The Play’s the Thing – Producer-director & Broadway alum Jordan Pearce helps bring Annie Jr. to Providence School, P.12
Motorola’s Message – The Montecito Association gets a visit from Motorola on why their License Plate Readers are preferred, P.24
Coastal Commission Speaks – Impactful votes and unexpected outcomes occur at the marathon CCC meeting, P.34
A Tale of Two Cities
Nancy McCradie’s new memoir details a 36-year saga of homelessness, her time in the Cabrillo Jungle, her bumpy path to activism – and at long last, her house, page 6
A Sailing Start to the Year
The jib is up! The SB Yacht Club has a new Commodore and full season of sailing ahead for their 153rd year, page 8
Savie Health is health for all, page 16
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
5 On Real Estate – The March numbers are in and the local real estate market is still strong with a move towards a more balanced
Beings & Doings – The Homeless® present to our averted eyes as a single repugnant monolith of fear. Nancy McCradie’s absorbing 36-year saga memoir puts us on the street. It ain’t all bad.
Montecito Miscellany – Opening day with the Santa Barbara Yacht Club, Owls and Circa on stage, and more miscellany
Community Voices – The Lake Cachuma improvement plan may have an added benefit for locals
Message from MA – With an increase in burglaries throughout Montecito, the MA is hosting a Town Hall on safeguarding our community Tide Guide
Our Town – A talk with Jordan Pearce who is directing Annie Jr. for Providence School
Monument Unveiling – The Harbor has a new character, one that stands 10 feet tall and honors the pioneering giants of deep-sea diving
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The Giving List – With no billing system or required documentation, for Savie Health basic healthcare service is something that should be provided for all
18 Brilliant Thoughts – When reflecting on Then in the Now, not everything is picture perfect
20 Petite Wine Traveler – The House of Tomorrow, tiki bars, and retro-chic stylings… only in Palm Springs
22 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – Two rugs tell of Native American textile arts, early trading, and the stories that can be woven in thread
24
Meeting at MA – Updates on the Montecito Sheriff’s satellite office and Motorola comes to town to talk about their License Plate Readers
26 On Entertainment – The SB Symphony is gathering voices for its own Choir, Crime & Punishment and comedy, plus State Street Ballet’s Brilliance
28 Spirituality Matters – Laugh, sing, and dance to your spirit’s delight with these range of events
30 In Passing – Remembering the life and impact of Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
33
Your Westmont – Stargazers to see planets, professor pens book on religion’s role in social justice, and pitcher Zach Yates remains unhittable
34
Local News – The Miramar expansion appeal and Sable Cease & Desist order are voted on at the Coastal Commission meeting
35 Montecito Health Coach – As our largest organ, skin care should take a whole body approach Robert’s Big Questions – Why do people stay loyal to an ideal?
36 News Bytes – Pickleball at the Montecito Y, Carp gets a new PIO and its Volunteer of the Year is named, and other tidbits Crime in the ‘Cito
38 An Independent Mind – What can be gleaned about the checks and balances in the government?
44 Calendar of Events – TED at the library, The Dude at the Granada, Proscenium at the museum, and other happenings
46 Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads
47
Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles Local Business Directory
On Real Estate
South Coast Property Report
By Stan Tabler
The Santa Barbara South Coast real estate market continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience in early 2025, with significant price appreciation in most areas and a persistent shortage of available inventory driving competitive bidding situations despite rising interest rates. Montecito, in particular, maintains its position as one of the nation’s most exclusive real estate markets, though recent statistics suggest a subtle shift toward more balanced market conditions in the estate segment.
Regional Market Overview
March 2025 saw a notable 11% increase in residential property sales across the Santa Barbara South Coast, with 111 transactions recorded as compared to March 2024. Single-family homes and Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) represented 79 of these sales, showing a slight increase from 77 in the previous year. The median sale price for these properties reached $2,827,000, marking a substantial 35% year-overyear increase, while the average sale price was $4,340,670.
Condominium sales demonstrated even stronger growth with 32 transactions, reflecting a 39% increase from March 2024. The median condominium sale price rose 14% to $1,187,500, with the average price increasing 9% to $1,333,587. These figures continue to underscore the desirability of the Santa Barbara South Coast region, where 88.3% of all residential sales exceeded $1 million.
Beings & Doings
Safe as Houses: Nancy McCradie’s
36-Year Homeless Saga
by Jeff Wing
In idle moments we mull unimaginable experiences beyond our own. What’s it like to be launched into space? To be on a sinking ship in mountainous, hurricane-tossed seas? To be homeless?
“I was never embarrassed about being homeless. It was just a fact. I wasn’t psychologically traumatized by it all. Yes, it was very stressful at times because the community hated us and they set the police on us. But I made it through.”
Nancy McCradie is a onetime middle-class American who at a given moment found herself homeless and remained so for 36 years. Read that again. In the fullness of time – and following a contentious epoch during which McCradie and her cohort of homeless activist pals would agitate for change using various thorn in the establishment’s side strategies – the City of Santa Barbara would appoint McCradie to various boards and civic bodies, her
eloquence and clarity of vision making her an increasingly useful spokesperson and liaison – and totem.
“I was their pet homeless person,” she says today, and there is no rancor in the remark. There is no rancor whatsoever in Nancy McCradie. Her years on the so-called “margins of society” have given her the 10,000 foot view the rest of us
only fleetingly glimpse, and even then have no clue how to capably wield. If you can survive it, daily existence stripped to its urban foundation is a bracing and holistic teacher.
But what’s it like to be homeless? How does one inhabit those days and nights for years on end? McCradie’s new memoir A Meeting in the Rain (written with Bryan Snyder) answers the question with a lavish, blood-freezing, and ultimately stirring transparency.
“One of the reasons I wrote the book is because I actually liked my life – and I decided I wanted to put it on paper. When I got into a real house after 36 years living in my RV I felt cramped. I couldn’t go to look over the ocean for dinner, I couldn’t do this or I couldn’t do
that. It took me a while. It took me about a year to adapt to living in a house.”
Hoff Heights
Nancy McCradie was born in Bristol, Connecticut to Herbert and Dorothy Fredlund on August 14, 1945. Mother Dorothy’s descent from William Brewster, chaplain aboard the Mayflower when that storied ship sailed from England in 1620, would affect the family’s fortunes not a whit.
The week prior to Nancy’s birth, the U.S. had dropped atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a little-understood wartime calamity obliquely
Beings & Doings Page 394
City Hall as Community Center/Human Rights locus
(photo by Kevin McKiernan)
Nancy McCradie in conference (photo by Kevin McKiernan)
Montecito Miscellany Fair Winds for All
by Richard Mineards
Navy blue blazers, gold buttons and Nantucket red pants reigned supreme when the Santa Barbara Yacht Club marked its 153rd opening day as the second oldest sailing Mecca on the West Coast.
Club chef Owen Hanavan laid out a heaping display of food – plank halibut, Eggs Florentine and Benedict, sizzling sausages and more – along with gallons of mimosas that would have impressed even Belshazzar.
Mayor Randy Rowse, Becky Berkus, ’25 Commodore Jeff Berkus, Luca Gower, Sarah Berkus Gower, and Hayden Gower (photo by Priscilla)
Naomi Jane Voigt sang the National Anthem, Dylan Edwards read the Pledge of Allegiance, Boy Scouts from Montecito’s Troop 33 presented the colors, and Mayor Randy Rowse made the city proclamation.
The Parade of the Fleet featured more than 20 boats led by Tom and Julie Hinkle in their 35-foot vessel True North, with 32 commodores and local dignitaries – from San Diego to San Francisco – joining in the impressive nautical festivities.
Club chaplain Judith Muller gave the invocation and blessing, and Becky
Berkus conducted the eight bells ceremony remembering past club members, including my former colleague Erin Graffy and philanthropist Tom Parker
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Miscellany Page 424
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SCYA Commodore Lee Coller, KHYC Commodore James Lee, SBYC Commodore Jeff Berkus, and KHYC Vice Commodore
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SBYC Youth Foundation Board and their SBYC Junior Commodore Carly Kieding (photo by Priscilla)
Community Voices Message from MA
Yes, SB Parks Should Benefit SB Residents! Safeguarding Our Community
by Jeff Giordano
At the April 1 Supervisor meeting a variety of monumental decisions were made – not the least of which was a 3-2 vote approving a $179M expansion of our North County Jail Mahal. A more hopeful sidenote, however, had to do with decisions that the Board made regarding our majestic open spaces. Allow me to explain:
The one place our county truly shines is in its natural beauty. In fact, it was a couple of nights camping lakeside at Cachuma that sealed the SB deal for me back in 1998. So I was personally excited when the Board focused on enhancing park benefits for SB residents.
The discussion was driven by the $14M Lake Cachuma improvement plan that the Board had previously approved, and which will soon be completed. Cachuma is idyllic, with more than 500 lakeside campsites, cabins, pools and lake cruises aboard the Osprey. The skillful presentation was made by our Director of Community Services Jesús Armas and Business Manager Sherman Hansen Note: Community Services (CS) has 100 employees and an operating budget of $73M.
Together, they came asking the Board to approve a proposed increase to Cachuma RV fees in order to better service the improvement debt. Debt service costs the county $520K per year, yet with very modest fee increases – and rates that better reflect what other parks charge – we can generate $570K in fee revenue.
Supervisor Nelson led the way and asked, very pointedly, why – if SB County is paying for the improvements – aren’t county residents afforded a preferred fee structure? “We are paying for
improvements and debt service, yet people from L.A. are paying the same as our residents,” quipped Nelson. He argued that many counties have beneficial resident fee structures and that we should follow suit. I agree!
Lake Cachuma is part of a longterm County lease from the federal government’s Board of Reclamation that began back in 1953. For many decades, however, there have been questions about swimming in the lake which, as Supervisor Lavagnino said, is completely bewildering because gas powered outboards are allowed. So Mr. Lavagnino asked the question: Can we push for swimming? The answer by Director Armas was “yes!”
In the end, the entire Board agreed (5-0) to raise the fees with the caveat that SB residential discounts, on ALL parks, will be explored. Supervisor Hartmann suggested an Ad Hoc Committee and will join Mr. Lavagnino to explore swimming in Cachuma. For those of us who often take the short drive over the 154, this would be a huge additional park benefit.
A bit of the discussion also wrapped itself around Jalama Beach. This spectacular 24-acre site (swimming, camping and fishing) was donated in 1943 by Richfield Oil and is one of the more stunning venues in the county (I can highly recommend the burgers for weight challenged Eye-talians. It is all about the food).
Only 30% of the people who use our parks are county residents, and the average occupancy is just 60%. So my advice for our South County couch potatoes is to please shoot to North County – if only for the day – to visit Lake Cachuma and Jalama Beach, as it will renew your love for Santa Barbara. Something I know that I need to do more often than most.
Jeff Giordano, SB County Resident
by Houghton Hyatt
As concerns about home security and neighborhood safety continue to rise, the Montecito Association invites residents to attend a Community Safety Town Hall – an informative and proactive event designed to empower residents with practical tools to help protect what matters most.
The event will feature a panel of security professionals offering guidance on crime prevention, smart home protection strategies, and community-wide safety initiatives. Whether you’re new to the area or have lived here for years, this is a valuable opportunity to learn how to strengthen your home’s defenses and contribute to a safer Montecito. The panel will feature:
- Nicole Landon, Director of Security at Birnam Wood, who will share insights on the unique challenges and strategies of protecting gated communities—and how some of those practices can apply to the broader community.
- Rob Post and Gina Post-Franco from Post Security Company, who will discuss private patrol optimization, coordination with local law enforcement, and how to integrate technology and physical deterrents for comprehensive protection.
- Nathan Ponder of Cal Coast Glass Tinting, who will explain the benefits of security film for windows, including its role in deterring breakins and enhancing home privacy and energy efficiency.
Attendees will learn about common security oversights, immediate actions that can boost safety with-
Montecito Tide Guide
out major renovations, and the latest technologies – from window film and alarm systems to coordinated neighborhood patrols. A Q&A session will follow the panel, allowing residents to engage directly with the speakers.
Home security starts with awareness. Our goal is to give homeowners the knowledge and tools they need to feel safe – and to encourage a community-wide approach to safety that benefits everyone.
This event is designed not only to educate but also to encourage collaboration. When neighbors come together to stay informed and take action, we all benefit from a stronger, safer community.
The event is free and open to all residents. No RSVP is required. We hope to see you there!
Date: April 22, 2025
Time: 5:00 pm
Location: All Saints-by-the-Sea Fellowship Hall, 83 Eucalyptus Lane
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
Our Town Montecito Alum Jordan Pearce Morgan Directs Providence School Play
by Joanne Calitri
Society Invites was contacted by Jeannine Morgan – former Head of School for El Montecito School in Montecito (ELMO) – about her son Jordan Pearce, who has volunteered to direct the Providence School play Annie Jr. The performances are April 25 - 26, tickets are on sale now. Proceeds benefit the school.
Jeannine is a respected and beloved educator as the Head of ELMO for 40 years. She led the expansion of ELMO to include grades K through 6 and relocated it to the San Roque campus. Her husband Paul taught economics at Westmont College for 36 years.
Jordan is a producer-director who has worked on Broadway and in Los Angeles. He has returned to the area, living in Summerland with his wife, actress Kelly Overton (Van Helsing) and their three children.
I caught up with Jordan for a brief on his work, and directing the upcoming school play:
Q. Tell us about your acting and directing career.
Rachmaninoff
A. After getting my MFA in Acting/Directing from University of Missouri Kansas City, I headed to New York City. After a few small TV gigs, I got my big break in the original Broadway cast of The Graduate for a year. Next, I moved to Los Angeles to work in TV/Film and begin my directing career. My wife, Kelly Overton, and I wrote/directed and produced an indie film called The Collective, which did the festival circuit, won a handful of awards, and was picked up for distribution by Netflix. In Montecito, I attended ELMO where I performed in all the school and church shows, and graduated Crane Country Day School where I studied theater and was in their productions of West Side Story and Pirates of Penzance in 7th and 8th grade.
What is the play Annie Jr. about? Is it similar to Annie?
Annie Jr. is a condensed version of Annie. It has all the great songs you know from the movie, but is specifically made for young performers and audiences. It’s the perfect musical for the whole family.
How did you get to direct it?
Well, a few students (including my daughter, Ever, who plays Annie) pressured me into it. Haha! There was a vacancy at the school, and it was unclear if they would be able to put on an all-school musical if someone from the community didn’t step up. So, I did. I am not part of the faculty, just a parent/volunteer.
What do you want the Montecito community to know about your play?
It’s a very family/faith friendly musical in a world where so much of the content isn’t appropriate.
411: Link for tickets https://cur8.com/24116/project/131460
Jordan Pearce Morgan (front row 3rd from right) with the students in the Providence play Annie Jr. at rehearsal (courtesy photo)
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Monument Unveiling Deepwater Diving Pioneers
Honored in the Harbor
by Sigrid Toye
On a sunny Spring Friday afternoon, the Santa Barbara community gathered to celebrate a powerful moment in maritime history –the unveiling of the Deepwater Diving Monument located at the entrance of the harbor. The 10-foot bronze statue of a diver is a tribute to the pioneering commercial divers whose innovations helped shape the modern underwater world. The large crowd that surrounded the statue just a few steps from the Santa Barbara’s Maritime Museum included commercial divers, historians, donors, and members of the community. Representing the City was Mayor Randy Rowse, who assisted in the unveiling, along with the project’s co-chairs (and former Historical Diving Society Presidents and divers), Don Barthelmess and Leslie Leaney, the sculptor Greg Polutanovich, and Greg Gorga, Executive Director of the Maritime Museum.
“Together we have created something truly remarkable – a monument that celebrates a defining moment in our nation’s diving history and recognizes the ingenuity, courage and dedication of all those who have contributed to the evolution of deep-water diving,” noted co-chair Leaney. The monument serves to recognize Santa Barbara as the historical birthplace of deepwater commercial diving by an eight-foot-tall figure of a commercial diver mounted on a two-foot-high
granite-clad base. The statue is a tribute to local divers who, during the 1960s, developed and expanded international deep-water diving. California’s rich diving history is indeed worthy of recognition. “It was not just about exotic mixed gas and new equipment, but about an entire generation of American entrepreneurs who shared a vision. Many of us here today stood on their shoulders in our own diving careers. They set
Monument Page 304
Paul Guiver, Leslie Leaney, Greg Polutanovich, Randy Rowse, Greg Gorga, and Tod Roche
Greg Gorga, Leslie Leaney, and Don Barthelmess with his grandkid
Marcy Bazzani & Stephanie Ornani
The Giving List Savie Health
by Steven Libowitz
Fictional detective Harry Bosch, the star of more than a dozen best-selling books by Michael Connelly and two TV series on Amazon Prime, operates with a credo he adopted early in his career: “Everybody counts, or nobody counts.”
That’s basically the same philosophy behind Savie Health, the nonprofit free clinic in downtown Lompoc.
It’s the heart of Savie Health’s mission “to provide comprehensive, culturally inclusive healthcare to underserved communities, ensuring equitable access…”
To that end, Savie Health has been offering the uninsured members of the community high-quality proactive care that addresses potential health issues early, helping people with no other access to healthcare who often might otherwise neglect chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes. The clinic’s array of services – from physical exams to diagnosis tests to medications and even nutritional and other counseling – are geared toward preventative treatment that can make a huge amount of difference at comparatively very small cost before an issue leads to severe complications, health crises and emergency room visits.
“We treat high blood pressure, heart disease, pre-diabetes,” said Abe Lincoln , the nonprofit’s executive director. “We deal with depression, anxiety, obesity, anemia, all the things that can lead to much bigger problems if they are untreated. We try to provide as much as we can for people who have
nowhere else to go.”
All of the medical services are provided absolutely free to the patients, a large percentage of whom are farm workers and other undocumented people.
“We don’t have a billing system, or a cash register, or actually any means to collect money even if we wanted to,” said Lincoln.
Lincoln, like the revered president who shares his name, isn’t afraid to speak openly, including on how the first few months of the current regime in Washington, D.C., have been such a trying time for Savie and its mission.
“The Trump Administration has had a huge impact on us,” he said. “Our population is targeted right now. We work hard to gain the trust of the undocumented people we serve, and the increased fear of deportation is making getting medical care even more difficult.”
Where Savie Health used to be able to help the undocumented sign up for Medi-Cal after California passed new legislation, there’s been a big drop-off in those willing to consider it.
“People are very nervous. They don’t want to even consider signing up for Medi-Cal, so they can go down the street to a clinic that takes it,” he said.
“And how can you blame them when we read that the federal government is using IRS records?”
Lincoln stressed that, just as they have no system for payment, there’s also no patient record collection.
“We have never required documentation,” Lincoln said. “Our
Giving List Page 374
Los Olivos Luxury Ranch
Savie Health provides “comprehensive, culturally inclusive healthcare to underserved communities, ensuring equitable access” (courtesy photo)
Saturday, April 26
11:00 AM: E.1027: Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea
Sunday, April 27
11:00 AM: Street Heroines
1:00 PM: Return to Reason: Four Films by Man Ray
3:30 PM: Anselm
5:30 PM: The House / This is Not a House FREE Double Feature
(Featured Guest: Filmmaker Morgan Neville)
1:00 PM: Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
3:30 PM: Robert Irwin: A Desert of Pure Feeling
5:30 PM: Schindler Space Architect
(Featured Guest: Filmmaker Valentina Ganeva)
Paseo Nuevo Cinemas, Theater #3
$50 festival pass (Individual film tickets also available)
“I’m not here to tell people how great I am. I’m here to share my story, to say, you’re no different than I am. I was able to do it, this is how I did it.” – José Hernández
José Hernández
Reaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farm Worker Turned Astronaut
Tue, Apr 29 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall
Born into a family of migrant farmworkers, José Hernández didn’t speak English until he was 12. Yet through resilience and determination, he defied the odds – becoming an engineer, an astronaut and the first Mexican-American to travel to space.
Dr. Laurie Santos
Thriving Through Crisis: How to Foster Happiness
When the World Feels Overwhelming
Wed, May 7 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall
A psychologist and an expert on human cognition, Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos discusses the tools that science provides for managing stress and building a life of happiness, even when crisis looms large.
(805) 893-3535
www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu
Brilliant Thoughts
Then and Now
by Ashleigh Brilliant
Judging by the unsolicited emails I receive, there seems to be quite an industry based on putting people in contact with others they knew years ago but have completely lost touch with – particularly people they may have known at school.
The sentimental interest in one’s own irrecoverable past has a very pretty name: NOSTALGIA. With me, it has two faces. I have kept a diary since I was ten years old. I did all the writing by hand in bound volumes, until home computers became available. Those volumes are all in a file cabinet in my room – but I rarely look at any of them. They are not indexed in any way – so, even if I wanted to check some fact or memory, it would be very difficult to do, especially if I am vague about the date.
But I have to admit that it can be very depressing to see “then and now” sets of photographs, particularly of people I once knew. That would, no doubt, be true of oneself – which explains why, since some years ago, I have avoided looking in mirrors, let alone being photographed.
Of course, up to a certain point, the changes we go through, from birth onwards, are not usually such as to render us less photogenic. Even when (as I suppose, in our culture, is truer of women than men) we become physically less attractive to the opposite sex than we might wish to be, our changes in appearance do not usually make us “ugly” or “repulsive.”
But, with the onset of what is generally termed “old age,” any set of “then and now” pictures is highly unlikely to favor the “now” over the “then.”
All this we owe to an invention – or a series of inventions – which began to appear only about two centuries ago, and which we call Photography.
The first photograph of any kind was taken by a Frenchman named Niépce in 1826. It was an otherwise not very interesting outdoor view, apparently captured from a balcony outside his studio.
After that, improvements came very fast, till it was possible, by 1903, for the Wright Brothers to have their own flying machine photographed in its first flight.
But looking back over all the ages before the advent of photography, how did people cope with the frustrating fact that it was very difficult to preserve an accurate image of anything? What we have in the way of pictures of the past are mostly the works of talented artists and painters. And what people most wanted to preserve were mostly “portraits” of themselves and each other. The costs involved made such pictures available only to the wealthy – which is why most of the images we can still see were of kings and queens and other members of the aristocracy. Fortunately there were in some countries, particularly Holland and Germany, some very fine painters who also took an interest in rendering landscapes, and ordinary people living their daily lives.
There was also something called a “camera obscura,” a dark room in which images of outside objects could be projected, and even traced, on a wall.
After photography came in, there were many artists who found it possible to make a living painting portraits – and there are even some still today.
Even back in so-called prehistoric times, as we know from the images left on the walls of caves, our distant ancestors drew pictures of what was most important to them, which was not usually depictions of themselves or each other, but the animals they hunted and depended upon, not only for food and clothing but for their tools and weapons.
The first sitting U.S. President to be photographed was James K. Polk, in 1845. Different processes were used, the main one having been developed by another Frenchman, named Daguerre. By the time of our Civil War, it was possible for some well-equipped photographers to follow armies into the field. Preeminent was Matthew Brady, who could not picture troops in action, but left us post-battle images of fields littered with corpses. But it was also Brady to whom we owe the fine pictures he took of President Lincoln.
Since then, the world has seen continuing improvements in the recording of color, sound, and motion – advances sufficient to make it theoretically possible to record every second of a person’s life – which will make future “thens” far more accessible to future “nows.”
Ashleigh Brilliant born England 1933, came to California in 1955, to Santa Barbara in 1973, to the Montecito Journal in 2016. Best-known for his illustrated epigrams, called “Pot-Shots,” now a series of 10,000. email: ashleigh@west. net. web: www.ash leighbrilliant.com.
Frances Moore
Adriana Arriaga
Teresa Kuskey
Melinda Palacio
Joanne Wasserman
Petite Wine Traveler
PS. I Love You: Why Palm Springs is Always on My Must-Visit List
by Jamie Knee
There’s something about the desert air, a splash of poolside glamour, and the hum of classic convertibles cruising by that makes me fall in love with Palm Springs all over again – every single time. This year, I was lucky enough to experience the magic during Modernism Week’s 20th anniversary and let me say… it was a design-lover’s dream come true!
Modernism Week is the beating heart of Palm Springs in February, and it truly sets the tone for the year ahead. This year’s milestone celebration pulled out all the stops, with more than 350 events across ten packed days. I had the absolute joy of attending a few standouts, including twilight tours aboard a double-decker bus (yes, that iconic one!), sipping bubbly as the sun dipped behind the San Jacinto Mountains while marveling at sleek lines and geometric wonders.
One of my favorite moments was channeling my inner mod queen at a retro
cocktail party that felt like it leapt from the pages of a Slim Aarons photo shoot. I slipped into a vibrant Trina Turk dress and danced the night away beneath string lights and swaying palms. It was pure Palm Springs chic, with a twist of retro glam.
Where time disappears and enchantment is found.
A visit to The Winston invites an otherworldly experience, where extraordinary beauty and thoughtfully curated design is enhanced only by the idyllic backdrop of the Santa Ynez Valley wine country.
From luxuries like a stocked honor bar to the privacy of our Invisible Service, your invitation to enchantment awaits at The Winston.
The cherry on top? A visit to the legendary Alexander Estate, lovingly nicknamed the “House of Tomorrow,” where Elvis and Priscilla honeymooned in 1967. Designer Michelle Boudreau gave the home a fresh yet respectful update, honoring its mid-century roots while making it shine anew. As someone who adores thoughtful design, it was incredibly moving to see such care taken to preserve this piece of pop culture and architectural history.
Outside of Modernism Week, Palm Springs has endless ways to turn a getaway into a full-blown love affair. I always make time for a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which whisks you from the desert floor to the alpine forest in a rotating glass car – truly a must. Once you reach the top, the air is cool, the views are breathtaking, and the hiking trails offer a serene escape (plus the lodge is a great spot for a bite and a drink with views).
Speaking of escapes, is there anything better than lounging poolside with a cocktail in hand, surrounded by colorful cabanas and swaying palms? Whether
you’re at a boutique hotel or a restored mid-century gem, Palm Springs serves up vintage-glam-meets-resort-luxe in a way no other place can.
I love that Palm Springs is a place where you can dress to express yourself. Bright prints, bold sunglasses, widebrimmed hats – yes, please! It’s the perfect place to embrace color and character while indulging in spa days, modern art galleries, and chic shopping at local boutiques.
The food scene is equally dreamy –from retro diners to innovative farm-totable delights, and let’s not forget those oh-so-fun tiki bars where every cocktail feels like a mini vacation. Toucan’s, Bootlegger Tiki, Truss & Twine… just name the vibe and there’s a spot to match.
Whether you’re a design aficionado, a sunshine seeker, or simply craving a stylish escape, Palm Springs delivers. It’s the ultimate winter weekend getaway from Santa Barbara (especially when May Grey or June Gloom rolls in). You’ll find art, architecture, adventure – and maybe a bit of your fabulous alter ego hiding behind your favorite sunglasses.
Modernism Week may have been the reason I went, but the entire Palm Springs lifestyle is why I’ll keep going back. Until next year, PS… I love you. For more Palm Springs inspiration check out my website https://petitewinetraveler.com.
Jamie Knee is a global wine communicator and travel writer, has hosted 100+ winemaker interviews, international wine judge, and holds multiple wine, sommelier, and educator certifications.
thewinstonsolvang.com | (805) 688-2965
Nothing says retro-modern like
Jamie taking in the Palm Springs lifestyle
Elizabeth’s Appraisals Native American Rugs
by Elizabeth Stewart
What are the value characteristics of Native American rugs? The most salient value is the profound symbolism in each rug, the meaning the rugs traditionally carry for the People. Since the early 20 th century Tribal rugs have been available through regional Southwest trading posts which dealt directly with Native artists. Two such rugs were collected in the second or third quarter of the 20 th century by MM ’s parents from Colorado. As testimony to the strength of the weaving techniques, they both are in wonderful condition. The characteristics of this pair of fine Navajo rugs can be applied to many other Native American rugs. A word: many clients approach me not for dollar value of their rugs, but with the thought of repatriating them to the People or to a dedicated museum – a worthy bestowal indeed, as this gift can be tax deductible.
The tradition of textiles that ‘tell stories’ through symbolic design goes back centuries; Navajo (Diné) weavers work in this tradition today. Although rugs pre-1925 are prized, modern weavers’ rugs are prized as modern works of art, honoring the ancient techniques of natural materials and natural dyes. Dyes made from plants, indigo, or minerals are preferred over artificially produced chemical dyes (aniline).
The difference between aniline (aminobenzene) and naturally dyed wool rugs? Here are some guidelines: a softer, less stringent color tone or hue – such as is found in nature – is likely wool which has been naturally dyed, and the process of tastefully fading over the years is a good sign
(aging gracefully). Wool that has been aniline dyed will lack subtlety, may ‘vibrate’ with an intense tone or hue, and will resist fading. The color palette on these naturally dyed rugs can be arresting. Pre-1920s rugs tend to have strong geometric patterns, motifs so complex that this type is called an “eye dazzler.”
Prized rugs are hand-woven on vertical looms, where the vertical wool (the warp) is a single continuous thread, creating durability. The horizontal wool thread (the weft) carries the pattern, the story told by the rug. There are as many myths as there are variations on a traditional “story.” One of MM’s rugs is such a narrative – the “storm” pattern, celebrating the moment when the skies open up, lightning strikes, and the thunder crashes. Without rain, the People do not thrive.
was popular amongst Navajo artists in the 1920s, and this piece is large for its genre (71” x 44”). The handspun wool is finely woven, and the beige indicates natural dyes were used. Because of these valuation factors, it’s worth $3,000 or more, but MM does not want to sell, as he has a great deal of respect for the tradition.
Traditionally, the textiles, woven like flat tapestry, functioned as blankets. Larger blankets from the mid-to-late 19 th century, especially the oversized “chief’s” blankets, can be extremely valuable. As the art entered the 20 th century, a newer category of form/function was created – namely the floor rug, made for tourist consumption. Regions in the American Southwest had bespoke trading posts. MM’s rug (the “storm” pattern) indicates a Teec Nos Pos provenance, an area in Northeastern Arizona. The name in Navajo means “circle of trees.”
The work has a strong geometric style. Note the four corners for the lightning bolts and spikes, the two central medallions/rain clouds picked out in red, cream, and black, and the jagged lines representing thunderclaps. The hooked triangular devices are the visual “sounds” of the thunderstorm, and the meandering pattern of the border is the repetition of the rain. This style
The next rug shows traditional Yei figures (guardians of the corn), full body frontal, holding small corn plants and shovels, as opposed to the traditional bow and arrow. The pattern was born from Navajo sand paintings interpreted by weaver and medicine man Hosteen Klah (18671937). Rugs dating to the period from 1930-40 are most valuable. These Yei Bi Chei (Yébîchai) figures are female (rectangular heads) – benevolent, supernatural beings, protectors, and messengers between the Navajo people (the Diné) and the gods. A further manifestation – which had it appeared on MM’s rug would have made it still more valuable – is the Rainbow Guardian; symbolized in a line of three colors, wrapped around three sides of the rug and thus surrounding/protecting the corn gods, an emblem of life-sustaining rain and a symbol of purity. The Yei rug is woven in hand-spun and commercial wool in cream, blue, yellow, red, orange, and green, and in a smaller scale (35” x 30”). MM’s Yei rug dates from the 1950s and is worth $800, likely purchased from the Cameron Trading Post near the Grand Canyon, established by two Yankee brothers in 1916.
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
This geometric design shows a lightning storm, a popular theme among Navajo artists
This rug has Yei figure designs representing the guardians of the corn
BRILLIANCE BALANCHINE,ARPINO,ANDBEYOND
Meeting at MA Keeping Montecito Safe –Sheriff Satellite Office, Motorola LPR
by Joanne A Calitri
The Montecito Association April 2025 meeting was held on Tuesday, April 8.
MA President Doug Black with 1st VP Leslie Lundgren called the meeting to order, alongside Executive Director Houghton Hyatt. Board members were present in person and via Zoom.
Jillian Wittman of the MA Safety Subcommittee reported on the Sheriff’s Department Montecito satellite office. They are working on a grant from the Montecito Community Foundation (MCF) which will cover the initial startup costs estimated at $30,000. From there, the committee will need to do additional fundraising for rent, utilities, etc. The MCF will report back to the MA Safety Committee on April 17. At this time, there are three viable location options with a year lease being reviewed.
The MA Town Hall Safety meeting is slated for April 22 at 5pm at All Saintsby-the-Sea Fellowship Hall. Presenting will be Director of Security at Birnam Wood, Nicole Landon, Post Alarm Systems, CalCoast Glass, and others. Q&A after panel presentation.
Raul Muñoz and Doug Hilton, representing Motorola Solutions Vigilant LPR and Software, presented their products using video and slides.
Key talking points were:
- Motorola has a larger network than other competitors.
- Motorola cameras are more robust, use high resolution for clear images.
- Software uses advanced algorithms to process data quickly and send to law enforcement, fully customizable.
- The cameras report LPR info, and can help report and prevent theft, arson, traffic accidents, building interiors/exteriors, parking lots, school safety, elderly, etc.
- The system has Real-Time Intelligence Operations to alert first responders, law enforcement, etc. with a consolidated map and info.
- Their LPR captures the rear plates, many cars do not have front plates.
- Residential cameras mostly used are the Solar Powered two battery L6Q models.
- Their cameras have long range infrared for low light/night vision.
- Their L5NextGen cameras read up to 125 feet distance at 150 mph.
- The network used is a cellular trunk system and stored in the cloud.
- Costs include cyber security updates, software updates and maintenance.
- Their cameras are purchased directly not rented.
- Law Enforcement agencies can have more than one type of LPR data, e.g. both FLOCK and Motorola, at the same time on their computer systems.
A Montecito resident posited the key question regarding all LPRs when he asked the Motorola reps, “Does your LPR have the ability to read license plates that have reflective covers, stealth plates, nanofilm coatings, and anti-radar stickers, which work by blocking or distorting infrared light?
Motorola said, “No.”
For our readers: California Vehicle Code (CVC) § 5201 specifically prohibits any casing, placard, or covering that impairs or obstructs the recognition of a license plate, including by electronic devices.
Questions from the Board addressed Motorola in comparison to FLOCK costs, set up, and reliability – along with which provider has the best connections to adjoining communities and police departments.
The Motorola reps defended their products as superior and the longest in the business.
They restated that FLOCK is the newest LPR system on the block implying that it lacked expertise/experience. They also reiterated that their systems are working seamlessly from Glendale, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Burbank, and Los Angeles Police, Law Enforcement, and Fire Depts.
As for costs, they skirted the issue saying they would need to do a physical walk through with the interested parties to the specific locations in Montecito to determine the best solutions and give a quote then. This left the data point missing for many at the meeting and established a need to set up more appointments with Motorola around the town. The confusion on the comparison to FLOCK pricing was left to the Board to figure out.
Aida Thau representing SBC 1st District Supervisor Roy Lee’s office, reported that Lee continues to work with the stakeholders on the Hot Springs Road and Trail Head, enforce red flag closures, and the Cold Spring Bridge is scheduled to reopen next week with a celebration.
MA routine agenda items discussed at this meeting can be found on their website.
“One of jazz piano’s most brazenly virtuosic players.” The New York Times
Steeped in both the classical and jazz traditions, Hiromi is a keyboard visionary whose influences range from Chick Corea to Frank Zappa and funk fusion. Check your expectations at the door for this night of wildly adventurous music from her eclectic electric quintet.
“Larkin Poe are your next favorite performers.” Forbes
Larkin Poe with special guest Parker Millsap
Sun, Apr 27 / 7 PM / Arlington Theatre
With serious slide guitar chops and Southern rock swagger, Georgia-bred multi-instrumentalist sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell imbue their songs with equal parts soulful sensitivity and thrilling ferocity.
A Silent Film with Live M usical Per formance by Wynton Marsalis and Cecile Licad
Sat, May 17 / 7:30 PM / Arlington Theatre
Wynton Marsalis leads an all-star 13-piece ensemble in live accompaniment to the 2010 silent film LOUIS, a vivid reimagining of the adventures of a young Louis Armstrong shot in the style of early Charlie Chaplin movies.
The film is rated “R” – Restricted (Some Sexual Content)
On Entertainment A Chorus of Their Own
by Steven Libowitz
After years of periodic collaborations with Santa Barbara choirs alone or in various combinations, the Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus makes its debut with the orchestra’s April 25-26 pair of concerts. The ensemble was assembled as something akin to an all-star choir, comprised of community choral singers from many other organizations, including Adelfos Ensemble, Santa Barbara Choral Society, Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus, Santa Barbara Master Chorale, Quire of Voyces, UCSB Choir and Westmont College Choir – as well as area churches, and choirs with no official associations with other groups.
“We wanted to be as inclusive as possible and open it up to anyone in the community who wanted to sing with us and can read music and sing on time and on pitch,” explained symphony Music & Artistic Director Nir Kabaretti. “It’s mostly members of existing choirs, but also those who don’t want to make commitments beyond each program. They have the opportunity to perform and only do our condensed rehearsals over three or four weeks prior to the performance.”
More importantly, creating the Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus allows the orchestra to shape the sound of the singers for each program – but under Kabaretti’s singular baton, rather than through the conductors of the various choirs working separately, as with collaborations in the past.
“We can make it really homogeneous for everyone instead of the different choruses working separately,” Kabaretti said. “We start rehearsing with our singers from scratch and they’re there for all of our rehearsals, and we have the flexibility to select the voices that work best for the program.”
The new vocal ensemble – 150 singers strong and culled from more than 200 applicants – bursts on the scene with a big work from Brahms, namely the master composer’s A German Requiem, a title Kabaretti said reflects the language only.
“Brahms actually thought about calling it A Human Requiem, because his approach
to the words is very different from the usual requiem masses in the Latin liturgy,” he said. “It’s very human because it focuses more on comforting the living rather than a prayer for the dead. Brahms talks about emotions like love and sorrow and longing much more than Jesus and death and Hell.”
Brahms purposely omitted Christian dogma typical of a Latin requiem in favor of text that takes passages from Psalms that normally don’t have a place in the Catholic Requiem, Kabaretti said.
“It is about the feelings that come with the awareness that we are only temporarily in this world, the sadness that someone close to you is passing away, the sorrow of missing them rather than the fear of punishment by God. It’s very deeply human, but it’s not very orthodox. In fact, it actually quotes a Psalm but Brahms changes the scripture to say you will be protected like a mother protects her children, with God portrayed as a female.”
The humanistic approach extends to the Brahms’ requiem music itself, full of Romantic melodicism and evoking a wide range of beautiful emotions, Kabaretti said.
“He treats the chorus as the human voice giving comfort in situations of pain, and the expression is absolutely gorgeous,” he said. “There’s a strong relationship between the word and the music. When he speaks about love, you will hear a really beautiful, charming melody, and there are quieter moments where the orchestration sort of drops. It’s very expressive.”
To augment the Brahms, Kabaretti decided to add Mahler’s hauntingly beautiful Three Rückert-Lieder, the trio of nuanced songs composed at the beginning of the 20th century. “Mahler continues the line of German art songs, and these echo the theme about love, longing and sorrow,” he explained. “The song ‘I’m Lost in the World’ is very similar in that she’s singing about feeling lost before it transforms into joy that we are not alone.”
The SBS is bringing the area’s choral community together under one banner for a Brahms bash (courtesy photo)
Spirituality Matters
Singing, Dancing, Laughing or Journaling Through the Chaos
by Steven Libowitz
Meditation is marvelous and yoga is yummy, but a new method of coping and connecting can be welcome during particularly challenging times.
“Singing the Bones” features a musical collaboration with the audience that weaves together diasporic traditions through story and song from the three song leaders. Lydia Violet Harutoonian, a Persian American Bay Area violinist
and vocalist, is joined by Oakland’s Kele Nitoto, a drummer, teacher and keeper of African diasporic rhythmic traditions from Congo to Haiti, and M’Gilvry Allen, whose Celtic fiddle traditions come from communities of the West Coast. In the song circle, the three will share songs from each of their ancestral traditions, as well as some favorite circle songs and a few originals – all in the call-and-response format. They teach everything by ear, meaning you don’t need to read music or have any experience to participate. Singing together is an ancient technology for building community resilience through shared voices and shared breath, and the leaders also invite participants to explore their own ancestral musical lineages.
The circle takes place 6:30-8:30 pm, April 17th, on the lawn behind host Wilderness Youth Project’s headquarters near the Riviera Theatre (2050 Alameda Padre Serra). Bring a chair or blanket to sit on, and dress in layers for the early spring weather. Locally gathered herbal tea will be available on tap. Admission is on a sliding scale, with no one turned away. Visit https://tinyurl.com/25bbufrt
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“Dances of Universal Peace,” a powerful form of embodied prayer involving sacred music and simple dance gestures, featuring sacred phrases and music from all spiritual traditions, takes place every fourth Sunday of the month at Unity of Santa Barbara. The fragrance-free event, organized by Rabiah Jocelyn Archer and Paula Ferrey, employs music, mantra, and movement as a way to instill deep peace within, along with connection to a beautiful circle of kindred spirits. All are invited to sing and dance, allowing thoughts to fall away to deepen the experience of the Divine in self
and others. Simple, graceful movements enhance the focus on the positive words of the powerful chants and songs in a spiritual practice inspired by the world’s many wisdom traditions. Admission to the 12-1:30 pm event on April 27 (and every fourth Sunday) is by “love offering.”Call (805) 705-1967 or visit www. dancesofuniversalpeace.org/www.facebook. com/dancingforpeace
“Laughter is the Best Medicine” is the title of the May 7 Vibrant Living event also at Unity of Santa Barbara. Participants can discover the healing power of laughter during an engaging, interactive two-hour gathering with Allou Guthmiller RN, who will offer practical tools and group activities to leave everyone feeling energized and empowered. Share in the laughter and learn techniques for using laughter to uplift your spirit, build resilience, and foster deeper connections in our rapidly changing world. The “love offering” for the 7-9 pm event is $20.
Unity of Santa Barbara is located at 227 E. Arrellaga St., across the street from Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden. Visit https://unitysb.org/upcoming-events
The Adam Bronfman Jewish Community Center hosts a six-session journaling group aimed at facilitating self-exploration and personal growth on Monday afternoons starting May 5. Each session will include sharing or discussing the previous week’s guided prompt followed by time to journal and reflect on a new writing prompt. The group itself is geared to offer a supportive, communal space as participants build a consistent journaling habit. No experience in writing or journaling is necessary, but do come prepared with both a blank journal – and an open mind. To RSVP and for more information, contact Ashly Gerber, LMFT, at agerber@sbjf.org.
Outing to Ojai
We’ve written a lot about the Krishnamurti Foundation in recent columns, but we would be remiss not to mention the KFA Annual May Gathering, which takes place 8:30 am to 5 pm on May 3-4 at Oak Grove School in Ojai. The free event, available both in-person and virtually, is a gathering to reflect on the teachings of Krishnamurti through workshops, dialogues, and themed programs. Attendees can explore
sessions on topics such as education, consciousness, and relationship, and engage with educators and scholars who have deeply studied the teachings. This year’s theme of “On Silence” invites participants to inquire into the nature of silence – not merely as the absence of noise, but as something deeper that may reveal itself in stillness, in attention and in the space between thoughts. Visit www.kfa.org/may-gathering-2025 for the schedule, list of speakers and bios, to register for the online option, or to reserve on-site lunch.
Online Opportunity
Spirit Rock Meditation Center, which offers a wide array of workshops, classes, trainings, and retreats at its Woodacre, California, location, is making its signature Insight Meditation Retreat available at home for the first time. Meant both for those at the beginning of their exploration, and those more deeply engaged in study and cultivation, @ Home Retreat option allows participants to fully engage from anywhere, integrating the teachings into daily life at a pace that works. Each day from April 21-30, participants will receive almost three hours of Dharma talks and guided meditations delivered via livestream and recorded for on-demand access. Online participants have the flexibility to join live sessions and/or spread the content out over a month – or a lifetime.
Teachers for the 2025 Insight Meditation Retreat include Kamala Masters, co-founder of the Vipassanā Metta Foundation on Maui; Joseph Goldstein, co-founder and guiding teacher of Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and several others.
Details and registration at https://tinyurl.com/mr3sjwj8
Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage
THURS & FRI JUNE 12 & 13
On-sale tomorrow April 18 at 10 am
Crosby Collective will bring their seamless blend of classics from all genres to the Lobero Theatre on June 12 and 13. Helmed by mashup maven Jason Crosby, the ensemble of music veterans performs amalgamated compositions, plugging songs together to create one cohesive movement like “Friend of the Lithium,” Grateful Dead meets Nirvana. The one-of-a-kind musical exploration resonates with listeners, given its air of familiarity and improvisational backbone. Master of the craft and lyrical storyteller Jackson Browne will participate in both Santa Barbara concerts.
In Passing
Andrea Blaugrund Nevins: March
15, 1962 – April 12, 2025
Andrea Blaugrund Nevins, 63, passed away from breast cancer at her home, surrounded by her family and her dogs on April 12, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. The daughter of Drs. Stanley and Annette Blaugrund, she was born on March 15, 1962, in New York City.
A tried-and-true New Yorker, Andrea grew up as a ballet dancer, swimmer, poet, and photographer. She was the president of her high school, The Chapin School, and graduated cum laude from Harvard University, majoring in Social Studies. Following graduation, she pursued her love of storytelling, searching for subjects that illuminate the better side of humanity through her work as a journalist in the rural South, a reporter at NPR radio in Washington, D.C., and at ABC News in New York, where she earned an Emmy Award for her reporting.
Her first independent documentary, Still Kicking, received an Academy Award nomination. Her other films include The Other F Word, Happiness, Play It Forward, Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie, Hysterical, and most recently, The Cowboy and The Queen. Andrea’s interest in underdogs and in lives in transition led her to examine in her films’ punk rockers as they become fathers, female standup comedians, retiring NFL players, the cultural legacy of Barbie, and an unlikely relationship between a California cowboy and the queen of England.
In addition to her filmmaking, Andrea dedicated her life to creating and championing meaningful communities of all kinds. She was a founding member of the influential Los Angeles synagogue IKAR, a founder of Larchmont Charter School, a member of the Southern California board and Executive Committee of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and a founder of X Fund, a donor advised fund that addresses the needs of women and girls in Los Angeles.
She was a beautiful writer, movie-lover, dog-lover, tastemaker, style maven, and instantly felt at peace when she was walking on the beaches of Montecito. Above all, she loved her family. She is survived by her husband, David , producer and former Chairman and CEO of Showtime and Paramount Premium Group, her three children, Clara , 25, Charlie , 22, and Jesse , 19, and her loyal dogs, Phoebe and Frank
the example for us to follow,” stated co-chair Barthelmess during the unveiling. “To these pioneers, the deep sea was not a mystery, but a realm to be understood.” He specifically noted that the introduction of heliox by these pioneering divers – a combination of helium and oxygen – exploded into a worldwide diving phenomenon, completely upending previous underwater technology.
In November of 1962, an event occurred that shattered the limits of deepwater diving. This transformation was ignited by a historic 400-foot dive off Santa Cruz Island by Hugh “Dan” Wilson, a depth thought to be humanly impossible for diving or exploration. Conducted in secrecy, Wilson’s groundbreaking achievement, aided by mixed gas, launched what became known as the “Santa Barbara Helium Rush” that transformed deep water diving around the world. History shows that the operations and equipment developed by Santa Barbara divers during this period revolutionized the international diving industry. Speaking of Santa Barbara’s contribution to diving technology, Barthelmess stated, “It turned a very dangerous endeavor into a science of precision and possibility that exists in modern global society today.”
the city of Santa Barbara and the Maritime Museum.
“Today, as we unveil this monument, we honor those trailblazers … their courage, ingenuity and restless pursuit of the unknown are forever etched into the fabric of Santa Barbara’s history,” stated Barthelmess, speaking to the crowd. “This monument is not just a tribute to the past but a symbol of what we continue to achieve.” In the spirit of giving for which Santa Barbara is known, the monument is a gift to the community from the committee and its co-chairs.
At the conclusion of the program, donors and invited guests made their way to the Maritime Museum to further celebrate this massive undertaking, a piece of public art to acknowledge the importance of the diving industry so closely interconnected with the city of Santa Barbara.
Leaney and (retired head of Santa Barbara City College’s Marine Diving Technology program) Barthelmess began their journey by forming a committee consisting of Association of Diving Contractors Executive Director Phil Newsum , Aqueos CEO Ted Roche , Mike Morgan from Kirby Morgan Dive Systems, fundraiser Carol Kallman , and Greg Gorga , Executive Director of the Maritime Museum. An initial step included the arduous task of obtaining permits through the city’s various portals. The team was extremely fortunate to garner the early support of Mike Wiltshire , Director of the Waterfront, a critical player in moving the project through the system and selecting, and approving, the site. The project was completed with the help of artisans, workers, donors,
Sigrid Toye is an Educational and Behavior Therapist with a PhD in Clinical Psychology, a freelance writer, and a storyteller. She loves all things creative, including her two (adult) artist children.
Carol Kallman, Kate Ford, and Linda Stirling
Further amplifying the emotional impact, the conductor is interspersing the art songs within the body of the requiem to be performed as one big piece. Given the piece’s history, Kabaretti figured even Brahms wouldn’t have objected.
“When he was accused by the church that it was not religious enough, he agreed to add some movements with very religious pieces to make it a little more Christian. I think if he approved that, he’d be happy with me adding more humanistic songs.”
In addition to the new chorus debut, the concert also features two vocal soloists, baritone Daniel Scofield and soprano Magdalena Kuźma, the latter a 2022 Music Academy of the West alumna, fresh off portraying Papageno in another German classic, The Magic Flute, at Met Opera last December. “She’s a wonderful singer, and her German is very good,” Kabaretti said.
MAW will have an even bigger connection to the symphony’s January 2025 concert, when the program consists of all five of Beethoven’s piano concertos, including one played by the winner of this summer’s MAW piano competition. The Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus will return for the Mozart Requiem in November and next May’s performances of Mahler’s “Resurrection.”
Visit https://thesymphony.org
It’s Good to Be Kings
In other symphony notes, the Doublewide Kings have just premiered their video presentation of Moondance, its groundbreaking celebration of the music of Van Morrison in collaboration with the Santa Barbara Symphony that was performed at the Granada Theatre in November 2023. The show represented the classical ensemble’s first project with a rock band (they’ve done it twice more since), and the Kings first go at being backed by an orchestra.
The video, which can be viewed for free on the Kings’ YouTube page (www. youtube.com/watch?v=kTZkWwH5Uos), features not only footage of the whole concert in HD, but also the HD multi-track recording from the live show, as well as indexed chapters for each song for easy accessibility to favorites such as “Into the Mystic,” “Moondance,” “Domino,” and “Brown Eyed Girl.” It was a spectacular concert, and the video impressively does a great job capturing the vibe.
Next for the DWKs (sans symphony) are two free shows, including the band’s first gig at Carr Winery in the Funk Zone in many years on April 18, and closing out the main stage performances at Earth Day Santa Barbara in Alameda Park on April 26.
Crime, Costumes and Comedy at the Jurkowitz
Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, the playwrights who took a bite out of a famous Transylvanian count in Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors – which opened Ensemble Theatre’s current season – have also set their mandibles on digging into Dostoevsky with Crime and Punishment, a Comedy, which makes its local debut at the Jurkowitz Theatre to close out SBCC Theatre Group’s season.
But don’t worry if you’ve never read past the first few pages of the monumental book.
“It’s a very silly re-imagining of a big, hefty and very serious novel that they use as a jumping off point,” said Michael Bernard, who is directing the April 16-May 3 production after helming the pirate-powered Treasure Island last season. “I like to say it’s ‘Crime and Punishment’ by way of the Marx Brothers. We’ve got eight actors playing more than 50 characters, and there’s a lot of running around and throwing costumes on and off. My hope is that it comes off as barely controlled chaos.”
The 90-minute play – the classic story of impoverished student Raskolnikov who Entertainment Page 424
Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment takes a serious turn into comedy (photo by Ben Crop)
Your Westmont April Stargazing Features Jupiter
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
The Westmont Observatory opens to the public for a free stargazing event Friday, April 25, beginning about 8 pm and lasting several hours.
Jen Ito, Westmont assistant professor of physics, says the college’s powerful Keck Telescope will zoom in on the gas giant Jupiter. “This will probably be the last time we’ll get to see it before it becomes a morning planet for the rest of the year,” she says. “We’ll see it in the evenings again in December.”
The free stargazing event will also feature views of Mars and Orion Nebula, a diffuse nebula in the Milky Way and one of the most photographed objects in the night sky. “We’ll also look at Mizar and Alcor in Ursa Major,” Ito says. “Mizar and Alcor could be considered the first eye exam as those who could see the two stars were selected as Persian archers. In actuality, there are six stars here. Alcor is a binary pair, and Mizar are two binary star systems.”
The Westmont Observatory is usually open to the public every third Friday of the month but was postponed a week due to Good Friday. The viewings are held in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, whose members
bring their own telescopes to share.
Free parking is available near the observatory, which is between the baseball field and the track and field/soccer complex. To enter Westmont’s campus, please use the Main Entrance off of La Paz Road. The lower entrance off Cold Spring Road is closed to visitors after 7 pm. In case of cloudy weather, please call the Telescope Viewing Hotline at (805) 565-6272 to see if the viewing has been canceled.
Examining Religion’s Role in Social Justice
Meredith Whitnah, associate professor and chair of the Westmont sociology department, illuminates the role of race and gender in religious responses to social injustice in a reading and Q&A with Provost Kim Denu about Whitnah’s new book, Faith and the Fragility of Justice: Responses to GenderBased Violence in South Africa, on Friday, April 25, from 3:30-5 pm in Westmont’s Global Leadership Center. The event, which includes refreshments, is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
While the volume examines South African Christian organizations’ responses to apartheid, Whitnah says it also covers much more than that. “It’s about what we’re paying attention to and how we can marshal our deepest commitments to respond to the needs of the world around us,” she says. “I hope people come away both challenged and inspired to consider how they, too, can engage in the fragile pursuit of justice in their own communities.”
A graduate of Gordon College, Whitnah earned a master’s and a doctorate at the University of Notre Dame. She traces her interest in the subject to a summer college internship when she met several women who had experienced domestic violence. “Their stories were unique, but they shared a common thread: their churches didn’t believe them,” Whitnah says. “I was so struck by this theme, it made me
want to learn more, to understand how and why it can be hard for religious organizations to see these issues and respond effectively to them.”
She also enjoyed reading South African fiction, and when she was about 12 she borrowed her sister’s copy of Alan Paton’s book, Cry the Beloved Country. “I found the story and the country captivating and did high school and college projects on issues in South Africa to learn more about the place and its people,” she says. “My work is centered on two commitments: Listen deeply to the voices of people who are suffering; and foster curiosity about why things are the way we are. I think we need to rightly
understand the social issues around us to respond effectively to them.”
Whitnah began teaching at Westmont in January 2015 and says her book is the first to document the voices of women within the South African Council of Churches, one of the most prominent (and well-studied) anti-apartheid Christian organizations in South Africa, famously led by Desmond Tutu.
Warriors Sweep at Hilo
Westmont baseball (31-9, 26-7 PacWest), ranked No. 4 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Poll, won another series April 11-12 defeating the Hawaii Hilo Vulcans (9-28, 9-24) in three games with the fourth game being rained out after three innings with Westmont leading 5-0.
The Warriors remain atop the PacWest standings with a 3.5 game lead over Hawaii Pacific and 4.5 game lead over Point Loma.
In Hilo, Warriors closer Zach Yates remained untouchable, pitching in backto-back nights with a six-up, six-down, two-inning save. The senior engineering major from Tustin has retired 19 batters in a row dating back to April 5.
The senior collected his 11th save of the season, while Josh Hickey picked up his fifth win of the season after throwing an inning and two-thirds in relief.
The Warriors return to Montecito for a doubleheader on April 25 against the Vanguard Lions. This will be the final regular season series at Carr Field and Westmont will honor its seniors during the games.
The Westmont Observatory opens to the public April 25
Reliever Zach Yates
Meredith Whitnah
Faith and the Fragility of Justice
Local News Local News
Miramar Expansion Appeal at the CCC
by Tiana Molony
In a unanimous vote on Thursday, April 10, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) rejected appeals – from Unite Here Local 11 and Heal the Ocean – to the Rosewood Miramar housing project. The project includes 26 affordable housing units for employees, eight market-rate units, and about 12 new shops. It already received unanimous approval from the County Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors last year.
One of the primary concerns raised by the appellants was the affordable housing’s location in areas at risk for flooding and sea-level rise. “There is no reason to put the housing in the flood zone in this project,” said Kurt Petersen, Co-President of UNITE HERE Local 11, a Los Angeles labor union, in a press release. “For previous projects, Coastal Commissioners expressed concern about putting housing in a flood zone,” he continued. “But hospitality workers desperately need housing.” He proposed switching the locations of the affordable housing and the retail to “let workers live on the safer ground.”
The staff report acknowledged that the county-approved development is located within a designated FEMA flood zone with a 1% annual chance of flooding of less than one foot under the current flood maps. Further, a sea-level rise analysis found that the approved project would remain protected from coastal risks, like flooding and erosion, even if sea levels rise by as much as 4.9 feet. It was also noted that the current FEMA flood maps are set to expire and will be replaced with preliminary FEMA flood maps, which they say show a 0.02% chance of flooding.
Concerns were raised regarding the analysis of public access and parking. Paige Robinson, a Miramar neighbor and the only person approved to speak
during public comment, is still concerned about the parking issue. She highlighted her concerns regarding the validity of the county’s approval process and the potential negative impacts of the Miramar Hotel development on parking and public access in her neighborhood.
The resort currently offers 435 parking spaces and plans to add 44 more, bringing the total to 479. According to the staff report, peak usage is projected at approximately 462 spaces, indicating that the available parking will be sufficient to meet demand. Chair Justin Cummings agreed the proposed parking was “probably enough for your day-to-day.”
The county also concluded that the project would not significantly affect parking or traffic in the area and would not negatively impact public access to nearby beaches.
Katie Mangin , Vice President of development and acquisitions for Caruso, said she was “confused” about why the appellants were trying to block a plan providing 76% affordable housing. “This plan is the only affordable housing in Montecito,” she emphasized.
Chair Cummings also noted the importance of the affordable housing element of the project, saying, “I couldn’t see us today rejecting an affordable housing project like this.”
The project falls under the Housing Accountability Act, limiting local government’s ability to deny projects with at least two-thirds square feet dedicated to affordable housing. They also utilized the State Density Bonus Law, so the county granted the project a parking modification from 83 required off-street parking spaces to 44. “The importance of these laws is quite clear, as this is the first affordable housing project in Montecito in nearly three decades,” said Mangin.
Coastal Commission
Adds to Sable Sanction
by Tiana Molony
“We weren’t expecting that,” said Alex Katz , Executive Director of the Environmental Defense Center, to the Montecito Journal shortly after the California Coastal Commission fined Sable Offshore Corp. $18 million for unapproved work on the Las Flores pipeline. Katz and other environmental activists were quite surprised, yet pleased, when the commission raised the fine by more than three million dollars.
At the April 10th meeting, the Coastal Commission accused Sable of violating the California Coastal Act by disregarding repeated directives to halt all pipeline work, including two cease-and-desist orders. Since issuing the first order in November, the commission has maintained a clear and consistent message: Sable must apply for new permits.
Sable argues otherwise, feeling no need to apply for a new Coastal Development Permit (CDP). Instead, they say they received support from the County to conduct repairs under the original 1980s permits. They also accused the commission of “overstepping” its authority by ordering them to stop work, and in February, they sued the Commission.
Chair Justin Cummings proposed the fine increase, saying, “I think that we really need to send a message to folks in the state that they need to come work with us. But if you want to go out and try to supersede the people in the state of California, we’re going to stand up for ourselves.”
The fine amount is calculated by the number of violation days, which varies – $7,000 a day for some and $11,000 for others. Commission staff said they wanted to impose a “reasonable and defensible penalty,” which also happened to be the largest they have ever enforced.
Commissioner Susan Lowenberg was “fully opposed” to the fine increase and said she was “very disappointed” with her colleagues for the last-minute surprise. She ultimately voted against the rise alongside Commissioner Effie TurnbullSanders , making the vote 9-2.
The commissioners also issued Sable another cease-and-desist order, ordering them to complete restoration efforts in areas where they accused them of “under-permitted development.”
“The Sable Offshore team has decades of experience in successfully collaborating with government agencies,” said Sable Vice President of Environmental and Governmental Affairs Steve Rusch, in a prepared statement following the hearing.
The commission agreed. “The fact is that there are affordable housing units coming in with this project,” said Commissioner Meagan Harmon, “To me, that is very, very important, and it is important to us as a commission.” She thanked UNITE 11 for their presence but said their worries are not what is before them today. “Staff’s analysis has it absolutely right.”
“We are deeply proud to now move forward with this innovative plan that will allow the Miramar to do even more to serve our dedicated employees, our guests, and all of Montecito,” said Rick Caruso in a statement after the hearing. “We sincerely appreciate the partnership and trust of hundreds of neighbors and community members who helped guide and improve this plan over more than two years, and we will now turn our focus to bringing this important plan to life.”
Sable also accused commission staff of “repeatedly” ignoring the County’s authorization of their repair work. Representing Sable, DJ Moore of Latham & Watkins read aloud a letter from Santa Barbara County planner, Lisa Plowman , in which she says, “Commission staff has all the information that the County considered prior to concluding that the pipeline anomaly repair work identified in the February 12, 2025, letter is authorized by the existing permits and was analyzed in the prior environmental review.”
Commissioners strongly disagreed with the County and Sable’s claims that their work was within the confines of the original permits. They said the so-called repair work was “extensive” and far beyond what is laid out in the original permits. “What we have seen occurring on the ground in the photos that were presented today, it’s not repair, it’s replacement,” said Commissioner and Santa Barbara City Councilmember, Meagan Harmon
“Despite having worked with Coastal Commission staff for many months, the Commission and Sable disagree regarding whether Coastal Act authorization exists for the work and whether the Commission has the authority to order our maintenance and repair work to stop.
“That’s a fundamental disagreement that the parties have not been able to resolve,” he continued. “Sable is dedicated to restarting project operations in a safe and efficient manner. No California business should be forced to go through a protracted and arbitrary permitting process when it already has valid permits for the work it performed.”
Sable continues to assert that the repair work occurred within the pipeline’s already disturbed and permanently impacted corridor, where impacts to biological resources were already found. However, Coastal Commission staff say that’s incorrect. They argued
Montecito Health Coach
The New Face of Dermatology: How Eastern Medicine is Giving it a Facelift
by Deann Zampelli
When experiencing skin concerns, it is common to seek out a dermatologist. They are, after all, skin doctors. They will ask what is ailing you and prescribe a treatment that usually involves one or all the following: creams, laser treatments, chemical peels, Dermabrasion, medications, surgery, and more. When I recently brought my son to see a dermatologist, I was shocked the specialist never once asked about his diet or lifestyle. My son is an athlete, so he sweats a lot – I thought that was significant. And his diet isn’t always the best, so there’s that. Nope. Nada. That is why when I met Minka Robinson Stevens at a friend’s birthday the other night I was fascinated to learn that she was an eastern medicine practitioner of Dermatology. I needed to know more.
Her practice, Points of Health on Canon Perdido, is a Holistic Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Clinic that has a team of practitioners that also address concerns such as chronic pain, physical therapy, fertility, nutrition, and orthopedics. Stevens is a licensed Traditional Chinese Medical Dermatologist as well as a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist. Her practice offers services for skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, and more. She also has cosmetic offerings for things such as micro needling and cosmetic acupuncture, which many are using in lieu of toxins and fillers.
I asked her to tell me a bit more about her approach to skincare and this is what she shared: “The health and vibrance of the skin is a reflection of our internal health, especially our qi (energy), blood, and Yin (body fluids), so it is essential that we balance and support our beauty from the inside out. Also, what we do topically to our skin – the largest organ in the body – has a profound impact on our internal health, and so it is important that we incorporate products and practices that nourish, refresh and renew our skin as a way to nourish and renew our overall health. We also need to stop using topical products and practices that are toxic and carcinogenic and will undermine our skin and our health.” After speaking with her for a while, I can tell you she practices what she preaches with an encyclopedic knowledge of chemical additives, hormone transmitters, toxins labeled as perfumes, and which skin care is the least harmful.
I was sad to hear that many of the lovely perfumes I have collected over
the years (but seldom wear) are made with synthetic fragrances which are hormone disrupters! Yes, according to The Environmental Group, that lovely bottle of Chanel on your vanity table might be the reason you have migraines, allergies, dermatitis or eczema. And if that isn’t enough, according to the Children’s Environmental Health Network, many of these added chemicals and ingredients in our cosmetics and fragrances, “…can make indoor air unhealthy to breathe, irritate the skin and eyes, harm the respiratory tract and endocrine system, increase cancer risks, and pollute the natural environment.” Sheesh. This is where Points of Health comes in.
I asked Stevens how she begins with a new patient. “I take a holistic approach. I go through a whole health history, which gives us a sense of what factors (such as your constitution, lifestyle, hormones, season, etc.) may be influencing whatever imbalance is presenting at the moment. Then I’ll make a diagnosis both Western (like psoriasis or eczema) as well as an EAM (East Asian Medicine) diagnosis. Then we will begin treatment. First, we begin by removing or resolving inflammatory factors and inflammation, then we will strengthen and support the body’s natural immune and anti-inflammatory systems, so the body is better able to maintain a dynamic, balanced state of health without external intervention. And ultimately, we rely on our diet and lifestyle to maintain our natural radiance, and use EAM as needed to prevent imbalance and live in harmony with the seasons.” As Stevens grew up on Mountain Drive foraging for edible and medicinal plants, this knowledge is literally in her blood.
It is more of an inside-out approach that takes in the whole person before it makes an assessment.
And while Western Dermatology has a much-needed place in our healthcare, an EAM whole body approach might be just what the doctor ordered.
Health and humor in the MJ National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach trained at Duke Integrative Medicine, Deann Zampelli owns Montecito Coaching & Nutrition. She also has a Masters in Clinical Psychology and has been a resident of Montecito since 2006.
Robert’s Big Questions
The
Right Trump Question?
by Robert Bernstein
Many friends have asked me why Trump does such hateful and hurtful things. This is the wrong question. Many mental health experts have diagnosed Trump with several serious mental illnesses.
But hundreds of thousands of Americans with these mental illnesses cause few problems. The correct question? Why do tens of millions of Americans blindly follow Trump even when he hurts them?
I am reminded of the movie Being There. Peter Sellers played a simple-minded man “Chauncey Gardiner” who lived his entire life as a gardener on a wealthy man’s estate. He ends up advising the President by making empty platitudes about gardening.
Some of Trump’s closest advisors have said that he is an idiot. No different than “Chauncey Gardiner.” People project their own beliefs and desires on someone like that.
The New York Times recently interviewed a dozen Midwest farmers. All had voted for Trump. All were on the edge of bankruptcy as a direct result of his policies. They used Biden ’s environmental programs to get solar electric panels and heat pumps. Trump canceled their promised payments.
They used to sell grain to USAID. Trump killed that. Trump’s tariffs are killing their exports. Did they regret voting for Trump? Not one.
This is cult behavior. Trump may be clueless about running the country. But he has some accidental instincts for being a cult leader. He throws out endless contradictory statements. Followers hear the bits they like and ignore the other bits. “Oh, he doesn’t really mean that.” Actually, he doesn’t really mean anything. Except the hate and wanting to be a dictator.
Hatred, demands of loyalty, and unpredictability are cult leader core strategies. Trump has no actual goals or vision. Just a vengeful desire to get back at anyone who disrespected him. And a lust to make people grovel.
Several of my close friends were in cults. No one consciously joins a cult. They join something that sounds new and exciting. Something that seems to offer a fresh perspective on the meaning of life and a chance to be part of something big.
At the recent “Hands Off” rally was a sign “The Cruelty is the Point.” This is part of Trump’s being. He is an unhap-
py and small-minded man. Watching others suffer from his actions makes him feel bigger for a short while. But in a cult the cruelty has another purpose. It builds a bond. Something like the hazing rituals in fraternities that are now supposedly illegal.
Four years ago, I wrote about the book Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me). I highly recommend this book. One example is the woman with an abusive boyfriend who keeps coming back to him. The abuse causes the woman’s self-esteem to drop. Which increases her grasping for the abuser. It also becomes familiar. Most animals will avoid pain. But humans will happily endure pain if the alternative is to try something unfamiliar.
Cult leaders constantly test the loyalty of their followers by causing mental and physical pain. And the followers stay focused on showing their loyalty. It is hard to know if Trump meant to crash the economy and stock market as a loyalty test. But once it happens it becomes a loyalty test.
How do we overcome this? By offering something better? Unfortunately, the mirror image of the abuse cycle is the “crisis of rising expectations”. If Joe is kind and generous to Sally, then Sally’s self-esteem rises. She expects ever more from Joe just to feel that she is getting what she newly deserves.
This happened with Joe. Joe Biden. He lowered drug prices. He invested in clean, high paying jobs in technology and sustainable energy. His stimulus package caused some temporary inflation, but millions of jobs were saved. By the end of his term inflation was down and the border was secure. You might think people would be grateful. But it just made them want more.
Ultimately it is up to we the people to be more educated. To have a deeper, broader and longer term understanding of what will build a better future. To reject hate and seek a win for all.
Robert Bernstein holds degrees from Physics departments of MIT and UCSB. His passion to understand the Big Questions of life, the universe and to be a good citizen of the planet. Visit facebook. com/questionbig
News Bytes
Montecito YMCA Opens New Pickleball Courts
by MJ Staff
The Montecito YMCA opened its new pickleball courts with learning clinics on April 12. There are both Introductory and Intermediate clinics. Sign-up for the clinics is required through the website. On May 10, the Y will celebrate having the courts in a grand opening event. Community is invited.
411: www.ciymca.org/montecito
Channel Island YMCA
25th Reaching for the Stars Fundraiser
The Channel Islands YMCA’s 25 th Annual Reaching for Stars fundraiser is on Thursday, May 1, at the Rockwood Women’s Club SB. Funds raised by the event are slated for the Channel Islands Y’s programs that assist disenfranchised youth in SB County to enroll for free in their programs – Noah’s Anchorage Youth Shelter, the Haley Street Navigation Center and My Home Transitional Age Living Program.
411: Tickets are on sale now www.ciymca.org
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month in the U.S.
For Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Channel Islands YMCA – via press release – has listed its services for immediate publication as follows:
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Bids open at 2:00 PM on Friday, May 2, 2025 for:
FISCAL YEAR 2024/2025 PAVEMENT PRESERVATION AND PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE IN
THE 1ST, 2ND, 3RD, 4TH, AND 5TH SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICTS
COUNTY PROJECT No. 820800
General project work description: Pavement Preventive Maintenance
The Plans, Specifications, and Bid Book are available at https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874
The Contractor must have either a Class A license or any combination of the following Class C licenses which constitutes a majority of the work: C-12, C-31, AND C-32
Submit sealed bids to the web address below. Bids will be opened and available at the web address below immediately following the submittal deadline.
This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).
A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of PCC Section 4104, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code (LAB) Section 1725.5. It is not a violation of this section for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Business and Professions Code (BPC) Section 7029.1 or by PCC Section 10164 or 20103.5 provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to LAB Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded. Prevailing wages are required on this Contract. The Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations determines the general prevailing wage rates. Obtain the wage rates at the DIR website https://www.dir.ca.gov/
Inquiries or questions based on alleged patent ambiguity of the plans, specifications, or estimate must be submitted as a bidder inquiry by 2:00 PM on 04/25/2025. Submittals after this date will not be addressed. Questions pertaining to this Project prior to Award of the Contract must be submitted via PlanetBids Q&A tab.
Bidders (Plan Holders of Record) will be notified by electronic mail if addendums are issued. The addendums, if issued, will only be available on the County’s PlanetBids website, https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874
By order of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Barbara this project was authorized to be advertised on 06/04/2024
Christopher Sneddon, PE Director of Public Works
Published April 17, 2025 Montecito Journal
- The Y’s Operations Director serves on the Santa Barbara County Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC), collaborating with many other dedicated county and community leaders.
- The Y provides immediate 24/7 crisis and respite care to youth and families, allowing them to have a safe space to ‘cool off’ and then come back together as they work through conflict.
- The Y offers conflict resolution, mediation, and mental health services to youth and families, ensuring they have a safe and supportive environment in which to live.
- The Y ensures youth have access to basic needs, alleviating stress and hardships around necessities like food, shelter, and clothing.
- The Y coordinates care with local agencies like Child Welfare Services, Santa Barbara Unified, and Juvenile Probation to provide well-rounded collaborative care in support of each youth and family.
- The Y provides young adults with housing opportunities and all-encompassing supportive services as they navigate adulthood and prepare to build and grow their own families and future generations to come.
Ted Rhodes is the Carpinteria 2024 Volunteer of the Year
Ted Rhodes will receive his award for Carpinteria Volunteer of the Year for his service during 2024 at the Annual Carp Awards Banquet, April 26. He has been selected by the Carpinteria City Council for his work as an advocate and leader committed to defending open natural spaces from development since 1988. His work includes spearheading the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve & Viola Fields, bluffs acquisitions, stewardship, the Measure X campaign, and funding and reopening of the Franklin Trail. Currently Rhodes serves on the Carpinteria Open Space Management Board (COSMAB).
Juliza Briones, New Public Info Officer, City of Carpinteria
Juliza Briones is hired as the new Public Information Officer, City of Carpinteria. She is a UCSB grad and worked as a Communications Analyst for the City of Thousand Oaks, CA. Briones, “I’m eager to use my bilingual skills to help improve bilingual emergency preparedness efforts, making sure all Carpinteria residents have the information and support they need in times of need.”
Dr. Amir Jalilian Joins Cottage Health
SB Cottage Health has announced this week that Dr. Amir Jalilian, Family Medicine Physician has joined Cottage Health’s Primary Care Goleta office. Dr. Jalilian is Board Certified in Family medicine and a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Jalilian worked as a Family Medicine physician at Peace Health Medical Group in Florence, Oregon; before moving to the Santa Barbara area, where he was a Family Medicine physician at Jackson Medical Group. He then went on to work at the Santa Barbara Health Care Center, a public health clinic under the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department from 2021 to March 2025.
Trespassing / Eucalyptus Lane
Wednesday, April 4, at 05:50 hours
Subject returned to the trespassed property from which they had been escorted the day prior. Subject was arrested and booked at SBCJ for trespassing.
Fraud / 1470 East Valley Road
Wednesday, April 4, at 08:32 hours
The victim posted a check for $1,295 to an address in Santa Monica, CA. During midMarch, the victim noticed the check had been intercepted, altered, and cashed at an unknown location. It appears as if there is a series of checks being intercepted at the U.S. Post Office in Montecito.
mission is to provide healthcare, not gather information.”
To that end, while Savie asks patients for their name to facilitate continuity of care, they don’t withhold treatment if a visitor refuses.
“We see people to give them healthcare, and there’s no pressure or requirement if there’s any concern about documentation,” Lincoln said. “That’s always been our policy.”
The lack of paperwork – albeit in a different manner – is also part of what attracts excellent doctors to volunteer their services at Savie. The medical staff get to focus on helping people, which is the main reason most of them got into the profession in the first place.
“They don’t have to find the medical codes for billing insurance, or learn a new piece of software,” Lincoln said. “They just get to practice medicine and take whatever time they need to care for people who really need it. It’s like the old MasterCard commercial: Priceless.”
But of course, running a free clinic and administrative staff still has costs.
The double whammy of the new presidential administration is that charitable contributions are on a downward spiral in the face of ping-ponging economic policies.
“Individual donations have nearly dried up due to the vast uncertainty and turmoil of the last two to three months,” Lincoln said. “That makes people freeze and hold on to donations because their 401K might be half of what it was several days ago, and they don’t know what’s coming next. We’re not the only nonprofit that is feeling the squeeze. But we are a very small and local nonprofit in a small northern Santa Barbara county that isn’t the wealthiest serving a targeted population in a targeted sector of healthcare, and it will be nearly impossible to survive without individual donors.”
Lincoln said while Lompoc isn’t populated by a bunch of millionaires, it is the home for a lot of agriculture workers who not only produce a lot of the food eaten by county residents and people around the nation, but are also an integral part of the hospitality industry in Santa Barbara – servers, cleaners, maids who commute daily – “working class members in a hardworking city.”
The irony is that the Savie Health clinic is located a stone’s throw from Vandenberg Space Force Base, where Elon Musk’s SpaceX launches numerous rockets each month.
“We have the richest man in the world firing off rockets in our backyard,” Lincoln said. “And the city itself is
poor as hell. That’s why I’m not hesitant to say the things I’m saying. (At our clinic) our very existence is an act of resistance. We’re going to keep fighting and we’re not going to flinch.”
Flinch? Not when community members who find their way to Savie are so grateful for getting the healthcare they so desperately need that they often experience strong emotions after being seen by a doctor or getting other support.
“The amount of relief that people feel when they get some medical help can be overwhelming,” said Lincoln, who has had patients hug him and shake his hand with tears in their eyes. “That’s partly why this work is so satisfying.”
But Lincoln said the clinic desperately needs to figure out how to get to donors who share their values and believe in the mission enough to write checks.
“Our founder says when you work in a nonprofit, you work in the business of karma. It comes back to you in ways that are unexpected and in their own time. But those things happen, and that’s what we kind of have to rely on. I know that isn’t necessarily a sound financial business plan, but that’s all gone out the window in the last few months anyway.”
Maybe that karma comes from someone reading this column who wants to make a donation that makes a real tangible difference to people who have nowhere else to turn.
“I really believe it’s about inspiration,” Lincoln said. “You’ve got to feel like you’re not just giving money, but you’re fighting a battle with us. And it’s true. It’s a real battle.”
Visit https://saviehealth.org for more information
that activities like extensive excavation, vegetation removal, and the removal of the insulation layer were not covered by the original permits.
In their staff report, the Coastal Commission says that photographs from early October depicted improperly installed erosion control measures and excavation activities on steep slopes near sensitive habitats, including riparian wetlands and Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas (ESHA). “All of this leads Commission staff to have serious doubts as to the effectiveness of any potential measures taken to safeguard against coastal resources damage,” they said in the report.
Commissioners expressed disappointment with County officials, who they said failed to explain their decision-making process. The Coastal Commission staff indicated that they believed the County had not acted appropriately to address Sable’s alleged unpermitted development, suggesting a failure on the County’s part to adequately protect coastal resources. Commissioner Harmon expressed “utter confusion” and frustration, feeling the situation could have been avoided if the County had acted differently.
“Santa Barbara County failed to act, and I have to go on record with my frustration about that,” said Harmon, who felt that it was unfair that the responsibility had fallen on them. “I’m just shocked in the way that the County wasn’t here to tell its own citizens why they wanted to let this go unreviewed and un-responded to,” echoed Commissioner Dayna Bochco
At the commission hearing and past county meetings, Sable employees have shown up supporting their employer by wearing Sable hats and shirts, some even bringing their wives and husbands. Commissioners and staff members acknowledged these employees, saying their quarrel is not with them. It’s “not an issue of environment versus jobs,” said Lisa Haage, chief of enforcement for the commission. “Our beef here is with the corporate entity and not with their employees.”
Some Sable employees would say otherwise. “So it feels probably different to everybody,” confided Sable employee Leo Dickhaut to the Montecito Journal
when asked about the state of his job.
“But it’s a scary thought to think that tomorrow you can’t pay your mortgage payment, can’t pay your car payment, you can’t put food on the table for your kids. I mean, that’s why we’re here today, supporting the company,” he continued, “Because we have – you have – families. All of us have families, right?”
Over 100 people signed up to speak at the public comment, which lasted hours. Former State Senator HannahBeth Jackson stepped up to the mic, joking that “You can’t put lipstick on a pig,” when referring to Sable’s efforts to repair the corroded pipeline, the same one responsible for the 2015 Refugio oil spill.
A group of 20 middle schoolers from Santa Barbara Middle School lined up for public comment to share their concerns about the potential Santa Ynez Unit (SYU) restart. They worried that restarting the unit would inevitably cause an oil spill. Many shared their love for the beach and worried another spill would be worse than the 2015 one. Commission staff offered Sable to decrease their fine by 10%, from $18,022,500 to the initially proposed amount of $14,987,250, if they applied for a new Coastal Development Permit, as they had initially asked them to do. Still, despite the commission’s willingness to reduce the fine, some members emphasized that safety concerns must be balanced with compliance. “I’m acutely aware of the need for pipeline repair work,” said Commissioner Harmon. “I want repairs to happen. I believe that repairs are necessary. We need them. I don’t think anyone wants to stop repairs that are going to keep us safe,” she continued. “I certainly do (support repairs), but they have to be done in the right way.”
Tiana Molony is a journalist who writes for the Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC. She has also written for Backpacker Magazine, Mountain Gazette, and the Santa Barbara Independent.
Savie Health serves Lompoc where many of Santa Barbara’s hospitality workers live (courtesy photo)
An Independent Mind
Our Imperial Presidency
by Jeffrey Harding
Iwoke up this morning with the realization that one man ruling largely by fiat is causing global chaos.
All everyone seems to talk about these days is Donald Trump and what he’s done or will do. And for good reason. It’s making us nervous. And it’s not just us: the whole world is talking about him. We all know why we are talking about him. But why should he be the dominant topic of conversation?
The point I am getting at is why should one man have that much power?
When Trump took office he claimed that America was in bad shape, that the economy was bad, that our society was in decay, that government was corrupt, that foreign countries were “ripping us off,” that immigrants were ruining America, that we were despondent and pessimistic, that inflation was rampant, etc., etc. He said he was going to fix everything because God saved his life for this purpose.
And he is doing what he said he was going to do. The result has been chaos. The financial markets have been wildly up but mostly down. Tariffs were imposed worldwide which has led to uncertainty, confusion, disruption, and retaliation. Immigrants, legal and illegal, have been threatened and terrorized. The Federal bureaucracy has been randomly dismantled. Federal employees he deems as his political enemies have been fired. Our support of Ukraine and our NATO treaties and allies are questioned.
Contrary to Trump’s doomsday scenario, things have more or less been working pretty well. International trade has been an economic boon to every country that has participated in it. NATO and the U.S. nuclear umbrella have more or less brought peace and stability to Europe. The American economy has left its citizens wealthier than ever despite its ups and downs. Employment is almost at an historic high. Inflation is coming down. GDP is rising.
I’m not saying everything is perfect; it’s not. We have plenty of problems and I have been a constant and reliable critic of policies that have been wrongheaded and don’t work. But if you pull back your focus on the arc of history, we are all doing pretty well. Let’s hope we can keep it that way and improve on what we have with things that actually work.
We all know how our government is set up: there are three branches of government that have “checks and balances” over each other. Each legislative, judiciary, and executive branch has only so much power (balances) and the other
branches can act if one branch exceeds its authority (checks). But there is a flaw in the system. The flaw is that Congress and the Supreme Court have ceded too much power to the executive branch. Each party thinks that’s great when their candidate is president. But now we have a president who is taking maximum advantage of that power to the detriment of national and world order.
The deeper issue is not just Trump – it’s that our system has allowed one person to hold too much unchecked power. We now have what can be called an imperial presidency.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was perhaps the worst offender. During his administration the executive branch was given enormous powers over the economy. His “Brain Trusters” mistakenly thought it was a way to revive the economy from the Great Depression. Their inspiration was Soviet Russia and they enacted policies that almost abolished our market-based economy. These policies failed like they always have and resulted in the “great” part of the Great Depression. Eventually the Supreme Court struck down many of these laws, but many persisted which is why the depression lasted so long.
The problem is that we don’t know what Trump is going to do next and that uncertainty is destabilizing the whole world order that has been in place since the end of World War II.
The result is the disruption of our welloiled global supply chains, the persecution of his political enemies, the militarization of our immigration policies under the false claim of national security, ignoring our treaty obligations, hobbling the economy with tariffs, higher costs for consumers, weakening the dollar, destabilizing our financial markets, dangerously jeopardizing our sovereign bond status, and possibly ignoring the rule of law by disobeying the Supreme Court (we’ll see).
The Founders designed a system to prevent exactly this kind of autocracy. Yet here we are – confronting a president who believes he is on a divine mission and acts on “instinct.” Whatever your politics this needs to change.
Jeffrey Harding is a real estate investor and long-time resident of Montecito. He previously published a popular financial blog, The Daily Capitalist. He is a retired SBCC adjunct professor.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Invitation to Bid No. 2025-001
Relocation and Installation of Existing Generator Fire Station 91
The Montecito Fire Protection District hereby invites the submission of sealed bids for: ITB# 2025-001 – Relocation and Installation of Existing Generator
Bid Opening – Friday, May 19, 2025 at 11:00 a m in the conference room at Montecito Fire Station 91, 595 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara.
ITB documents may be viewed on the Montecito Fire Protection District (MFPD) website at www.montecitofire.com or a copy may be secured from MFPD at 595 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara CA between the hours of 8:00 a m and 5:00 p m , Monday through Friday. Responses must be sealed, clearly marked “Station 91 Relocation and Installation of Existing Generator –General Contractor Bid” and returned to:
Montecito Fire Protection District
Attn: Ben Hauser Battalion Chief 595 San Ysidro Road Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Bids will be accepted until 10:30 a m May 19, 2025. Bids received after this time will be returned unopened. Faxed bids will not be accepted.
Published April 10 and 17, 2025 Montecito Journal
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Survey Risk Solutions, 121 East Mason Street, A, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. All County Surevy Risk Solutions, 121 East Mason Street, A, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 20, 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. 2025-0000761. Published April 17, 24, May 1, 8, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Peter’s Gardening Service, 1209 Quinientos St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Pedro Estrada, 1209 Quinientos St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 5, 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. 2025-0000600. Published April 10, 17, 24, May 1, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Modisette Con-
struction, 606 Santa Barbara St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Bomo Design, 606 Santa Barbara St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 10, 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. 2025-0000629. Published April 3, 10, 17, 24, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: The Closing Concierge, 329 W Yanonali Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Sara M Marracino, 329 W Yanonali Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 19, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2025-0000753. Published March 27, April 3, 10, 17, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV01066. To all interested parties: Petitioner Douglas John Stekkinger filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Brixton James Doug-
las. 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 March 12, 2025 by Gabriel Moreno. Hearing date: May 2, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 4, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published March 27, April 3, 10, 17, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Hyperbaric Santa Barbara; Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Santa Barbara, 820A Mason St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Grandle Chiropractic PC, 820A Mason St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 11, 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. 2025-0000398. Published March 13, 20, 27, April 3, 2025
pinned to the blessings of Liberty that underwrite and infuse the recently-beleaguered U.S. Constitution. Nancy’s father served as chaplain’s assistant on a supply ship in the South Pacific during the war, returning home when Nancy was about ten weeks old. Work in Bristol was hard to find and eventually the young family decided to drive cross country and relocate to future tourist hive and Herbert’s hometown – a little-known beach burg called Santa Barbara.
Housing in the future American Riviera was scarce even then, and following mother Dorothy’s writing of a letter to the Santa Barbara NewsPress lamenting the fact, the family was offered housing in a new and hastily-constructed development called Hoff Heights; a bric-a-brac complex of temporary homes built from a decommissioned military hospital and expressly offered to returned veterans.
titiously usher in the beginnings of her next long chapter – a comparatively riotous and spiritually nourishing sojourn in the leafy and starlit out-of-doors.
Fear and Love and the Jungle (A ‘Mayflower’ Descendent Sleeping Rough)
McCradie’s transition from housed to unhoused depended on a compounding of non-magical factors connected by two self-sabotaging and neatly braided threads – poor choices of companion, and a figuratively enlarged heart (not the condition cardiomegaly). She still carries a certain wayward gentleman’s name, he of the chapter she tactfully calls “A Marriage of Inconvenience.” McCradie and her son Sean’s final domicile of this period was the Pilot House Motel at Fairview and Hollister in Goleta.
The Montecito Ledger of April 16, 1958, features a public welcome to newcomers by “The Montecito Hostess,” a certain Ellen Haldeman.
That acreage today is occupied by Santa Barbara’s municipal golf course off Las Positas Rd. Their family home at H67 Apartment #111 was less than ideal, but the Fredlunds were grateful. Herbert undertook and completed a UCSB degree in Music and Secondary Education, the family obliged to quit town to follow the work. Their Odysseus-like, years-long walkabout in the name of Herbert’s gainful employment would take the Fredlunds to Calistoga, San Bernardino, and Barstow, and finally back to Santa Barbara, where an old chum named Henry Brubeck (Dave “Take Five” Brubeck’s brother) would connect Herbert with a job teaching music at La Cumbre Junior High.
Harbingers
Now a young woman with three academic units between herself and a Santa Barbara City College AA degree, McCradie would succumb to the familiar (and often fork-forging) temptation of a paycheck, comparative independence, and a life less woefully predictable. Opting not to return to class when the new term started, taking instead a job at the hand car wash next to the Jolly Tiger Restaurant on Canon Perdido St.(!), Nancy McCradie would unknowingly begin teasing the outer orbits.
This was 1966, the year the Beatles released their zeitgeist-buffeting Rubber Soul album. Was McCradie’s approaching epoch informed in part by the cage-free historical moment that would shortly uncork 1967’s Summer of Love? Who’s to say?
Transfer to a management role in the car wash’s Goleta location introduced McCradie to first inklings of a newish friend group and lifestyle. Her new tribe’s predilection for light adventurism and edge-tickling mischief would surrep-
When the Santa Barbara Airport closed the place down, the two moved into a green Ford 250 pickup with an El Dorado camper shell and found a welcoming community of variously strange and deeply supportive neighbors in the beachfront woodland bound by Milpas and Santa Barbara streets along Cabrillo Boulevard.
Fess Parker would soon enough raze these woods for the construction of his sprawling resort complex on the north side of Cabrillo. To Parker’s great credit, as the police were incessantly trying to clear The Jungle of its homeless community, Davy Crockett himself interceded and gave the beleaguered folks permission to stay for as long as it took to prepare for construction. Maybe Crockett’s having died at the Alamo fighting on behalf of the newish U.S. of A. gave the actor perspective on his fellow country persons. Pure speculation, of course.
By the by, Nancy McCradie finally found her anchor. Here is her unblinkered description of first seeing her future partner, flame-keeper, and lifelong emotional safe harbor. “In his arms he held a five-gallon bucket of ice cream that he must have scavenged from the dumpster near the Dreyer’s Ice Cream warehouse. For lack of a spoon, this lunatic was eating his dessert with a stalk of celery. Ice cream dripped down his face and the front of his overalls.” Protestor Bob would later become a respected if sometimes bewildering presence at City Council meetings, and the radiant love of Nancy McCradie’s mildly star-crossed life. Yes, reader: spiritual competence and capacity for Love are not always evidenced by formalwear and mannered gestures – as we have seen. “Protestor” Bob Hansen would leave us, and his loving family, on March 12, 2024, passing away in the house he and Nancy finally shared.
Still later would come gorgeous daughter (and present-day real estate magnate) Krystal Freedom, and a literal
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Main have always wanted to live in Santa Barbara and now that dream is fulfilled. The Mains were, as they put it, “cliff dwellers” living high in the hills in Sausalito. Mr. Main is an electronics expert. He is semi-retired but owns interests in various electronic companies. The day they were visited by The Montecito Hostess, he was tearing down his hi-fi set.
Mrs.
James C. Reber, our new Montecito neighbor, has built the attractive, ultra-modern duplex at the corner of East Valley Road and San Ysidro Road. Every room in the Reber home blends perfectly with the out of doors. The ingenious use of plastic and glass make a most interesting setting. Mrs. Reber, a widow for three years, is very happy to be settled in her new home and keeping plenty busy developing her garden.
homeless march of fellowship from coast to coast to give Washington, D.C. whatfor. In Santa Barbara, the restrooms by Marshall’s and the Safe Parking Program derive from McCradie’s activated, not-always-predictable, and screenplay-ready band of brothers.
It is safe to say we all feel disparate, and to one degree or another fear the homeless we see. The beautifully written and madly absorbing A Meeting in the Rain may not change your life or your biases. But it may well.
Jeff Wing is a journalist, raconteur, autodidact, and polysyllable enthusiast. He has been writing about Montecito and environs since before some people were born. He can be reached at jeff@ montecitojournal.net
“Protestor” Bob in prep for cross-country trek (photo by Kevin McKiernan)
A Meeting in the Rain is Nancy McCradie’s revelatory saga of homelessness, activism, and unexpected love
Montecito Market Conditions
Montecito recorded 22 residential sales in March, representing a modest improvement from February’s 20 transactions. The single-family home segment saw 19 sales with a median price of $5,550,000 and an average of $6,148,568. Condominium activity remained limited but steady with 3 sales, commanding a median price of $2,300,000.
The area’s luxury status was reinforced by several significant transactions, including a beachfront estate on Posilipo Lane that changed hands for $22,000,000, representing the second-highest sale in the region after a $23,000,000 estate transaction in Santa Barbara proper.
According to the annual PropertyShark report from October 2024, Montecito’s 93108 ZIP code ranks as the fifth most expensive in the United States with a median sale price of $5,000,000, maintaining its position among the nation’s most coveted residential enclaves alongside communities like Atherton, which held the top position with a median price of $7,900,000.
Inventory Dynamics
A notable development for prospective Montecito buyers is the gradual increase in available inventory. As of April 1st, the Multiple Listing Service showed Montecito with a 7.9-month supply of available properties, up from 7 months in March, moving it firmly into what real estate professionals consider a “buyer’s market” territory. This represents a marked contrast from neighboring communities like Goleta and Santa Barbara proper, which remain entrenched in a “seller’s market” with just 1.3 and 2 months of inventory, respectively.
The expanding inventory in Montecito appears concentrated primarily in the ultra-luxury segment, contributing to the area’s overall supply figure while entry-level properties in the community remain scarce. This bifurcated market creates distinct experiences for buyers depending on their price range, with continued competition for properties below $5 million.
Overall, the South Coast region counted 195 active house/PUD listings and 62 condominium listings as of April 1st, reflecting modest increases from the previous month but remaining far below historical norms. For perspective, between 2007 and 2011, available inventory routinely ranged between 734 and 1,026 listings, with the all-time high recorded in June 1992 at a remarkable 1,297 active listings.
Competitive Bidding Continues
While market data suggests a gradual cooling in the frenetic pace of sales activity witnessed during the pandemic years, competitive bidding remains a reality for wellpriced properties. Of the 101 residential sales processed through the Multiple Listing Service in March, 26 closed above the original asking price, 18 at asking price, and 57 below asking price.
Several properties commanded significant premiums, including homes on Woodley Court ($400,000 over asking), Glendessary Lane ($300,000 over asking), and W Junipero Street ($217,500 over asking). However, the 44% of properties selling at or above asking price represents a more balanced environment compared to the height of the market in 2021-2022, while still significantly exceeding the national average of 20%.
For context, the fierce competition in Silicon Valley communities like Sunnyvale and Cupertino resulted in 66 homes selling for more than $200,000 over their list prices in March, with 37 exceeding their asking prices by more than $500,000, and one property commanding a premium exceeding $1,000,000.
Historical Perspective and Future Outlook
The current market environment continues to reflect the extraordinary appreciation witnessed across the South Coast since the pandemic. The median sale price for all residential transactions year-to-date through March 2025 stands at $2,008,839, representing a 20% increase from 2024 levels and nearly double the previous historical high of $1,031,500 set in 2007.
While market observers anticipated potential corrections following the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy adjustments, the impact on the Santa Barbara South Coast has been relatively modest compared to many other markets nationwide. The region’s persistent inventory constraints, coupled with its enduring appeal to wealthy buyers less sensitive to financing costs, have maintained upward pressure on property values despite the broader economic headwinds.
Local market professionals suggest the South Coast’s unique attributes – including limited developable land, strict growth controls, exceptional climate, and proximity to both Los Angeles and San Francisco – will continue to support property values even as the national housing market navigates uncertainties.
Challenges for Market Participants
Prospective buyers and sellers face several notable challenges beyond the traditional market dynamics of supply and demand. Chief among these is the ongoing availability crisis in homeowners’ insurance coverage, with major carriers including State Farm, Nationwide, Kemper, Marine America, Trans-Pacific, and Allstate either refusing to issue new policies or canceling existing coverage in many areas. This insurance situation has complicated transactions and, in some cases, limited the pool of qualified buyers for certain properties.
For older homeowners considering downsizing, California’s Proposition 19 continues to offer potential tax advantages by allowing those aged 55 and older to transfer their existing real estate tax basis to homes anywhere in the state. While this provision was expected to increase inventory by facilitating moves, its impact has been relatively modest thus far in the highest-priced segments of the market.
Neighborhood Perspectives
Beyond Montecito, neighboring communities showed varying market conditions in March:
- Hope Ranch recorded 4 residential sales with a median price of $8,287,500, moving toward a buyer’s market with a 7-month supply of inventory.
- Santa Barbara registered 43 residential sales with single-family homes achieving a median price of $2,083,000, operating in a seller’s market with just a 2-month supply of available listings.
- Carpinteria/Summerland combined for 10 residential sales, with single-family properties commanding a median price of $2,860,000 in Carpinteria and $2,599,000 in Summerland. These areas have transitioned to a more balanced market with 4.3 months of inventory.
- Goleta showed strong activity with 32 residential sales and a median house price of $1,480,000, maintaining a heated seller’s market with just 1.3 months of inventory.
Market Outlook
Looking ahead, real estate professionals anticipate that newly listed properties in 2025 may experience modestly longer marketing periods compared to recent years, but well-priced homes in desirable locations will continue to attract qualified buyers. The fundamental supply-demand imbalance that has characterized the Santa Barbara South Coast market for decades appears likely to persist, supporting property values even as broader economic conditions evolve.
South Santa Barbara County Sales by Area
For Montecito specifically, the increased inventory levels suggest potential opportunities for well-positioned buyers, particularly in the ultra-luxury segment, while entry-level properties within the community will likely continue to command premium pricing amid limited supply.
Stan grew up in both the San Francisco Bay Area and Yosemite National Park, where his love of nature and adventure began. To this day, Stan visits Yosemite numerous times a year and supports the Yosemite Conservancy, which includes volunteering his time working on Yosemite projects. Stan earned degrees in Environmental Studies and Business before starting a 44+ year real estate career. Stan is a licensed real estate broker with Compass and can be reached at Stan@StanTabler.com.
$2,075,000 700 Mateo Court
$2,190,000 313 MALEZA WAY
$2,298,000 6891 Del Playa Drive
$1,355,250 813 W Valerio Street
$1,418,400 3052 Lucinda Lane
$1,435,000 931 Weldon Road
$2,945,000 999 Camino Del Retiro $1,510,000 636 Calle De Los Amigos
$3,950,000 1245 San Antonio Creek Road
$18,000,888 13600 Calle Real
$2,048,480 Avg
$1,365,000 Median
$1,575,000 555 E Arrellaga Street #3
$1,575,000 655 Catania Way
$1,625,000 3667 SAN GABRIEL LN
$1,875,000 1133 Palomino Road 32 Sales
$3,800,000 926 Canon Road
$1,925,000 710 PALERMO DR
$2,008,839 648 Roberto Avenue
$2,083,000 1228
$7,250,000 4628 Via Huerto $2,165,000 121 Romaine
$9,325,000
Carpinteria
Montecito
becomes a murderer in order to save his family – is transformed into a very fast and very funny romp that is somehow still touching despite the whirlwind activity, Bernard said.
“It’s a lot of really quick comedy with some real honest emotional moments in the middle,” he said. “You can almost forget about the comedy and get swept away.”
Theatrical Russophiles might also be pleasantly washed overboard by seeing the trio of staged productions – all of them set in roughly the same time period in Russia. I’m talking of course about adding Crime and Punishment: a Comedy to Out of the Box’s Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 based on a section of War and Peace, and Ensemble’s Rachmaninoff and the Tsar, which plays through this weekend.
“I don’t know what was in the water a year ago, but I think it’s a fun coincidence,” Bernard said. “Although considering the change in the political climate, I don’t know that I would plan to do a Russian play right now.”
State Street’s Supreme Season
When State Street Ballet founding artistic/executive director Rodney Gustafson fully retired at the end of 2023, the destiny of the company – founded by the former American Ballet Theatre dancer some three decades earlier – was something of an unknown. Things seemed to be in good hands with the twin appointments of Megan Philipp as Artistic Director (in September 2023) and Cecily MacDougall as Executive Director (on January 1, 2024). Sure, the pair had held other positions at SSB for 10 and 15 years, respectively, but a shift from its only leader would still be quite a change.
By now, we can rest assured that State Street Ballet is in supremely gifted hands.
Byers celebrating his 88th birthday with wife Karen, Matt Wilson, Dennis Boneck, Trish Davis, Brenda Blalock, David Sadecki, Francie Lufkin, Ed Schifferns, and Carly Kieding
Quite the splash...
Spaced Out
Blue Origins New Shepard rocket launched on Monday with its all-female crew, including Santa Barbara singer Katy Perry, CBS News anchor Gayle King, and Lauren Sanchez, fiancée of Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos
It soared through the Texas sky with the tony triumvirate and three other crew members enjoying a few minutes in space before returning to Earth after a historic 11-minute space flight.
MacDougall and Philipp opened their first full season in the fall with a dynamic double bill of Scheherazade and The Firebird, featuring live accompaniment of the scores by Rimsky-Korsakov and Stravinsky by the Santa Barbara Symphony in performances that were both colorful and evocative. But even that smashing success didn’t prepare us for this spring’s utterly spectacular world premiere of SSB The Little Mermaid. The journey under the sea and on a land of enchantment left Disney in the dust with an all-new everything: co-created choreography by Philipp and MacDougall, imaginative new sets, stunning costumes that included life-sized puppets, and even a brand new original musical score played live by Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra. The all-ages show wowed both kids and adults, and The Little Mermaid will almost certainly become a staple of State Street’s touring seasons and a periodic local favorite.
If it’s possible, the annual “Evenings” performances were even more superlative, boasting eight short works (five minutes each) choreographed by an octet of State Street’s dancers for the company members, presented up close and intimate in the company’s rehearsal studio space. The choreography covered a wide range of styles, from a near classical pas de deux to a full-on ballet-meets-barn dance number, revealing the versatility, grace and power of dancers and the vision of the creators. More please.
The company’s 30th anniversary season comes to a close with a pair of performances back at the Lobero Theatre on May 9-10. The first is a program called Brilliance: Balanchine, Arpino, and Beyond which pays homage to two giants of 20th-century American ballet in George Balanchine and Gerald Arpino. Significantly, the event marks the first time SSB has performed works by either of these legends. The second performance sees SSB premiering a new piece by one of their frequent choreographers. The company will present New York City Ballet co-founder/artistic director Balanchine’s Who Cares? and Joffrey Ballet’s Gerald Arpino’s Birthday Variations before the debut of the new piece by Kassandra Taylor Newberry, who previously choreographed SSB audience favorites Fold and (con)version.
As with the entire season, the program will feature live music, this time by the Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra, conducted by OSB artistic director Kostis Protopapas. It’s shocking to say as someone who doesn’t usually appreciate ballet, but I can’t wait.
Visit www.lobero.org
The celebrity trio flew about 62 miles above our planet, just above the Kármán line designating outer space – where they caught sight of the void of space, the moon and the blue planet.
Given the short duration of the event, the amazons only got to experience about four minutes of weightlessness.
The trip ended with a soft parachute landing back in the Texas desert with Katy and King kissing the earth when they landed on terra firma
The former Dos Pueblos High student revealed she sang Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World” during the trip rather than one of her own compositions and will
be writing a new song reflecting on her out-of-this-world experience.
Montecito resident Oprah Winfrey was present at the launch and landing.
Gracias El Mesías
Fans of Handel’s Messiah were prepared for a fun dual language perspective of the beloved oratorio when Santa Barbara Choral Society performed at Trinity Lutheran Church with a full 21-piece orchestra in both English and Spanish.
The new dual language version of Handel’s classic included a new arrangement from the Bach Collegium San Diego conducted by veteran maestro JoAnne Wasserman.
Founder and artistic director Ruben Valenzuela presented El Mesías in 2020 to rapturous audiences in San Diego and Tijuana, describing the iconic work as “belonging to the people, not just a frozen artifact kept under glass.”
The choir presented all of Part I, and selections from Parts II and III wonderfully sung by soprano Christina Bristow , mezzo soprano Christina Pezzarossi, tenor JJ Lopez, and bass Colin Ramsey
A quite glorious Palm Sunday show...
What a Hoot
Owls, a New York-based string quartet collective, wooed the audience at the Miscellany (Continued from 8)
Jim Robbins, Christina Bristow, JJ Lopez, Barbara Burger, JoAnne Wasserman, Colin Ramsey and Christina Pezzarossi (photo by Jay Farbman Photography)
Owls woo the crowd (photo by David Bazemore)
State Street Ballet is showing its own Brilliance with the impressive first season under its new leadership (courtesy photo)
Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall with their original, visceral performance, part of UCSB Arts and Lectures.
The entertaining foursome, which unusually included two cellists rather than two violinists – Gabriel Cabezas and Paul Wiancko , violist Ayane Kozasa, and violinist Alexi Kenney –expertly translated folk, Jazz Baroque, minimalism, and new music into their distinct instrumentation
The seven-piece program featured works by Chick Corea, Paul Wiancko, François Couperin, and Terry Riley, among others.
Back Home
Prince Harry winged back to London last week to appear at the U.K.’s Court of Appeals claiming he has been “singled out” for “unjustified, inferior treatment” since his leaving.
The Duke of Sussex and wife Meghan Markle “felt forced to step back” from frontline royal duties in 2020 as they considered they were not being protected by the institution,” his barrister Shaheed Fatima claimed.
He flew 5,000 miles to the Royal Courts of Justice to support his own two-day appeal against a ruling over the right of he and his family to have taxpayer funded bodyguards while visiting the U.K.
But hitting back, the Home Office’s barrister said Harry’s appeals involved “a criminal failure to see the wood from the trees.”
After the hearing, Harry made a secret visit to the Ukraine to visit the Superhumans Center, an orthopedic clinic in Lviv treating and rehabilitating injured military personnel and civilians…
Bravo Bronfman
Russian pianist Yefim Bronfman, 66, playing in our Eden by the Beach for the
first time in more than 25 years, showed off his technical brilliance to the full.
Bronfman, who studied at Juilliard in New York and the Curtis Institute of Music, was part of the CAMA Masterseries, having won an Avery Fisher Prize and a Grammy.
His Lobero repertoire included Mozart’s “Sonata in F Major,” Debussy’s “Images, Book II,” and Tchaikovsky’s “Grand Sonata in G Major,” concluding with Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons’ “October - Autumn Song” and Rachmaninoff’s “Prelude in G Minor” as encores.
An enchanting evening...
Join the Circa
Athleticism ruled supreme when Circa Humans 2.0 – created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Australian Circa Ensemble –performed at the Lobero as part of the popular UCSB Arts & Lectures series.
The innovative new world show featured tightly woven choreography that was exhilarating, primal, and deeply engaging as the ten performers moved expressively in an ever-changing palette of dramatic, expansive lighting while
constructing intimate human towers, pushing their physical limits to previously unimagined extremes.
A seriously sensational spectacle as aesthetic as it was athletic...
Unexpected Orders
Sweet things to come for those who wait… Fans of Meghan Markle’s new culinary line have been left disappointed after placing orders for her new $28 offering of honey – only to be told they won’t be receiving the products.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, celebrated the launch of her lifestyle brand As Ever by releasing a handful of products on its website.
The Riven Rock resident included a limited edition $28 Wildflower Honey with Honeycomb, $12 herbal tea (hibiscus, peppermint and lemon ginger), a $14 crepe mix and shortbread cookies.
But reportedly less than five minutes after the launch, the limited-edition honey had sold out. Meghan sent out emails apologizing for the short supply, saying customers would get full refunds as well as another complimentary As Ever product of their choosing, adding that each person would also receive a free upcoming limited-edition product in the future for the inconvenience.
“The excitement created a volume of traffic on the site that even we couldn’t have anticipated, with everything selling out in an hour,” Meghan’s email explained.
Extraordinary volumes...
A Learning Process
Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow has opened up about her “rough and rocky” time becoming a stepmother.
The Oscar winner, 52, admits it took years to get to know TV producer husband Brad Falchuk’s children –Isabella, 20, and Brody, 18 – and that she now deeply regrets waiting so long before moving in with him after they got married.
“In an ideal world, the relationship you have works out and you never have to experience divorce or blending families or anything like that. But a lot of times, that’s not the case.”
Paltrow has two children, Apple, 20, and Moses, 19, from her previous marriage to Coldplay rocker Chris Martin, while Falchuk shares his children with film producer Suzanne Bukinik
“Step-parenting is a pretty tricky arena. It requires a great deal of accountability, vulnerability, understanding your triggers – and nothing quite seems to trigger somebody, especially women, like stepchildren,” she explained on her Goop podcast.
“I think women come in wanting harmony and good relations, and it’s all
like The Brady Bunch and it bodes really well. But the truth is the children act out against the stepmother because they don’t want to push the dad away.”
Trueblood Retires
Mark E. Trueblood, who has guided Community Arts Music Association (CAMA) of Santa Barbara to new programming heights over the course of his 27-year tenure as executive director and later president, will retire once the current concert season concludes.
Elizabeth Alvarez, currently CAMA’s director of development, will succeed him as managing director of the venerable classical music presenting organization.
“It has been extremely rewarding to present many of the world’s greatest orchestras, soloists, and chamber ensembles in concerts that have truly enriched the cultural life of this community, as CAMA has been doing so well for the last 106 seasons,” says Trueblood.
“I don’t have an exact count, but together we’ve put on something on the order of 250 immensely enjoyable concerts at the Arlington, Granada and other theaters over these past years.”
Sightings
Gwyneth Paltrow and Katy Perry at the Breakthrough Prize for Scientists gala in Santa Monica... Kevin Costner noshing at Tre Lune... Meghan Markle taking in Gypsy on Broadway.
Pip! Pip!
From musings on the Royals to celebrity real estate deals, Richard Mineards is our man on the society scene and has been for more than 18 years
Pianist Yefim Bronfman impresses (photo by Frank Stewart)
Circa impresses at the Lobero (photo by David Bazemore)
Mark E. Trueblood retires from CAMA (courtesy photo)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Calendar of Events
by Steven Libowitz
FRIDAY, APRIL 18
Be their Baby – Some 35 years after the Philly-based sibling girl group Sister Sledge catapulted to fame with “We Are Family” – and the help of the legendary producers/songwriters/rhythm sections Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards – Ventura’s Vonettes gave the concept a whirl. Drawing as much from the ‘60s sensation The Ronettes as Sledge or other girl groups, the singers often sport beehive hairdos as they make their way through everything from golden oldies to current hits, adding to the fun. The group’s singers, who call themselves soul sisters, are regulars at bars and clubs both north and south of Ventura, and played last year’s Earth Day at Alameda Park. Their show, titled “We are Family,” a celebration of community and togetherness, comes to Carpinteria’s Alcazar Theatre tonight with their own wall of sound.
TED ‘Live’ at the Library – If you weren’t able to venture to Vancouver for the TED Talks event in person earlier this month, TEDxSantaBarbara has got you covered. The local organization’s TEDLive event today is an exclusive replay of 8-10 talks from TED2025’s Main Stage on the theme “Humanity / Reimagined,” a specially curated selection of powerful presentations made available through TEDxSantaBarbara before publication to the general public. The talks were chosen to meet a moment when the world demands fresh ideas and bold thinking from builders, dreamers and innovators in sharing inspiring solutions. Under consideration for the local event are, among others, talks from Claudia Passos Ferreira (Bioethics and clinical psychologist exploring the frontiers of infant consciousness), Palmer Luckey (Visionary inventor, entrepreneur, and founder of Oculus Rift and Anduril Industries), Dean Ornish (Revolutionary lifestyle medicine pioneer and UCSF Clinical Professor of Medicine), Mo Gawdat (AI ethics advocate, tech leader and former Google X executive), Philippe Villeneuve (Chief Architect leading Notre Dame’s historic reconstruction), Salome Agbaroji (7th U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate), Hany Farid (Digital forensic scientist combating deepfakes and manipulated media) and Lewis Bollard (Farm animal welfare champion fighting against factory farming practices). Following the screening, the audience is invited to participate in a facilitated
Give ‘em the Chair – Santa Barbara Historical Museum takes a back seat to nobody when it comes to doing its part to create meaningful connections to Santa Barbara history. Here we have a signature installation that traces our community’s story from the Chumash era to the mid-20th century and beyond with an extensive collection including clothing, furniture, fine art, photographs, decorative arts and more. But with “The Chair,” the museum is taking a look at storied seats from its permanent collection, pointedly noting that, while chairs are principally utilitarian objects made for sitting, they also reveal evidence of how taste, style and creativity evolve over time. The exhibition uses the furniture to share stories of people and families in our community’s history, but there’s no sitting down on the job.
WHEN: Through April 20
WHERE: Santa Barbara Historical Museum, 136 E. De la Guerra St.
COST: free
INFO: (805) 966-1601 or www.sbhistorical.org
THURSDAY, APRIL 17
Russian for Redemption – Yura Borisov’s portrayal of Igor, the hired henchman with a heart in the Academy Award Best Picture winner Anora, made him the first Russian actor to be nominated for an Oscar in decades. But it wasn’t his first role to receive good notices. In 2021, Borisov played the eponymous and fictional 1938 captain of the USSR’s National Security Service in Captain Volkonogov Escaped. The fastpaced parable follows the political persecution specialist as he forcefully extracts self-incriminating evidence, foresees his own arrest, and goes on the run. Hunted by his former comrades, he is all the while in a feverish repentance marathon meant to redress the likelihood that he is destined for eternal torment. The movie received universal acclaim on Metacritic, including a rave from The Guardian, which praised it as an “impressively deadpan thriller … (whose) line of attack is remorseless, an ongoing rain of hammer blows, yet never feels especially dour or heavy.” Filmmakers Alexey Chupov and Natalya Merkulova will join moderator Sasha Razor of UCSB’s Film and Media Studies for a post-screening discussion.
WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: Pollock Theater, UCSB campus
COST: free (reservations recommended)
INFO: (805) 893-5903 or www.carseywolf.ucsb.edu/pollock
community conversation about the ideas presented.
WHEN: 12-2 pm
WHERE: Faulkner Gallery, Santa Barbara Public Library, 40 E. Anapamu St. COST: free
INFO: https://tedxsantabarbara.com
SATURDAY, APRIL 19
Dude Does Downtown – Jeff Bridges, the longtime Montecito-dwelling actor who has been hunkering down in Hope Ranch since the 2018 debris flows, won an Oscar for Crazy Heart and received Academy Award nominations for six other films. But he might very well be best known for playing the title role of a slacker/avid bowler in The Big Lebowski, Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1998 crime comedy that just keeps getting more popular over time. Bridges, who has been making several public appearances around town recently, not only hosts a screening of the movie but then shares stories, pictures and more for a local audience at the Granada before winding up with a Q&A. Which means, yes, the Dude will even abide your inquiries.
WHEN: 6:30 pm
WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street COST: sold out
INFO: (805) 899-2222 or www.granadasb.org
SUNDAY, APRIL 20
Updating the Antiquities – During an early visit to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art to plan for his upcoming exhibition Proscenium , L.A. artist Elliott Hundley walked through SBMA’s Ludington Court with its display of Greco-Roman antiquities – whereupon he asked SBMA Chief Curator and Curator of Contemporary Art James Glisson about putting his own art in that space. That’s when his show began to develop into a hybrid, genre-busting project. The collaboration with SBMA’s art installers combines and startlingly juxtaposes this mid-career survey of Hundley’s work with Ludington Court’s classically ancient marble statuary. The effect is to reframe the artist’s polystyrene, bamboo, string, and wire statement, By Achilles’ Tomb ; now set in the museum’s most prominent and public space. With the rest of Proscenium , Hundley – a nationally and internationally recognized artist since his breakout show in 2006 at the Hammer Museum – enjoys a broad survey of his work through the lens of theater, props, sets, and backdrops, bringing together 50 works dating from 2000 to 2025. Hundley dialogues
MONDAY, APRIL 21 & TUESDAY, APRIL 22
Early Week Jazz at SOhO – The downtown Santa Barbara restaurant and music club hosts two local jazz ensembles on successive nights to kick off the work week. On Monday, Pianist-composer Antonio Artese is joined by Santino Tafarella on bass and Matt Perko on drums in the keyboardist’s West Coast Trio for a concert of original compositions that explore the intersections of jazz and classical music. Artese’s music blends Northern European minimalism and American cultural influences with the dynamic interplay of composition and improvisation, expanding the jazz piano trio format through innovative harmonic and rhythmic inventions… Tuesday brings the SOhO debut of NYSA Jazz, a quintet of UCSB Jazz alumni featuring saxophone, guitar, stand-up bass and drums, fronted by lead vocalist Atalia Zahrndt, who won UCSB’s first annual Vocal Jazz Competition. The ensemble focuses on traditional and jazz fusion songs with a youthful twist, including the standard “There Will Never Be Another You” and the Beatles’ “Blackbird.”
WHEN: 7 pm Monday, 7:30 pm Tuesday
WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State Street, upstairs in Victoria Court
COST: $18 Monday, $10 Tuesday
INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com
with Glisson in an opening talk this afternoon. WHEN: Opens today, talk at 12 noon
WHERE: Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State St. COST: $15 for talk, reservations required INFO: (805) 963-4364 or https://sbma.net
TUESDAY, APRIL 22
‘Making Sense’ of the Madness – Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation (2021-25) Pete Buttigieg attempts to unpack the defining challenges of the 2020s and what they demand from leaders in a thought-provoking talk at the Arlington Theatre tonight. Drawing from his experience as a mayor, military officer, presidential candidate and cabinet member, he explores the lessons learned from navigating crises, advancing major policy initiatives and bridging divides in a rapidly changing world. With insights on resilience, effective leadership, and the evolving role of communication in shaping public trust, Buttigieg delivers “Making Sense of the 2020s: What the Rest of This Decade Will Require From Leaders in Policy, Politics & Communications.” The talk offers a roadmap for those who seek to lead with clarity and purpose in this pivotal epoch – a moment in time more fraught with threats to our democracy than we’ve seen in many decades.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St. COST: $45-$132
INFO: (805) 963-9589/www.arlingtontheatresb.com/upcoming-events or (805) 893-3535/https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu
THURSDAY, APRIL 24
Bruce is Back – Canadian musical legend Bruce Cockburn may not have the superstar status of some of his countrymen and women, such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, but his body of work has been comprehensive in capturing in song the essence of human experience. Cockburn’s topics have ranged from politics to personal relationships to spirituality and community, while the musical soundscapes incorporate elements of folk, jazz, rock and worldbeat styles from around the planet. Cockburn’s ever-expanding world of wonders is partly due to his continued commitment to growth, as both artist and human being. It’s all in the songs – making his return visit to the Lobero a most welcome import in these turbulent times.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $49 & $59 ($107 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
FOOD WASTE 101!
Help reduce food waste in Santa Barbara County!
Wasted food can hurt the planet and our wallets! Here are our favorite food waste tips:
Inventory and use what you have before you buy more.
Be creative by using the edible parts of foods that you normally throw away
Freeze or preserve surplus fruits and vegetables.
Clip and save the graphic below to remember the Food Recovery Hierarchy, and help prevent food waste every day! Source
Food Recovery Hierarch y
The Food Recovery Hierarchy shows us the best ways to deal with food waste.
Reduction
In Santa Barbara County, 20% of our waste is food. These extra pounds of waste can be put back into the soil through compost, or donated to the community. You have the power to reduce food waste! FOR
INFORMATION CALL (805) 882-3603 OR VISIT WWW.LESSISMORE.ORG
ESTATE/SENIOR SERVICES
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.
We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry. Located in the upper village of Montecito. Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation. 1470 East Valley Rd Suite V. 805-969-0888
ELECTRICIAN
Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575
CARPET CLEANING
Carpet Cleaning Since 1978 (805) 963-5304
Rafael Mendez Cell: 689-8397 or 963-3117
PIANO LESSONS
Openings now available for Children and Adults.
Piano Lessons in our Studio or your Home. Call or Text Kary Kramer (805) 453-3481
DOGSITTER
I love taking care of small dogs. Best prices in Santa Barbara! Please call Teresa (760) 968-7101
PHYSICAL TRAINING & THERAPY
Stillwell Fitness of Santa Barbara In Home Personal Training Sessions for 65+ Help with: Strength, Flexibility, Balance Motivation, and Consistency
John Stillwell, CPT, Specialist in Senior Fitness 805-705-2014 StillwellFitness.com
GOT OSTEOPOROSIS? WE CAN HELP
At OsteoStrong our proven non-drug protocol takes just ten minutes once a week to improve your bone density and aid in more energy, strength, balance and agility. Please call for a complimentary session! Call Now (805) 453-6086
AUTOMOBILES WANTED
We buy Classic Cars Running or not. Foreign/Domestic Chevy/Ford/Porsche/Mercedes/Etc. We come to you. Call Steven - 805-699-0684 Website - Avantiauto.group
PET/HOUSE SITTING
Do you need to get away for a weekend, week or more? I will house sit and take care of your pets, plants & mail. I have refs if needed. Call me or text me. Christine (805) 452-2385
SALE
Montecito Urn Garden Grave For Sale
The cemetery currently sells these for $5500. I’m asking $4400. Please text to 805-637-5860.
TILE SETTING
Local tile setter of 35 years is now doing small jobs only. Services include grout cleaning and repair, caulking, sealing, replacing damaged tiles and basic plumbing needs. Call Doug Watts at 805-729-3211 for a free estimate.
LANDSCAPE
Casa L. M.
Landscape hedges installed. Ficus to flowering. Disease resistant. Great privacy. Licensed & insured. Call (805) 963-6909
WATERLILIES and LOTUS since 1992
WATERGARDEN CARE
SBWGC
Massage by Laura at The Julia 924 Anacapa Street Suite 2M 805 670 7787 ldlholisticmassage@gmail.com
FOR RENT
Sunny loft in Mission Canyon Downstairs bath/storage/day rm For single w/day job No Dog Randall – 966-4030
$2000/mo
Bright, Ocean + Garden Views. Hardwood Floors. Updated kitchen and bath. Carrara marble. Quiet Street. No Smoking. No Pets. $3,400. 310-795-3867
Sunny delightful setting on private estate No pets, non smoker $3,750/month, contact # 805.451.4295
ELDER CARE
Reasonable mature woman available as night attendant for your precious elder. Experienced, educated, meticulous, caring, English-speaking, with excellent references. Mimi – (805) 280-8837
$10 MINIMUM TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD
It’s simple. Charge is $3 per line, each line with 31 characters. Minimum is $10 per issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email Classified Ad to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860. All ads must be finalized by Friday at 2pm the week prior to printing. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex (3% surcharge)
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Motion Graphics Designer Req’d: BA in Graphic Design, Illustration or related.
Wage: $46,384
Job Site: Montecito, CA
Mail Resume: York Los LLC. 1482 East Valley Rd. #234 Montecito, CA 93108
DONATIONS NEEDED
Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue, Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944
Donate to the Parrot Pantry! At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds’ best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies.
Volunteers
Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help. (805) 969-1944
