Stroll through Cemetery Lane – It’s The Best Last Place to be… learn all about the Santa Barbara cemetery and its relaxed inhabitants on this guided walk, P.16
Mourning and Dancing – An emotionally oscillating double concerto comes to town for the SB Symphony’s final show of the season, P.20
For the Love of Flatware – They say ‘don’t play with your food…’ but what about playing with your silverware, P.26
Remediation Matters
The County BOS have some words for Sable, page 5; Carpinteria has something to say as well to Chevron on its decommissioning and remediation efforts, page 29
Fête à la Riviera
It was fundraising with a French flair at the Rosewood Miramar when parents and guests gathered to support Riviera Ridge School, page 38
Healthy happenings with Lompoc Valley Community Healthcare Organization, page 14
photo by Dreamyshade via Wikimedia
BOS & Sable
Supervisors Decide the Fate of Oil and Gas in County
by Tiana Molony
It was three against one at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, May 13, as the board weighed the future of oil and gas in the county.
In a 3-1 vote, the supervisors passed a motion to prohibit new oil and gas drilling and phase out existing operations in the county. Only four of the five supervisors were in attendance, as Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino was absent from the meeting. The supervisors gave county staff until October 2025 to develop a framework outlining a strategy to prohibit new oil and gas drilling and phase out existing operations.
County staff advised keeping oil and gas emissions out of the 2030 Climate Action Plan, which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade. In a presentation, staff noted that 79% of industry-related emissions in the county come from oil and gas extraction.
Instead of including these emissions in the plan, they suggested drafting an ordinance to ban new drilling – a move they described as “the most viable and the least resource-intensive option.” They pointed to the authority granted by state law AB 3233, signed in September 2024, which empowers local governments to take such action.
Vice Chair Bob Nelson cast the lone “no” vote, emphasizing the oil industry’s economic significance, particularly its contribution to jobs and the county’s economy. He expressed concern about the county staff’s process for discussing policies affecting the industry. He said it was “really troubling” that staff had engaged with nonprofits but not directly with the oil industry. “This is a snow job,” he said. “And it’s highly inappropriate.” He believes there is an opportunity to work with the industry on solutions, such as addressing abandoned wells.
Public input largely favored phasing out oil and gas production, with most of the 23 speakers and dozens of letters supporting the motion. However, Edward Hazard, president of the California chapter of the National Association of Royalty Owners, opposed the phaseout, criticizing the county for rejecting substantial industry investments. Hazard also labeled California state law AB 3233 as “unconstitutional.”
The hearing comes as Texas Oil Company Sable is attempting to restart the Santa Ynez Unit, which includes
the pipeline responsible for the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill.
Before the meeting, supervisors reviewed a report by researchers Olivia Quinn, Eleanor Thomas, Carrie Fernandes, Leah Stokes, and Paasha Mahdavi, detailing the economic, health, and environmental benefits of ending onshore oil development. The report concluded that such action could avoid between $54 million and $81 million in mortality-related costs by 2045, primarily by reducing exposure to harmful pollutants from oil operations.
The report also argued that the local oil industry plays a limited economic role, contributing approximately 0.2% ($3.3 million) annually to county revenues, with about $1 million directly benefiting the county. The sector supports fewer than 100 direct extraction jobs, with additional support activities employing between 465 and 1,031 individuals out of a total county workforce of 209,500.
Supervisor Nelson challenged these economic assertions, citing communication with UCSB economics professor Peter Rupert. Attributing to Rupert, Nelson stated that ceasing oil production could reduce the county’s GDP by $76 million, decrease income by $18.9 million, and result in the loss of 180 jobs. “And these are head-of-household jobs,” Nelson emphasized. He urged the board to consider the decision carefully.
“I don’t want us to ever think that this is minor, this is massive – it’s significant.”
In response, Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann underscored the broader environmental and moral implications, arguing that the true economic and human costs result from climate-driven disasters such as extreme weather events and wildfires. She believes the most significant loss is not to the oil and gas industry, but the damages caused by climate-related events.
“Myself, morally as a human being on this planet, cannot stand by and not do the very best that I can for children and grandchildren and life on this planet,” she said.
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.
in par nership with perrier jouet champagne t
Beings and Doings
Fall of the Animal Kingdoms
by Jeff Wing
When the invitation arrived, we were intrigued by one of its particulars. The hosts, our dear old friends the Smythmires (names have been changed to guard privacy and amuse the author) would be offering roast pig as the culinary centerpiece of their yard party. “Whoa,” I thought. The pig roast as ritual feast is popular in Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Cuba,
Indonesia, Hawaii – and takes many forms, none of which meet the approval of living pigs.
Here in the States, roast pig – and the somewhat technical ceremony surrounding the pig’s humiliation – is a big deal. The occasion summons a sense of unharnessed celebration and typically compels the familiar American trappings of communal levity. If music is provided, women dance with their arms raised, their male counterparts shuffling about like lightly anesthetized bears. Everyone whoops and makes the “hang loose” hand gesture, and many a guest can be seen bending at the waist in a fit of helpless laughter with a hand on a fellow celebrant’s shoulder. This “bent at the waist and laughing with hand on friend’s shoulder” signifies both fellowship and the need for physical support on account of the incapacitating joy and hilarity. Roast pig inspires this happy madness. Again, not among pigs.
Roast pig liberates the repressed human spirit by taking us back to a sanitized facsimile of our anthropological youth. For thousands of years – millennia, if that sounds fancier – the pig roast
has been the centerpiece of many a gilded celebration by the increasingly bewildered human family. We’re the apex species inhabiting this big blue marble (as PBS insists on calling the place) and we are amazing. Opposable thumbs, 6,000 languages, rocketry, kazoos; we’re the deserving bosses of this warm rock. Yes, we are very occasionally prone to fighting and petty theft. But some things – like a hot boxed pig – reliably join our hearts in transcendent unity. Or as a pig might express it –“…there isn’t any remote corner of this Hog-forsaken planet where these ravenous jackasses
don’t want to flay and longitudinally skewer me.”
(The “Human Family” hymn sounds less musical in pig-talk.)
Arrival and Mingling
We arrived at the Smythmires’ Santa Barbara home on a sun-drenched afternoon and proceeded to their capacious back yard, where we mingled with dear pals. My adorable ex-girlfriend (wife) avidly made the rounds with the genuinely radiant affection for which she is known and loved, while I moved machine-like into the happy hubbub like an only half-enchanted mannequin. I dimly recall a time when I was possessed of the social graces, but that was back when actor David Soul of Starsky and Hutch had a soft-rock hit on the radio. Back in those days I would offer hugs to people, tell them I loved them, freely share my innermost feelings and laugh with unrestrained frivolity. Today you wouldn’t mistake me for that hugging thing, with his too-tight corduroy shorts, tucked-in polo shirt and full head of hair. I guess I’ve traded loquacity for opacity. I love my friends more than I can capably express, and that neatly sums it up. I found a seat on the Smythmires’ sundeck and began ineptly jawboning,
Beings & Doings Page 344
The Once and Future Pig (courtesy photo)
Humankind’s happy-go-lucky youth (courtesy photo)
Montecito Miscellany ‘Brilliance’ on Pointe
by Richard Mineards
State Street Ballet marked the end of its landmark 30th season at the Lobero with Brilliance: Balanchine, Arpino, and Beyond with the Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra under conductor Kostis Protopapas
The triple bill was a true culmination of a wonderful year with George
Balanchine’s Who Cares? being the first performance of a Balanchine work in more than 25 years, while Birthday Variations by George Arpino is the first work by Joffrey Ballet’s co-founder ever presented by State Street Ballet.
The final set, the premiere of “To Do Less With a Certainty” by Kassandra Taylor-Newberry , a choreographer whose work speaks boldly to the future, reflects the evolving voice of a new generation of dance makers.
“After 30 years of dance, this season has reminded us that ballet has that rare ability to capture life’s complexity and beauty in motion,” says Artistic Director Megan Philipp, and Executive Director Cecily MacDougall I couldn’t agree more..
Salut Salonen
CAMA – the Community Arts Music Association – closed its 106th season’s International Series with the Los Angeles Philharmonic led by beloved conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, joined
Miscellany Page 424
Dancers Arianna Hartanov with Saori Yamashita, Noam Tsivkin, and Nathaniel Tyson (photo by Heidi Bergseteren)
Brianna Patrick, Saori Yamashita, and Arianna Hartanov (photo by Heidi Bergseteren)
Dancers Harold Mendez and Akari Kat (photo by Andre Yew)
Poetry Corner
The Voyage of a King
If you’ve ever been to a bakery
First thing in the morning
The scents are so seductive
With an endless line now forming.
After forty full days of fasting in the desert
The first thing the fiend said –If thou truly be the Son of God
Command these stones be made bread.
When Odysseus’ men ate the Sun God’s cattle
They were starving at sea after years of heavy battle.
If you’ve ever really been hungry consider that drive
The burning meat screamed as if it were still alive.
Away from the fire the steaks shifted and crawled
But that didn’t stop the sailors –didn’t stop them at all. For the sackers of Troy –It’s not what they planned Starving down to nothing, slow death Bobby Sands. Better to eat like a warrior and then die like a man.
Was that written by Homer or maybe Stephen King
The cold truth that hunger is so terrible a thing
And after you’ve tasted comes that awful reckoning For taking what you wanted just to hear the Sirens sing.
You had Poseidon on your neck for the blinding of his son
And stating proudly to the Cyclops why the brutal deed was done You gave him your full name and even your address Slipped up that once only but pride is such a mess. He murdered everyone at sea and left you to drift around Like Ishmael on his coffin never rescued, never found.
Did you think then of Penelope waiting at her loom
To take you to heaven and never leave your room. With a woman like that you have no reason to roam Two always in love and two always at home. It was not in your nature, Never at a Loss, Seeing people as they are at so tremendous a cost.
A man comes full circle and gets to know himself If there is love at the end, you can say he’s gained real wealth. Don’t travel so far next time Most Curious One Resourceful, brilliant king with the troubles never done. Sailing to new islands and then sailing out again That as the leaves is a generation of men.
– Henry J. Ohrtman
Community Voices
DEI: Up Down. Yet Resilient?
by Hugo A. Loaiciga
DEI
is under stress from within and without.
President Trump issued on January 20, 2025, an executive order terminating “all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI in the Federal Government.”
DEI’s roots are found in President Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 executive order 11246, which required federal contractors to “take affirmative action to ensure that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race.” Affirmative action was the predecessor of today’s DEI. It prohibited discrimination in employment by federal contractors.
Affirmative action evolved.
By the early 1980s it was used in U.S. universities and public agencies to recruit members of under-represented communities based on personal characteristics.
Affirmative Action was accused of creating reverse discrimination by giving preferential treatment to some based on personal characteristics and bypassing better qualified individuals. Affirmative Action was terminated in 1996 in California by referendum, mandating that “the State shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.”
Race-conscious admission programs at colleges and universities across the country were ended in 2023 by the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions vs Harvard College and the University of North Carolina. The Court’s majority opined that “The Harvard and
Montecito Tide Guide
May 23
UNC admissions programs cannot be reconciled with the guarantees of the Equal Protection Clause and involve racial stereotyping.”
DEI consolidated in the 1990s as the assault on affirmative action mounted. It was first named diversity, which refers to the variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. Organizations created diversity initiatives and tailored them to their specific needs. Businesses justified these initiatives to remain competitive by attempting to imitate the diversity of society within their workforce.
Diversity morphed into DEI in the first two decades of the 21st century, and peaked during the Biden administration. Equity means providing equal opportunities to all members of a community. Inclusion refers to allowing all members of a community to participate and express their
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
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Our Town Montecito Y’s Pickleball Courts Grand Opening
by Joanne A Calitri
The Montecito YMCA held its much anticipated Pickleball Courts Grand Opening on Saturday, May 10, from 9 am through 12 pm. It was a great sun-filled day with balmy temperatures, perfect for hitting the courts. When I arrived, the pickleball courts were packed with people playing and others waiting to jump into a game – the energy was high with smiles all around. The Montecito Y’s Executive Director Ryan Power pulled out all the stops by equipping the courts with a wide variety of pickleball paddles, an oversized paddle for fun, and four ball caddies packed to the brim. Alongside Power was the Health and Wellness Director of the Y, Ben Oler, who is a certified pickleball pro.
Overseeing the pickleball players with tips, coaching and game rules were Oler and two additional Pro-Certified Pickleball experts, Jay Campbell, and Dave Wilcox. Also on hand were Channel Islands YMCA Marketing and Communications Director Dan Noah, and Membership Director John Norman I talked with Oler and Campbell about the sport and the courts. Oler, “We finally brought pickleball to the Montecito YMCA. I feel this is a great opportunity for our community to come, be active, and have a great time. I say for a game like this, it’s a great way to get people outside, have fun and stay active.”
Adding to Oler’s sentiment, Campbell explained, “It’s a really fun sport, everybody can play, the culture is everyone is welcome, and the skill level comes pretty quickly; doesn’t take years to learn. It’s really fun and very inclusive. This sport is almost like ping-pong, where one can play the way they play, it doesn’t have to be a particular stroke and you can get pretty
good with that skill set. Fun fact, I went to Montecito Union School, I grew up here and I’ve been coming to the Montecito Y since I was six years old. I even still have a trophy from the Y [laughs]. It feels really great to be here at the Y, like a homecoming for me. I was teaching tennis at the Four Seasons Biltmore Montecito, then we got a pickleball court and got certified as a pro, and now I’m here. I love the sport!”
The court area had a balloon arch with a bright red ribbon between two center courts for the official ribbon cutting, which took place at 9:30 am. Ryan handed out the Y’s preschool scissors to all there to join in a community ribbon cutting. After posing for photos, the countdown was called by everyone with Ryan Power leading. Following the ribbon cutting was a pickleball toss with everyone, to capture the fun of the sport. Next, Oler, Campbell and Wilcox went straight into coaching and rotated players to give everyone a chance to play and learn the game.
Also noted, Power and Oler switch out the pickleball courts for basketball only, or mix half the courts for each sport. The pickleball nets are on rollers, portable, and easily moved to the side. Check the schedules online or call the Y.
411: www.ciymca.org/montecito
Joanne A Calitri is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@ yahoo.com
Montecito Y’s Pickleball Court ribbon cutting (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
A Season of Legacy
international series AT THE GRANADA THEATRE
GUSTAVO DUDAMEL’s FINAL SEASON with the LA PHIL! Subscribe and be part of the celebration!
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2025, 7:00 PM (Early Start Time)
LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
Gustavo Dudamel, Music & Artistic Director Program includes STRAVINSKY’s Firebird and Rite of Spring !
MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2025, 7:30 PM PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA, LONDON
Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Principal Conductor
SEASON SPONSOR: SAGE PUBLISHING
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2026, 7:30 PM CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Riccardo Muti, Music Director Emeritus for Life
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2026, 7:30 PM
DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Fabio Luisi, Music Director
Hélène Grimaud, piano
Sofia Fomina, soprano
masterseries AT THE LOBERO THEATRE
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2025, 7:30 PM
LOUIS LORTIE, piano ALL-RAVEL PROGRAM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2026, 7:30 PM
EMANUEL AX, piano
Works by CHOPIN and other composers to be announced
SEASON SPONSOR: ESPERIA FOUNDATION
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2026, 7:30 PM VENICE BAROQUE ORCHESTRA
Gianpiero Zanocco, conductor & violin A VENETIAN DUEL OF BOWS
In Celebration of Venetian Carnivale Venetian Masks and Cloaks Encouraged!
Over a century ago, a beloved swim raft floated just offshore at Miramar Beach—a cherished fixture of classic Santa Barbara summers. This iconic tradition is once again part of the coastline. For the second year, Rosewood Miramar Beach is proud to bring the Miramar Swim Raft back.
Join us on May 16th to raise a glass and celebrate the return of the Miramar Swim Raft with hot dogs, watermelon, and the first paddle out of the season. We look forward to continuing to honor local history and create unforgettable moments for the next generation of Miramar Beach families.
Photo Courtsey of the Montecito Association History Committee
WHAT IGNITES YOUR CREATIVE SPARK?
When mind, body, soul, and senses all play together, you’re living the creative life. At Maravilla, you’ll encounter fascinating neighbors, stylish ambiance, chef-crafted cuisine, and a wide array of creative activities & clubs to embrace. If the dance of life has a hub, this is it.
Annual Resident Art Show
OPEN HOUSE
SATURDAY, JUNE 7 th • 1:00-3:00PM
Celebrate the creativity of our community at our Annual Art Show and Open House. Stroll through our art gallery and admire the stunning creations of our talented residents. Enjoy a chef’s demo by our award-winning executive chef, tap into your own creativity in an art demo, and savor signature cocktails and chef-prepared hors d’oeuvres. To RSVP, please call 805.319.4379.
Celebrating History Founding the Santa Barbara Cemetery
by Hattie Beresford
Santa Barbara pioneer Isaac Sparks would have fit right in with the cast of The Revenant. He was a mountain man through and through, with the morals of an alley cat and the demeanor of a grizzly bear, whom he bested in a fight (though he lost an eye). Nevertheless, he was at the vanguard of the American settlement of Santa Barbara in the 1830s. He served as mayor in 1853 and was a partner in the Chapala Street Wharf Company before his death in in 1867.
Sparks was laid to rest at the Protestant Cemetery in town – an unfenced, uncared for piece of land that lay next to the excavation pit for clay, an early source of bricks at the eastern end of Montecito Street. One critic complained, “The bones of the brave dead lie scattered around and are ground up by passing wheels.” Sparks’ pals bemoaned the condition of this eternal resting place and quickly determined to create a proper cemetery in town. Three weeks later, they created the Santa Barbara Cemetery Association.
In 1868, the Association acquired the first piece of land near the Salt Marsh (today’s Andrée Clark Bird Refuge). By 1872, they announced that the lots were selling off fast and that most of the desirable locations would soon be sold. Those who had purchased lots were to improve and ornament them and add to the beauty of the grounds.
By 1874, however, Sparks’ funerary conditions in town must have been improved, for a visitor to Santa Barbara described seeing a marble monument bearing the inscription “Isaac J. Sparks,
History Page 314
Isaac J. Sparks continued traveling even after death (courtesy photo)
David Petry will lead a tour of the Santa Barbara Cemetery on May 25 beginning at 10 am (courtesy photo)
Inscriptions, like this one for architect George Washington and his wife, adorn the walls of the chapel (author photo)
A Silent Film with Live Musical 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)
Tessa Lark, violin
Amy Yang, piano
Tue, May 20 / 7 PM / Hahn Hall
“Tessa Lark embodies joy in music making.”
–John Corigliano, composer
At once a classical violin virtuoso and a blazing bluegrass fiddler from Kentucky, Tessa Lark performs a program exploring all sides of her prolific career, from Bartók to bluegrass and beyond.
Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello
Thu, May 29 / 7 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall
Sibling duo Isata and Sheku Kanneh-Mason will put their intuitive understanding and remarkable rapport on full display in this richly evocative recital exploring the legacy of late Romantic and modern chamber music.
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Meeting at MA
MWD’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan
Approved by the State
by Joanne A Calitri
The Montecito Association Land Use Committee (LUC) May meeting was held at the Montecito Library community room and on Zoom. The meeting was called to order by LUC Chair, Dorinne Lee Johnson
Attendees were the LUC members; MA Executive Director Houghton Hyatt; General Manager Montecito Water District (MWD) Nick Turner, and his team – Groundwater Specialist Nick Kunstek , Assistant Manager Adam Kanold, and Public Information Officer Laura Camp; GM Montecito Sanitation District John Weigold ; Montecito Planning Commission Jack Overall; MA Admin Janet Casey; and Sara Tyberg
Johnson introduced Turner to present his update on the MWD’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for Montecito. Turner introduced Kunstek and Camp. Cogent Points by Turner:
- The Montecito Groundwater Basin (MGB) is located in the MWD and coincides with geology established by Dept. of Water Resources (DWR).
- The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was enacted by the California State legislation in 2014 to provide for long-term groundwater sustainability and require all basins designated as medium and high priority to develop a GSP.
- Purpose of the MWD is to develop and implement its own GS plans by 2043, so MWD would have LOCAL [emphasis by Turner] control, not State control or intervention.
- MWD recognizes the importance of groundwater for public and private wells, critical supply during dry periods, misuse, and long-term impacts on the water basin.
- The California DWR recognized the MWD as the single-agency GSA for the Montecito Groundwater Basin late 2018.
- MWD made a GSP which was adopted by the GSA May 2023.
- The MWD GDP was approved by the DWR February 2025.
- 2025 through 2043 – in order to sustain groundwater in Montecito, the MWD will identify and monitor key risk factors – groundwater depletion, quality, and seawater intrusion; pursue grant funding, update the basin numerical model, comply with local well registry, and establish rebates for stakeholders via programs.
- Key is that the Montecito groundwater basin is presently in reasonably good health based on current conditions.
- MWD has a high tech monitoring system and voluntary metering program to track usage to finetune our model, and monitors the flow of creeks and wells in Montecito to fill in data gaps in the plan.
- Going forward the focus is to implement MWD GSP, and annually report
on it with evaluations every five years through 2043.
- MWD Rebate Program: Rebates are offered up to $3,000 per property with eligible projects like establishing a Rain Garden where property owners capture runoff and promote infiltration into the Basin; and conversion of appropriate areas of a property to Permeable Surface materials that allow infiltration of water into the ground
- Montecito Union School received a rebate and a Certificate of Recognition for its Nature Lab.
- To date MWD has given six to eight rebates to local well owners.
- The Well Registry Project for Montecito property owners. There are 700 well owners to date with a 50% response rate, and the project has completed over 50 site visits. With this project MWD can connect with property owners and advise and educate. MWD has a wells stakeholder list to help them communicate.
- Seawater Intrusion Monitoring Project is important in Montecito. The
Montecito Water District stats of the Montecito Groundwater basin as presented at the Land Use meeting
program establishes the wells existing along the shoreline and monitors them for any intrusion, tracks any trends, uses lab analysis quarterly, and adds private monitoring of wells in specific locations, specifically in Biltmore and Toro Canyon areas, to become a part of this program.
- Rainfall impacts groundwater and well owners.
- Overall, the Montecito Basin continues to recharge due to the heavy rainfall in the last few years.
- GSA is one component in groundwater collaboration. Additional roles are played by County Planning and Environmental Health organization, and California Coastal Commission.
- Camp emphasized that it is profound that Montecito has local control of the plan, whereas other districts in California have not received approval and will be regulated by the state and local authorities.
Johnson opened it up to questions, which resulted in the following data points from Turner and his team:
- Main sources for groundwater are primarily rainfall and streamflow, and secondarily from upper portions of the mountains. Majority of water we have in the basin stays in the basin, due to our geology.
- There have been active wells in Montecito since 1960 and some predate that. They created a registry program to find out where they are and sent out requests to those parcel owners. There may be only 400 active wells out of the 700 wells we have assessed in the area via scientific methods.
- For the basin there is a rubric for its score: well density. The Montecito water basin is less than 10 square miles and estimated total volume use of groundwater, factors of population use.
- Seawater rise as an influence on the basin is not an issue. What drives seawater intrusion is extractions of water from the basin, so it is important to maintain the groundwater at a level that keeps the seawater out.
411: Contact MWD at 805-324-4207 or email staff@montecitogsa.com
The location of the Montecito Groundwater Basin as presented at the Land Use meeting
Honoring Those Who Served
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• Use proceeds to pay o your existing Mortgage
• Get Tax Free Proceeds with No Monthly Mortgage Payments*
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• Retain Full Ownership of Your Home
• Access the equity in your home up to $4 Million Dollars
Reverse Mortgage Division
*Borrowers must continue to pay Property Tax, Homeowners Insurance, HOA payments and maintain their home. Reverse Mortgage is for homeowners 55 years of age and over. Consult with your CPA on Taxes. The loan may become due and payable when the last borrower or eligible non-borrowing spouse dies, sells the home, permanently moves out, defaults on taxes, or does not comply with the loan terms. $1000 Veteran credit to be applied towards closing costs.
and
Montecito Health Coach
The Prevalence of Eating Disorders: And What Role Do We Play in Feeding Them?
by Deann Zampelli
Recently I attended a party for a dear friend. It was a well-attended gathering and a wonderful chance to reconnect with old friends from my two decades in Montecito. However, I was gravely concerned at how many women were alarmingly thin. This wasn’t “Oh, I have started to do Pilates” thin. This was, “Is this person chronically ill, or do they have an eating disorder?” thin. I know people can lose weight for many different reasons, often including stress, so I tried to keep an open mind. But there were just so many of them.
While I can normally find humor in everything I write about, this piece is different. Eating disorders are no laughing matter.
Equally disturbing was the number of people who commented on these women’s weight to say how great they looked. Really? Do you genuinely think her sunken cheeks look “great”? Or are you at a loss as to what to say? From my studies, I remember it is often best not to comment on the appearance of someone with an eating disorder at all; unless it is a private sharing with a close friend of your concern for their health. Is this part of the problem, I wondered. Are we, as women, reinforcing the disordered eating with our effusive praise?
I wanted to get an expert’s perspective, so I spoke with Linda Wells, local LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), therapist, and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist with over 30 years’ experience in the field. I asked her if she has seen a rise in eating disorders over the years, and if so, why she thinks that might be. This is what she shared, “We have seen a rise in eating disorders and disordered eating in Santa Barbara, although with UCSB this has been true for some time. We are seeing more and more clients presenting with an obsessive relationship with weight, shape, and a preoccupation with ‘healthy eating’ – which is now termed Orthorexia. In the past, the average age of female clients were 20 to 30 years of age. However, in the recent past we have seen an increase in women and men of all ages, and girls and boys starting as young as 10 years old, there was also a steep increase in the rates of referrals to higher levels of care during the pandemic. Social media is one of the biggest influences, but Santa Barbara’s proximity to Hollywood and L.A. is another factor. The Eating Disorder field has really grown in the last twenty to thirty years. We have become a lot better at identifying ‘disordered eating’ and ‘Eating Disorders’ and are better at identifying populations
who are at higher risk. We have a lot more treatment options as well, including different levels of care now. I am very glad you’re helping to bring this concern to light. This is sadly a very high medical risk diagnosis, including fatality.”
Let’s start with what is an eating disorder and the distinction between that and “disordered eating.” According to the National Eating Disorder Alliance (NEDA), while there are similarities between the two, there are significant differences as well, “Disordered eating refers to a spectrum of problematic eating behaviors and distorted attitudes towards food, weight, shape, and appearance. Often these behaviors include dieting, skipping meals, fasting, restricting food intake, eliminating specific foods or food groups, binge eating, excessive use of diuretics, laxatives, and weight loss medications, as well as the use of compensatory behaviors (purging, excessive exercising).”
And while these patterns of behavior can often be the precursor to an eating disorder, they don’t meet the criteria to be diagnosed as a mental health illness. That threshold is informed in part by the added element of a behavior’s frequency or severity, both of which can propel one further in the direction of an eating disorder diagnosis.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, eating disorders are “behavioral conditions characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated distressing thoughts and emotions.” These can be very serious conditions and include diagnoses such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating and laxative misuse. At any given time, several million people are affected by this mental health illness, the most common sufferers women between the ages of 12 and 35.
The need for support in this area has grown exponentially over the last decade. Emblematic of the dramatic rise of this therapeutic field may be the Monte Nido eating disorder treatment program. Founded by Carolyn Costin as a single location in Malibu, Monte Nido now has 48 centers across the United States.
As Wells pointed out, we have seen a rise in this issue in Santa Barbara. She speculated that it could be due to our proximity to Los Angeles and the Hollywood subculture of glamour, where remaining thin seems to typify the pursuit of seemingly ageless beauty. But the end question remains the same. What can we do about it? The number one piece of advice that most professionals offer is to not compliment a worryingly thin person on their appearance. As we have learned recently, it is never a good idea to comment on someone’s weight at all. We live in a diet culture that rewards weight loss, and this preoccupation can often be one of the foundations behind the eating disorder itself. Specifically young men and women are held up to the unrealistic expectations of social media and celebrity.
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, “Complimenting someone’s appearance is a way of reinforcing that how they look is what’s important about them. If you stop for a moment, you can think of so many other things that are more important than the body or appearance of your loved ones. Comment on style and taste, not the body in the clothes. Mention how happy someone looks, not their weight changes. Bring up the way people make you feel, not how you interpret their health.” This is a much-needed shift in our dialogue, the redirection of the conversation to something much more interesting than our body fat percentage. If you or someone you care about might have an eating disorder, or is experiencing disordered eating, there are ways to help. The National Eating Disorders Association recommends privately expressing your concern to the loved one in question. The key is gentleness, not judgment, and sticking to “I” statements such as “I am concerned at how often you are working out.” Or “I am worried at how little you are eating.” The idea is to not finger point or diagnose, but to be supportive, do your research, and perhaps have a resource or two to refer them to.
It is estimated that over 10,000 people every year die of eating disorders in the United States alone. That is 1 death every 52 minutes.
For more help, reach out to The National Eating Disorders Helpline at 800-931-2237.
“There are parts where it goes down a half step, and it kind of sounds like someone is sighing or crying, which is related to both Jewish prayers and the Western classical tradition. But the strongest connection to Bach is that I included fugues in all of the movements.”
Dorman’s fast movements employ different meters to emphasize different dances, including a rhythm that’s not symmetrical to represent a more ecstatic movement, he said. The work ends with an exuberant dance that lends an upbeat feel for the audience to take away.
“Actually, I wanted to leave myself feeling upbeat and with a future to look forward to,” Dorman said. “I think that’s why Ecclesiastes has it in that order. It’s a healthy way to come out of mourning.”
The composer said he was thrilled with the premiere last month, with Shaham and Anthony exceeding even his expectations in the performance.
“I know them well, so it was easy to imagine them playing it as I wrote,” he said. “I felt very free in what I could do, because of their abilities and their personalities. They played as if they’ve been performing it for 20 years. It was really beautiful and moving.”
Former Julliard Suitemates Join Forces in Dreammusik
There’s another world premiere presenting just its second performance in town this weekend, this one fully commissioned by a patron of the local ensemble that will perform it at Hahn Hall on May 17. But the last time Camerata Pacifica played Dreammusik, written by Lera Auerbach for principal cellist Ani Aznavoorian, was back in 2014 at the same location.
Aznavoorian said she leaps at any chance to perform works by Auerbach, her former suitemate when both were studying at Julliard.
“I’ve worked with her a ton over the years and enjoyed every moment,” she said. “We’ve recorded all of her cello piano works together. I think the world of her, and we just get along so well musically and as people.”
Local News
The Board of Supervisors Meet About TRUTH
by Tiana Molony
On Tuesday, May 6, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously accepted a report from the Sheriff’s Office outlining its interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the TRUTH Act, short for the Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds Act.
The TRUTH Act is a California law aimed at safeguarding the rights of immigrants held in county jails. It requires that individuals in custody be notified if federal immigration authorities, such as ICE, request to interview them or receive information about their release.
The law also mandates that counties hold at least one public forum each year if their law enforcement agencies have shared access with ICE. These meetings give residents an opportunity to ask questions and express concerns, promoting transparency around how local agencies interact with federal immigration enforcement.
Ahead of the annual meeting, the public gathered outside the Santa Barbara County Administration Building holding signs expressing opposition to the Sheriff’s Office’s communications with ICE. Once inside, they raised their signs for the supervisors to see.
office will email ICE only the charges, the next court date, and the release date once the release date is known.
Their report explained that ICE requests increased from 141 in 2023 to 229 in 2024, with re-arrests rising from 5 to 13. They said that they have seen an increase in requests in 2025, but not a dramatic rise in pickups – they are currently trending towards nine pickups this year.
The Sheriff’s Office also clarified that they do not hold individuals beyond their release date for ICE – ICE must be present to make a re-arrest. They explained that they consider this a “re-arrest” by ICE upon the individual’s release from their facility, rather than a “transfer.”
Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office notifies the public defender’s office and ICE simultaneously when a qualifying individual will be released. Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann wanted to know why the public defender isn’t notified earlier in the re-arrest process. She stated she would be interested in learning more about it, noting that having legal representation is a right in due process.
Revisiting Dreammusik after more than a decade is a chance for Aznavoorian to tackle – from her current perspective – this complicated 35-minute modern cello concerto, which hovers between wakefulness and deep slumber with quicksilver transitions of atmosphere and color.
“I thought it was brilliant, and it was quite an experience uncovering it back then,” she said. “It was easy to find the beauty – there are parts that are just so extraordinarily exquisite and sort of sparkly and impressionistic. But I also saw it as darker than I do now. Today I see more of the charm and the humor.”
Aznavoorian suggested that 11 years later the piece has more of a Tim Burton rather than Stanley Kubrick feel.
“There’s a part where Lera told me to imagine it’s like a sexy corpse, which always makes me laugh,” she said. “On another part out of nowhere there’s this wild waltz that gets faster and faster and crazier and crazier until it almost spins out of control – before it goes back to this beautiful impressionistic underwater world. There’s a lot of surprises in it. I can’t wait to really play those up a little bit more. Enough time has passed that I definitely have a fresh approach.”
Dreammusik follows William Bolcom’s Orphée-Sérénade and Chopin’s “Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante in E Flat Major” to close out the 202425 Camerata Pacifica season at Hahn Hall. But Aznavoorian will be back on the Music Academy campus three weeks later for the opening of MAW’s Summer Festival as a new member of the faculty. The cellist will be in residence for Week 1 and return at the end of the summer for the final two weeks, when she’ll perform Amy Beach’s “Piano Quintet in F-sharp Minor, Op. 67,” alongside violist Cynthia Phelps, Santa Barbara-based pianist Natasha Kislenko, and two TBD fellows in the “Femme Focus” x2 concert dedicated to Phelps.
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County Sheriff Bill Brown was not present for this meeting. In his place was Undersheriff Craig Bonner. “At the outset, I want to make it clear to everyone: The Sheriff’s Office and the other local law enforcement agencies DO NOT enforce federal immigration laws,” he said. He added that they treat all inmates equally. “A person’s immigration status does not change how we interact with them nor the services that we provide to them.”
No state law mandates that local law enforcement agencies, including sheriff’s offices, cooperate with ICE in California. In fact, California law restricts such cooperation under most circumstances. While the California Values Act (SB 54) limits cooperation, it does allow for certain exceptions. Local law enforcement may notify ICE or transfer individuals to ICE custody if the person, for example, has been convicted of a serious or violent felony.
At the meeting, the agency shared how its process works. Following a request, the Sheriff’s Office staff manually checks the inmate’s history and current charges to see if they meet exceptions under the TRUTH Act that allow limited information sharing. If an individual qualifies, the Sheriff’s
First District Supervisor Roy Lee inquired about the cost of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office’s communications with ICE. Undersheriff Bonner assured Lee that there was “not any additional cost” but that the agency is “using some of our staff time to do it.”
Most public commenters demanded that the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office end all its communications with ICE, saying it creates an atmosphere of “fear and anxiety” within the community.
Becki Norton, Co-Founder of the Carpinteria Coalition for Immigrant Rights, stated that the Sheriff’s Office’s communications with ICE “erodes trust.” “When law enforcement cooperates with ICE, many immigrants fear contact with police,” she said.
The board voted unanimously to accept the report, given that the Sheriff’s Office will explore how they can notify the public defender earlier in the process and report back to the board on their findings.
Before the vote, Board Chair Laura Capps asked the protestors to hold up their signs so she could see them better. “I praise and am in admiration of how so many people, many of whom are here today,” she said, “have turned that grief, that fear, that chaos … rather than being paralyzed by it, you’re turning it into action.”
Camerata Pacifica principal cellist Ani Aznavoorian explores some Dreammusik once again (photo by Mathew Imaging)
Local News
Chevron Decommissioning and
Remediation of the
Carpinteria Oil
and Gas Facilities
by Joanne A Calitri
In what appears to be a huge gain for environmental and coast organizations locally, on Monday, May 5, 2025, the City of Carpinteria Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the inconspicuously titled, “Project 21-2128-DP/ CDP” – a Development Plan and a Coastal Development Permit to decommission and remediate the Carpinteria Oil and Gas Processing Facilities under the provisions of the Coastal Dependent Industry (M-CD) and Recreation (REC) Zone Districts; and to certify the Environmental Impact Report (State Clearinghouse No. 2022080026) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. Included in the particulars is the City of Carpinteria’s involvement in monitoring of all project activities within 1,000 feet of the harbor seal rookery, and a requirement that Chevron submit all regulatory permits and approvals to the city before the start of any work.
The area targeted for decommissioning and remediation was built in the 1950s for offshore production from the Summerland oil field, inactive since 2017. The location of the project is Carpinteria Avenue and Dump Road, in Carpinteria, CA.
The decommission and remediation project, pending since October 2021, “…proposes to demolish and remove the Facility including, but not limited to, the onshore portions of the Facility (Onshore Facility), and Slate Waters Offshore Pipelines and complete remediation of impacted soils and groundwater at the Facility. Remediation is proposed to comply with levels established in a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) that will be reviewed by the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Services (SBCEHS), Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), and United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). The Project proposal assumes the most stringent clean up levels for the purpose of determining soil excavation and truck trip estimates and therefore a maximum amount of remediation activities (e.g., truck trips, site activities). The Applicant states remediation efforts will be performed along with preservation of existing site resources, including mature trees and bluffs, and in coordination with site constraints including buffer zones adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way. The most stringent clean up levels would also result in greater flexibility for development on the site meeting the most rigorous standards (e.g., unrestricted land use).”
How this will impact the Harbor Seal Rookery and the walking path adjacent to the rookery while it is being implemented is a consideration. Additionally, up for review and inclusion in the project by Chevron are the Hilda and Hazel Platforms and Pipelines removal.
The environmental impacts are erosion, contaminated soil, human remains, storm water pollution, odor control, asbestos, marine, wildlife, plants species, vegetation, tree inventory, wetlands, traffic control for workers, demolition and truck routes, noise levels, and related considerations.
According to the final April 2025 Environment Impact Report of the project, it is slated:
“To remediate the environmental impacts of the legacy oil and gas facilities on the Project site. More specifically, the Project’s purpose is to demolish and remove surface and subsurface facilities and subsequent remediation of any impacted soils connected to activities from the Onshore Facility to accommodate the site’s potential future redevelopment. Any residually impacted soils at the Onshore Facility will be remediated to an unrestricted land use standard consistent with the approvals from the SBCEHS, RWQCB, and U.S. EPA to facilitate reuse of the property for land use acceptable under the City’s current Draft General Plan/ Local Coastal Plan (General Plan) Update (anticipated to be Planned Unit Development and Open Space/ Recreation). The State Waters Offshore Pipelines will also be removed.”
The project objectives are:
1. Idling and removal of existing surface and subsurface equipment, piping, pipeline segments and structures associated with the Facility, including removal
of concrete foundations, asphalt, oil spray, and road base within the Facility.
2. Pig and flush pipelines in preparation for removal of State Waters Offshore Pipelines out to the three nautical mile state waters limit.
3. Excavation/remediation of any impacted soils within the Facility and restoration of the affected portions of the Project Site in accordance with the agency approved Remedial Action Plan.
4. Complete removal of State Waters Offshore Pipelines.
5. Recycling/disposal of all materials removed from the Project Sites.
The people in charge of the project are City of Carpinteria Community Development Director Nick Bobroff, Chevron West Coast Decommissioning Program Regulatory Affairs Manager Rebecca Trujillo, and Director of the Chevron West Coast Decommissioning Program Walid Masri.
To view documents on the project, including the Final Environmental Impact Report dated April 2025, check the 411.
The Montecito Journal thrives on community input… Have thoughts on a local issue? Comments on one of our articles? Contact us at letters@montecitojournal.net
Robert’s Big Questions In Passing
New Political Realignment? Philip Chapin Nolen
by Robert Bernstein
What ideologies do you associate with the Democratic and Republican parties?
Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s it seemed pretty simple to me. Democrats stood for massive investment in the public interest. From Franklin Roosevelt to Lyndon Johnson, they invested in big infrastructure projects. And invested in human needs with Head Start, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Johnson expanded Roosevelt’s New Deal programs to include minorities, especially Blacks. The Democratic Party became the party of civil rights.
Republicans stood for cutting government spending and taxes. They opposed civil rights legislation and wanted to transfer power from the Federal government to the states.
The Republican Party talked up the threat of Communism. Democrats were on the defensive and often supported wars and interventions to avoid being called “soft on Communism.”
But under Carter and Clinton the Democratic Party became the old Republican Party. They were all about cutting government spending and balancing the budget. Carter talked about moving from fossil fuels to sustainable energy, but he offered utterly inadequate resources to the effort.
This shift moved the Republicans further to the right. Reagan wanted to end all of government except for the military. He was only constrained by a Democratic Congress.
What realignment is happening now? Trump has revived Reagan’s passion for destroying government, but with no constraints.
Democrats returned to supporting government investment in the future under Biden. But they also got sidetracked with what I would call fringe issues. Civil rights used to be primarily about equal opportunity for Black people, who suffered under the long legacy of slavery and economic, educational and housing discrimination.
But in recent years this program of equal opportunity turned into something else. It turned into a festival of ever more fragmented identity groups listing their grievances and asking for their time in the spotlight.
I think Biden made a serious mistake when he announced early in his candidacy that he would pick a woman vice president. It was great that he did pick a woman. But making it an identity issue meant there would always be
doubts about whether he picked the best person for the job.
I know people who hated almost everything about Trump. But they liked that he would end the negative side of DEI and “woke” culture that had taken over the Democratic Party.
This is a moment when Democrats can decide what they most want to support. I recently attended a planning meeting after the enormous April 5 “Hands Off” rally. One trans woman said she didn’t like the idea that trans people might be “thrown under the bus.” A woman sitting next to her replied: “It is not about throwing anyone under the bus. It is about what foot do you lead with.”
Bernie Sanders is touring the country now, drawing huge crowds in the middle of Trump country. For most of his career he has stayed focused on economic issues that unite 99% of Americans. Putting those issues in front is a winning strategy.
After Russia invaded Ukraine and again after Hamas attacked Israel, I found it hard to talk to many of my activist friends. That was when I felt the realignment. Republicans were suddenly the party of making nice with Russia and Democrats were about strong military support to Ukraine. Many Democrats became more critical of Israel than of the terrorists who attacked them and who still hold innocent hostages.
The Republican Party has become a cult of Trump. They just stand for lawlessly destroying Government For the People. And terrorizing immigrants. Republicans no longer care about the Constitution or due process. Democrats have become the party of law and Constitutional order.
Biden revived the best of the Democratic Party tradition when he secured hundreds of billions of dollars to invest in good jobs for the future; in sustainable energy and for the cutting edge of chip manufacturing. He expanded subsidies for health care to help the middle class and not just those in extreme poverty.
I think a realignment is possible that can secure a better future for our country if the Democratic Party can stay focused on that vision.
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
Philip Chapin Nolen , 92, of Montecito, CA, passed away peacefully April 24, 2025, at Casa Dorinda. Known as Chapin or Chape, he led a life marked by love of family, service, and a passion for connection. Born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Chapin grew up in Upper Arlington, Ohio, where his father was a professor at Ohio State University, and he became a lifelong Buckeye fan. After WWII, his family moved to Bronxville, New York, where Chapin played varsity basketball and football at Bronxville High School. In 1954, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale University, where he was an editor for the Yale Daily News and made many life-long friends.
Chapin served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves from 1954-1957, earning the rank of Captain and top honors in the pilot division. In 1959, he earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and began a distinguished career in business. He held leadership positions at Strasenburgh Laboratories (Pharmacraft) and Whitehall Laboratories (American Home Products). He joined Combe Incorporated, an entrepreneurial personal care products company as President in 1970 and remained with Combe until he retired. During his tenure, Combe grew from 27 to more than 1,000 employees and established a multinational presence. Chapin also served as Chair of the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA), advocating for product safety and research.
Chapin lived for many years in Bedford, New York, where he and his then-wife Barbara raised their three daughters. He believed in giving back and did so in many ways. He served on several nonprofit boards and dedicated considerable time mentoring young leaders and supporting budding entrepreneurs. In 1981, he married Cynthia Impey with whom he shared a love of design, gardens, and dogs. The couple eventually relocated to Montecito after Chapin retired. Together, Chapin and Cynthia worked on civic initiatives with Casa del Herrero, Lotusland, the Garden Conservancy, Elings Park, and the
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Chapin also served on the board of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and was proud to support the installation of the Siqueiros mural. Chapin championed dog access in public spaces and service dog initiatives, and with Cynthia, helped establish a veterinary cardiology residency at Colorado State University Veterinary School. Chapin’s overarching passion was engaging his friends and family in things he loved, especially sports. For more than a decade, he organized the “Turkey Bowl” at Elings Park, a multi-generational soccer match and picnic for his grandchildren and his friends’ grandchildren. Chapin loved connecting with everyone and anyone – at the farmers’ market, at the dog park, on the golf course, or around a table. To Chapin, everyone was a neighbor, and he treated them that way.
He is survived by his family: Catherine (Casey) Nolen Jackson (Lincoln), Lisa Nolen Birmingham (James), Wendy Nolen, Victoria Randle Fine (Robb), and John Randle ( Erin ); twelve grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Cynthia, and his brother, Wilson Nolen. A family burial at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Bedford, New York will be scheduled this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden or Guiding Eyes for the Blind (Yorktown, NY) are welcome.
“The ocean is a mighty harmonist.” – William Wordsworth
died June 16, 1867, aged 67 years.” This monument was surrounded by an iron railing and lay on a fenced lot adjoining the residence of Arza Porter on Chapala Street. Porter was married to Sparks’ daughter Constantine. In 1877, Sparks’ bones and monument were moved to the new cemetery, and he was joined by his pioneer compatriots, Lewis T. Burton and Captain George Nidever, in 1879 and 1883 respectively.
Today, the stories behind the people interred at the Santa Barbara Cemetery reveal the development and history of Santa Barbara. And no one is more qualified to tell those stories than David Petry, author of The Best Last Place: A history of the Santa Barbara Cemetery. And luckily, on Sunday, May 25, at 10 am, Petry will be giving a Cemetery Tour and regaling visitors with tales of Santa Barbarans, both good-or-bad and famous-or-infamous.
The public is invited to join David as he resurrects the mysteries behind the George Washington Smith designed chapel with its incredible and controversial murals by Alfredo Ramos Martinez. There, a perusal of the walls reveals an incredible array of familiar names; people and families who have figured prominently in creating the Santa Barbara and Montecito we know today.
Next, a one-mile stroll through the beautiful cemetery landscape will visit tombs and monuments. Visitors will learn the story of the development of the cemetery and hear the tales of those who now keep Isaac Sparks and his brethren company in that long pageant of history leading to present times.
Reservations are required and tickets for the tour may be obtained from the Santa Barbara Historical Museum.
The cost is $20 for Museum members and $30 for general admission. Flatsoled walking shoes are recommended for the one-mile hilly stroll through the cemetery. For tickets, go to www. sbhistorical.org/events and click on the link for reservations.
[A note to fellow historians. The 1874 information about Sparks’ grave comes from the Los Angeles Herald, 28 July 1874, page 1. This is new information, yes?]
Hattie Beresford has been writing a local history column for the Montecito Journal for more than a decade and is the author of several books on Santa Barbara’s historic past
“We want to know why people are obese enough to get weight loss surgery,” Murkison said. “Maybe they weren’t eating right or it’s that they didn’t have access to exercise equipment or to a recreation area. When folks are struggling with substance abuse we want to know if it’s because they don’t have the basic resources they need.”
The whole idea is that by understanding the community and its needs, LVCHO is able to prioritize interventions focused on local policy changes, infrastructure and system improvements, events and educational offerings that make the greatest impact for all.
LVCHO’s initiatives include the “Healthy Happenings” newsletter that keeps residents informed about health topics. Its “Vaccinate Lompoc” campaign raised COVID-19 awareness, and the Lompoc Counts Census outreach ensured community representation. Physical activity programs like Healthy People Healthy Trails and the Lompoc Open Streets event have encouraged residents to get active, a key factor for health.
The organization has also been involved in installing bicycle repair and water refill stations, launching the Route One Farmers Market to improve access to healthy food, and offering promotion and education for students to walk and bike via Safe Routes to School.
A recent initiative called Cafecito Comunitario was launched to build trust, foster connection, and promote resource-sharing within the Latino community.
“It’s a monthly space we created for them to be able to come together and discuss healthcare issues in Spanish, not just with a translator,” Murkison said. “It’s a chance to discuss in their own language issues that are important to them regarding health and wellness, and to elevate those issues to get more attention. We have partners come in and
do workshops, in such areas as financial wellness or emotional wellness, too.”
Other LVCHO programs include the Healthy Eating Active Living “HEAL” cities initiative and wellness fair; Caring Together Lompoc caregiver support collaborative; and co-chairing the campaign to renovate the Lompoc Community Track & Field at Huyck Stadium. Its Wellness Empowerment & Leadership Network (WELN) is a quarterly peer-learning and mental wellness series for nonprofit and civic leaders to build relationships, share resources and strengthen leadership capacity.
LVCHO’s just-launched California Office of Traffic Safety program includes both educational outreach and infrastructure improvements to support walking, biking and overall safety. In partnership with the City of Lompoc and Lompoc Unified School District, the nonprofit is leading community education, outreach events, and the distribution of over 500 helmets, bike locks, wristbands, and visibility gear to support safe routes to school and active transportation at four of Lompoc’s underserved schools: Lompoc Valley Middle School, Lompoc High School, Hapgood Elementary, and Clarence Ruth Elementary.
“It’s a huge program, something much more hands-on than our usual efforts where we actually distribute materials to the community,” Murkison said.
Such endeavors – and even talking about its own programs – are still very new practices for the quarter-century old organization, Murkison said.
“We’ve never had to put our foot forward before. The fact that we’re even in a position of wanting to talk about and highlight our programs in this way –everything is super new,” he said. “But we realize that it’s necessary in order to fundraise in these different ways. We need to show the work we’re doing, and we’re proud to do it.”
Visit https://healthylompoc.org for more info
The colorized image of an early funeral at the Santa Barbara cemetery from the cover of Petry’s book, The Last Best Place (author photo)
One of the Alfredo Ramos Martinez’s angels that adorn the pendentives in the chancel of the chapel. His frescoes created quite a controversy. (author photo)
Foraging Thyme Purple Sweet Potatoes
by Melissa Petitto
Her Produce has my favorite tuber in-house, and that is the purple sweet potato –also known as the Okinawan or Stokes Purple. These potatoes originated in South America, but have made a home in Okinawa, Japan. The rich color of the purple sweet potato makes it rich in antioxidants; anthocyanins to be exact. Anthocyanins have been shown to fight oxidative stress and damage created by free radicals. Anthocyanins reduce our risk for chronic diseases and aid in reducing inflammation. This antioxidant has also been shown to help lower our LDL cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, help protect against certain types of cancers, and improve cognitive function. These potatoes are high in vitamin C, which is so helpful for our immune systems; Beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A and is used for our vision, skin health, and immune function; potassium which helps regulate our blood pressure; and manganese, which we need for carbohydrate metabolism and bone health. These tubers are also a great source of fiber, making them a wonderful probiotic that aids in our digestion and feelings of satiety. The flavor of these purple potatoes is sweet, creamy, and slightly sweet like honey.
Purple Sweet Potato, Tofu, and Spinach Hash
Yield: 4 Servings
2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
2 cups cubed Okinawan purple sweet potato
¼ cup water
16 ounces super firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup chopped red onion
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound baby spinach
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped scallions
1 teaspoon tamari
Directions:
1. In a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil.
2. Add the sweet potato and water, cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the potatoes start to crisp, brown, and become tender.
3. Remove the lid and sauté for 7 to 10 minutes longer. The water will evaporate, the yams will crisp and become tender. Remove from the pan and set aside, keeping warm.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the tofu, onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the peppers and onions are tender. Add the potatoes back in.
5. Add in the spinach, and season with salt and pepper. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted. Add the tamari and serve.
Melissa Petitto, R.D., is an executive chef and co-founder at Thymeless My Chef SB, was a celebrity personal chef for 16 years, just finished her 10th cookbook, and is an expert on nutrition and wellness.
Don’t be fooled by its rough-hewn appearance, these purple tubers pack a punch of flavor and vitamins (photo by Remi Tournebize via Wikimedia Commons)
Your Westmont
Local Artists Featured ‘On the Edge’
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
Montecito’s longest running juried exhibition for tri-county artists will run from May 15 - June 14 in the Westmont RidleyTree Museum of Art. A public opening reception for On the Edge, featuring juror Adam Belt, is Thursday, May 15 from 4-6 pm.
The museum received a record 458 entries by 216 artists. From these submissions, Adam Belt selected 41 works by 39 local artists. All works are for sale with 30 percent benefiting the museum.
“Artists interpreted the On the Edge theme in numerous ways, from literal to symbolic, using a range of mediums, from ceramics and rubber to video projection, pen and ink to pastel,” says Chris Rupp , interim director of the museum.
Belt, a San Diego-based artist, exhibited Wish You Were Here in the Westmont museum in 2022. He was born in Seattle, grew up in Albuquerque and began his career as a landscape painter before shifting his interests to making visible the unseen energies at work in our universe. In 2001, he received a Master of Fine Arts from Claremont Graduate University, where he was introduced to the Christian monastic tradition and became particularly interested in the practice of contemplative prayer. The aspects of prayer, silence, and time became key components in his work along with an understanding of his creative practice as a religious vocation.
Westmont began exhibiting works from local artists when the Reynolds Gallery opened in 1986. It began hosting annual juried exhibitions for local artists called Views and Visions in 2006
and continued the tradition when the art department moved to the Adams Center for the Visual Arts in 2011.
The museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm and 11 am to 5 pm on Saturdays. It’s closed Sundays and college holidays. For more information, please visit westmont.edu/museum or contact the museum at (805) 565-6162.
Stargazers to Catch Martian Views
The Westmont Observatory hosts a summer star party that’s out of this world on Friday, May 16, beginning at 8:30 pm and lasting several hours. The observatory, home to Westmont’s powerful Keck Telescope, opens every third Friday to the public in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, whose members bring their own telescopes and love of the night sky to share.
“Mars will still be up as will Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco and Leo, just to name some constellations that we’ll be looking at,” says Jen Ito , assistant professor of physics and director of the observatory. “Vega will be rising, which is one of the three stars of the summer triangle. Hopefully, we’ll have clear skies.”
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 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.
PacWest Tournament Champs
Westmont baseball (41-12) defeated the Sharks of Hawai’i Pacific (32-22) 5-3 to win the PacWest Tournament Championship – in its first year of eligibility – on May 9 in Fresno. The tour-
nament championship came eight days after the Warriors clinched the PacWest Regular Season Championship, the first PacWest regular season championship team won by a Westmont team.
With the win, the Warriors receive the conference’s automatic qualifier berth in the NCAA DII National Tournament, featuring 56 teams. Westmont will host an NCAA Division II West Regional with the first game on Thursday, May 15.
“I am super happy for the players, but also for all the athletics staff, for the faculty, President Beebe , and everyone who supports our athletes to be their best,” said Westmont’s firstyear head coach Paul Svagdis . “To be able to host in our first season of postseason eligibility is a tremendous honor for all of them. The athletic
Reliever Zac Yates (2.08 ERA, 12 saves) has struck out 37% of the batters he’s faced this season
department did the hard work to get us eligible.
“Knowing going into this year that we were NCAA eligible, these guys put it on their shoulders to say, ‘We are going to go make this tournament.’”
Westmont (41-12) will play host to the Otters of Cal State Monterey Bay (36-16) and Gators of San Francisco State (33-21) beginning on Thursday. The Warriors are the number two seed in the West, while the Otters are seeded third and the Gators are the sixth seed. A double-elimination format will be used in the three-team tournament.
The first pitch of the regional at Westmont will be at 11 am on Thursday when the Otters and Gators take the field. The Warriors will play the loser of that contest in a game scheduled to start at 2 pm.
SANTA BARBARA RECORDS
GRANADA
Tom Pazderka’s Nostalgie XXVII
Sophia Beccue’s Unfolding Ecstasy
occasionally hoisting a Dr. Pepper to my blabbing yap while holding prisoner some unfortunate convo partner with my howlingly empty gibberish. Paaaaartaay!
Wondrous Meat Wagon
When our friend Tammy began showing around a “pre-burial” photo of “the pig,” I jumped out of my seat to have a look at this post-future curiosity; a digital iPhone pic of a flayed pig. What I saw shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did, this garish image of an animal with legs and a head, body cavity handily emptied of its previously life-giving machinery. What surprised me was how much of this thing was made of simple meat once you removed the breathing bags, the digestion bag, the bile-producing organs, the vascular plumbing. All that complicated junk had been cut out and there was still a lot of pig there. It was recognizably a pig, with a medium-sized divot scooped out of its underside.
I realized, and not for the first time, what physical proportion of an animal is plain, edible flesh, and what proportion is a fussily-designed, ultimately dispensable motor for moving the flesh from place to place as it awaits fulfillment of its primary role in the toothy Circle of Life® It’s as if every living thing is principally designed to be consumed by all the other living things – a utilitarian epiphany of the sort that surely causes the Hallmark Corporation to blanch and stammer as it lays out its Celebration of Life series.
Tammy showed us the iPhone pig photo because the pig itself had long since been sealed away in a Roasting Box – a sort of raised driveway oven on wheels that mimics the prosaic pig burial common to more authentic cultures. From the sundeck I could see the
sealed box down there on its little stilts. I imagined Tammy’s pig inside, the heat unimaginably intense.
The pig began to haunt me. I’ve always been claustrophobic and partial to pleasantly cool environs, so this confined pig packed into a hellbox aroused in me empathies that had me shakily gulping Dr. Pepper like it was moonshine. Soon I found I couldn’t escape the pig. It followed me around an already jittery neighborhood gathering – the way the audible word “knife” might tenaciously follow a guilt-addled Hitchcock character. Hot Pig in a Box! Hot Pig in a Box! HOT PIG IN A BOX!
Porcine Revelation
Finally the time had arrived to free the roasted pig. The guys who had prepped and sealed and roasted the pig now went down the deck stairs like tribal overseers, removed the top of the hotbox and, using
some sort of pig-hoisting contraption, lifted the pig out and set in on a tarp-covered picnic table where it lay unadorned. Giddy attendees skittered down the steps, surrounding the pig and cooing – seizing the opportunity for a closeup look at this splayed animal that, while alive, would have been averse to our examinations. As is the case in many instances of human congress there was inexplicable high fiving around the pig, as if the celebrants had themselves defeated the animal in the wild and could now bask in village glory.
I furtively pushed through the melee for a look. The miraculous fact of the thing – its bilateral symmetry and bristly, minutely-detailed carapace – were but fleeting impressions quickly overwritten by the profusion of crackling pork that was now the pig’s irreducible central feature. The complex structural engineering of this once-sentient creature played tuneless second fiddle to the suddenly overwhelming fact of its being an oblong slab of roasted meat. Eyeless and grinning, this William Golding nightmare had come to our happy gathering with its cockeyed hoofs and bristly ears and frank reminder of the momentary animal hierarchies.
“Have a piece of skin!” someone shouted ecstatically, and handed me a charred flap of tissue, which I timidly sampled – a cat exploring cheesecake. The flavor and texture were unearthly.
I squinted earnestly at the huge subservient thing. Where the roasted skin had peeled away there was no magic or life, no evidence of a once-animate creature. Just grey, striated pork, such as you see on a dinner plate, but here swaddling a former animal with a face whose expression conveyed utter surrender.
I am no Peter Singer, no militant animal rights soldier charging into a factory farm to free the doomed, blank-faced chickens there. But for goodness’ sake.
MONTECITO GROUNDWATER BASIN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING
TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2025 9:00 A.M.*
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, at a special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Montecito Groundwater Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (Agency) to be held on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 9:00 A.M.*, the Board will hold a public meeting to consider the adoption of the following Resolution:
1. Resolution No. 19: Resolution of the Montecito Groundwater Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency Continuing a Groundwater Sustainability Fee for Fiscal Year 2026.
The Agency is proposing to continue the existing parcel fee as it was established by Resolution No. 4 in June 2020 , with no increase in the fee or change in the methodology by which the fee is calculated. The Agency will continue to collect the fee on the property tax rolls, as in previous years.
The purpose of the fee is to fund the costs of the Agency’s groundwater sustainability program, including the implementation of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan adopted under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Information concerning the fee is available for public review at www montecitogsa.com
At the public meeting oral and written presentations may be made and/or heard concerning the fee
*The public meeting will be conducted in person at the Agency office located at 583 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. Remote participation information will be available on the meeting agenda posted at the Agency office, on the website www.montecitogsa.com, and by calling 805805.324.4207
From the Montecito Ledger, May 14, 1958…
Cub Pack 31 Prepares for Show C ub Pack 31 is now preparing for its booth, featuring Alaska, at the Scouto-Rama Saturday. The cubs had their last meeting of the charter year May 1. It was announced that Cubmaster Bev Alexander is leaving. Mrs. Ellen Denwall, a den mother for three years, is also leaving, as is Dr. Stevens, pack treasurer for three years. The club will have a picnic pack meeting June 5 at Manning Park.
Beaus and Belles by Ellen Haldeman
Dear Ellen,
On a movie date (which most teenage dates seem to be) who stands in the ticket line if you go dutch treat? Who walks down the aisle first? Should girls stand up to let others pass to reach their seat?
- Sixteen
Dear Sixteen, It is courteous for the young lady to wait in the outer foyer while her escort buys the tickets. If an usher seats you, then the young lady will walk down the aisle directly behind the usher and in front of her date. If, however, there is no usher, the young man will lead the way down the dark aisle and find seats for himself and his girl. When others pass through the row of seats, the young man should stand, while the young lady merely moves her legs to the side.
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
Run, MJ Public/legal notices section, May 7 & 14, 2025
Few things inspire self-congratulation like a hot pig in a box (courtesy photo)
Leading creative thinkers discuss their
BEYOND LIGHT
Jeff “J. K.” Lovelace
Photographer
Royal Museums Greenwich
Astronomy & Flickr best shot awards
Dr. Erik Lucero
Photographer
Lead Engineer & Site Lead
Google Quantum AI Santa Barbara
a conversaTion FaciliTaTed by Silvia Perea
Architect & Curator
Architecture & Design Collection
UCSB AD&A Museum
Far Flung Travel Slide Film Sojourn
by Chuck Graham
The long muddy rut on Simmler Road was deep enough to swallow my tires up to the axle. Alkali loam transforms into a gooey death sentence for vehicles attempting to experience the far flung reaches of the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
However, there was something odd about this narrow trench on one of the grassland’s worst roads, on the east side of Soda Lake during the winter of 2006. I flashed on something small, mottled, trembling, and helpless.
I pulled off the road to investigate, that alkali mud sticking to everything. When I scrunched down to get a clean look, I discovered a very immobile baby black-tailed jack rabbit. Stuck in the thick mud and left for dead, I couldn’t leave it there like that. I got down in the goop with a shovel and with one big scoop I dug out the wide-eyed rabbit cloaked in mud.
After digging it out of the muck, I washed it off and dried it with my towel, holding it close to me until it warmed up. While inspecting the soddened rabbit, I noticed it still had plenty of room to grow into its already ginormous feet and floppy ears.
Once the rabbit was warmed up, it started to squirm from my grip. It wanted to roam, and it was time to let it go. I set it down and it immediately began nibbling on some grassland flora. I slung my camera over my head and got ground level with the tiny jack rabbit. I was shooting with Fuji Velvia 50 slide film – from 1997 to 2016 my go-to film. I still have about 40 rolls of Velvia 50 in my fridge.
Searching for Something Special
I recently went through a chunk of my slides from Iceland, the Falkland Islands, the Arctic, Big Sur, Channel Islands National Park, and the Carrizo Plain, searching for some “gems” for upcoming projects. As I edited through my Carrizo Plain batch, the memory of digging out the hapless baby black-tailed jack rabbit came back to life while I peered through my loupe on my lightbox.
There’s still something special about looking at my slides and finding those stories within just a few photos. Saving the little jack rabbit out on the grasslands meant a lot to me. It was giving that fleet-footed rabbit a chance in that unique semi-arid biome where predators lurk throughout the plain. My slides always remind me of moments like those.
It wasn’t easy leaving the baby jack rabbit behind. Surviving wasn’t going to be a slam dunk, but I had to walk away. The grasslands were going to decide its fate. Sometimes nature can be brutal.
First Kit Fox
It was the winter of 2010, and as always I was searching for something amazing across 250,000 acres of grassland. Finding a kit fox on the Carrizo Plain has always been a priority. But the smallest fox species in North America easily melds into the landscape, and more often than not I see nothing. However, I never give up, and during that winter I came across this endangered species for the first time.
There were two of them, a mating pair standing above their winter den. I was around 50 yards to the east of them, while driving slowly on Soda Lake Road. As quickly as I grabbed my camera gear, my biggest fear was they were both going to dive into their burrow. It wasn’t going to be as easy as walking up to them and firing off a few frames. I stuffed a couple rolls of Velvia in my back pocket and hoped for the best.
From the driver’s seat of my old F-150, I slinked to the ground. From there I inched forward for 50 yards toward the foxes. It was elbows and toes from there on out, belly crawling to the kit foxes –who possess the largest ears of any canid species in North America. From the ground, it was their ears I kept tabs on to make sure they were still there while maneuvering toward their den.
Halfway across to the foxes, and one of them dove into its den, but the other remained and got comfortable enough to lay down and nap next to its burrow. Lying flat on the warm Carrizo Plain, I found an open area and began photographing the lone kit fox. There were tense moments when I had to change film. Thirty-six frames came up quickly back then, so changing film had to happen efficiently. That could’ve also been the moment I missed something.
I got to within 50 feet of that kit fox. It remained submissive, its ginormous ears splayed out like Yoda. As I shot from the ground and the sun rose behind me, a band of coyotes sounded off in a nearby ravine. Those yelps quickly changed the demeanor of the kit fox. It jumped up and spun 360 degrees as I finished another roll of Velvia. The stealthy canid dove deep into its den as my camera rewound my film. Not to be seen again, it would be another seven years until my next kit fox encounter.
Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer based in Carpinteria, where he also leads kayak tours and backpacking trips in Channel Islands National Park
Stuck in a rut? Try being stuck in the mud of the Carrizo Plains…
There we go… all cleaned off…
Dude, why are you crawling around on your belly? Your Hawaiian shirt is going to get dirty…
Nothing out of the ordinary at Carrizo Plain National Monument
News Bytes
Fête à la Riviera Raises Over
$340,000 for The Riviera Ridge School
by MJ Staff
In a dazzling display of community spirit and coastal elegance, Fête à la Riviera, held on May 2nd at Rosewood Miramar Beach, raised over $340,000 in support of The Riviera Ridge School. More than 200 guests gathered for the spring soirée, which has become one of the school’s most successful fundraising events to date.
Gala Co-Chairs Caterina Lee and
Victoria Strong led the celebration, which featured refined Riviera-inspired cuisine, tunes from a live French duo, and enchanting floral arrangements by Gracie Silva of Boho Chic Design. Guests including Board Chair Daniel Emmett , Henri Bristol , Angie and Christian McGrath , Mary and Lucy Firestone , and Belle and Lily Hahn Shining lent their support with joyful enthusiasm.
Emcee Andrew Firestone stirred the crowd during the live auction, where a 40-person escape to Zaca Lake fetched a top bid of $18,000, and the coveted “Head of School for a Day” experience raised $27,500 with three winning bids.
“This night was about more than celebration,” said Katrina Sprague, Director of Development and Community Engagement. “It was a powerful reminder of what our school stands for – compassion, excellence, and connection.”
12th Annual SB & Montecito Unified School Track & Field Meet
Cold Spring School Superintendent and Principal Amy Alzina has announced CSS’s track and field results from the All Santa Barbara and Montecito Schools Track and Field Meet, held on May 5 at the Westmont College campus Montecito. Over 400 student athletes competed from the following schools: Cold Spring, Montecito Union, Roosevelt, Adams, Cleveland, Washington, Harding, Monroe, Franklin, and McKinley. Eligible student athletes were from grades four through six. The meet held 11 competition events, including the high jump and 800-meter run. Finishing first overall at 120 points was Roosevelt School, with Cold Spring School a close second at 116 points. CSS was also awarded the School Spirit Award, voted by the PE teachers from all the schools. Congrats to CSS athletes!
Homebody Studios Opens in The Post
Homebody Studios, the boutique Pilates brand known for its community-first ethos and elevated design, is bringing its signature reformer experience to Montecito. Opening June 14, the new studio will be located inside The Post.
To celebrate the opening, Homebody will host an Open House on Thursday, June 12, inviting the community to swing by for a first look at the studio, enjoy drinks from Ospi Montecito, and savor light bites from curated local partners. With intimate class sizes of just 12 people led by a curated team of instructors, Homebody is excited to open up booking on June 1 in advance of their first day of classes on Saturday, June 14. Montecito marks the brand’s second location, following its flagship in Austin, TX.
“Montecito is the perfect home for our next studio,” says founding team Sophie Axelson and Anna Rinke. “The Post is all about bringing together thoughtful brands that prioritize experience, and that’s exactly what we do at Homebody. We can’t wait to welcome this community in.”
Firefighter/Paramedic Garet Blake Montecito Fire Dept Honored for Service
Firefighter/Paramedic Garet Blake has been honored for his 15 years of service with the Montecito Fire Department. Montecito Fire Department Chief Neels
Henri Bristol, Daniel Emmett, Paige Harvey, and Kim Johnston (photo by Rhonda Lee Johnson)
FF/Paramedic Garet Blake with his children receives his 15-year pin from Montecito Fire Dept Chief Neels (courtesy photo)
Riviera Ridge’s Katrina Sprague with event co-chairs Caterina Lee and Victoria Strong (photo by Rhonda Lee Johnson)
Belle Hahn, Head of School Chris Broderick, and Richard Scibird (photo by Rhonda Lee Johnson)
ORDINANCE NO. 2
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF MONTECITO GROUNDWATER BASIN GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY
ADOPTING AN ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDIES PROCEDURE FOR CHALLENGES TO FEES, CHARGES, AND ASSESSMENTS
BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of Directors of the Montecito Groundwater Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (“Agency”) as follows:
SECTION 1. AUTHORITY
This Ordinance is authorized by the Agency’s statutory authority to adopt fees and charges, to impose assessments on real property, and to establish rules and regulations governing such fees, charges, and assessments [Government Code Sections 53759.1 and 53759.2. Water Code Sections 30523, 31007, 31025, 10725-10726.9 and 10730-10731].
SECTION 2. EXHAUSTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDIES FOR CHALLENEGES TO RATES, FEES, CHARGES AND ASSESSMENTS ON REAL PROPERTY
A. Scope
The duty to exhaust administrative remedies imposed by this section extends to:
1. Any fee or charge subject to articles XIII C or XIII D of the California Constitution;
2. Any assessment on real property levied by the Agency; and
3. The methodology used to develop and levy such a fee, charge, or assessment.
B. Hearing
“Hearing” as used in this section means the hearing referenced in Section 2, Subsection D of this Ordinance.
C. Duty to Exhaust Issues
No person may bring a judicial action or proceeding alleging noncompliance with the California Constitution or other applicab le law for any new, increased, or extended fee, charge, or assessment levied by the Agency, unless that person submitted to the Board Secretary a timely, written objection to that fee, charge, or assessment specifying the grounds for alleging noncompliance. The issues raised in any such action or proceeding shall be limited to those raised in such an objection unless a court finds the issue could not have been raised in such an objection by those exercising reasonable diligence.
D. Procedures
The Agency shall:
1. Make available to the public any proposed, fee, charge, or assessment to which this section is to apply no less than 45 days before the deadline for a ratepayer or property owner to submit an objection pursuant to paragraph 4 of this subsection D.
2. Post on its internet website a written basis for the fee, charge, or assessment, such as a cost of service analysis or an engineer’s report, and include a link to the internet website in the written notice of the Hearing, including, but not limited to, a notice pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 4 or paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 6 of Article XIII D of the California Constitution.
3. Mail the written basis described in paragraph 2 of this subsection D to a ratepayer or property owner on request.
4. Provide at least 45 days for a ratepayer or assessed property owner to review the proposed fee, charge or assessment and to timely submit to the Board Secretary a written objection to that fee, charge, or assessment that specifies the grounds for alleging noncompliance. Any objection shall be submitted before the end of the public comment portion of a Hearing on the rate, fee, charge or assessment.
5. Include in a written notice of the Hearing, a statement in bold-faced type of 12 points or larger that:
a. All written objections must be submitted to the Secretary of the Board by the end of public comment period at the Hearing and that a failure to timely object in writing bars any right to challenge that fee, charge, or assessment in court and that any such action will be limited to issues identified in such objections.
b. All substantive and procedural requirements for submitting an objection to the proposed fee, charge, or assessment such as those specified for a property-related fee under California Constitution, article XIII D, section 6(a) or for an assessment on real property under Califo rnia Constitution, article XIII D, section 4(c).
E. Board Consideration; Agency Responses
Before and/or during the Hearing, the Board of Directors shall consider and the Agency shall respond in writing to any timely written objections. The Board may adjourn the Hearing to another date if necessary to respond to comments received after the agenda is posted for the meeting at which the Hearing occurs. The Agency’s responses shall explain the substantive basis for retaining or altering the proposed fee, charge, or assessment in response to written objections, including any reasons to reject requested amendments.
F. Board Determinations
The Board of Directors, in exercising its legislative discretion, shall determine whether:
1. The written objections and the Agency’s response warrant
2. Clarifications to the proposed fee, charge, or assessment.
3. To reduce the proposed rate, fee, charge or assessment.
4. To further review the proposed rate, fee, charge, or assessment before determining whether clarification or reduction is needed.
5. To proceed with the Hearing, to continue it, or to abandon the proposed rate, fee, charge or assessment.
SECTION 3. CEQA FINDINGS.
The Board of Directors finds that adoption of this Ordinance is exempt from CEQA because: (i) it is not a project within the meaning of Public Resources Code, section 21065 because it has no potential to alter the physical environment; (ii) and pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), the so-called “common sense” exemption, for this same reason.
SECTION 4. SEVERABILITY.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this Ordinance or its application to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance or its application to other persons and circumstances. The Board of Directors declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion thereof despite the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases, or portions be declared invalid or unconstitutional and, to that end, the provisions hereof are hereby declared to be severable.
SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect upon its adoption. [Water Code Section 31027].
SECTION 6. PUBLICATION. The Secretary of the Board of Directors shall give published notice of this Ordinance. [Water Code Section 31027].
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Directors of the Montecito Groundwater Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency this 6th day of May 2025.
AYES: Coates, Goebel, Hayman, Plough, Wicks
NAYS:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
ATTEST:
Nick Turner, Secretary
Published May 14, 2025; Montecito Journal
APPROVED
Tobe Plough, President
by French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard at the Granada.
The concert hailed maestro Salonen’s 16th appearance conducting for CAMA over the past three decades – 12 with the L.A. Phil and three with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra.
Claude Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” kicked off the entertaining performance with Bela Bartok “Piano Concerto No. 3,” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major ‘Eroica’” ending the show. A delightful evening...
Words to Live By
Montecito actor Rob Lowe is at work on his third book.
The working title for his next tome is What Do I Know? A Guide to Living which he hopes will land him in the selfhelp section at the bookstore.
“It’s my truisms, what I found to work, what I found to not work, what I’ve observed, what I think,” he shared in an interview with AARP’s latest magazine.
House on the Market
SiriusXM host Dr. Laura Schlessinger is parting ways with her longtime Santa
Barbara estate, listing it for $23 million.
The six-bedroom, seven-bathroom, 8,788 square feet home sits on 3.75 acres of rare, mostly flat terrain – an uncommon luxury in our rarefied enclave.
Resort level amenities include a championship tennis court, pickle ball court, pool and spa, a meditative koi pond with waterfalls, and a private perimeter trail.
The longtime radio host, who was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame, is a keen yachtswoman and she revealed that proceeds from the sale will help fund her crew’s races in Europe.
Brunchin’ at MOXI
MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovations, hosted its annual spring brunch + learn event, an inspiring and informative showcase of MOXI’s educational programs and commitment to providing access opportunities for all youngsters and families.
The event, co-chaired by Angie McGrath and Sabina Vohra-Miller, focused on the benefits of early childhood education and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) learning experiences for young children, with guest speaker Michelle Robertson of First 5 of Santa Barbara County speaking about the lasting impact of the programs.
Among the 100 supporters were MOXI president and CEO Robin Gose, Graham Bell, Marcia Cohen, Nini Muñoz Lloyd, Kristen Nesbit, Alex Perry, Kate Shrout, Andy Winchester, and Mayor Randy Rowse
The bustling brunch was expected to raise around $55,000.
Coming Together at Anchor Rose
The amazons were out in force at Anchor Rose on the harbor when Girls Inc. of Carpinteria and Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara gathered with 90 guests for “Girls Inc. Together” – combining forces to help the popular organizations.
Cydney Justman and Aubry Watkins described “combining” as strength, and they looked forward to doing similar events together going forward.
“We’re near each other geographically, so it makes good sense,” said Watkins.
Child Support
Montecito comedienne Carol Burnett has discussed the special relationship she had with the late Lucille Ball.
Carol, 92, says Ball “greatly influenced” her. “She came to see me in Once Upon a Mattress which was my first Broadway break. And “she came to see me the second night.”
The pair hit it off after Ball gave Carol supportive advice backstage.
“She called me ‘Kid’ – she was 22
MOXI Board and Power of MOXI Spring Brunch Committee Members (photo by J.North Productions)
years older than I was – and said ‘Kid, if you need anything give me a call.’”
Ball died at 77 on April 26, 1989, which was Carol’s 56th birthday.
Despite her passing, her birthday gift to Carol was still delivered. “That afternoon I got flowers from her saying, ‘Happy Birthday Kid.’”
Parenting Tips
Gwyneth Paltrow has commented on her parenting style.
The Oscar winner, 52, discussed raising her two kids by rocker Chris Martin – daughter Apple, 20, and son Moses, 19 – revealing she encourages them to do what’s “true to themselves” even if she “doesn’t agree with it.”
“I think I really encourage them to be true to themselves and to do what feels right to them,” she tells People
“I think all mistakes I made were being talked into or out of something. I really want them, even if I don’t agree with it, I want them to be really true to their idea of their purpose and their individuality.
“Apple still has another year of college, so, you know – I’m like right, soak it in, and you know, it goes really fast,” Paltrow added.
New at Rosewood
Eliza Hoar is the Rosewood Miramar new Director of Bars.
She will lead the cocktail programs across the resort’s culinary outlets, including Michelin-star awarded Caruso’s, AMA Sushi and the celebrated Manor Bar.
Born and raised in New York, Hoar’s career has taken her across the country including Aspen, San Diego and Boston, each stop shaping her distinctive approach to hospitality and craft cocktails.
Sightings
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at singer Beyoncé’s concert in L.A.... Actor Kevin Costner noshing at The Nugget in Summerland... Actress Zoe Saldaña and family enjoying Girsh Park in Goleta.
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
Esa Pekka Salononen’s 16th show for CAMA (photo by Benjamin Ealovega)
MOXI President/CEO Robin Gose, event co-chairs Sabina Vohra-Miller and Angie McGrath, and MOXI Board Chair Kelly Almeroth (photo by J.North Productions)
MOXI President/CEO Robin Gose with Mayor Randy Rowse (photo by J.North Productions)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Calendar of Events
by Steven Libowitz
SATURDAY, MAY 17
Ooh Baby, Baby It’s a Wild World – Santa Barbara’s Summer Solstice celebration is about much more than the annual parade, which eschews animals, motors and signs for creative floats, puppets and costumes for the slow journey up Santa Barbara Street (formerly State Street in the pre-pandemic days) to Alameda Park. And we’re not just talking about the ensuing festival in said park, which features performances by Down Mountain Lights, Art of Funk, David Segal Band, Area 51, and much more. It’s the run-up to the beloved event – which falls this year on June 20 – that makes Solstice such a source of community pride. This includes the roiling workshop where so much of the magic goes from concept to reality. Today’s opening reception is when the process formally begins, launching this year’s diverse mob of artisans – the cross-sectional Santa Barbara community working side-byside on their creations. Santa Barbara’s yearly Summer Solstice celebration is famously comprised of people from all economic groups, able-bodied to other-abled, coming together to help make the parade more magical than ever. At the opening reception the Artist in Residence will reveal and demo plans for this year’s ensembles, everyone gets a chance to meet, and the building of a “parade float” armada that leans into this year’s theme of “Wild World” begins. Get all the details on how to be involved on site, including the process for learning how to make masks, costumes and/or build floats, with materials and expertise provided. While the floats and more are remarkably ephemeral, the human connections live on a lot longer.
‘Louis’ Live, with Wynton – The Wynton Marsalis Ensemble performs live as the soundtrack to LOUIS: A Silent Film, director Dan Pritzker’s mythical take on the great Louis Armstrong’s childhood in 1907 New Orleans – the story of a young boy born into poverty who dreams of playing the trumpet. In “The District” – the section of New Orleans dedicated to pleasure and violence – little Louis hawks coal and plays his toy horn on the back of a coal cart, observing the swirl of humanity. In this vivid reimagining of young Armstrong’s adventures, when tensions in the plot mount, Louis must sacrifice his prized trumpet to save his friends; a temporary loss. Pritzker came up with the concept of a silent film after seeing Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights screened with live musical accompaniment by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He then engaged Oscar-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Deliverance, The Deer Hunter, The Sugarland Express, McCabe & Mrs. Miller), and connected with New Orleans native Marsalis, who composed the film’s music along with L.M. Gottschalk. Both the film and its original score are meant as homage to Armstrong, Chaplin, and the birth of American music. Marsalis, pianist Cecile Licad and a 13-piece ensemble perform live in sync with the screening of the 2010 movie, and will also play a short set after the film.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St.
COST: $52-$107
INFO: (805) 963-9589/www.arlingtontheatresb.com/upcoming-events or (805) 893-3535/https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu
SUNDAY, MAY 18
‘Ballet Nepantla’ – Ballet enjoyed a bang-up week over the last few days. State Street Ballet closed out their transitional 30th season with another astonishing program showcasing the progression of dance from classicists Arpino and Balanchine to Kassandra Taylor Newberry ’s ultra-modern world premiere called “To Do Less with a Certainty.” State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine went even more classic in presenting Sleeping Beauty, with choreography from the late 1800s. Now comes the final program of the academic year from ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! in Ballet Nepantla , which combines contemporary dance with Mexican folkloric traditions to explore innovative interpretative approaches to cultural and historical “in-between-ness.” Nepantla, a term taken from the Nahuatl language of the indigenous people of Mexico, provides a historical, intellectual and artistic framework through which to explore history and culture through the artistic fusion of different traditions on stage. Following performances in Isla Vista on Friday and Guadalupe on Saturday, the ensemble dances on stage at the Marjorie Luke downtown.
WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: Marjorie Luke Theatre at Santa Barbara Junior High, 721 East Cota St.
COST: free
INFO: www.facebook.com/VivaelArteSB
Master of Fine Arts Exhibition – The Art, Design & Architecture Museum and the Department of Art at UCSB’s annual Master of Fine Arts exhibition put the spotlight on graduating artists Lucy Bell , Austin McCormick , Autumn Nicole , and Rose Schlossberg in a show whimsically and parenthetically titled ( it’s about time) . This exhibition deeply engages not only with time, but also with the spaces of our pasts, presents and futures – with the use of parentheses in the title evoking a pause, a suspension or an interlude. While some of the artists meditate on the past through silence and pauses, others project forward to potential uncertain futures where Earth may look very different. Still others convene their work in the present, gathering communities together, whether in communion or anticipation. Some obsessively chart time and possible apocalypses, while others sit quietly with the slipperiness of memory. Spanning diverse media, artworks in the exhibition delve into the ways that our constructions of time are both personal and private, while also communal and public.
WHEN: Opening reception 5:30-7:30 tonight; exhibits continue through June 1
WHERE: UCSB campus, across from the lagoon
COST: free
INFO: (805) 893-2951 or www.museum.ucsb.edu
SUNDAY, MAY 18
Tribute to the Fillmore – Kenny Lee Lewis is the longtime guitarist of The Steve Miller Band. Back in the 1960s (before the start of Lewis’ tenure), and at the height of the psychedelic rock scene, that band played extensively at San Francisco’s legendary Fillmore West. Now Lewis brings his own band, The Frenz, and special guests back to SOhO for a tribute to the iconic SF music venue. This show honors the bands that were featured at both the Fillmore East in New York, and Fillmore West – shows produced by late legendary rock concert promoter Bill Graham, who specialized in combining myriad types of musical entertainment under one roof. Lewis and company ensure the legacy lives on by sharing songs by Taj Mahal , Junior Walker, Jeff Beck, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Grateful Dead, The Doors, The Kinks, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, and others. Joining the quintet this time around are Jimmy Z (Etta James, Eurythmics, Rod Stewart , Ringo Starr ) on sax, harp and vocals; Scott Page (Pink Floyd, Supertramp, Toto) also on sax; singer Keith England (Allman Brothers), and a bevy of others.
ESTATE/SENIOR SERVICES
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TRESOR
We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry. Located in the upper village of Montecito. Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation. 1470 East Valley Rd Suite V. 805-969-0888
ELECTRICIAN
Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575
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
CARPET CLEANING
Carpet Cleaning Since 1978 (805) 963-5304
Rafael Mendez Cell: 689-8397 or 963-3117
PIANO LESSONS
Openings now available for Children & Adults. Piano Lessons in our Studio or your Home. Call or Text Kary Kramer (805) 453-3481
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
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.
FOR SALE
Asplundh Chipper, Old and Ugly, Works GREAT! $5000 (805) 708-9504
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
LANDSCAPE
Casa L. M.
Landscape hedges installed. Ficus to flowering. Disease resistant. Great privacy. Certified stocked assorted fruit trees. Licensed & insured. Call (805) 963-6909
WATERLILIES and LOTUS since 1992 WATERGARDEN CARE SBWGC FOR
LEASE
Montecito Home, $11,495 per month. 3 BD 2.5 BA, 3,400 sq ft, and unmatched views! One-year lease. (805) 722-5396
AVAILABLE FOR RENT
Beautiful, renovated mid-century 2-bedroom, 2 bathroom with Ocean views in Santa Barbara foothills, available July and August. 646-206-4391
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
