throughout the community during the program.
Montecito Fire Department’s Wildland Fire Specialists, Maeve Juarez and Nic Elmquist, orchestrate the annual fire prevention project.
“Neighborhood Chipping is by far our most popular wildfire prevention program in Montecito,” Wildland Fire Specialist Juarez said. “It’s such a great partnership with our residents and leads
to many conversations about what else people can do to prepare for wildfire.”
“As we get into the late summer and fall months, our wildfire risk increases substantially,” said Wildland Fire Specialist Elmquist. “There’s definitely some comfort in knowing that we’ve removed about 350 tons of vegetation that otherwise would have been perfect fuel for wildfire.”
As a reminder, wood chips from the Neighborhood Chipping Program are no longer made available to community members for landscaping.
Wood chips are highly receptive to burning and can turn into hazardous, flying embers that can travel several miles and cause a wind-driven wildfire to grow exponentially. By taking the chips to a recycling center, we effectively close the loop on reducing the community’s overall wildfire risk through this fire prevention program.
Even still, Elmquist and Juarez say Neighborhood Chipping is just one tool in their arsenal to tackle wildfire risk in Montecito.
“It’s the combination of all our programs that really makes the difference,” Juarez said.
In addition to the Chipping Program, Montecito Fire is also conducting “prescribed herbivory” – using sheep to graze in strategically identified areas of the community. Plus, trimming up tinder-dry grasses along local roadways to cut back onthe risk of roadside fire starts.
“These programs help reduce the potential impacts of future wildfires by reducing vegetation along critical evacuation corridors and increasing buffers around community infrastructure,” Elmquist said. “Although the programs are completed throughout Montecito, we focus on efforts in the northern portions of the community because that is where a wildfire is most likely to start and enter the community.”
Sheep were deployed to six areas of Montecito to chew away at the threat
of wildfire.
What’s “lunch” to the herd of ungulates translates to 70 acres of peace of mind for firefighters, knowing that the density of flammable vegetation has been drastically reduced.
Starting in June, the sheep grazed at the Tea Gardens, Casa Dorinda, Ennisbrook, Westmont College, and two Fuel Treatment Network project locations on East Mountain Drive and Highway 192.
“After using the sheep here for a few years now, we’ve learned that they are most effective in the grassy areas with stringy vines that get caught in weed whips and mowers,” Juarez said. “It’s a win-win because the sheep absolutely love to eat those vining plants.”
The sheep are also helping prevent invasive plants like acacia and castor bean from coming back.
Plot studies in Ennisbrook found that repeated trampling of invasive plants resulted in significantly less regrowth of those species thanks to the hungry, hooved herd’s work there over the past two years.
Nearly 80% of wildfires in Santa Barbara County ignite within 50 feet of a roadway. About a quarter of those are determined to be started by vehicles.
With this data in mind, Montecito Fire Department prioritizes work to lower wildfire risk directly adjacent to our local roads.
Contractors are hired to cut back the annual grasses in the spring and early summer months, before they cure into crispy, golden blades ripe for burning.
In 2025, 20 days were dedicated to doing this work along 10 miles of our roadsides along Gibraltar Road, West Mountain Drive, East Mountain Drive, and Bella Vista Drive.
Not only does this help us prevent roadside starts, but it ensures that we have clear access routes so that in the event of a wildfire, people can evacuate safely, and firefighters are able to get in and do their work.
by Steven Libowitz
The United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County’s mission is to enable all young people – especially those most in need – to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. The clubs, now five strong stretching from Carpinteria to Santa Ynez –including locations on Santa Barbara’s west side and in Goleta – offer a full range of services, from academic support and mentorship to creative arts and sports programs. It’s all part of an effort to nurture the whole child; fostering confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging by providing what is essentially a second home where children can explore their passions, build lasting relationships, and develop the skills they need for a bright future.
Collectively, UBGC annually serves more than 5,000 youth, their ages ranging from kindergarten through high school. UBGC’s programs include offerings in Education (Power Hour with individual tutoring, and College Bound with help on applications, visiting campuses, and more), Health and Life skills (featuring social and emotional learning plus snacks and supper), The Arts (ceramics, painting, theater, choral singing, and the Note for Notes instrument/ instruction partnership), and Athletics (basketball, flag football and soccer).
What’s astounding is that UBGC does all this at a cost of just $40 a year per student member. That used to translate to 19 cents a day, but with the clubs’ expanded hours and days – it’s now open on Saturdays – it’s closer to 13 cents.
“And we don’t charge them if the family can’t afford it,” said Michael Baker, United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County’s Chief Executive Officer. “Almost 70% of our memberships qualify for the free and reduced lunch program at schools, which means the participant lives on or below the poverty line. We don’t ever turn anyone away for lack of the ability to pay.”
From outdoor activities to study sessions, the United Boys & Girls Clubs help keep kids activated and on track year-round (courtesy photo)
But the nominal fee doesn’t affect the quality of the programming, all of which is 100% youth-oriented, with every moment geared toward supporting the kids and helping the children to grow in a variety of ways.
“Nobody does what we do to the level that we do it,” Baker said. “We are the only facility based youth service organization that’s only for children. We are completely kid-centric. Our staff are trained professionally to work with children, and the facilities are only for children. That’s what we do.”
During the school year, the clubs spring into action after classes end in the early afternoon, with an array of activities including Power Hour – a study hall for its student members to concentrate on finishing homework, studying or reading. The College & Career Bound program is focused on securing plans of action for junior high and high school students, in support of graduation and confidence in their future after high school.
“We provide snacks and dinner, and there’ll be at least 45 minutes of physical activity that the kids will go through,” Baker said. “We expose them to art pro-
gramming, technology programming, and leadership programming.”
For middle school and older kids, the Clubs put a special emphasis on working with the children to make sure that they are on track to graduate high school on time with a plan for the future, Baker said. The plan includes one of four outcomes: going to a two- or four-year school, going directly into the workforce, going to a trade school, or going right into the military.
“We want to make sure that every child that comes to our organization already has a plan in place the day they graduate from high school, and they’re ready to execute it,” Baker said. “Our job is to help them get to that point.”
Baker is particularly proud of the summer months, when the Boys & Girls Clubs are open all day long, critical for families whose parents work and wouldn’t have any other place for their children to spend time. The benefits are endless.
“They’re on the free lunch program at school, but for a lot of those kids, when there’s no school, there’s no breakfast or lunch. Just being open and feeding children is very important,” Baker said. “But our programming also makes sure that we’re keeping kids on track throughout the summer, so they avoid what’s called ‘summer learning loss’ for children who grow up in more challenging circumstances. Studies show that without summer programs like ours, those kids are three years behind in reading and math skills by the time they enter the seventh grade.”
The Clubs’ Summer Brain Gain offers one-week modules with fun, themed activities for elementary school, middle school, and high school students that are aligned with common core anchor standards. The project-based learning approach means youth stay engaged in a process of learning through discovery, creative expression, group work, and a final project or production.
UBGC also operates Camp Whittier, a 94-acre affordable summer camp that boasts a variety of activities, including field trips, hikes, athletics, and a camping trip for older members.
Taken in total, those programs all have a lot of impact. United Boys & Girls Clubs reports that 96% of its members are on target to graduate, 80% regularly attend the clubs, and 66% engage in physical activity at least five days a week. All of that, of course, takes financial support, including donations from philanthropists and the local community. While there are any number of ways to support the Clubs, a fun way to rev up your engines is just a short six weeks away. The weekend of September 12-13 is when the 2025 Rally4Kids once again rolls into the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. UBGC’s flagship fundraising event, co-founded and co-chaired by Montecito’s Monte Wilson, is now in its 10th year. Rally4Kids features a daylong rally, when drivers wind through some of the Central Coast and Santa Ynez Valley’s most picturesque roads in a spirited competition designed to test skills, creativity, teamwork and (much like the Clubs’ members) problem-solving abilities through a series of exciting checkpoint challenges. The rally participants then return to the Polo Club for a special Paris Nights Gala al fresco under the stars, a sophisticated evening filled with gourmet French-inspired cuisine, live entertainment, and an auction. The youth served by the Clubs are the ultimate beneficiaries of the rally, which organizers are fond of saying creates brighter futures one mile at a time, as every dollar raised goes directly toward the nonprofit.
“It’s a very fun way to get involved,” said Baker, who has participated as a team member in the Rally4Kids in past years. “But general support is always needed. People support us because they know we get the job done. We do really good work and we stretch the dollar further than anybody we really do. And we’ve got a very good reputation in the community. But if someone still needs convincing about what it is we do, I would personally invite anybody that reads this to come see impact in action. They can schedule a tour with me, and I’ll take them on a guided tour of any one of our facilities.”
Visit www.unitedbg.org for more information
Williams of Lee Stanton Antiques; designer Tineke Triggs; Beth Evick; Norinne DeGal, CEO of Walnut Wallpaper LA; and fashionista publicist Anne Crawford (LA Style Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine and fashion director at Town & Country Magazine NY) with husband Dudley DeZonia, the owner of Royal Truck Body. Following this launch, Totah and Dunham will be busy designing the fall and Christmas collections to be in the store soon!
411: www.hollywoodathome.com/collections/ peter-dunham-hudson-grace
amazing job. We got on really well, so it was fun. I live in Los Angeles and New York City; it’s a really fun life!” Seen at the event were a who’s who of publicists, architects, interior designers and devotees of design – Montecito Country Mart owners Jim and Heather Rosenfield; Jenny Belushi who co-owns the Poppy stores with Heather Rosenfeld; architect Andrew Tullis; Stephanie
Wake up to a good cup of news!
Joanne A Calitri is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@ yahoo.com
SCAN ME!
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learn that Kobori Sojitsu, present Grand Tea Master and head of the ‘Tea Family,’ has deep roots spanning the centuries as a direct descendant of Kobori Enshu, Master of Tea to the historical shogun Tokugawa leyasu himself, and the Tokugawa shogunate that dates from 1603 to 1868.
In the quiet of the garden, Yuko, or Kobori Soushou as she is officially addressed, conducted the tea ceremony in the ancient tradition amid reverent silence and gentle ocean breezes. She is now the Enshu Sado School’s outreach to youth. Yuko is an athlete, and active as a lacrosse player who was selected for the 2011 U22 Japan National Team and the 2013 Japan National Team. This young tea master is attracting attention for her various endeavors blending youthful activities and Japanese cultural traditions worldwide. Among her creations is a sweet green cartoon character emblazoned with an ‘M’ on its vest, for ‘Matcha Monster,’ who delivers the message (and products) as a connoisseur of Japanese culture and centuries old traditions in the youthful conversations of today. Before leaving, Yuko shared her feelings on behalf of her family: “Thank
you so much for the wonderful time during the Hawaiian cruise and the tea gathering. Santa Barbara is truly a beautiful town. We felt so happy to be warmly and kindly welcomed by everyone and we hope to host another tea gathering in Santa Barbara someday. It was an honor to meet you.” Quite the contrary, dear Tea Family, the honor was ours!
small, student-centered preschool nurtures children through play, balanced with pre-academic skills. Now enrolling for the 2025-26 school year. Contact us to schedule a visit today! 530 Hot Springs Road (805)969-5965 www.olmcs.net @MountCarmelSchoolSB
by Jamie Knee
When one mentions California wine country, names like Napa and Sonoma often take center stage. But for the sophisticated traveler seeking authenticity, heritage, and a slower, more personal pace, Lodi offers a compelling and often overlooked alternative. During my recent stay, I discovered a region where old vines meet new vision, and where luxury lies not in pretense but in genuine hospitality and connection to the land.
Lodi is located in California’s Central Valley, just 100 miles east of San Francisco and 40 miles south of Sacramento. Set at the edge of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the region enjoys a rare natural advantage: the Delta breeze. This cooling wind flows through the vineyards each afternoon, tempering the warm sun of the Central Valley and creating the dramatic temperature shifts that winemakers prize. The result is grapes with full ripeness balanced by natural acidity, ideal for producing wines of depth and finesse.
Lodi’s viticultural history dates to the 19th century. Some of the oldest zinfandel vines in the United States still thrive here, planted in the 1880s. These ancient vines, many of them head-trained and dry-farmed, continue to produce small, intensely flavored grapes thanks to the region’s sandy soils, which helped protect them from the phylloxera louse that devastated other
vineyards. Today, these old vines are the foundation of Lodi’s reputation for powerful yet elegant zinfandels.
Lodi is far from a one-varietal region. With more than 100,000 acres under vine and over 100 grape varieties planted, it is among the most diverse wine regions in the country. In addition to its celebrated zinfandel, which accounts for over a third of California’s production, Lodi grows significant quantities of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petite syrah, albariño, grenache blanc, tempranillo, and even gewürztraminer. This breadth reflects both the versatility of Lodi’s terroir and the adventurous spirit of its growers and winemakers.
What sets Lodi apart for the luxury traveler is its unhurried charm and the intimate experiences on offer. Tastings here often take place in settings where the winemaker or owner personally guides guests through the wines, sharing the stories behind each bottle. The absence of large tour buses and crowds allows for private, immersive moments that feel both exclusive and authentic.
Among the region’s notable vineyard’s, Mohr-Fry Ranches stands out for its historic Marian’s Vineyard, one of the oldest zinfandel sites in the area.
Michael David Winery, with its bold wines and creative labels, offers a dynamic counterpoint. Klinker Brick Winery is renowned for its expressive old-vine zinfandel and syrah, while Oak Farm Vineyards provides a sophisticated
Penny Zang makes a spectacular debut with Doll Parts. Zang’s story is infused with her own personal loss and grief in this compelling psychological thriller about two college friends navigating sad girl obsessions during the 1990s. Sadie and Nikki are buddies attending an all-girls school. On campus is an eerie obsessed Sylvia Plath club led by a sketchy professor encouraging the girls to examine suicide. Fast forward 20 years and Nikki has committed suicide. Or is it something darker? Complicating things, Sadie marries Nikki’s ex and has his baby. Told in dual timelines, this is a powerful story of girlhood and friendship.
‘The
The Last Assignment by Erika Robuck is a terrific book about photojournalist Dickey Chappell who covered every war from WWII through the Vietnam War. Robuck is at her finest in this gripping tale about a maverick woman who wore pearl earrings on assignment as she jumped out of planes with the U.S. Marines and marched through the jungles of Vietnam. This is a harrowing story about a woman captured by Hungarian communists, who covered Castro’s “liberation” of Cuba, and fought through her work to show the American people the price of freedom and war. (I previously covered First to the
by Leslie Zemeckis
Front – a biography about Dickey by Santa Barbara’s own Lorissa Rinehart – which is absolutely fabulous.)
I f espionage, the cold war, and romance are your jam, slip into Jane Healey’s The Women of Arlington Hall – a novel based on real people and historical events to do with codebreaking and the unveiling of Russian spies, including Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. A meticulous researcher, Healey brings us the simplified version of a complex problem – the breaking of Russian codes by the women of the Venona Project during the mid-late 1940s. Healey has uncovered fascinating history around a group of women working on a secret military project to expose the Soviet spy network that had infiltrated every level of the U.S. government.
Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell is a creepy gothic suspense centered around a once famous 1920s-era hotel, now long abandoned. Aubrey is an architect who loves photograph-
ing abandoned buildings. While photographing an old hotel, she meets a dashing man who warns her about the curse of the place. A one-night stand with this stranger ends with his body sprawled at the base of the seaside cliffs the next morning. Was it the curse of the hotel or something more sinister?
‘A Killer Getaway’
Looking for a fun beach read? Look no further than Sienna Sharpe’s (literary agent Jenna Satterthwaite’s lit-
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erary pseudonym) A Killer Getaway. For the past five years Lily Lennox has escaped her successful catering business for a summer job lifeguarding at a Caribbean resort. Could she be the culprit in the deaths that occur there every summer? You’ll have to read to find out
Ilove reading books set in Tuscany, Italy (while I’m working in Italy all summer). I thoroughly enjoyed Laura Morelli’s latest, The Keeper of Lost Art. Set during WWII, the narrative is inspired by the true story of how Sandro Botticelli’s masterpiece Primavera (along with other great works of art) was hidden away in a Tuscan villa from the looting German soldiers. It is 1942 and Stella is sent to the countryside for safety. However, the villa where she is staying is soon overtaken by German soldiers, putting lives and art at risk.
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.
by Chuck Graham
The early morning king tide was surging up to the base of the wave-battered bluffs along the Central California coast. At several gullies I waited for sweeping surges of tide to recede outwards so I could run to the next big rock to balance myself above the ebbing tide.
When I reached the wide-open beach a mile up the coast, I stood next to a gurgling creek and listened to the cacophony of northern elephant seals, their sounds drifting across the entire rookery of the second largest seal in the world. There were lots of snorts, bellows, yelps, and cries to nurse. It was barely light when I rounded the end of the bluff and walked right into a marauding coyote. We were only 10 feet from each other when it turned and loped away on top of a windswept marine terrace.
Then I heard some yelping behind me. A northern elephant seal pup had emerged from the surf and was galumphing onto the muddy hardpack. Freshly weaned from its mother, this lone pup would’ve been no match for an adult coyote despite all its thick neck rolls bulging on five weeks of mom’s rich milk. I visualized the pup’s thick neck protecting it from the suffocating choke hold applied by an opportunistic coyote.
Being a northern elephant seal pup is no day at the beach. No pun intended. Nature is cruel for squawking pups that are with their doting moms for only five weeks. Every moment of every day is an act of attrition. Grumpy, dominant northern elephant seal bulls that weigh 3,000 to 5,000 pounds, can easily squash a pup as beachmasters defend their territories and patrol crowded harems of 30 to 50 females. When this happens, the pups can also be separated from their moms, which leads to orphaned pups. Big high tides accompanied with large surf also contributes to this separation. The combination of the girthy males and the weather causes havoc for hungry pups just trying to stay as close to their moms as possible.
Western gulls, snowy egrets, and even shorebirds such as western sandpipers, killdeer, and black turnstones all benefit from northern elephant seal rookeries. When the pups are born during January and February, the placenta from each birth is highly coveted by hordes of gulls. It’s a stressful time for the moms and their pups. The ravenous gulls hover around the females that are the most pregnant, and when they give birth there are tense moments but also entertaining tug-of-wars over the protein-rich afterbirth. The moms lunge at the gulls in
“It’s mmmiiiinnneee!”
vain, and even the pups are easily agitated by all the attention they get from the scrum of seabirds.
Snowy egrets and shorebirds are less annoying and hover around moving elephant seals. When the seals move, the egrets tiptoe in and nab flecks of old skin or remnants of discarded afterbirth but also swarms of sand flies gathering within the scrum.
Everything is connected, and nothing goes to waste at these rookeries. Those pups that do become separated and eventually orphaned typically starve to death. However, following an act of Mother Nature, sometimes a tolerant mom can be seen nursing more than one pup, with as many as five pups sidling up to a mom in the hopes of nursing.
After the dust has settled and pups don’t survive, the cleaners of the rugged Central Coast capitalize on any northern elephant seal pup carcasses scattered across remote windblown beaches. Squadrons of turkey vultures soar over the rookeries, their black wings in V-formation, teetering in perpetual northwest winds. With their keen eyesight, they easily locate and scavenge their next seaside meal.
The sandbar at minus low tide was a perfect platform for hundreds of gulls to roost the late afternoon away.
Relaxing in my van, binoculars around my neck, I had a perfect vantage point for what transpired next. When the gulls lifted off in unison, I immediately thought, “Peregrine falcon.” Raucous seabirds filled
the afternoon glare, shrouding Piedras Blancas north of San Simeon.
However, any thoughts of it being the fastest flying bird in the world quickly dashed when a very large bird landed on the tallest sand dunes between me, the crowded northern elephant seal rookery, and the now gull-free sandbar. In the glare it was too hard to tell what species of raptor it was. There were only two possibilities. I was hopeful it was a scavenging California condor. They were recently released in the region. Instead, I gladly settled for a marauding golden eagle.
As I fumbled for my camera, it took flight, soaring north along the wave-battered coastal crags. In the meantime, I quickly hiked between the dunes and bluffs hopeful for a golden moment. There’s always a lot happening within a northern elephant seal colony. Still, when that golden eagle flew back, it stealthily soared just a few feet over the burly seals. The raptor was looking for a carcass to scavenge, but there wasn’t a seal on the beach that knew the predatory bird was there. Sometimes silence is golden.
Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer based in Carpinteria, where he also leads kayak tours and backpacking trips in Channel Islands National Park
“Leave me alone! I’m not a French fry!”
by Steven Libowitz
After the extravagant production of the doom and gloom-infused morality and reckless wreckage-and-punishment tale of Don Giovanni at the Granada in mid-July, things turn a bit frothier and lighthearted with the Music Academy of the West Lehrer Vocal Institute’s performance of one-acts. Stripped down to the bare essentials and staged much more intimately at Hahn Hall, the evening pairs Ned Rorem’s Four Dialogues – which relates a relationship from meeting to separation in just four vignettes (and songs) – with William Bolcom ’s Lucrezia; a more comedic take on human nature. (Hint: nobody dies.)
While both pieces are relatively rarely performed (and almost never on the same bill), Director Kristine McIntyre has reimagined the two operettas with a manufactured connection to make the pairing seem less random and provide some manner of context for both the singers and the audience.
How she does that specifically will remain something of a surprise, but suffice it to say the two pieces now take place over two generations in 1950s and 1970s New York. Lucrezia , a 50-minute romp described as a zarzuela riff on Machiavelli’s story La Mandragola and originally set in 17th century Spain, has an intelligent seductress at its center.
“It’s a very funny comic send up of the Catholic Church, but also more about personal power politics,” McIntyre said. “The women in the piece are very smart at negotiating with their husbands and society. These Trixie women are going to get what they want and manipulate the situation to the best of their abilities. In this category we can certainly imagine a well-kept fifties housewife as easily as we can some woman in a fancy dress four hundred years ago.”
There’s a suitor for Lucrezia – as well as a go-between the director compared
to Figaro, who comes up with a complicated plan for how to get the two of them together.
“Many hijinks ensue,” McIntyre said. “But in the end, everybody gets what they want, which is delightful.”
Lucrezia was originally commissioned in 2008 for the New York Festival of Song. The production brings Bolcom’s art song style and Mark Campbell ’s pun-laced, rhyming libretto to bear on delivering the game of seduction and love.
“There’s all kinds of fun things, a little bit of cabaret – the main character talks to the audience a lot, which adds a clubby feeling – plus lot of Spanish-themed music, tango and more,” McIntyre said. “It’s more song than opera with a capital O, a lot of Sondheim-like use of text. So it’s great fun.”
Then we fast forward 25 years and meet Four Dialogues’ young twentysomething couple, named simply Man and Woman. The director describes the two as “terribly earnest young people who are trying to get together. Everything is to the nth degree: they fall in love instantly,
and then suddenly they’re in a parked car making out and talking about the stars and burning in each other’s fire, and then they move in and have a fight and then they break up.”
The time-worn tale gets something of a fresh approach through the format.
“It’s about poignancy in a love story, a little bittersweet because they haven’t managed to hold the relationship together,” McIntyre said. “But it’s a lovely little romcom look at love with all of its prickliness; beautifully crafted and great fun to watch unfold through the four songs.”
Another bonus? Rorem’s work clocks in at only 19 minutes.
“We have this idea that opera takes forever, but Four Dialogues only takes 19 minutes to go through the entirety of the relationship.”
Both chamber operas employ minimal furniture with clothing design that features costumes largely selected from Hollywood wardrobe houses, plus well-researched screen projections to set the scenes. Both pieces were also written specifically for two pianos, so the staging also has the two pianos on stage nestled together to perform the score under conductor William Long
The August 5 performance also offers a chance to see seven Lehrer Vocal Institute (LVI) singers who –other than David Khang , who portrayed Commendatore in Giovanni – did not have principal roles in the big opera.
Thursday, July 31: Soprano Christine Goerke, one of this year’s Mosher Guest Artists, has appeared in most of the world’s prestigious opera houses including the Met, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Royal Opera House, and Teatro alla Scala and has also appeared with top orchestras including the New York Phil, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Phil, and BBC Symphony. She’ll lead today’s LVI master class before serving as soloist for Berlioz’s La Mort de Cléopâtre at Saturday’s AFO concert. (3:30 pm; Hahn Hall; $10)… Tonight’s final x2 series concert of the summer is titled “Cynthia Phelps: Femme Focus,” in tribute to the longtime violist, a MAW alumna (‘79, ‘83) who was principal violist of
the New York Philharmonic for over two decades, and an in-demand soloist chamber musician and soloist. The longtime faculty member will collaborate with faculty and fellows on Mel Bonis’ “Fantaisie ou Concerto, Op. 72, ‘Septuor,’” and Amy Beach’s “Piano Quintet in F-sharp Minor, Op. 67,” which serve as bookends for Jeff Scott’s wind wonder Sacred Women. (7:30 pm; Hahn Hall; $50-$60)
Friday, August 1: The final entry in the new Composers in Context Series throbs with new musical creation from inti figgis-vizueta , examining the creative conversation between past and present, tradition and innovation, all centered on the world premiere of the groundbreaking composer’s “muir (ocean).” Also pairing fellows and faculty, the concert opens with Caroline Shaw’s “Draft of a High-Rise” and figgis-vizueta’s solo flute piece “fréimhe” before the composer joins the solo piano fellows to perform “muir.” Legiti’s “Trio for Violin, Horn, and Piano, ‘Hommage à Brahms,’” closes the evening. (7:30 pm; Hahn Hall; $50-$60)
Saturday, August 2: Popular Conductor Stéphane Denève returns to MAW for the fellows-powered Academy Festival Orchestra’s penultimate 2025 concert, a sweeping evening of French masterworks, including Ravel’s “Une barque sur l’ocean,” Berlioz’ “La Mort de Cléopâtre” (featuring Goerke), Roussel’s “Bacchus et Ariane, Op. 43, Suite No. 2,” and a pulse-pounding finale of Ravel’s “Boléro.” Come an hour early for a pre-concert talk with Denève and MAW Chief Artistic Officer Nate Bachhuber. (7:30 pm; Granada; $10-125)
Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage
Miscellany (Continued from 8)
As with One Good Egg, Trash Club has humor throughout and multiple moments meant to evoke laughter. Throughout the piece Gale also details her various modes and methods of healing; a narrative process director Teagan Rose describes as part storytelling, part standup, part ritual, part dumpster dive. Ultimately, the show is about bouncing back, perhaps better and stronger than ever.
“Resilience is so important during tough times,” Gale said. “To be able to pick yourself up out of a trash pile, clean it up and keep moving, even though sometimes we want to escape and numb out, or pretend that it’s not that bad, or ignore it, or do all the things we humans to do avoid the big feelings of our lives. But steering into the skid of loss or disappointment builds compassion and strength. And that helps us contribute to others who may be going through something similar, maybe making their journey a little easier.”
Like writing and starring in a one-woman show.
Something Rotten! imagine the birth of the musical as brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom’s bid to foil William Shakespeare’s reign as the Renaissance rockstar playwright. The idea arrives via a local soothsayer determined to assuage Nick Bottom’s agony of defeat, foretelling thus that the future of theater will simultaneously stitch together acting, singing, and dancing. As with all good theater, the drama is both personal and professional. The self-reck -
oning – embodied in the notion of being true to thine own self – arrives just in time.
It was only three years ago that the show created by John O’Farrell and Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick – which premiered on Broadway in 2015 and landed 10 Tony Award nominations –had runs in town with Lights Up! teen theater company and SBCC’s Theatre Group just months apart. But it’s definitely not too soon for the fast-paced and imaginative musical comedy to return to a local stage. The production boasts a huge cast, stunning dance production numbers, and hundreds of costumes – all the while liberally excerpting moments from decades of Broadway hits. Catch PCPA’s Something Rotten! at the Solvang Festival Theater August 1-23. Visit www.pcpa.org
The prestigious Ojai Playwright’s 28th Annual Summer Conference offers writers a two-week workshop in which to develop their new plays, culminating in a public performance of their still-developing works at OPC’s New Works Festival, slated for July 31-August 3. Playwrights Lisa D’Amour, Deepak Kumar, Regan Moro, JuCoby Johnson, and Marvin González De León are the OPC cohort whose plays will be performed this year–and who will participate in a discussion panel at Ojai’s Thatcher School. Visit www.ojaiplays.org.
Spot-on casting, a clever stage set, crisp direction by Rick Mokler, and, of course, Mel Brooks’ over-the-top script and song lyrics taken from his own earlier film, came together to make SBCC Theatre Group’s production of Young Frankenstein a soaring delight. I’d say much more about the charms of the various principal actors and ensemble players – they who demonstrated more than ample dialog, dancing and singing skills. But the show closed last weekend. Suffice it to say, don’t miss SBCC’s summer musical productions, nor, for that matter, anything former program director Mokler helms.
Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage
the new Spirit of Fiesta Natalia Treviño and Junior Spirit Victoria Plascencia
A glorious evening celebrating Spanish heritage with guests including Kathryn Martin, Lisa Osborn, George and Laurie Leis, Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey, Mayor Randy Rowse, Stephanie Petlow, Lynn Kirst, Gretchen Lieff, and Adam McKaig.
Tennis ace Maria Sharapova, who bought a five-acre ocean view retreat in Summerland for $8.6 million in November 2020, has put her Los Angeles mansion on the market for
$18.5 million with her British fiancé Alexander Gilkes, 46.
The Japanese-inspired home has sweeping views to Catalina. Sharapova won her first Grand Slam at 17, winning five in all.
Social gadabout Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey, bubbly founder of the popular La Boheme Dance Company, hosted their fifth annual Viva La Fiesta at Casa de la Guerra, with more than 350 guests.
Miscellany Page 354
Environmental studies students measure the progress of oak woodland restoration
minor in 2019, Westmont has hosted several national climate workshops, including Faith. Climate. Action., and the Gaede Institute’s “Liberal Arts for a Fragile Planet.” Co-curricular programs on campus such as the Oak Restoration Project, the Westmont Garden and the Westmont Biodiversity Project teach and promote sustainability.
“Widespread environmental problems rank among the most pressing global issues of our time, and their scientific, social and moral dimensions require a sophisticated, informed and compassionate response,” says Amanda Sparkman, professor of biology and environmental studies adviser.
“The environmental studies major will cultivate a deep understanding of human connection to the natural world, so students can analyze and debate complex environmental problems and devise constructive, imaginative solutions.”
Students will develop the knowledge and skills to engage contemporary environmental issues such as biodiversity loss, pollution, resource depletion, climate change, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and sustainable development from local to global scales. Selected courses include Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, Restoration Ecology, Animal Diversity, Land into Landscape, Environmental Politics, and Food Systems.
“Westmont is ideally posed to attract students interested in studying environmental fields, given its natural beauty from mountain to coast, and proximity to the Channel Islands National Park and Los Padres National Forest,” says Blake Victor Kent, associate professor of sociology.
“Santa Barbara itself is well known for its historic role in originating Earth Day and for its many vibrant and well-respected environmental organizations.”
A number of local environmental groups offer internships for credit, and several Westmont professors invite environmental majors to conduct research. Students may participate in off-campus summer opportunities with a Westmont May-term semester in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, through Au Sable in Michigan and Washington, semester-abroad programs with the Creation Care Study Program in New Zealand and Belize, and internships at Westmont Downtown.
The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art is keeping the celebration alive. While the party to honor Judy L. Larson – who retired after 17 years of directing the museum – has concluded, the sizable exhibition, Building A Collection: 2008-2025, continues through Saturday, August 2. Interim Director Chris Rupp has scoured through the 2,500 art objects in the museum’s permanent collection to offer an eclectic array of masterpieces, categorized from French 19th Century to Regional Artists.
Over the course of 17 years with Larson at the helm, the museum has organized 111 exhibitions, published 22 catalogues and welcomed more than 100,000 visitors into the gallery. “She leaves behind a legacy of visionary leadership, impactful exhibitions and a dynamic permanent collection that will continue to inspire for generations to come,” Rupp says. “Each work on view reflects meaningful relationships cultivated with artists, donors and community members.”
The museum is open weekdays from 10 am to 4 pm and Saturdays from 11 am to 5 pm.
Building A Collection: 20082025, continues through Saturday, August 2
tasting experience in a beautifully restored estate setting. For those seeking something truly unique, Acquiesce Winery focuses solely on white Rhône varietals, producing wines of remarkable purity and finesse.
A stay at Wine & Roses Hotel, Restaurant, and Spa completes the Lodi experience. This boutique property is nestled among seven acres of lush gardens, with accommodations that blend rustic elegance and modern comfort. Spacious rooms and suites feature private patios or balconies, fireplaces, and luxurious bedding. The on-site spa offers a full menu of treatments, including vinotherapy experiences that incorporate local wines and grapes. Dining at the property’s Towne House Restaurant highlights the region’s bounty with seasonal, farm-to-table cuisine paired with exceptional local wines.
The hotel’s understated luxury, coupled with its proximity to the area’s finest vineyards, makes it the ideal retreat for travelers seeking refinement without ostentation.
Lodi offers something increasingly rare in today’s wine world: a chance to engage
with winemakers and growers who are deeply connected to their land, to taste wines born of both heritage and innovation, and to experience hospitality that is genuine, not rehearsed. For the luxury traveler, the true indulgence lies in Lodi’s authenticity, a region where world-class wines, rich culture, and heartfelt connection are the ultimate treasures.
If you’re ready to explore this remarkable destination, I invite you to contact me to help plan your next unforgettable journey to Lodi wine country. jamieknee@petitewinetravler.com
Suspect Text Messages / Toro Canyon Road
Monday, July 14, at 20:56 hours
Responded to a report of suspicious text messages received by two different residents from the same number. The messages were ambiguous but suggestive and mentioned death, placing the two recipients and other residents in fear. The messages did not meet the threshold of criminal threats but were concerning, so an incident report was taken. Residents were told to recontact law enforcement if messages continued or escalated.
Burglary / 1200 block Mesa Road
Monday, July 14, at 03:42 hours
Reporting Party (RP) called to report that she awoke to discover that someone had entered and ransacked her house, stealing a large amount of jewelry and cash, as well as driver’s licenses and credit cards. RP and her husband were asleep in the house while this occurred sometime between 23:30 hours and 03:30 hours. While Deputies were clearing the house, they discovered a broken window on the second floor, which could have been a point of entry.
False Social Security Number / 2300 block Lillie Avenue
Wednesday, July 16, at 11:48 hours
Deputies received a courtesy report from Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department regarding an employee at the above address who was using a false Social Security number for employment. Follow-up was conducted and it was determined the suspect had not worked at the location for about a year.
Domestic Disturbance / 2400 block Lillie Avenue
Friday, July 18, at 19:42 hours
Deputies responded to a call about a domestic disturbance at the gas station in Summerland. Couple were in a relationship of five years and had two children in common. The female struck the victim in the face while he was driving on the 101. The victim pulled into the gas station and got out of the vehicle while someone called in the disturbance. The female was arrested and transported to SBJ.
tree about to land on my car.” Right!
When she learned she’d been cast as Woman in Car, Bowen was A Woman in A Car (the indefinite article makes all the difference here) driving with her daughter to Charleston, SC. A professional thespian of stage and screen, Bowen received the news with cool equanimity. The following comments are from this article’s interview transcript, but let’s render it in approximate script format:
Melissa O. Bowen Hello, this is Melissa.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Bronze Age Hardware, 2605 S. Miller Street, Suite 107, Santa Maria, CA 93455. Robert J Dickerson, 2605 S. Miller Street, Suite 107, Santa Maria, CA 93455. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on June 25, 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. 2025-0001517. Published July 10, 17, 24, 31, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV04119. To all interested parties: Petitioner Jennifer Anne Christina Richardson filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name of their child from Alexander Frederick Alire to Alexander Frederick Richardson. The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the
Historically Momentous Film Studio
Yes, hello. You got the role.
Melissa O. Bowen
I’m sorry, what?! [quickly composes herself] Uh, okay. Well, thank you very much. [clicks off the call and emits the ragged scream of a banshee.] AAAAAYAAAAAAAEEEEE!!!
Young Daughter in Passenger seat Mom, are you okay?
Melissa O. Bowen OH MY GOD!!
Bowen is a former dancer whose career was cut short by a worldwide pandemic; a real one, not a movie one. Immersed in terpsichore from girlhood, by middle school she was giving dance her all, with the support of a cape-wearing Super Mom who saw in her artist daughter an aspiration she knew better than to limit. “I was very much hyper-focused on ballet,” Melissa says. “My mom took care of everything. I started partially homeschooling and took extra ballet classes in the morning. My mom taught me history at home, and then I would go back to school for science, math, and everything else in the afternoon.
“When I was 15 or 16, my dad’s job got transferred out to Camarillo, California.” During this period Melissa partook of State Street Ballet’s Summer
reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed July 17, 2025 by Jessica Vega. Hearing date: September 8, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 5, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published July 17, 24, 31, August 7, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV04119. To all interested parties: Petitioner Jennifer Anne Christina Richardson filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name of their child from Adrian Franklin Alire to Adrian Franklin Richardson. The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written ob-
Program. “We drove up from Camarillo every day for dance camp and there was a girl … she was in the final running for Interview with the Vampire. It was her against Kirsten Dunst. That was my first experience with the film world. And I was like, Oh! Okay…”
Following college – “I went to school as a dance major” – life spooled out and Melissa met the love of her life, today’s U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5, Chad Bowen. While stationed in Germany in 2019, Melissa, with great fear and trembling, auditioned for a stage musical she absolutely adored in its earlier film iteration – a property called Young Frankenstein
“I was like, I’m not really a singer, but can I audition for that? I was so nervous! We pulled up to the place to audition. I was like, no, I don’t think so.” Here comes a fork in the road, courtesy of Melissa’s backseat manager. “My older daughter, who was only eight at the time, she was like, mom, you can do it. JUST GO DO IT.” Melissa sighs through a smile. “And so we went in and I did that.”
jection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed July 17, 2025 by Jessica Vega. Hearing date: September 8, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 5, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published July 17, 24, 31, August 7, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV04073. To all interested parties: Petitioner Angeles Natividad Avalos Borrayo and Rigoberto Sandoval Velazquez filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name of their child from Liam Matteo Avalos to Liam Matteo Sandoval Avalos. The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed July 11, 2025 by Terri Chavez. Hearing date: September 10, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 3, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published July 17, 24, 31 August 7, 2025
“A
Melissa is behind the wheel on set, covered in dust. Director James Gunn is on scene and minutely surveying every angle. “And he’s like, ‘okay – let’s rehearse.’ He knew exactly what he wanted. Most of it was done in one take, except … when I was fumbling with the keys – because it wasn’t my car! – I accidentally set off the windshield wipers. He thought that was hilarious. He’s like, we might use that!” Spoiler alert: he didn’t. But Mr. Gunn did give Melissa a warm sendoff.
“Traditionally on a film set, when somebody’s done, they’ll be like, ‘that’s a wrap!’ When my scene was finished, Mr. Gunn came out and said, “That’s a wrap on Melissa Bowen! And he came over and gave me a hug.”
Melissa’s acting coach is John Lee Cope. “He was in the original class with Stella Adler back when she opened the L.A. school. He is amazing.” This artist has plenty of support. Nobody pursues a career like this without plenty of loving backstop. “Chad has his own very intense career, and he has made space for me. If I need to leave for a weekend to go film, he’s always there and supportive. And the kids are very understanding in that way too. And my teenager has learned to help me out with the self-tapes!”
Okay? Melissa Bowen – an actor and dancer – is based in Louisville, KY with her husband, CW5 Chad Bowen and their children Trea and Jade. She holds a BA in Dance from APSU and teaching certification with American Ballet Theater’s national curriculum. And she recently entered the new DC Universe. Melissa is now officially part of the Superman canon begun in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It suits her.
“My teenager, she’s 14 now. But when she was little, I brought her up on the animated series for Justice League and Batman and Superman. You know, I appreciate Marvel, but I’m a DC girl at heart.”
The rewards of film acting are manifold and may at times be as knee-buckling as Kryptonite. “There was a local anime con, and my 10-year-old went with me and my husband. There were voiceover artists there, and people who work in film. The Superman theme came on a radio in the background, and my husband just goes, “…Superman.” This voice actor standing there says ‘Have you seen the new Superman?’ And my 10-year-old goes, ‘Hey, my mom is in Superman!!’”
Flamenco and salsa were provided by the Laura Garcia dance group, and other performances from Danza Folklórico and the Zermeño Dancers. Mezcal Martini added to the fun.
El Presidente Fritz Olenberger cut a birthday cake noshed on by guests including Adam McKaig, Melissa Borders, Fred Brander, Arlene Larsen, Mayor Randy Rowse, Maitland Ward, emcees KEYT-TV reporter John Palminteri, Robert and Nancy Adams, Peter and Kathryn Martin, and David Bolton
Netflix is ending it $100 million production deal with Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle.
The Riven Rock couple signed the lucrative deal in 2020 to earn funds after quitting Royal life and moving to the U.S.
The pair are set to sign a first look deal with the streaming giant when the current deal ends this year, according to the New York Post’s Page Six.
Watch this space...
Former TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and former actress wife
Portia de Rossi are selling their sprawling farmhouse estate in the U.K.’s Cotswolds for a hefty $30 million.
In November the tony twosome fled Montecito to set up home in the popular area beloved by celebrities and also home to Highgrove, King Charles’ picturesque country estate.
But just one year after purchasing the 43-acre property, dubbed “Kitesbridge Farm,” they have now put it up for sale, according to the Wall Street Journal
DeGeneres, 67, and the Arrested Development actress, 52, purchased the property for $20 million last spring.
According to the official listing from Sotheby’s International Realty the property has seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms. There is also a two-bedroom guest cottage, a heated five car garage, a swimming pool, gymnasium, and a helicopter shed.
Animal activist Gretchen Lieff and my trusty shutterbug Priscilla co-hosted a birthday bash for yours truly at her La Lieff tasting room in the Funk Zone for the 22nd anniversary to my half century.
The sunset soirée attracted quite the crowd including Wayne and Sharol
Siemens, Joel and Jamie Knee, Caren Rager, Linda Rosso, William Tomicki, Joan Rutkowski , Jeep Holden , Brendon Twigden, Adam McKaig, Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey, and Kathryn Martin. A truly bubbly evening...
Actor Orlando Bloom at the Porsche Design Global Event in New York... Oprah Winfrey catching her good friend CBS Morning anchor Gayle King in her Broadway debut in The Lion King via FaceTime.
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
by Steven Libowitz
Ventura County Fair – There’s still no better bang for your buck than the Ventura County Fair, the massive 11-day oceanside event – the biggest between L.A. and San Francisco – which has adopted “Waves of Fun” as its theme for 2025. That’s a pretty good description of what you’ll find over the next 10 days at Seaside Park: an array of activities ranging from 4H and other agricultural competitions to arts and crafts shows, commercial exhibits, belly-busting fair food, pig races, horse shows, not to mention a huge carnival. The kicker? A bevy of concert acts where entry to the Grandstand Stage concerts costs absolutely nothing more than the price of admission to the fair itself, unless you want to spring for special VIP reserve seating tickets. The lineup Diplo (July 31), Dirty Heads (August 1), Lee Brice (August 2), La Maquinaria Norteña & La Séptima Banda with Mi Banda El Mexicano (August 3), Flo Rida & Bubba Sparxxx (August 4), Dylan Scott featuring Cheat Codes (August 5) and Scotty McCreery with Kruse Brothers (August 6.) Note: The Flying U Rodeo Company PRCA Rodeo shows on closing weekend, August 8-10, carry an extra $8-10 admission. Meanwhile, the 2025 Station Stage shows include a slew of tribute acts, including seven different bands that honor Foreigner, Motley Crew, Taylor Swift, the Grateful Dead, Bee Gees, Morgan Wallen and Fleetwood Mac, plus shows starring Amore Prohibido, The OutLaw Mariachi, the aforementioned Kruse Brothers, and The White Buffalo. Saddle up and sidle down the 101 to the Seaside Park showgrounds for summertime sounds and more fun.
WHEN: Grandstand 7 pm, Station Stage 9 pm
WHERE: Seaside Park, 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura
COST: $16-$21
INFO: (805) 648-3376 or www.venturacountyfair.org
Songs at the Stow House – The Music at the Ranch series is where summer evenings sound sweeter. Rancho La Patera & Stow House is the place, smack in the heart of Goleta’s goodland. The community – by whatever expansive metric you use to define that term – gathers every Tuesday evening till the kids head back to school. Why? To enjoy the acoustics, the atmosphere, and the sprawling grassy vibe. This week (August 5): Did you somehow not get your fill of Fiesta last Wednesday-Saturday, or perhaps you cotton more to the bucolic than the boisterous? Mezcal Martini, who played a few times for the Fiesta faithful, offer
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2
‘Woof’ on the Walls – Local fine artist Susan Tortorici has created a kennel of keenly painted dog portraits as well as an interactive game that pays homage to the early 20th century parlor amusement known as “Exquisite Corpse.” Re-titled as “Exquisite Pups,” the installation allows visitors to engage in art making by creating their own version of amusing dog characters. Both dogs and their owners are welcome to sniff up the pop-up art show that’s going to the dogs, and a portion of sales will be contributed to Wet Noses Rescue, a rescue organization that adopts out canines internationally.
WHEN: 11 am-4 pm
WHERE: Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden St.
COST: free
INFO: www.sbcaw.org/upcoming or contact curator Pat Moore at patqmoore@gmail.com
Daveapalooza – The Lobero Theatre hosts a tribute concert and Celebration of Life honoring David M. Mendoza, a cherished local musician, parent and educator who died suddenly earlier this year before he turned 50. Friends and family will come together to “turn up the volume” for Mendoza in a curated afternoon of music that will spotlight his impact on Santa Barbara’s music scene, celebrating both his contributions as a musician and his influence as an educator who inspired countless local students during his 22-year career with the Santa Barbara Unified School District. Mendoza taught music and started Santa Barbara’s first youth mariachi band and later taught math and special ed at Santa Barbara High School, where he helped innumerable kids to graduate and pursue their dreams. At the center of today’s event will be the reunion of Santa Barbara indie rock band The Hero and the Victor (Mendoza was guitarist and singer), marking the 20-year anniversary of the band’s debut album The Villainy of the Ordinary. More performances by Mendoza-connected musicians including The Lineup, Cactus Jerry and the Coyotes, Brasscals, and others. Stories in remembrance round out the event.
WHEN: 2 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: free (tickets must be reserved in advance)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org/events/daveapalooza
a tamer but still live Latin-flavored show out at the ranch. Blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics (which allow responsibly sipped alcohol) are encouraged.
WHEN: 5:30-7:30 pm
WHERE: Stow House, 304 N. Los Carneros Road, Goleta
COST: free
INFO: (805) 681-7216 or www.goletahistory.org/music-at-the-ranch
Eggs-amination – A documentary debuting in town and drawing a loyal audience in the dog days of summer? It must be SBIFF’s Cinema Society, the ongoing series of screenings that eventually brings nearly every future Oscar nominee and a bushel of other fine films to town for special events that almost always feature a filmmaker discussion. On tap today: Thaw: Parenthood on Ice, which chronicles how the freezing of human eggs has grown from a niche medical procedure to a billion-dollar industry that promises women the ability to pause their biological clocks and extend their reproductive choices. Through the experiences of three American women and insights from medical experts, ethicists and industry leaders, the doc examines the realities behind the growing trend, focusing on who has access, who profits and what’s at stake in the procedure that can be a path to empowerment or a costly gamble in an unregulated system with no guarantees. A conversation with director Robin Hauser follows.
WHEN: 5 pm
WHERE: SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre, 2044 Alameda Padre Serra
COST: $20
INFO: (805) 963-0023 or https://sbifftheatres.com/cs
Half a Century of Soaring – The Santa Barbara Soaring Association celebrates 50 years of free flight at the Elings Park training hill, the longest continuously used hang gliding site in the United States. Visitors to the free family-friendly event can experience the world of hang gliding and paragliding up close via live flight demonstrations by local pilots, historical exhibits and even a chance to take to the sky in the hills just a stone’s throw from the ocean through a tandem discovery flight with certified instructors.
WHEN: 12-6 pm
WHERE: Elings Park, enter at 2550 Cliff Drive
COST: free ($25 tandem flight)
INFO: www.sbsa.info
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6
Sadako Peace Day – The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, a locally-rooted international organization, once again collaborates with the Immaculate Heart Community to hold the 31st annual Sadako Peace Day on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The event is named in honor of Sadako Sasaki, who was two years old when the United States dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on her city and a decade later developed leukemia, but was determined to survive and bring peace to the world.
The event is held every year at the Sadako Peace Garden on the grounds of the La Casa de Maria Retreat Center that serves year-round as a peaceful area for reflection. Music, poetry and time for reflection are part of the evening.
WHEN: 6 pm
WHERE: La Casa de Maria, 800 El Bosque Rd., Montecito
COST: free
INFO: www.wagingpeace.org/programs/public-events/sadako-peace-day
Hello, Hanohano Henry – Henry Kapono is a Grammy-nominated and 21-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winner back home in his native Hawaii, where he first rose to fame in the 1970s as half of the iconic duo Cecilio & Kapono. Five decades later, Kapono continues to inspire audiences worldwide with his soulful voice and captivating performances that blend traditional Hawaiian music with pop and soul. On tour as part of his foundation’s SummerFest Concert Series, Kapono will share his newest songs, including from his Summertime EP, as well as timeless hits and audience favorites, each imbued with the singer-songwriter’s aloha spirit and island energy.
WHEN: 8 pm
WHERE: SOhO Restaurant & Music Club, 1221 State St., upstairs in Victoria Court COST: $23 in advance, $25 at the door
($83.60 with dinner and seating in the first four rows)
INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6
Found in Translation – Winner of the 2024 PEN/Ralph Manheim translation prize for lifetime achievement, Suzanne Jill Levine has devoted her life to practicing, investigating, and teaching the art of literary translation. Her more than half of century of work includes translations of critical Latin American authors that include Clarice Lispector, Cecilia Vicuña, Jorge Luis Borges, Manuel Puig, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Carlos Fuentes, Julio Cortázar, and Guillermo Cabrera. Her careful elucidations have profoundly impacted and broadened the variety of Hispanic literature available in the Anglo world. As a scholar, prolific translator, bilingual writer and poet, and mentor to scores of essential translators active in the field today, Levine has now written Unfaithful: A Translator’s Memoir, a witty and incisive chronicle that interweaves her personal and translation history during an important period. Bloomsbury.com says, “Levine analyzes how her openness to another culture and new experiences, along with a knack for translating the most difficult Latin American novels and her positive interactions with her authors, took her from a modest New York background into a whole new literary and linguistic world.” The author comes to Chaucer’s for a book talk and signing this evening.
WHEN: 6 pm
WHERE: Chaucer’s, 3321 State St. in Loreto Plaza Shopping Center COST: free
INFO: (805) 682-6787 or www.chaucersbooks.com
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
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
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
Casa L. M.
Landscape hedges installed. Ficus to flowering. Disease resistant. Great privacy. Certified rootstock assorted fruit trees. Licensed & insured. Call (805) 963-6909
WATERLILIES and LOTUS since 1992 WATERGARDEN CARE SBWGC
PAINTINGS
Paintings by Kasandra Martell for sale. Images emailed to interested parties. Call Allen (805) 745-5533
TUTOR AVAILABLEIN PERSON OR VIA ZOOM
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
Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections
Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575
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.
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
CARPET CLEANING
Carpet Cleaning Since 1978 (805) 963-5304 Rafael Mendez Cell: 689-8397 or 963-3117
PIANO LESSONS
Openings now available for Children & Adults. Piano Lessons in our Studio or your Home. Call or Text Kary Kramer (805) 453-3481
Tutor available for students in grades K-7th. Experienced in teaching math, language arts, social studies and history. I also have experience working with special needs students. I am a longtime local resident. I have a Master’s degree in Education and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. I have 20+ years of experience tutoring. My rate is $50/per hr.
A Ford I’ve lived in Montecito for a long time and I want to stay here! $18K (562) 233-7710
MIRAMAR BEACH CONDO FOR LONG-TERM LEASE
Two bedroom / two bath, furnished beach condo available September 1. Gated entry, two dedicated parking spaces. $11,000 / month. No pets Call owner at (817) 307 8989
Vintage and Antique finds, Home Decor, Outdoor Furniture and Books of Every Interest.
Saturday August 9th, 2025 (ONE DAY ONLY)
Time: 9:00AM - 3:00PM
Location: 1180 Mesa Rd (rear yard) Between Middle Rd. and Butterfly Ln. Payment: Cash Preferred/No Credit Cards.
Note: All items are sold “As Is” No early birds please.
Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944
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)
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
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3 events | Save 20%
Aristo Sham, piano
2025 Van Cliburn Gold Medalist
Sat, Jan 24 / 7 PM / Hahn Hall
Ruckus
Davóne Tines, bass-baritone
Tue, Feb 3 / 7 PM / Hahn Hall
Lucía
Thu, Apr 30 / 7 PM / Hahn Hall
Isidore String Quartet
with Sterling Elliott, cello
Thu, May 14 / 7 PM / Hahn Hall
