Roaring Ballet – Flappers leap, fortunes soar, and hearts break as World Ballet’s Great Gatsby transforms the Granada into a Roaring Twenties fever dream, P.16
Devil or Angel? – Hattie Beresford traces California’s century-long love-hate relationship with the eucalyptus – from miracle tree to misunderstood menace, P.20
Four best friends, one shattered world, and a love-fueled journey from Chicago to Jalisco – and finally, Montecito. Toya Banks rebuilt her life with sisterhood, tequila nights, and a bottle that honors the women who carried her through (Story starts on p.8)
Safe parking, Rapid Rehousing, & New Beginnings, page 35
Community in Session – With winter coming, the MA tackles water, wildfire, crosswalks, tree plans, and a record-setting Beautification Day, P.42
With Montecito leading the charge, October delivers surging real estate sales, shrinking inventory, and one of California’s hottest luxury markets, page 5
Goodbye, Greg!
Friends, shipmates, and museum leaders gather to lovingly skewer Greg Gorga after 18 unforgettable years at the helm, page 49
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Estate Updates – Montecito leads Santa Barbara South County real estate market in
Beings and Doings – Toya Banks, from Chicago’s south side, suffered an incomprehensible loss. Fortunately (for us all), Love is not a sentiment but a mountain-moving force.
Montecito Miscellany – Success for Girls Inc. at the Santa Barbara Club, Adam’s Angels get some Beach Boys support, plus Veterans Day
Our Town – Local racing legend Dan Chamlee and the long road to 1st Place in the 2025
20 The Way It Was – The complicated and controversial history of eucalyptus trees locally and throughout California
24
Your Westmont – Event equips first gen families for college success, art exhibition includes rare Calder mobile, volleyball finishes strong, and women’s basketball starts hot 26
Spirituality Matters – Tools of Loop of Awareness and Love Scooping along with the Museum of Tibetan Art grand opening
28 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – The sculptor PierreJules Mêne and how bronze works had a great many imitators
35 The Giving List – Finding New Beginnings and support for veterans and the houseless –from safe parking to Rapid Rehousing
36 In Passing – Remembering the lives of Dr. Yoel Irwin Haller and Dr. Bronte Herbert Reynolds
On Entertainment – Gatsby en pointe with the World Ballet, CAW is Ready to Hang, the Museum of Tibetan Art opens, and more
38 Foraging Thyme – Enjoy the deep purple hue and lush flavor of dragon fruit in this parfait that blends in mango and chia seeds Travel Buzz – The Great White Way… the Chelsea Hotel of myth… what’s not to love about The Big Apple?
39 Montecito Health Coach – The unparalleled support of the Breast Cancer Resource Center Curator’s Choice – Ficus eospila shell
40 Robert’s Big Questions – Was Charlie Kirk practicing politics the right way?
An Independent Mind – The political theater at play right now in the country’s political system
42
40th Annual Beautification Day – Photos from Montecito’s communal efforts Meeting at MA – This month’s meeting had updates on everything from the Earl Warren Master Plan to pedestrian safety in the Upper Village
45 Sheriff’s Blotter
49 The Great Gorga – There’s only one thing to do when SBMM Executive Director retires… roast him
52
Calendar of Events – Adults-only play at ZooLights, actos with Teatro Caló, the annual Hansen Family jamboree at SOhO, and more
54
55
Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads
Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles Local Business Directory
by Stan Tabler, CRS, GRI, ABR, GREEN
Montecito’s luxury real estate market demonstrated exceptional strength in October 2025, recording 23 residential sales with a remarkable median sale price of $7,780,000 for House/PUD (Planned Unit Development) properties. The average sales price for these House/PUD properties reached an extraordinary $13,158,298, underscoring Montecito’s position as one of California’s most prestigious real estate markets. The month’s highest-priced transaction, an estate on Picacho Lane that sold for $57,250,000, exemplified the ultra-luxury segment that continues to define this exclusive coastal enclave.
The October sales activity in Montecito represented an increase from September’s 17 sales, with House/PUD sales rising from 12 to 21 properties. While condominium sales decreased from five to two units, these properties commanded premium prices with a median and average sale price of $3,375,000. Even the lowest-priced sale in Montecito, a condominium on Coast Village Road at $1,500,000, exceeded the million-dollar mark by a substantial margin, highlighting the exclusive nature of this market.
Montecito’s prestigious 93108 ZIP code earned recognition as the fifth most expensive ZIP code in the United States, with a median sale price of $6,995,000, according to Anthony Smith ’s survey report. California dominated the national rankings with seven of the 10 most expensive median-priced ZIP codes, though Montecito’s placement in the top five distinguishes it even among California’s elite markets. The community’s appeal extends beyond its natural beauty and Mediterranean climate to encompass its reputation as a haven for privacy-seeking affluent buyers.
The City of Santa Barbara recorded 59 residential sales in October 2025, representing an increase from 49 sales in September. This growth occurred across both property categories, with House/PUD sales rising from 38 to 43 units and condominium sales increasing from 11 to 16 units. The median sale price for House/ PUD properties in Santa Barbara reached $2,149,000, while the average price stood at $2,370,345. The condominium market showed strong pricing with a median of $1,222,350 and an average of $1,425,669.
Santa Barbara’s price range demonstrated the market’s diversity, with the lowest-priced sale being a condominium on Via Lucero at $765,000 and the highest-priced transaction reaching $5,400,000 for a house on Las Canoas Road. This range reflects Santa Barbara’s ability to serve various market segments while maintaining strong overall values.
According to Santa Barbara Multiple Listing Service data as of November 1st, the City of Santa Barbara had 97 active House/PUD listings, down from 102 on October 1st, and 46 pending sales, up from 38 the previous month. This translated to a 2-month supply of inventory, down from 2.7 months on October 1st, positioning Santa Barbara firmly in what market analysts classify as a heated seller’s market, approaching feverish seller’s market conditions.
Real Estate Page 464
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by Jeff Wing
When the short film clip begins, an audience member – Toya Banks of Chicago’s southside – is on her feet. The setting is a cozy corner of Godmothers Bookstore in Summerland. Self-made “Eyebrow Queen” Anastasia Soare and Oprah Winfrey are sunk into enormous Alice in Wonderland wingback chairs that look to be upholstered in something like fawn velveteen. They’ve conducted a well-attended public conversation and have opened up the floor for questions. Toya, having raised her hand, is about to complete a momentous circle. She stands.
“I’m from Chicago, Illinois, and you actually came to my high school,” she says to Oprah. “Anastasia, you also changed my life.” The audience is hushed and uncertain. Excuse me… who is this person? Toya continues, her message escaping her like the pent-up, complicated love song it is. “I lost my
husband, my mother, and my brother, all within a year,” she says, voice cracking minutely. The Godmothers audience spontaneously moans and gasps as one, people pivot in their seats. The sudden, inarticulate empathy from this crowd of strangers is like a burst of starlings entering the room.
Toya’s daughter Rebecca, a recent Westmont grad, is seated next to her mom in the Godmothers audience. Through summer vacationing in Santa Barbara, Toya’s family had grown to love the area. Rebecca had but one request on those family vacays. “Mom, okay – every year you have to take me to Anastasia.”
Anastasia Soare – Romanian American businesswoman, self-made CEO, and founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills beauty brand – is rapt with happy attention as Toya continues. Oprah looks on with a half-smile of recognition.
“I lost my nucleus,” Toya says shakily to the Godmothers audience, to Anastasia, and to Oprah. “And I would tell my daughter, I want to do something And Rebecca said, ‘…mom, look what Anastasia did! You can do this.’”
Toya takes a deep breath. “And so I am an African American woman from the south side of Chicago and I have a tequila brand.” At this unexpected revelation there is a pin-drop silence – and Godmothers erupts in celebratory whoops. Toya hoists a Courvoisier-like bottle of her Hermanas Amigas tequila. The label features a silhouette of four women in haute cocktail wear striking a triumphant pose of unity. “On this tequila brand are my four best friends who carried me through,” Toya says, voice breaking. She and Rebecca produce Hermanas Amigas bottles. A moment before, these had been destined
for the journalist with whom they have a later appointment. So it goes.
Toya offers a bottle to Anastasia and hands it to her. The Godmothers audience is dewy-eyed and delighted. “May I offer you a bottle?” Toya asks Oprah, who is beaming.
“Yes, you may!”
Toya steps into the Montecito Journal offices and her charisma fills the place. To
by Richard Mineards & Friends
Iwas escorted into the celebration by a beautiful young girl with a sparkling smile, who said, “Welcome, I am so excited you’re here!” as I entered this heartwarming, yet powerful event. Over 200 passionate community leaders at the Santa Barbara Club where there for a joyful celebration of resilience, courage, and the limitless potential of girls, as well as to pay tribute to Stina Hans, who passed away earlier this year.
Stina Hans, a Santa Barbara resident for over 40 years, was a tireless advocate for women and girls, serving on the board of Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara and
holding leadership roles for two decades with the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara. Her generosity was matched only by her grace and fierce determination. Whether hosting philanthropic events in her home, mentoring fellow volunteers, or simply offering wise counsel, Stina touched hundreds of lives with her warmth, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to community. Stina was a shining example of what it is to be “Smart, Strong and Bold.”
“It is truly an honor to celebrate Stina’s impact and legacy on Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara,” Executive Director Cydney Justman shared. Stina demonstrated that effective leadership is not focused on personal acknowledgment, but rather on creating conditions
where girls can access every opportunity to succeed. Her steadfast focus, vision, and unwavering commitment continue to guide us, reminding me each day of the power of perseverance and purpose.”
Stina’s family filled a table and daughter Elizabeth Kreiner, and sons Brian and Steven also gave moving speeches. Christina Campbell wrote a loving poem in tribute to her late friend Stina. The evening marked the successful launch of the Stina Hans Impact Fund, inspired by Stina’s belief in empowering girls. The fund will support opportunities for girls in Santa Barbara County, helping them overcome barriers and achieve success.
“Stina was a committed advocate for girls, and we commend her passion, dedication, and generosity,” stated Christy Kelso, event co-chair. “Her legacy will live on through the Stina Hans Impact Fund.”
Lynn Scarlett , former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, former Girls Inc. board member, and good friend of Stina, gave a keynote speech that set the tone for an evening of reflection and vision. However, it was Daisy, a Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara teen, who stole the show with her moving story that proved the importance of such empowerment.
Jessica and Travis Hawley glowed as they shared how their family is third generation Girls Inc. participants and praised the organization and the positive outcomes they have experienced because of their daughter’s participation in the program.
With a paddle raise led by Layla
Khashoggi, also a close friend of Stina, in total over $240,000 were raised thanks to the incredible generosity of event sponsors, vendors, attendees, and donors.
These funds will support free programming for up to 200 elementary and teen girls. “Girls are already strong, smart, and bold,” said Justman, who leads the local organization. “The Stina Hans Impact Fund is Girls Inc.’s commitment to lighting the way, so every bright girl can build the bold future she deserves. We are truly blown away by the generosity of our community. Each dollar invested supports free, high-impact Girls Inc. programs that build confidence, leadership, and career readiness.
Miscellany Page 224
Executive Editor/CEO | Gwyn Lurie gwyn@montecitojournal.net
newspaper
President/COO | Timothy Lennon Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net
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MoJo Contributing Editor | Christopher Matteo Connor
Art/Production Director | Trent Watanabe
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Administrative Assistant | Jessica Shafran VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood leanne@montecitojournal.net
Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Jessica Sutherland, Joe DeMello
Contributing Editor | Kelly Mahan Herrick
Proofreading | Helen Buckley
Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz
Contributors | Scott Craig, Ashleigh Brilliant, Chuck Graham, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye, Elizabeth Stewart, Beatrice Tolan, Leana Orsua, Jeffrey Harding, Tiana Molony, Houghton Hyatt, Jeff Wing
Gossip | Richard Mineards
History | Hattie Beresford
Humor | Ernie Witham
Our Town/Society | Joanne A Calitri
Health/Wellness | Ann Brode, Deann Zampelli
Travel | Jerry Dunn, Leslie Westbrook
Food & Wine | Melissa Petitto, Gabe Saglie, Jamie Knee
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Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108.
How to reach us: (805) 565-1860; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108; EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net
by Joanne A Calitri
The annual SCORE Baja 1000 was held November 11 through November 16 this year.
It was 6:30 pm on Sunday November 16, and I reviewed the winners direct from my contact at SCORE International to check on our local racing legend Dan Chamlee with his brand Factory Racing.
I am happy to report he won 1st Place in Class 7 in the 2025 Baja 1000.
Excited for him and his wife Laurie who is his lead navigator and crew chief, I called their cell phone knowing they must be celebrating in Baja. Sure enough, Laurie answered and put us on speaker phone. They were “recovering” so to speak from their exhilarating win and happy to take time for a quick interview.
Dan’s wins for this year’s SCORE four races are:
- First Place Champion Overall in Class Seven, his 20th season win
- First Place in the Baja 1000, his 11th Baja 1000 win
- First Place in the 250- and 400-mile 2025 qualifier races
- Second Place in the 500-mile qualifier race
In competing with all the Baja 1000 Trophy Trucks this year, Chamlee won 47th place overall, with the data showing there were 229 trucks starting the race, and 131 trucks finished.
His time to finish the 1000 Baja was 22.5 hours, with a .5 hour penalty for not being as close to one of the digital check points as required. Dan drove the entire course, aka “iron-manning it.” Dan, “It was a really good race for us, and we are really happy with our time this year. I went into the 1000 race with a huge point lead from our wins on the three qualifier races, which took a lot of pressure off. We had a strong start and got the lead early on. Once I realized I had a two-hour lead, I backed off a bit to keep my truck in shape. We had no breakdowns, only a tire that kept needing air. The last 50 miles of the race was torrential rain. As you know the truck is wide open [no windows or windshield] so we got seriously hit with rain and mud from the puddles, the radio took a water hit and started beeping at us. The racecourse was beat up from all the racers who did a lot of pre-race runs of it for practice. Pre-running is legal at this time, but some racers do two weeks of pre-running at 15 times the course, which beats up the track for all of us. If everybody did one lap to mark the course and maybe one pre-run close to race speed that would be different. Instead, they turned pre-running into a different thing, chewing up the course with heavy pre-runs.”
On his team were four co-navigators who ride in the truck with him: his wife
Our Town Page 374
by Joanne A Calitri
The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Barbara County organization held its 2nd Annual Beach Ball fundraiser at the San Ysidro Ranch Montecito on Sunday, November 9, from 12 to 2 pm.
This event was founded by Jackie Johnson McBride of The Weather Chef and Allison LaBarge for the purpose of generating funds for the CASA SBC foster care children holiday party and gifts for the foster children. Each child receives help writing their wish list for Santa Claus, and each child receives gifts from their wish list to a total of $150. This year there are 650 children in the program.
The short program commenced with a welcome by Community Engagement Director Kira Cosio. She introduced the event co-chairs Johnson McBride and LaBarge. Johnson McBride recapped her top moments from last year’s CASA
SBC holiday party for the foster children who received their gifts from Santa. She thanked everyone for making these children’s dreams come true this year via their donations. LaBarge echoed the sentiments with her favorite capture of
the children’s holiday party, and said, “These holiday presents for the foster children are a symbol of hope. What you are giving is love in action, and can change a life.”
Closing remarks were presented by CASA SBC Executive Director Kim Colby Davis, who has been with the organization for 19 years, starting out as a volunteer. Colby Davis was awarded the 2023 Program Director of the Year by the National CASA/GAL Association for Children. Continuing with the theme for the event, she presented an experience she had with a foster care child and the child’s parents that made a difference.
I spoke with Colby Davis at the event and asked her to define CASA SBC for our readers. She explained, “CASA SBC has grown exponentially over the years and is now serving 85% of children in foster care. Events like this really bring everything up a notch, and the community can participate in the care of foster children. The unique thing about CASA SBC is our whole entire agency is the program that serves foster children. We stay mission focused to ensure that every child in the foster care system has an advocate beside them from start to finish so they grow up in a safe environment. CASA SBC is the 5th largest CASA in California.”
At the event, there were faux holiday
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trees with the names of the children on gift tags. Guests selected the child [tag] to whom they would make a donation. Setting up the holiday trees, table décor, and selling raffle tickets were the UCSB Gamma Rho Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta women who volunteered their time.
There were silent auction items from Ivy Cove, Lucky’s Restaurant, jewelry by Daniel Gibbings, and art by Pedro De La Cruz
Seen at the event were Brittany Meadth, Nicole Jordan, Liz Weiner, Erica Klaritch-Bryant, Sara Brennan, Sima Morrison , Macauley Becker , Brooke Bollinger Herman, Vanessa Ringel , Mally Chakola , Lindsay Parton , Sierra Muller , Marisa Marquina Garber, Elisabeth Crain, and Robin Looper
411: www.sbcasa.org
The mission of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Barbara County is to assure a safe, permanent, nurturing home for all abused and/or neglected children by providing a highly trained volunteer to advocate for them in the court system.
And that’s a wrap till next week! Do email me if you have society news or an experience we can do together! Xx JAC
Two-time International Bluegrass Music Association Guitar Player of the Year
Molly Tuttle
The Highway Knows Tour with special guests Kaitlin Butts and Meels
Sun, Dec 7 / 7 PM / Arlington Theatre
“Between her expressive, crystalline voice and astounding flat picking guitar skills, Tuttle has made history.” Rolling Stone
American Book Award-winning Author and Poet An Evening with Ocean Vuong
Wed, Dec 3 / 7:30 PM UCSB Campbell Hall
FREE pre-signed copies of Vuong’s new book, The Emperor of Gladness , will be available while supplies last
“A master of juxtaposition willing to tell difficult stories with courage.” The Guardian (U.K.)
Fun for the Whole Family / Say Aloha to the Holidays
Featuring Jackson Waldhoff and Justin Kawika Young
Wed, Dec 10 / 7:30 PM / Arlington Theatre
“If everyone played the ukulele, the world would be a better place.” – Jake Shimabukuro
by Dwight Hwang
by Steven Libowitz
Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan and the other debonair, desperate, debauched, or devoted characters from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic story come to life via dance in World Ballet Company’s The Great Gatsby Ballet. The story of an enigmatic nouveau riche millionaire ambitiously pursuing the American Dream has been considered a literary classic since the novel’s publication in 1925. Now the Los Angeles-based dance company is bringing the ballet to our arts-rich little burg at the Granada Theatre on Sunday, November 23. World Ballet Company was co-founded 10 years ago by Gulya Hartwick, whose aim was to make ballet more accessible to a wider audience by touring to cities that often don’t have regular professional performances.
“We read and loved the story and dreamed how wonderful it would be to make it a ballet,” the Latvian-born Hartwick told the San Diego Union-Tribune back in February. “It’s so visual, and it touches upon so many important topics…. To me, the American Dream is about endless possibilities.”
World Ballet’s original production, which coincides with the 100th anniversary of the novel’s publication, features all the fabulous parties, free-flowing champagne and flappers in fringe frolicking the Roaring Twenties – as well as the darker consequences of lusting after wealth and upper crust society…and the realities of lost love. The company’s show features a multinational cast of 40 professional ballet dancers, luxurious hand-crafted costumes and sweeping Art Deco-inspired sets to visually and sonically share the timeless tale of glitz, glamor and tragic romance.
Vaganova Ballet Academy-trained Ilya Jivoy created the original choreography, fashioning an ultra-contemporary piece that combines 1920s dance styles, such as the ever-popular Charleston, with classical dance positions and movements. The result is a bold, Broadway-style ballet with traditional elements.
Moscow-born, Los Angeles-based film composer Anna Drubich composed the original score, recording the soundtrack with two distinct ensembles in familiar locations: a jazz band in Los Angeles and a 70-piece orchestra in Moscow.
World Ballet Company’s The Great Gatsby is bursting with 1920s glamour, cinematic storytelling, acrobatics, live singing and more, including multimedia projections to help set the scene and amp up the excitement. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t know the novel, as the program provided online and in the theater includes a detailed synopsis, although the energy of the era and the vivaciousness of the production should suffice.
As an arguable added bonus, Saturday’s performance of World Ballet Company’s The Great Gatsby represents the final show of the tour, which might motivate the dancers to give it their all.
Visit https://worldballetcompany.com/event/granada-theatre.
by MJ Staff
San Ysidro Ranch, Thanksgiving at the Stonehouse Restaurant: An elegant multi-course feast and a warm hearthside welcome with sparkling wine or hot cider. Guests will enjoy standout starters, refined seasonal courses, and luxurious entrées such as honey-brined organic turkey, Santa Barbara spiny lobster with caviar, or SRF Gold Wagyu striploin. Finish with exquisite desserts like pumpkin pie or apple-pear crisp. $290/adult; $115/child. Reservations required, call the Stonehouse at (805) 565-1720 to book.
- Friendship Center, Thanksgiving Luncheon, Wednesday, Nov. 26, from 12 to 1 pm, free for members, their family and friends
- Adam’s Angels: Annual Thanksgiving Feast, Thursday, Nov. 27, First United Methodist Church (305 East Anapamu St.), from 12 to 2 pm. visit www.adamsangels-sb.org to volunteer
Heal the Ocean’s Thank You celebration at the Santa Barbara FishHouse on November 13th turned into a memorable evening of gratitude and surprises. Despite heavy rain, supporters and dignitaries – including U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal , Supervisor Roy Lee , former State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson , and Councilmember Eric Friedman – filled the venue to honor sponsors of HTO’s “Above & Below” Annual Fundraiser. Event Manager Heather Hudson announced that the organization’s “no-event” fundraiser brought in $260,000, the highest total yet. New Executive Director Karina Johnston spoke about stepping into her role as she and outgoing Executive Director Hillary Hauser work in partnership. The evening’s highlight came when Congressman Carbajal presented Hauser with a Congressional Citation
recognizing her 27 years of leadership – an honor she called “the biggest compliment of my life.”
Significant progress is underway on the Highway 101 improvement project through Montecito, where crews are focused on bridge replacements and the new southbound lanes. Over the next three weeks, work will intensify at the Romero, San Ysidro, and Oak Creek bridges, with crews removing old bridge decks, dismantling temporary shoring, and constructing new abutments and drainage systems. Along the freeway, teams are setting forms, installing rebar, and pouring concrete for the southbound lanes, auxiliary lane, and shoulders, marking major steps toward longterm congestion relief. Construction is also active at the Olive Mill Road southbound
News Bytes Page 454
by Hattie Beresford
In the past 35 years, the eucalyptus tree has become one of the most controversial species in California. Some writers sing its praises, both for its beneficial properties and its beauty. Its image has been celebrated in California landscape painting for over one hundred years. California writer Lawrence Clark Powell wrote, “… no tree is more beautiful in the wind or against the sky, and none provides better nesting for the soft-voiced mourning dove.”
On the other hand, the tree is reviled for its tendency to drop leaves, bark, pods and twigs and feared for its flammability. It has been called the “Australian weed” and the “trash tree.” Some critics believe it poisons the ground, and others object to the tree for aesthetic reasons or because it is not a native. One writer from 1904 wrote, “There is a craze all over the state about the Australian blue gum tree… One cannot get out of its
Cooper (standing foreground left) planted thousands of eucalyptus trees on his ranch.
the lands of Cooper’s ranch are the Ellwood Mesa Open Space created and maintained by the collaboration of the City of Goleta and dozens of other agencies and institutions. The Land Trust for Santa Barbara purchased 10 acres of the property for the Butterfly Preserve in the midst of the eucalyptus trees on the Mesa. (photo courtesy of SBHM)
sight… it crops up everywhere in independent ugliness.”
Nevertheless, the species has a long
and venerable history in the State of California. Eucalyptus made its first appearance in California in the 1850s after the Gold Rush fostered a population boom. Many Easterners, who were accustomed to clearing woods for farmland, not searching for timber for building, wanted to plant forests on the sparsely treed rolling hills west of the Sierras. Australia’s miracle tree, the eucalyptus, seemed the right tree for the job.
In the 1870s, Ellwood Cooper purchased 2,000 acres of land north of Goleta and became one of Santa Barbara County’s most vocal advocates of eucalyptus culture. He wrote, “The preservation of forests is one of the first interests of society.” In his opinion, Santa Barbara was barren of trees and needed forestation to support its increasing population.
Way It Was Page 504
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for investing in the power of girls.”
Live music from Miriam Dance and her band was woven throughout the evening, including a dance floor to close out the evening.
The event was sponsored by Mechanics Bank, BlueStar Parking, Montecito Bank & Trust, Projects General Construction, Cresset Capital, Fidelity National Title, and SBCC Foundation, as well as Jody Dolan Holehouse, Lauren Hudspeth, Eileen and Tom Mielko, Doug and Patricia Aiken, Tina Berg, Chita Edlund, Drs. Joanne and Tem Gronquist, Tina Hansen McEnroe, Perri Harcourt, Cydney Justman, Missy and Chuck Sheldon, and Gerald and April Thede.
The long-time supporters in attendance included Ginni Dreier, Anne Towbes, Lynn Pearl, Karen and Peter Warshaw , Blair and Steve Raber , Christy Kelso and Randy Franciose, Carrie and Eric Lundquist, Meg and Dan Burnham, Marybeth Carty, Kathy and Tom Dunlap, Lynn Karlson, Susan Matsumoto, and Nicole Powers. Event Co-Chairs were Christy Kelso and Anne Towbes, while the Event Committee was formed by Carrie Lundquist, Nicole Noren, Nicole Powers, Megan Turley, and Cydney Justman. by Maria W. Long
This fall, our vibrant city transformed into a haven for music lovers. Weekend after weekend, legendary performers filled local venues, offering residents an abundance of unforgettable concerts. Among the season’s standout events was an all-
star tribute to the late Brian Wilson and the music of the Beach Boys, held at the Granada Theatre on Saturday, September 27. Organized in the wake of Wilson’s passing in June, the benefit raised an impressive $100,000 for two local nonprofits: Adam’s Angels, serving the city’s unsheltered neighbors, and the Surfrider Foundation of Santa Barbara, dedicated to protecting our oceans and preserving our cherished coastline.
The concert, spearheaded in part by the founders of Adam’s Angels realtors Adam McKaig and Melissa Borders, was sure to be a success. In earlier years, the two financed Adam’s Angels with profits from their real estate transactions. Today, they continue to contribute, but the organization officially is now a 501(c)3. Adam and Melissa still contribute fiscally and physically. Whether buying the turkeys for their famous Thanksgiving meals or purchasing and handing out rain ponchos and jackets to our unsheltered neighbors on the streets, as always the two magnificently manage to walk these parallel universes with grace.
The Beach Boys sold-out show radiated excitement – perhaps fueled in part by the buzz lingering from other vibrant performances that week. Inside the Granada, the atmosphere was electric. Credit goes to volunteer producers Kevin Wachs, Laurie Kirby, and Maitland Ward, whose passion for community and music brought this celebration of a generation’s soundtrack to life. As the evening opened, Wachs and Adam McKaig spoke about the mission behind the event, then presented a Community Angel Award to board member Father Larry Gosselin
Miscellany Page 474
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
The spirit of “lucecitas” – glimmers of light – shone brightly on the Westmont campus as nearly 200 enthusiastic students and their families gathered for the powerful fourth annual event, Affording Your College Dream, on Nov. 1. In a vibrant, Spanish-language event brimming with energy and hope, Westmont, in partnership with the Program for Effective Access to College (PEAC), Resilience, Education, Adventure, Community and Health (REACH), and the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, equipped Santa Barbara’s aspiring Hispanic students with the vital tools and confidence needed to turn their college aspirations into reality. Westmont initiated this effort four years ago with the dream and vision to impact local families.
The room buzzed with excitement as the event, focused on empowering first-generation college students, welcomed dynamic keynote speaker Hilda Maldonado, superintendent of Santa Barbara Unified School District. Maldonado shared her deeply inspiring journey of overcoming challenges as an
English-language learner, describing the moments of hope that guided her path as “glitters – ‘lucecitas.’”
“Being first-generation means being willing to take on the huge responsibility of being the first in your family to attend college and being resilient enough to overcome adversity,” Maldonado said. She stressed that grit (determinación), effort/desire (ganas) and grace (gracia) give you the will to keep going when things get difficult. “The road ahead is not perfect, so give yourself some grace and maintain your inspiration and dream (la belleza del camino).”
Her powerful story highlighted the unwavering support of her mother, who, despite having only a second-grade education, made it clear that education was their highest priority when they immigrated from Mexico to California. “I was driven to succeed, confident in my abilities to create opportunities and serve others,” she shared. “I felt a powerful spark – a deep desire to be a woman who profoundly changes lives.”
Beyond the inspirational keynote, the event delivered actionable guidance, ensuring every “lucecita” knows how to
Westmont Page 324
Where California’s Santa Ynez Mountains meet the golden shores of Carpinteria Beach is a coastal legacy with no equal. A one-of-a-kind way of life where the illustrious history of the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is your new backyard. Welcome to The Santa Barbara Polo Residences, a private collection for only forty families.
Further Details:
by Steven Libowitz
Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks , the self-help/personal growth/ relationship transformation and body-mind workshop leaders, authors of more than 35 books (including the best-seller Conscious Loving), and allaround paradigm-shifting pioneers in the conscious loving and body intelligence fields, based their publishing endeavors and other operations in Montecito for years before relocating to the mountains of Ojai almost two decades ago. Since then, their educational and empowerment empire has expanded, with regular workshops both locally and around the globe as well as a whole bevy of online offerings from the founders and other staffers.
But they’re slowing things down considerably on Sunday evening, November 23, as the Hendricks are hosting a special event to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the Hendricks Institute 35 years ago, as well as their 44th wedding anniversary. In addition to tasty bites and refreshments and lots of time for connection and conversation, the event will also feature the first-ever live performance of Gay Hendricks’ oneact comedy Phobia Clinic , with actress Kirsten Vangsness coming up from L.A. to star. Vangsness, who has played FBI tech analyst Penelope Garcia on the CBS series Criminal Minds for nearly 20 years, will also present her own one-woman show called Outdated about her online dating experiences for just its second public performance. Also on the slate is a live performance by the duo River and Rose, a harmony-laden husband-and-wife from Ojai.
The evening is free and open to the public, either in person at the Hendricks Institute or on Zoom. Send an email to info@hendricks.com to get the details or RSVP for the event.
Meanwhile, the couples’ online offerings continue, with the next weekly gathering of the Hendricks’ Foundation for Conscious Living’s Big Leap featuring Audrey Hazekamp presenting “Big Leap Bridge: Artful Endings,” a no-cost one-hour Zoom where participants will learn simple ways to remedy overwhelm and how to create ease with completions, slated for 6 pm on November 19. The workshop will introduce how endings can be celebrated as a requirement to make space for the new, with the
concept that active and artful endings are about curiosity, appreciation and willingness to gather the energy and wisdom needed to move forward from what is ‘now.’
Register at https://
foundationforconsciousliving.org/big_leap_ bridge/artful-endings
Kathlyn is also continuing her free weekly 15-minute live calls every Monday morning at 9 am called ‘Love in Action’ that combine two practices to support participants in moving from fear to love through presence. The tools of Loop of Awareness and Love Scooping are intended to fill up our own reservoirs, and community members stay on the call for another 30 minutes to explore the concepts through conversation.
Also, remarkably prolific and greatly generous in her free or very lowcost offerings is the Santa Barbara’s Radhule Weininger , a teacher of mindfulness, compassion, and non-dual awake-awareness practices, along with Buddhist psychology, since 1981. In addition to all the in-person and online meditation events from Weininger and the other Mindful Heart Program leaders, including Montecito’s Arno Jaffe – currently numbering 17 every week – MHP is sponsoring a special Moonrise Meditation + Sound Bath on Friday, December 5, with Peter Moreno at Santa Barbara Middle School, outdoors if weather permits. Participants will watch the moon rise, meditate, and enjoy a soothing sound bath with crystal bowls and bells. The school’s Lotus Theater will host in the event of rain. The suggested donation is $10. Text Moreno at (805) 4531813 by noon to RSVP.
The following afternoon, Weininger leads a longer workshop called “Nondual Effortless Mindfulness,” a mini-retreat to present the philosophy and practice of pointing-out practices, a Tibetan-inspired non-dual meditation series that guides us to experience Awake Awareness. Inspired by ancient Mahamudra and Dzogchen practices, the teaching offers a stepby-step path – led from full-body awareness to concentration practices to emptiness practices, and gradually
Spirituality Page 334
Join Us for the 2025 Design Awards Gala A Distinguished Celebration of Architectural Achievement Thursday, December 4, 2025 | 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM El Paseo Restaurant
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Awards will be presented across categories including Commercial, Single-Family Residential, Multi-Family & Mixed-Use, Conservation & Historic Preservation, Santa Barbara Style, Small Projects, Commercial Interiors, and Proposed/Unbuilt Projects.
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by Elizabeth Stewart
Band J D send me a beautiful bronze sculpture of two horses facing each other, one smaller and one larger, the head of one on the shoulder of the other. B and J wonder if this is an original by Pierre-Jules Mêne (French 1810-1879), a great sculptor of animal figures, who was called an animalier, a type of sculptor revered in the late 19th century France for his figures of animals. The work of great animaliers sold very well in England, a country known for hunting, racing, and blood sports in general.
Mêne was one of the greatest sculptors of animals in the last part of the 19th century. Why I love this work is the title – in French, L’accolade: Groupe de chevaux arabes, and the word “accolade” is being acted out (anthropomorphically) by the larger horse. It seems that the smaller horse – an Arabian of perfect confirmation – has won a race, and the larger horse is caressing the
little horse’s shoulder. That is the exact meaning of the ancient word “accolade,” which in medieval usage meant the touch on a future Knight’s shoulder of “grace” – the chivalric accolade which made the man a Knight in perpetuity. These horses are part of that ceremony – the conferring of an honor, recognition of an award, or praise by a superior that confers prestige. This is a bronze sculpture – and to tell the truth, it is hard to say if it is original or a re-cast. A re-cast is easy to produce and can be discerned only by an expert looking closely at the seams in the bronze. A recast means that the original bronze has been “fitted” with a plaster overcast, and then “reversed” into a bronze sculptural copy based on the negative space of that mold. An original bronze is created from the interior mold which is the exact opposite technique of an “overcast.” However, the market in the late 19th century didn’t differentiate much as there were no copyright issues. Any bronze foundry house could reproduce a bronze sculpture – signature
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and all – as that mark is part of the “relief” of the bronze that could be cast. Values therefore are subjective.
Unless a connoisseur can tell if a work is an original bronze, the market will pay similar prices for a Mêne which is “after” the original, or an original Mêne. Animal sculptures have always been popular, especially bronzes of well-done horses, such as L‘accolade
Other works by Mêne are diverse and – for a change – not related to the hunt, which is not a popular theme in bonzes today. Some of the titles that have sold are Chasse au Lapin (1853) – yes, a chase for a rabbit, in which Mêne has sculpted a “groupe chiens au terrier” at 8 x 15 x 7” –the dogs eagerly looking down a fox hole, to no avail. This work sold at the Continental auction house De Vuyst for $4,000.
Another work which is also “after” Mêne – a reproduction, albeit a good one from the late 19th century – is a cold-painted bronze, meaning that the “bronze” is but a painted surface. The piece depicts a pair of Setters and a Pointer at 9 x 17”, and sold at Bonhams Skinner this September for $700.
Mêne also sculpted “putti,” naked male baby figures, often winged. An example of this is a piece by a follower of Mêne (credited as “from the studio of”) called Paar grosse puttenfigurern mit Fisch auf einer Kugel Sitzend; literally “a pair of large cherub figurines sitting with a fish on a ball.” A delight for the 19th century connoisseur, this sold for $600.
Another style of the last 19th century which went hand-in-glove with the animalier style was the exotic horseman. These were mounted warriors astride steeds from China, the Arab countries, and Africa, all nobly dressed in exotic costume. One by Mêne – Reitender Afrikanen mit muskete – features a figure holding a European style weapon. A large work at 25 x 18 x 9”, the piece sold in Dusseldorf for $4,900.
Possibly one of the most delightful of all sculptures by Mêne is the confused little dog, sentimental and anthropomorphized; an animalier bronze called Chien et Pigeon The piece shows a griffon hound quizzically gazing on two pigeons dining at his feeding bowl as he cocks an ear in wonderment. This sold at an English Auction called Dreweatts for $800.
The Pierre-Jules Mêne sculpture L ‘accolade, which is owned by B and J D is valued at $5,000.
Elizabeth Stewart, PhD is a veteran appraiser of fine art, furniture, glass, and other collectibles, and a cert. member of the AAA and an accr. member of the ASA. Please send any objects to be appraised to Elizabethappraisals@ gmail.com
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Swan Lake, one of the world’s most frequently performed ballets, is up next from a different touring company, presented in a return production by Classical Arts Entertainment at the Arlington on December 5. The full-scale, family-friendly production features Tchaikovsky’s legendary score and classic choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, a huge cast of dancers from around the world, and more than 200 custom scenery pieces.
Visit www.arlingtontheatresb.com.
Even prisoners locked away in solitary confinement in a tiny 6 by 9 foot cell get almost 55 square feet to themselves. But the 350 artists participating in Ready to Hang get just a single square foot on which to express themselves in the annual community-wide exhibition from the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative in its home at the Community Arts Workshop.
It’s not punishment. The idea behind limiting everyone to presenting just a single 12x12” piece – no larger, no smaller, and including optional framing or mounting – not only allows Ready to Hang to be the single largest art show around in terms of sheer numbers of participants, it also serves as an egalitarian approach that increases inclusivity and inventiveness. How? Both by lowering the barrier to entry, and by fueling the creative fire typically sparked by such severe spatial requirements – constraints that artists might find helpful.
“The restriction of 12x12 forces artists to get creative while staying within those parameters,” explained Adrienne De Guevara, who is part of the Arts Collaborative and one of three “curators” of the exhibit. “That challenge can make for really interesting work.”
As does the fact that Ready to Hang meshes experienced with emerging artists, attracting participants of all levels and history to show and sell new work, including both newbies showing in their first ever public event and multiple-decade veterans of Santa Barbara’s art world. Participants over the previous five years have ranged in age from eight to 90, while media include everything from abstracts and oil paintings on canvas to drawings on paper, textiles, photography and even assemblage – as long as it easily hangs on the wall and the depth doesn’t exceed five inches.
Meanwhile, visitors get to view and perhaps purchase work by hundreds of artists in a single show – purchase decisions that may be as energized by constraint as the artists’ work. That is, the exhibit is only up for a single evening, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, this year from 4-9 pm on November 22.
“That helps to create a lot of excitement,” De Guevara said. “You’ve got to make the time and make plans to get in and see the work before it goes away.”
This sixth year of Ready to Hang comes with some improvements for 2025, including new track lighting replacing the stark and harsh Costco-style lights of previous years. All the galleries are finished and fully painted, too.
It’s also only the second year with a theme. This time around, that theme is “Origins”; though much like the ever-changing Solstice Parade theme, it is interpreted very loosely, Entertainment Page 344
glimmer through the financial aid process. Experts from the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara and CalSOAP provided vital, step-by-step assistance, covering everything from successfully completing the FAFSA to identifying critical scholarship opportunities.
These essential partnerships are fueling higher education access throughout the community.
“Students and parents share the dream of higher education,” says Araceli Espinoza, Westmont director of community and campus partnerships for admissions. “We hosted this Spanishlanguage event to ensure parents felt included, supported and empowered to take part in the financial aid process. Today was a significant moment for these families.”
For the past four years, Westmont has established a beloved tradition: surprising students who completed their applications during the event with on-thespot admissions decisions, ensuring their families and parents could witness this momentous news and celebrate the achievement in person.
“Each year, this event is a highlight for me, standing on stage and handing each admitted student a symbolic envelope with the bold words ‘#WestmontSaidYES,’ to their college dream,” says Irene Neller, Westmont’s vice president of enrollment and one of the architects of the annual event.
Every accepted student is also notified of the merit scholarship they’ve earned based on their academic achievement. “It’s more than an acceptance letter; it’s a pathway to a future filled with hope,” Neller says. “What a joy it is to celebrate this moment with them and their families.
“The event has not only provided knowledge, but has cultivated a community of support, making the journey to college brighter and more
attainable for Santa Barbara’s next generation of leaders.”
At the event, Westmont announced an exceptional near-tuition guarantee to all Santa Barbara students: if they receive the full Pell Grant, Cal Grant and accept all federal loans, their remaining need, according to the FAFSA will be met – fully guaranteeing their tuition and meeting the need gap. This ensures that qualified local students can access a Westmont education.
About 70 art lovers braved the wet weather for the opening of Between Planes: Exploring Sculpture Through Print on Nov. 13 at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. The unique show examines prints made by sculptors, offering a glimpse into artistic thought process of an artist prior to creating a sculpture.
A highlight of the exhibition is a kinetic sculpture by renowned artist Alexander Calder, loaned from Montecito collectors. The abstract work, The Smile and the Eye (1974), was created by the American sculptor whose innovative moving sculptures inspired a critic to coin the term “mobile” in 1931. “It’s a coup that we are able to exhibit this work,” Chris Rupp says. “In the donors’ own words, ‘of course we will lend it, we love Westmont!’”
Beloved local artists Dug Uyesaka and Dane Goodman, who both have pieces in the exhibition, attended the opening reception.
Uyesaka used a variety of tools to mark up the surface of Plexiglass to create the drypoint Untitled, which draws inspiration from a pond in Sag Harbor, New York. It is juxtaposed with his assemblage, Guided by Voices II, which he says celebrates the chain of one’s creations.
Goodman also used plexiglass for his Untitled monotype, which was created in New Mexico with printer Larry Fodor of the Black Mesa Workshop. Below the large monotype sheet is his large untitled sculpture that uses a fir log, copper sheet and oil-based resin.
The free exhibition, which highlights the works of three dozen artists, is open through Dec. 20.
Westmont volleyball (12-14, 6-6 PacWest) finished its season on a four-game winning streak and sent its seniors out in style, defeating Jessup (11-13, 5-7) in four sets on Nov. 15 at Murchison Gym.
This was the final Westmont match for Alexis Dennick and Nariah Prescott Sophomore outside hitter Maddie Finnegan led the team in kills (312), freshman setter Sierra McClure paced the team in assists (577), sophomore
Rylee Elias had the team high in digs (415) and sophomore Camila CornejoFarmer had a team-high 96 blocks. “It was important to us all season long to not lose sight of both grit and gratitude,” head coach Ruth McGolpin said. “This was a team that always stayed together.”
Westmont Women’s Basketball is off to a 2-0 start in the 2025-26 season after defeating Montana State Billings 63-38 on Nov. 15 in Murchison Gym. This is the first time since Feb. 3, 2022, that the Warriors have held an opponent to under 40 points.
“First and foremost, I am incredibly proud of another gritty defensive performance tonight,” said Westmont’s head coach Kirsten Moore. “I just love the intensity our team is bringing to that end of the floor, and the growth in recognizing how important that is to our success.
“In a game where scoring didn’t come easy, we were able to trust our toughness to come through defensively and on the boards and eventually that loosened things up offensively.”
The Warriors are headed to Nampa, Idaho, for games Nov. 21-22 against host Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington.
ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS OR CITATION: CASE No. 25CV06178. Notice to Defendant: John Coons: You are being sued by Plaintiff: Danielle Loveall. You and the plaintiff must go to court on December 15, 2025 at 9 am in Department 3 of the Superior Court of California, Santa Barbara, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. If you do not go to court, you may lose the case. If you lose, the court can order that your wages, money, or property be taken to pay this claim. Bring witnesses, receipts, and any evidence you need to prove your case. Name and address of the court: Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93121-1107. Filed October 2, by Sarah Sisto, Deputy Clerk. Published November 20, 27, December 4, 11, 2025
ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS OR CITATION: CASE No. 25FL01889. Notice to Defendant: Charles R. Rudd, Jr.: You are being sued by Plaintiff: Tennysha Marie Begum. You and the plaintiff must go to court on January 7, 202 at 1:30 pm in Department 3 of the Superior Court of California, Santa Barbara, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. If you do not go to court, you may lose the case. If you lose, the court can order that your wages, money, or property be taken to pay this claim. Bring witnesses, receipts, and any evidence you need to prove your case. Name and address of the court: Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93121-1107 Filed October 22 and 23, by Nicolette Barnard, Deputy Clerk. Published November 20, 27, December 4, 11, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CARE 4 CAREGIVERS, 259 Loma Media Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. NANSIE E DOUGLAS, P.O. BOX 41045, Santa Barbara, CA 93140-1045. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on November 14, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it
was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2025-0002621. Published November 20, 27, December 4, 11, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GOLETA PRESSURE WASHING, 5187 Via Val Verde, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. GRANT H KHAN, 5187 Via Val Verde, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on November 6, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2025-0002572. Published November 20, 27, December 4, 11, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GOMEZ INSULATION, 109 S Quarantina St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. GOMEZ INSULATION, 109 S Quarantina St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on November 5, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2025-0002552. Published November 13, 20, 27, December 4, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MONTECITO EXECUTIVE SERVICES, 1482 East Valley Rd, Suite 42, Montecito, CA 93108. MARY L ORTEGA, 1482 East Valley Road Suite 42, Montecito, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on October 20, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original
statement on file in my office.
Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20250002400. Published October 30, November 6, 13, 20, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SIRENA HOME DESIGNS, 1477 Santa Ynez Avenue, Carpinteria, CA 93013.
KATHRYN L MATTHEWS, 1477 Santa Ynez Ave, Carpinteria, CA 93013. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 29, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.
Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20250002256. Published October 30, November 6, 13, 20, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV06703. To all interested parties: Petitioner Stephanie Rodriguez filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name from Stephanie Rodriguez to Stephaney Iztli Rodriguez The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed November 4, 2025 by Narzralli Baksh. Hearing date: January 7, 2026 at 10 am in Dept. 3, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published November 13, 20, 27, December 4, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV06644. To all interested parties: Petitioner Brandon Christopher LEcuyer filed a petition with Superior Court of California,
crossing into awake, natural, loving awareness – with a focus on how to bring these practices into everyday life engagement and loving presence. As the retreat is held at Yoga Soup, the fee is $30.
Visit mindfulheartprograms.com.
Also at Yoga Soup: Joss Jaffe , Arno’s musician-son, leads a Kirtan session of devotional call-and-response chanting on December 6. The ancient yogic journey is a practice that can quiet the mind, relax the body, and create a feeling of love in the heart. No experience necessary. Visit www.yogasoup.com/events.
The Museum of Tibetan Art (MoTAC) hosts Lama Tashi Norbu and Crispin Barrymore of Legacy Art Studios in a Tibetan Sacred Healing concert as part of its official grand opening within the
County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name from Brandon Christopher LEcuyer to Brandon Christopher Lipes-LEcuyer
The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed November 3, 2025 by Narzralli Baksh. Hearing date: January 9, 2026 at 10 am in Dept. 4, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published November 13, 20, 27, December 4, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 25CV06204. To all in -
monthly 3rd Friday Art Walk at La Cumbre Plaza on Friday, November 21. The event is timed for entering the holiday season of renewal and reflection and calling upon us to connect deeply with our individual spiritual essence while building everlasting community strength and unity. All are invited to immerse in the mystical beauty of Tibetan culture, art and spirituality, with an art exhibit & sale including works by Lama Tashi Norbu that tell a story of enlightenment and liberation. Live mantra chanting and traditional Tibetan percussion augmented by western instrumentals will take place simultaneously with a live painting demonstration. The event also features a Singing Bowls & Prayer Ceremony and a screening of Lama Tashi’s latest documentary film. Visit www.lamatashinorbu.org.
terested parties: Petitioner Robyn Suzanne Rosas-Renner filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name from Robyn Suzanne Rosas-Renner to Robyn Suzanne Rose . The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.
Filed October 21, 2025 by Sarah Soto. Hearing date: December 12, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 4, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published November 6, 13, 20, 27, 2025
“The idea is that with so much division and issues with immigration happening in the world right now, artists can be proud of their origins and share that with other people,” De Guevara said. “But it’s just a prompt.”
All work is also for sale – with no exceptions, just like the square foot requirement – although artists can set their own price, which have ranged in the past from $20 to several hundred or more. Seventy percent of the proceeds go to the artist with just 30 percent earmarked to support the work of the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative.
And the emphasis is on the organization’s last word in its name, as the night before the public event there’s a private artist reception which is equally a party and a chance to connect with other artists, an opportunity not often available at a typical exhibition. There’s a band and free food to attract as many of the artists as possible.
“We really try to make it kind of a big deal and a fun event so that the artists feel really honored and taken care of, and come out of the siloed space of their studios,” De Guevara said. “We really want to bring them together. They also get first crack at the artwork.”
Purchasers can take their pieces home with them as early as 6 pm on Saturday, so getting there in the first two hours is the only way to see each work by all 350 artists.
“It’s a pretty popular event. Come early,” De Guevara said. Visit www.sbcaw.org/hang.
La Cumbre Center for Creative Arts (LCCCA) at Gallery Row in La Cumbre Plaza has a new addition to the line-up, making a total of six, just in time for LCCCA’s sixth anniversary. The Museum of Tibetan Art (MoTAC) and Culture & Legacy Art Studios, featuring Lama Tashi Norbu and Crispin Barrymore of Legacy Art Studios, has its official Grand Open ceremony with a Tibetan Sacred Healing concert and more, during the 3rd Friday Art Walk on Friday, November 21, from 5-8 pm. The monthly LCCCA event boasts live art-making, live music, refreshments, and the opportunity for community participation, including adding paint to a life-size papier-mâché elephant as part of a larger collaborative project. MoTAC is the latest entry serving to transform La Cumbre Plaza from a shopping center into a space for art, culture and connection, now with six galleries: Illuminations, Elevate, The Fine Line, The Voice Gallery and Grace Fisher Foundation’s Inclusive Arts Clubhouse. Friday also features the Crimson Holidays pop-up shop, featuring local artisans and their handcrafted creations. Visit https://lcccasb.com.
The Santa Barbara Blues Society hosts the local debut of East Coast-based award-winning blues singer-songwriter Vanessa Collier. The rare female bandleading saxophonist, a native Texan, grew up in Maryland and graduated from Boston’s famed Berklee School of Music. She spent two years in blues legend Joe
Louis Walker’s band before branching out on her own. Her half dozen albums have claimed four of Blues Foundation’s prestigious Blues Music Awards, including Contemporary Female Blues Artist of the Year, and three more just this year including Horn Player of the Year.
Collier’s latest record is a bold one, Do It My Own Way (which true to its title was recorded on analog gear with the musicians largely in one room) inspired by the classic Memphis soul sound of Stax and Hi Records. Collier had multiple roles in the recording, including writing the songs, producing, arranging horns and all instrumental and vocal parts, playing acoustic and electric guitars as well as alto and tenor saxophones and flute, plus singing the lead and background vocals.
“I have been very fortunate to be able to direct my career,” she told an interviewer earlier this year. “I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities from other people, but on the whole, every decision has been mine.”
“Wild As a Rainstorm” is an example.
“It’s sort of a love letter to the next generation of girls that everybody’s telling, ‘you can’t do this,’” Collier said in the interview. “If you know in your heart and in your soul that you are meant to do something, you just try it. You’re allowed to fail… If it doesn’t work, you can pick yourself back up and choose a different path. Just be daring, be yourself, be willing to take some risk.”
The closing track sums it up, as “Warrior” portrays a powerful woman delivering a message about the strength and experience of women in general, as well as a tribute to Collier’s mother. The song not so subtly addresses the sexism she’s encountered in life and in the music industry.
“The opening lines are a piercing statement of the overused, antiquated, and tired views within the industry,” Collier explained in the album’s press release. “The lyrics of the second verse demonstrate how the industry attempts to put and keep women ‘in their place’ by undermining them. Most artists I admire – Prince, James Brown, and Bonnie Raitt – went against the grain and did things that people hadn’t thought of before and that people hadn’t seen before, changing the industry as they went. This song is an assurance that I will continue to choose to fight quietly or publicly, if needed, to represent myself the way I want to be represented in this industry, and that I will not allow someone else to define who I am. It’s also a statement of hope that the industry is, can, and will continue to progress.”
Amen, sister. But to be clear, a Collier concert is a sermon. She loves it when people sit and listen and perhaps even more when they get up and dance. Which is what the Blues Society provides in the concert at the Carrillo Recreation Center on Saturday, November 22.
Visit www.SBBlues.org.
Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage
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by Steven Libowitz
Amonth ago, New Beginnings’ innovative annual benefit event filled Center Stage Theater four times with two different theatrical pieces – Every Brilliant Thing and Jonny & The Baptists – each performed twice by creators Jonny Donahoe and Paddy Gervers, the British comedian-musicians with a passion for addressing issues of mental health.
“They have a wonderful message full of compassion that’s always a lovely opportunity every year to get together with community members, some of whom know about us, some of whom are hearing about New Beginnings for the first time, or are just coming with friends to see a show,” said Jacqueline Kurta, the LMFT and PsyD who has been president of the nonprofit’s board of directors since 2020. Jacqueline introduced the shows and Executive Director Kristine Schwarz before each performance.
Donahoe and Gervers shared stories and songs that illustrate the challenges of struggling with mental health through humor and a great deal of emotion. But the success stories of New Beginnings’ clients have even more meaning these days, as the organization continues to scale up and integrate services beyond its original founding as a counseling center for low-income individuals and families.
There are now three additional foundational programs beyond the Community Counseling Center. These include Safe Parking, which offers secure overnight parking for the local population living in their vehicles – and currently boasts 200 spaces in 31 parking lots. Their Rapid Rehousing component involves case
Ed exclaims as he opens the door to his new apartment and looks in wonder at the spacious living room. “It’s like being in the Grand Canyon.”
The stories have all been shared on videos on New Beginnings’ Facebook page, which Kurta explained are evidence that client gratitude outweighs the typical reluctance to make private issues public.
“So many of our clients are of course hesitant to disclose their personal circumstances, or they want us to continue to keep their information confidential, which we always honor,” she said. “But there are quite a few who agreed to do these posts, those for whom this New Beginning for their lives is so powerful and impactful that they are open to having photographs or videos taken and providing a quote here or there about how meaningful it’s been for them.”
mental health – are uncomfortable topics at times for people, which can make it hard for us to reach the individual donor community,” Kurta said. “We have to work a little harder to find ways to engage the community and help to see what it is we’re doing and what that means to them, how they can relate to those experiences.”
It’s also an issue of informing folks just how much New Beginnings has grown over recent years, and the successful outcomes for ever-increasing numbers of clients. The staff has grown from less than 30 to more than 80 just since Kurta joined the board in 2012.
This includes the counseling center itself, which now sports 35 registered intern-associates who provide most of the direct one-on-one sessions with clients under the supervision of staff.
management to transition program participants into permanent housing and employment. The Supportive Services for Veteran Families program aims to end veteran homelessness within Santa Barbara County via direct assistance and more, while its Life Skills Parenting & Education Program teaches critical hands-on skills, mindfulness strategies, and overall life skills to those who need practical tools to establish and maintain stability in their home environments.
Among those stories are former Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Deputy and Air Force veteran Ricky Middleton, who never imagined he’d lose his home before rising rents forced him to live in his van. Then New Beginnings’ Housing Navigator Matt Chapa helped him to enter its veterans’ program and the nonprofit’s Christian Morgan reviewed his finances and found a way to cut his health costs by 80 percent, freeing up the money he needed to stay housed.
“I finally have a place to call home again,” Ricky says in a video when he finally moved into permanent senior housing in August.
A similar story comes from Jeffrey Alan, a Navy vet who faced homelessness due to his own unfortunate circumstances. Thanks to New Beginnings’ case management services, Jeffrey and his animal companion Lucy are now settled in a permanent home with essential supplies for the first time in two years.
“It’s a new beginning,” he says, as members of the organization’s staff can be seen on a video moving in Alan’s furniture and essentials. “Thank Jesus.”
Ed, one of the organization’s first clients, serves as living proof that patience pays off, as he recently moved into his new home. “Oh, my goodness gracious,”
It’s all part of a goal for the nonprofit to get the word out to help the community understand that the organization has the four separate programs under the single banner of New Beginnings. And even more importantly, that the services are all integrated under one roof ever since the recent move to new headquarters, where staff can collaborate on providing services and solving issues, and clients can get the help they need without having to traipse around town.
“What we deal with – homelessness,
“It’s more than ever, around 35, which has helped cut down the length of the waiting list,” Kurta said of the center’s intern-associates. “The reason that they come to us is because of the supervision and the training from our team of 10 to 12 longtime volunteer supervisors – therapists, psychologists, and social workers – who offer their time.”
In other words, both clients and staff get a new beginning, whether in life or career.
Visit https://sbnbcc.org
Dr. Yoel Irwin Haller: October 30, 1930 – November 3, 2025
Yoel I. Haller – Devoted husband, father, grandfather, friend, and beloved physician –passed away peacefully, surrounded with love, at the age of 95.
Graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in just three years, Yoel continued at Penn to complete medical school. He built a distinguished and deeply meaningful career as an obstetrician-gynecologist in San Francisco, where he helped deliver hundreds of babies and cared for generations of families. Known for his warmth, wisdom, and gentle humor, he was cherished by his patients and colleagues alike. His joyful professionalism was exalted in the 1984 book, Having a Baby, by Danielle Steel, Diana Burt and Katherine Dusay.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Yoel was an early and passionate advocate for women’s rights and reproductive freedom, and proudly served as the Medical Director of Planned Parenthood for San Francisco and Northern California. In addition, he championed fathers being in the delivery room long before doing so was the norm. Beyond medicine, his life reflected a deep love of art, music, and the theater.
A lifelong traveler and world explorer, Yoel met with global leaders and shared his enthusiasm and curiosity wherever he went. He treated everyone he met with dignity, compassion and kindness and made each person feel seen and valued. In true partnership with his cherished wife, Eva, Yoel made numerous profound and impactful contributions to the world. Their shared vision and dedication to humanitarian causes and the arts shaped a legacy of philanthropy and leadership that has touched countless lives. Eva loved Yoel deeply and was there by his side, through both joyous and challenging times.
Yoel’s personal life was as full and rich as his professional one. He was married to Darcy Fink (1954-1972), Carola Meyer Duhl (1974-1985), and since 1987, to his beloved wife Eva Cseko Haller. He is survived by Eva; his children Heidi Haller Groshelle, Reuben Haller (McKenzie) and Ellen Haller (Joanne); his stepchildren Pam Duhl (John), Nina Duhl, David Duhl (Kathy) Susan Duhl, and Ernan Roman (Sherry); his grandchildren Zane Groshelle, Eli Groshelle, Daniel FishmanEngel, Elijah Haller, Devon Haller, Elias Roman (Sarah) and Helaina Perry (John); and a huge global circle of friends, colleagues, and patients who adored him.
Yoel truly savored the beauty of nature, of music, of art, and above all, of family. He was endlessly positive, curious, and open to new experiences. A true ambassador of kindness and caring, his legacy lives on in the lives he touched, in those who received his skilled care as a physician, and in the love he shared with all of us. In lieu of flowers, the family asks to please consider a donation to Planned Parenthood.
14, 1939 – October 20, 2025
Dr.Bronte Herbert Reynolds, most recently of Solvang, California, passed away on October 20, 2025, at the age of 85. Born in Ross, Marin County, California, on December 14, 1939, Bronte lived a life filled with purpose, creativity, and dedication to education and family.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Lillemor Reynolds; daughters Stephanie Malik and Annika Unander ( Leonard ); son Derek Reynolds (Lisa); brother Darnall Reynolds; and seven cherished grandchildren — Caitlyn, Trevor, Gavin, Carson, Kajsa, Owen, and Lila
A proud graduate of Drake High School in Marin, Bronte earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from San Francisco State University, followed by two PhDs in Education from Cal Western and the University of Southern California.
Before beginning his long and distinguished career in education, Bronte served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Alaska for two years. He carried with him a sense of adventure and service that would characterize much of his life.
In the 1960s, Bronte also pursued his love of music, performing in San Francisco bars alongside his friend and brother-in-law, Jan Farnsworth. He played conga drums, guitar, and sang — bringing joy to all who heard him.
His artistic spirit was influenced by his mother, Floy-Margaret Hughes, who portrayed Little Orphan Annie on the West Coast radio broadcast. Following in her footsteps, Bronte enjoyed acting in community theater, performing in plays at the Black Bart Playhouse in Murphys, and later at the Circle Bar B Ranch in Santa Barbara.
Bronte dedicated 53 years to education, serving as a teacher, principal, superintendent, professor, and department chair. He was best known for his long tenure as Principal and Superintendent of Montecito Union School, where he led with vision, humor, and compassion after moving his family to Santa Barbara from Calaveras County in 1980.
Following his retirement from Montecito Union in 2002, Bronte continued to shape future educators as a tenured professor at California State University, Northridge, where he chaired the Educational Leadership Department and helped develop the university’s distance learning program in partnership with Shanghai Normal University in China. He later served as adjunct faculty at California Lutheran University.
A devoted community leader, Bronte served on numerous boards, including the Rotary Club, and published his book Leadership and the School Principal in 2023 — a reflection of his lifelong commitment to excellence and leadership.
In his personal life, Bronte found joy in running, playing tennis, tending to his yard, and sharing good food, laughter, and wine with family and friends. Many will fondly remember him sitting at a sidewalk café in Solvang with Lillemor and his beloved dog, Rex.
Bronte’s family, friends, colleagues, and countless former students will remember his motto, “Do your best!” His enduring legacy lives on in his work, his family, and his own words:
“Be aware of the impact you have on the lives of so many who depend on you to do your best.”
A memorial service will be held at Montecito Union School on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Montecito Union School Foundation to continue Bronte’s legacy of visionary education and leadership.
RSVPs are appreciated https://pp.events/bRqw4q9R
Laurie as crew chief, Montecito’s Kurt Kimble (aka Granny of Granny’s Garage), Amy Tate and Todd Craven. His Chase team was Dan’s son Shawn Chamlee, Jennifer Craven, Dylan, Dave, Ryan Kimball, and Ryan’s friend Houston Co-navigators monitor the gauges, watch the Garmin GPS to tell Chamlee which turns to take, and keep him alert. If the truck breaks down, they hop out to fix the problem. The Chase team travels simultaneously with Chamlee but along the highways, they wait at access roads, monitoring Dan’s truck, and are prepared if the truck requires repairs by driving into the racecourse with parts and tools to get the truck moving again.
Coming in second place after Chamlee was a world-famous stunt driver from Australia, Rhys Millen
We talked a bit more and caught up on next gen racers in their family. They shared that now with six children and 18 grandchildren, there is the interest from their grandson Nolan Chamlee, who “just can’t wait to ride next to Dan in the truck during a race.” Creating a legacy in racing for certain. In closing, they texted me a few photos from the race for our readers. In his immediate SCORE PR quote upon crossing the finish line, Chamlee said, “It feels like the middle of the night. We started first off the line and we led the whole way and just put a really good lead out there. I wish I could say we cruised to the finish line, but no, we beat and bumped our way to the finish line. That was nasty. I drove with four or five different co-driver navigators. Switched out the navigators a few times, but yeah, I stayed in. The radio shorted out on the way in, in this heavy rain. The car ran great. I want to go take a hot shower and go to bed. See you next year for the SCORE San Felipe 250.”
Congratulations to Dan and Laurie Chamlee Factory Racing! #MontecitoCarp Proud
411: https://thefactoryracing.com/
Joanne A Calitri is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@ yahoo.com
by Melissa Petitto
Is there a fruit as aesthetically pleasing as the dragon fruit? Rancho Santa Cecilia has some of this gorgeous fruit right now. The dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is a tropical fruit from the cactus plant. With a vibrant pink or yellow skin and white or purple speckled flesh, its flavor is a lot like kiwi, mild and sweet. Dragon fruit is excellent for gut health, with its prebiotic content that helps to feed our gut flora, making it ideal for digestion and immunity. Containing vitamin C and carotenoids, dragon fruit’s antioxidant content has been shown to fight chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis. Vitamin C and carotenoids have also been shown to boost our immune systems and prevent infections by protecting your white blood cells from damage from free radicals. Dragon fruit is also a good source of iron, one of the few fruits to contain it, making it great for transporting oxygen throughout our bodies and breaking down food for energy. And finally, dragon fruit is a good source of magnesium. Most people are deficient in magnesium, a mineral that plays a critical role in over 300 enzyme systems in our bodies, such as making proteins, controlling blood sugar levels, regulating blood pressure, keeping our muscles and nerves working properly, breaking down food for energy, bone formation, creation of DNA, and muscle contraction. Let’s make something beautiful, delicious, and colorful with this fruit.
Yield: 4 Servings
350 ml simple canned coconut milk
1.5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons organic chia seeds
½ pink dragon fruit
2 Alphonso mango, ripe
1 cup vanilla coconut yogurt
Directions:
1. In a blender, combine the coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and chia seeds. Blend on low until well combined and chia seeds are dispersed. Put into an airtight jar and refrigerate overnight, shaking every now and then.
2. Peel and roughly chop dragon fruit and add to a blender. Puree until smooth.
3. Mix the pureed dragon fruit with the chilled and thickened chia pudding.
4. Peel and roughly chop the 1 mango and add it to the blender. Puree until smooth.
5. Peel and dice the other mango and hold until ready to make the parfaits.
6. To make the parfaits, layer the dragon fruit chia pudding, pureed mango, and vanilla coconut yogurt. Top with the chopped mango.
7. Enjoy!
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.
by Leslie Andrea Westbrook
Taking a bite out of the Big Apple: Part Two The story of Walden Robert Cassotto – aka Bobby Darin – and the place where Andy Warhol used to hang…
My theatrical tastes tend toward dramatic and dark versus musicals, however I must admit that I was thoroughly delighted by Just in Time, the life story of Bobby Darin – born Walden Robert Cassotto with a heart defect and not expected to last past his teens – which everyone was raving about!
Set up like a period supper club –with not a bad seat in the house, unless you don’t like risking being twirled by the star from an aisle or café table seat, or sprayed with star Jonathan Groff’s sweat or spittle – this self-proclaimed “wet man” who shares his performative dew with audience members within the line of fire!
Ticket prices for the mostly sold-out musical are NOT cheap: $500 is the
norm. This may be explained in part by the show’s six Tony nominations, and its having been extended through Feb. 22, 2026 (and I’d bet a thousand bucks it will be extended yet again). Luckily I was able to snag a last-minute seat for less than half that price. ($200 for a $250 ticket from a woman in line whose husband couldn’t make the show… happy anniversary honey, and thanks!)
There is no opening curtain rise, instead the show kicks off with a top rate nine-piece band: piano, bass, drum trio, stage left, and six horn section on the right. A trio of sexy sirens – who share a lot of electricity with their lead man – shimmy, wiggle, sing, and swing throughout the show. Other female roles include Bobby Darin’s mother, his first and true love Connie Francis (born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero – there’s a New York Italian American theme here as well) and Darins’ eventual wife Sandra Dee, who mothered their son.
The period piece covers Darin’s rock and roll, jazz, and even folk years, that despite his corny, bestknown hit “Splish Splash, I was Taking a Bath” includes a cornucopia of beautiful standards perfectly delivered by Groff – who sings and dances his heart out with perfection and panache.
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by Deann Zampelli
Recently I came across a note that my mother wrote to me 29 years ago right before she died. My husband and I had just gotten married and for us, it was the beginning of everything. For my mother who had been battling breast cancer for two years, it was the end. The letter was a beautiful thank you note but in it she shared how scared she was and despite all the love and support my siblings and I were giving her; she was terrified and often felt utterly alone. Because as much as we loved and cared for her, this battle was singular, internal and very personal.
Oh, how I wish she had had the Breast Cancer Resource Center to turn to.
When I first share with people that I volunteer there as a health coach, the reaction is almost always the same. With furrowed brow they say, “Wow, that must be so hard,” when in fact it is the complete opposite. While breast cancer itself can shatter lives, the BCRC helps build them back up. The love and warmth of this mighty yet small staff buoys up everyone who walks through their door. Whether it is through the donated Organic Soup Kitchen offerings, bouquets of flowers from Trader Joe’s or just a hug to someone in need, humanity and kindness are their superpowers.
I spoke with Silvana Kelly, executive director of the BCRC and she shared more about the transformative services that they offer.
“For 29 years, the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Santa Barbara has been in exis tence because of the support we receive from our community, and for the simple yet significant reason that our services are needed. Breast cancer not only encompasses a diagnosis, surgery, and treatment, it also brings forth myriad thoughts, emotions, questions, and needs that reach far beyond the physical medical experience.
“Our family of clients at the BCRC are in their 20s through their +80s: balancing life and breast cancer while raising young children, launching new businesses, or planning for retirement. No matter the life circumstances, breast cancer can derail plans and cause trauma in need of healing.”
According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast can cer. One. In. Eight. And the ACS goes on to share, “Breast cancer death rates have been decreasing steadily since 1989, for an overall decline of 44% through 2022.
The decrease in death rates is believed to be the result of finding breast cancer earlier through screening and increased awareness, as well as better treatments.”
However, breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death for women. And while the prognosis is significantly improving, the disease itself is no less impactful.
While a diagnosis no longer necessarily is a death sentence, the way it takes over your life often includes a mourning period for who you once were. From navigating treatment and the side effects, to surgeries and medications, through healing and recovery to possible survivor guilt and rebuilding your life –it is a long journey. And a very personal one for everyone who experiences it.
Some of the services that the BCRC offer include peer counseling, mammograms, support groups, health coaching, beautiful wigs, Reiki, guided meditation, Reflexology, yoga, lymphatic drainage massage and mastectomy care packages that are delivered to the clients in the hospital so that when they wake up from their surgery, a basket of love is waiting for them.
“We are here to support the human journey of breast cancer and ensure that each client is cared for, and held in a space of loving, compassionate support. The BCRC is with each client for the challenges of physical treatments and throughout the healing and survivorship process. Once medical treatment concludes, we are still here to offer a community of support for as long as needed,” Kelly shared. “Whether newly diagnosed, navigating treatment,
This is Ficus eospila, a carnivorous snail from the fig shell group with a dazzling foot like the train of a black-andwhite ball gown. Howard/Berry Curator of Malacology Henry W. Chaney, Ph.D. photographed this individual on a 1993 collecting trip in Western Australia with Barry Wilson PhD then at work on the two-volume compendium, Australian Marine Shells. To study the mollusks of remote Cape Preston, they drove off-road, boated around a mangrove swamp, and tramped out onto a vast exposed sand flat during a colossal low tide. Western Australia is home to some of the most dramatic tidal fluctuations in the world, and a sudden reversal of the tide can leave you stranded with a surprisingly deep moat to cross before regaining shore. Today this specimen and Dr. Chaney are safely at home among millions of shells in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
Presenter: Michelle Checkers, Registered Dietitian When : 18 December 2025
Where : 126 E Haley St. Ste A4 Time : 4pm
By Robert Bernstein
“Charlie Kirk Was Practicing Politics the Right Way.” New York Times columnist Ezra Klein wrote this article immediately after Kirk’s assassination. Klein wrote, “You can dislike much of what Kirk believed, and the following statement is still true: Kirk was practicing politics in exactly the right way. He was showing up to campuses and talking with anyone who would talk to him.”
Klein correctly pointed out that Kirk’s debates were better than the violent attacks on Nancy Pelosi ’s husband, the murder of former Minnesota Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and many other recent acts of political violence. Including Kirk’s assassination.
But was Kirk actually practicing politics the right way? What was the purpose of his campus “debates”? How were they conducted?
Debating is really a sport like football or tennis. The goal is to “win.” Kirk was a 31-year-old man, skilled at this sport and going up against random college students. Not much different than you trying to beat Rafael Nadal
A skilled debater has years of practice and an arsenal of memorized factual claims. Kirk was known to throw in questionable or false claims in rapid succession with no way to fact check them in real time.
He made videos of these debates and released highly edited versions of them. Who do you think the edits favored?
I watched some of Kirk’s debates on climate and was impressed with his ability to deflect attention away from facts and toward politics. He said the climate issue might really be about “private property confiscation” and “Marxism.” He used the tobacco industry technique of raising doubts rather than providing evidence.
One challenger noted the 97% consensus of climate scientists on the Climate Crisis. Kirk stunningly said that he would rather listen to the 3% who disagree.
Kirk tried to force his opponents to claim that carbon emissions are the only cause of climate changes. The opponents resisted. Kirk noted that the climate has changed in the past, so how can we know that current climate changes are “human caused”?
One commentator made an analogy. You show up at work and blood is splattered everywhere. Your boss is dead. A knife is in his back. People die
naturally every day, so he probably died of natural causes.
We have the metaphorical ‘knife’ and ‘blood’. Evidence is solid that this climate change is caused by human carbon emissions. At one point Kirk demanded his opponent define “carbon.” The opponent, mystified, said, “It’s an element.” Kirk stayed on script saying, “Yes, carbon is life.” Utterly irrelevant.
Watching these debates, it was clear that the opponents were well informed and made a good case. But Kirk could keep them off balance with tricks of his trade. Like saying that Scotland once had a Mediterranean climate. Kind of like when Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe brought a snowball to the Capitol to “prove” global warming was a hoax.
Does anyone think that Kirk was actually interested in learning anything from these debates? Other than how to “own” his next opponent for a juicy video clip?
When challenged, Ezra Klein agreed that Kirk was not interested in finding the truth. But he said Kirk deserved credit for going into “enemy territory” on college campuses.
I agree that we should talk to people whose views are different than our own. We can learn what matters to them and how they see the world. At times we all feel we are in “enemy territory.”
In the case of the Climate Crisis, the fossil fuel side has a lot of money to spread their disinformation. And Kirk actively sought and received their money.
A functioning democracy requires that we talk to each other. But do we understand the difference between debate and dialogue? Is our goal to get to the truth? Or is it just to win points for our tribe? In the case of the Climate Crisis, the stakes are high. The evidence is clear. The only dialogue should be about how to solve it. When you are on the Titanic headed for the iceberg, do you need to debate whether you should change course?
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
by Jeffrey Harding
Recent politics looks like a bad movie we’ve seen too many times. Not quite a disaster movie, and some of it borders on comedy, but more like the Gong Show (for those of you who can remember it). I realize this may sound like disgruntled sarcasm on my part. Mea culpa. But, how could one not? We have an erratic president, Epstein, failed tariffs, floundering Democrats, socialists, wealth taxes, and high prices all playing out at once. Quite a plot.
President Trump is the star of this movie being that he is trapped by his own rhetoric. He promised over and over to his MAGA followers that he would release ALL of the Epstein files. After much foot dragging and pressure from GOP House members he finally relented.
I have no clue if he had some notorious role in Epstein’s crimes but it looked like he had something to hide. We all know that he was a bad dog in his prime and that reputation followed him to the White House making him his own worst enemy. Losing control of this issue is a stunning defeat for Trump. Now that the files will (hopefully) come out it raises another question: If not himself, who is he protecting? It better not be his cronies.
The comedy part of this movie is that Trump is now scrambling to find ways to lower high consumer prices caused in part by his tariffs. He promised voters he would bring down the high prices that were “ALL BIDEN’S FAULT” and that tariffs would be the cure. Oops. Not happening. Consumers are angry about high prices on things like beef, bananas, and coffee. I think this is a good example of the term “irony” since he just cut tariffs on beef, bananas, and coffee. Maybe he’ll learn from that.
The next star is Senator Chuck Schumer (D., NY). He lost control of his party and gained zilch after a 43-day government shutdown. All we heard during the shutdown was poor people are going hungry and dying from lack of government subsidies and it was all the Republicans fault. The Democrats goal was to force Republicans to make permanent those temporary Covid subsidies to middle-class families. It’s government-run healthcare creep. But they lost the game of chicken when eight Democratic senators crossed the ceasefire zone and voted with Republicans to reopen government. Poor Chuck.
Then there is the Democratic Left proclaiming the socialist victories of Mamdani in NYC and Katie Wilson in
Seattle is the path to Democrat success at the mid-terms. This will really be fun to watch. They both have about the same policy goals. Free this, free that, rent control, and tax the rich to pay for it. Since I’ve written about Mamdani previously I’m not going to get into the details here, but, assuming they get these policies enacted, they will fail and we’ll see these wonderful cities get worse as the wealthy class leave town or figure out how to avoid the taxes. Mamdani ought to be reminded that the top 1% pay 48% of City income taxes.
And, lastly, I can’t leave California out of the current zaniness. One of our unions, the socialist Service Employees International Union – United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) is proposing a wealth tax to support union healthcare workers. They want to get it on the next ballot. They want a 5% tax on billionaires’ assets in excess of $1B. This isn’t an income tax: it’s a tax on stuff they own like stock in their companies, investments, real estate, jets, yachts, homes, Ferraris, art. But they say don’t worry it will only be a one-time tax (wink-wink-nudge-nudge).
This appeals to the masses who don’t have billions. Hey, who needs a billion dollars? It’s unfair to the rest of us. They need to pay their fair share! Take it from them and give it to the needy.
The top 1% of taxpayers already pay 46% of all federal income taxes; the top 10% pay 76% of income taxes. It’s probably the same percentage in California. A 5% wealth tax would kill the golden goose by the mass exodus of job-generating entrepreneurs from our fair state. Guess what. We need them to pay our bills.
I don’t know how all this will end. It’s like watching lab rats trying to get through a maze. My guess: Epstein? If Trump is protecting his cronies it will be bad for him and the GOP. Ditto with high prices. Socialist ascendancy? Trump keeps the GOP Congressional majority. Democrats move to the center? They win at least one of the Houses.
Good show/bad show? Keep watching and find out.
Jeffrey Harding is a real estate investor and long-time resident of Montecito. He previously published a popular financial blog, The Daily Capitalist. He is a retired SBCC adjunct professor.
Beings & Doings (Continued from 8)
those who spurn such gushing sentiments as “her charisma fills the place” (and I’m ordinarily one of those), I have a one-word rejoinder: Toya. She’s accompanied by her daughter, recently matriculated Westmont grad Rebecca; an English major who looks like a novelist-in-waiting.
Toya’s losses are frankly inconceivable, her story of being resuscitated by four selfless friends a reminder of how deeply potent human friendship can be. Her growing despair spanned the juncture of 2015–2016, the accumulating series of blows like something from the Book of Job
“I first lost my brother in June. Then I lost my husband in October. And then I lost my mother. I became a widow and a single parent overnight.” Toya and Rebecca are seated in my office, Rebecca listening quietly as Toya gives me the story. “But I had these four best friends who every Friday would come by my home. These are dear friends of over 30 years, all CMOs, CEOs, and entrepreneurs. One came and stayed with me for two months. One would come and cook dinner for me and my daughter every Sunday. One would just sit in the bed with me so that I could cry. And one made sure my daughter got to school.”
With the drop-everything support of her friends, Toya Banks weathered the worst thing that can happen. The alchemy of desperate, freefall grief is unpredictable. We’re changed by it, not always for the better. Thanks to the no-frills infusion of unadorned love from her four pals, Toya emerged from that crucible with an energy she may not have foreseen. As is broadly known (though not in so many words), love is spiritual octane.
One weekly group ritual came to anchor Toya’s period of triage.
“So every Friday we would do a tequila night,” Toya says. From this shared weekly communion with her cohort of lifelong friends, an idea emerged. Well… a couple of ideas. “As time went on, I
said, ‘Okay, none of these,’” Toya says of their sampled tequila, waving a hand dismissively. “We were drinking different brands, expensive brands, but none of the tequila looked like us, advertised to us, or told our story.”
In the meantime, those gilded family summer vacations on the central coast were exerting a gravitational pull on daughter Rebecca’s academic intentions. “I’m from the south side of Chicago,” Toya says, “but my only child by then had applied to colleges only here in California.” Mom grins with mock-exasperation. “She decided on Westmont. And so what am I going to do?” To the rhetorical reply ‘I hear you! What can one do in that situation?’ Toya’s non-rhetorical rollout will come as a mild surprise.
“So I’m like, I’m going with you to California!” There was more. “As I was going to move to California, I told my friends I was also going to make us a tequila.” Seeing my face fall, Toya confirms the reception of her plan back home. “Yeah,” she says, smiling. “They were like, ‘you’re kidding.’”
As some parents do, Toya would indeed accompany her Rebecca to university. Unlike other parents enacting that template, Toya would take the opportunity to begin visiting distilleries.
“So for three years I went back and forth to Mexico to give a love letter in a bottle to the women that held me up. I knew what I wanted the bottle to look like. I wanted the women to be interlocking arms, as you can see. Hermanas Amiga means sister friend.” The complicated project would integrate Toya’s grief and introduce her to a new cohort of supporters.
“I was so grief stricken I threw myself into something that took away my time from thinking about what I’d lost. These were deep wounds,” Toya says. “None
of these women needed anything from me. I couldn’t give them any gifts. But I can do something to let them know how much I love them and how much I appreciate them.”
How did Toya even known how to proceed? There was a learning curve, from brewing to importing.
“I researched all of this, and I went back and forth to Mexico till I found a distillery that I felt comfortable with; Proveedora y Procesadora de Agave Tres Hermanos.” Fate waded into the scene to anoint another cohort of rescuers.
“When I first went, I cried every day –and they would just quietly let me cry,” she says of the distillers. Please imagine this scene, reader. “They knew my story.” Toya’s inputs during the production process were those of an appreciator. “I told them I want something very smooth. I don’t want anything to burn.”
The end of the process was no businesslike affair. Toya’s inclusive mission had made friends of her co-conspirators at the distillery in Amatitán, Jalisco, Mexico.
“And so the bottling day came. Fifteen of us went to Mexico for the bottling party. Yeah, they threw a huge party with a Mariachi band,” Toya laughs lightly, her eyes glistening. “And they said, ‘we’ve never had a party like this!’”
Today Hermanas Amigas is as all-conquering as the love that launched it.
“I’m in 35 stores in Chicago. I’m going to be in the El Encanto,” she says. “That was my favorite place. I would go and spend weekends there. The general manager there said ‘Toya, you must come!’ I knew everyone there and they knew my story. I’d sit at the bar and just go for massages. That is the best place where I nursed myself back to life.”
Contrary to the ancient Greek poet Menander, time does not necessarily heal all wounds. But time and the unconditional, projectile love of our fellow mortals just may. That corner-turning ascent into light can happen by degrees.
“The distillery in Mexico,” Toya says haltingly. “They knew my story and they would let me cry. Until one day they said, ‘Toya – you didn’t cry today!’” Toya’s teary smile is beatific in the remembrance.
“No,” she answered her newest friends. “I didn’t cry today.”
Santa Barbara News-Press, 27 May 1962
THE VALLEY CLUB is the home for the family wanting a rambling Spanishstyle house. You can have your own family orchard with over 100 fruit trees on this two plus acres. A most generous living room, a separate dining room, a den and (believe it or not) six large bedrooms and three baths – $125000
Santa Barbara
27 March 1957
Arecord was set yesterday at Montecito Country Club when 46 women entered the Women’s Invitational Day play at the club. In the medal play, Mrs. William J Cunningham, former Valley Club player now at Montecito Country Club, captured Class A low ‘gross honors with a fine 76, four strokes over men’s par. Low net honors were won by Mrs. Pierre Gilliland of Valley Club with 72, Miss Loretta Picasales playing for Santa Maria CC was next with 73.
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
by Houghton Hyatt
The Montecito Association Board convened for its November meeting with a full agenda that ranged from storm preparedness and school updates to major community planning efforts and a celebration of the 40th Annual Beautification Day. With winter weather on the horizon and several long-term projects underway, local officials and agency partners offered timely insights and identified priorities for the months ahead.
Fire Chief David Neels opened the meeting with a briefing on the expected rainstorm, forecasting three to four inches of rainfall. He noted concerns about recent National Weather Service messaging referencing the potential for “moderate and significant debris flows,” explaining that such descriptions do not accurately reflect current watershed conditions. Thanks to healthy regrowth in the foothills and sustained mitigation work since the Thomas Fire, Montecito is not experiencing the heightened vulnerability it once faced. To ensure clearer communication going forward, the Fire Department has scheduled a meeting with Weather Service representatives. Chief Neels also reported that crews are completing fuel-reduction work on Bella Vista as part of the district’s ongoing wildfire preparedness measures.
The Sheriff’s Office shared a relatively calm report for the month, according to Lieutenant Rich Brittingham, who noted a handful of drunk-in-public arrests, a single burglary, and the tragic suicide of a community member at the cemetery. He also mentioned the arrest of a 22-year-old near Butterfly Beach, an
area that continues to attract late-night gatherings. While no major crime trends emerged, the department continues to monitor community concerns closely.
Local schools provided updates as well. Cold Spring School Superintendent Amy Alzina announced the return of the campus movie night and spoke briefly about her role chairing the state’s AI Task Force, offering examples of how artificial intelligence tools, including Google’s Gemini, can be used responsibly in education. Montecito Union School Superintendent Anthony Ranii reported that the district currently serves 396 students and continues to prioritize academic support, with 48 students participating in math intervention and 52 receiving English language arts support. He also addressed the district’s recent $9 million settlement, emphasizing that MUS avoided layoffs and program cuts.
The board then received an update from Supervisor Roy Lee’s office regarding the long-planned Sheriff’s substation at the Miramar. With the last update, it was their understanding – based on information provided by P&D staff –that all pertinent permits for the substation had been approved and were ready to proceed. Unfortunately, last week they learned that Planning & Development administratively required additional procedural steps before the substation permit can be formally issued. Their office is working with County staff and the Sheriff’s Office to ensure the project proceeds efficiently and in full compliance with County requirements. We are hoping for an update in December on the project.
Montecito Water District General Manager Nick Turner highlighted the
district’s participation in Beautification Day and reminded residents to reduce irrigation as winter begins. He reported progress on several capital projects, including pipeline replacements and seismic upgrades to eight of the district’s nine reservoirs. Turner emphasized that no more than two reservoirs will be offline at once to maintain consistent service.
Concerns about the Earl Warren Showgrounds Master Plan were also presented, with community member Rhonda Hathaway (with Equine Evacuation) outlining the significant reduction in equestrian stalls proposed –from 450 to just 60. During the Thomas Fire, the facility sheltered 650 animals and served as a critical regional evacuation resource. Board members and Chief Neels underscored the importance of retaining that emergency capacity as planning discussions continue.
Pedestrian safety in the Upper Village prompted further action, as board members voted – with one dissent – to support a new crosswalk on East Valley Road, where residents frequently cross between shops and the gas station.
In governance matters, the board accepted the resignation of Director Jan Rockenbach following her appointment to the Montecito Planning Commission and unanimously approved Laura Bode as her successor.
A highlight of the meeting was the recap of the 40th Annual Beautification Day. More than 300 volunteers, 18 community partners including the Westmont Student Council, and over $16,000 in sponsorships contribut -
ed to a memorable community event, held this year at Montecito Union School. Riskin Partners won the friendly competition for most trash collected. Andrew and his team from Earthcomb removed an extraordinary 2,500 pounds of debris from the homeless corridor. Gregg Hart presented the MA with a certificate of recognition for our 40 years of Beautification Day in Montecito and Roy Lee presented Trish Davis with the Citizen of the Year award. It was a great day for community togetherness.
The board also discussed a privately funded proposal to remove 73 eucalyptus trees along East Valley Road (bordering Birnam Wood), replace them with oak trees, and explore opportunities for walking and bridle paths. Caltrans approval remains a key factor before the project can advance.
Updates were additionally provided on ongoing homeless outreach along Coast Village Road, including efforts related to signage, camp cleanups, and continued direct engagement with individuals in need.
As Montecito looks toward the winter season, the November board meeting highlighted the community’s commitment to collaboration, preparedness, and thoughtful stewardship – qualities that remain at the heart this community. For more information, go to montecitoassociation.org.
There’s lot of pizzazz, teary, sentimental moments (“18 Yellow Roses” is the only shmaltzy number, perhaps on purpose?) while Groff really turns up the heat on the jazzy version of “Up A Lazy River.”
If you don’t mind risking being “part of the show” book one of the cabaret tables for an evening performance (I attended a matinee) where you night have a ringside seat to the star’s derriere. Grab a martini too while you’re at it – for a most memorable night on the town.
I stayed at a friend’s place this time (yes, lucky me) but ended my stay on Friday morning with a tasty breakfast and tour of the refurbished Chelsea Hotel – now the Hotel Chelsea (I know, it’s confusing and in fact my taxi driver dropped me at another Chelsea hotel on the corner!) where the art-filled walls and Victorian Gothic architecture and rock/historic vibe merge in a really fun, edgy, and charmingly appealing way. Originally built as a socialist commune in 1883 before beginning her history as a hotel, The Hotel Chelsea features high ceilings, spacious rooms, and luxe baths (but some walk-in closets done in black are too dark to find one’s undies – they’re fixing that apparently). I got a kick out of the custom designed drapes with holes in them, apparently a nod to the past; and infamous residents’ cigarette burns – in fact Edie Sedgwick almost burned the place down.
At one time, the 12-story building was the tallest in NYC – just imagine that…
There are cool bars, The Quixote (for tapas and drinks), a Japanese restaurant, sweet rooftop spa, and a unique pyramid shaped fitness room; which a storied pianist/resident claims kept his razor blades sharp due to the pyramid!
What’s most interesting about this hotel is that longtime residents – artists, photographers, musicians and others –have been given life estates, so you could find yourself sharing the elevator or a conversation with someone who remembers Larry Rivers, or Santa Barbara’s own Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick, or Jimi Hendrix, among others passing through or crashing here. Who resided at the Chelsea, with a storied past? To name a few: writers Jack Kerouac (with Gore Vidal for a one-night stand), Dylan Thomas, Thomas Wolfe, Arthur Miller (after divorcing Marilyn Monroe) and Mark Twain. Arthur C. Clarke wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey at the hotel. Musicians Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan (wrote “Sara” in room 211),
Patti Smith, and Sid Vicious (note girlfriend Nancy’s associated murder in room 100) were tenants. Leonard Cohen wrote a song, “Chelsea Hotel #2,” about the hotel and his sexual encounter with Janis Joplin (look it up!). Andy Warhol not only hung out there but used the hotel for inspiration or settings for several of his flicks.
All in all, I had a tasty, big, perfect slice of the big apple this fall... I left feeling satisfied but always thinking of what to do next time… including trying to go back and see the hit London production of Oedipus that opens October 30 with Mark Strong and Lesley Manville at the Studio 54 Theatre (yes, it was once that Studio 54). There is always art, art and more art to relish, along with great restaurants, stunning architecture, green places to walk and people-watch on the cement streets below the skyscraper canyons.
Hot tip: There’s a great discount theater tickets app called TodayTix which actually works in cities around the globe
Leslie A. Westbrook is a Lowell Thomas Award-winning travel writer and journalist who loves exploring the globe. A 3rd generation Californian., Leslie also assists clients sell fine art, antiques, and collectibles via auction. www.auctionliaison.com
on-ramp, where crews continue to build safety barriers – an effort expected to generate night noise. Drivers should anticipate temporary closures, particularly at the San Ysidro Road off-ramp and adjacent on-ramps, as work continues throughout the corridor. These upgrades lay the foundation for improved mobility and safer travel through Montecito’s busiest stretch of 101.
The Santa Barbara community is invited to a free illustrated program, “A Brief History of Bird Illustration and Painting,” on Tuesday, November 25 at 7 pm in Fleischmann Auditorium at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Presented by the Santa Barbara Audubon Society and the Museum, the evening features renowned bird artist Michael DiGiorgio, whose work appears in major field guides and publications. DiGiorgio will trace the evolution of bird art from nineteenth-century masters like John Gould and John James Audubon to modern innovators including Roger Tory Peterson and Guy Tudor, while sharing insights into his own techniques and career. The talk explores how artists blend scientific accuracy with artistic expression to bring avian life vividly to the page.
For Native American History month, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians invites community to visit their new museum and learn about their culture and history. They have recently received a proclamation from the City of Buellton, honoring the commitment to cultural preservation and community wellness. 411: www.sychumashmuseum.org
San Ysidro Trail Now Open: Clean up funded by the Montecito Trails Foundation Nov 21 - 23: Volunteer for Mission Pine Trail clean up 411: https://lpforest.org
The La Cumbre Plaza’s Gallery Row’s 3rd Friday Art Walk on Friday, November 21, from 5-8 pm will celebrate its 6th anniversary. There is also a grand opening event for the Museum of Tibetan Art and Culture featuring art from Lama Tashi Norbu and the Barrymore family. La Cumbre Plaza’s Gallery Row has six galleries: Illuminations, Elevate, The Fine Line, The Voice Gallery, Grace Fisher Foundation’s Inclusive Arts Clubhouse, and the new Tibetan Museum. There is also the Crimson Holidays pop-up shop, featuring local artisans and their handcrafted creations.
The Carpinteria Harbor Seal Rookery area beach is closed from December 1 through May 31. Per the Carpinteria City Ordinance #470, the Rookery area beach is closed to protect the colony during pupping season. Rookery boundaries extend approximately 750 feet to the East and West, and 1,000 feet out of sea. Disturbing the seals is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and may result in fines up to $10,000 per occurrence. 411: City of Carpinteria at (805) 684-5405.
November 22, 7 pm: Musical Havdalah and movie
December 3, 6:30 pm: Guys Night Out, Sushi and Sake, host Doug Brown
December 13, 10:30 am: Monthly Shabbat Experience
December 14, 10:30 am: Bagels, Lox and Torah
December 16, 5 pm: Annual Montecito Menorah Lighting at Corner Green 411: www.jewishmontecito.org
Hospice SB invites anyone who lost a loved one to attend one of their annual light up a life events where they can hang a star on a memorial tree. The events have guest speakers, Lois Mahalia, John Vale, Dos Pueblos Jazz Choir, and the Laguna Blanca School Choir to certain of the ceremonies, along with cookies from Robin Himovitz and Aunt Janet’s Cookies, poetry by Perie Longo and George Yatchisin Montecito, December 6, 5 pm: At the Corner Green, 1504 E. Valley Road Carpinteria, December 13, 5 pm: At the Seal Fountain, 884 Linden Ave. Santa Barbara, December 7, 5:30 pm: At the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido Goleta, December 14, 5 pm: Camino Real Marketplace, Storke Road and Marketplace Dr.
Vehicle Vandalism / Eucalyptus/Humphrey Roads
Friday, November 07, at 015:31 hours
Reporting Party advised a male subject had used a hammer to break two windows on vehicles parked in the area. The suspect was last seen walking westbound on the railroad tracks from said location. The area was searched, and deputies were unable to locate the subject. It is suspected he resides in the transient encampment along the railroad tracks.
Vehicle Vandalism / Eucalyptus/Humphrey Roads
Saturday, November 08, at 10:01 hours
Deputies conducted a premise check of the transient encampment in an attempt to locate the suspect from yesterday’s vandalism. Subject was contacted and identified as the suspect. He was taken into custody and booked at SBJ.
The entire Santa Barbara South Coast experienced a 19% increase in residential property sales in October 2025 compared to October 2024, with 135 total transactions recorded by the County Recorder’s Office through Fidelity National Title. Of these sales, 100 were Houses or PUDs, representing a 15% increase from the previous year’s 87 sales. The median sale price for House/PUD properties remained stable at $2,117,000, while the average sale price surged 60% to $4,607,065, indicating significant activity in the luxury segment.
Condominium sales across the South Coast totaled 35 units in October 2025, up 35% from 26 sales in the same month of 2024. However, pricing showed a different trend, with the median condominium sale price declining 20% to $980,000 and the average price dropping 17% to $1,311,720. This price adjustment in the condominium segment contrasts with the strength seen in single-family homes and may reflect changes in the mix of properties sold rather than overall market weakness.
Of the 135 residential sales in October 2025, an impressive 115 properties sold for over $1,000,000, representing 85% of total transactions, though slightly down from September’s 88%. This concentration of million-dollar-plus sales underscores the South Coast’s position as a premium real estate market. The Year-to-Date median sale price as of November 1st reached $1,895,000, up 6% from 2024, while the average sales price stood at $3,074,572.
Competition among buyers showed interesting patterns in October. According to Santa Barbara MLS sales data, of the 118 MLS-recorded sales, 19% closed above the original asking price, down from 27% in September. Additionally, 13% closed at the original asking price, while 70% sold for less than the original asking price. Seven properties sold for more than $100,000 over their original asking prices, including properties on Garden Street ($360,000 over asking), Glendessary Lane ($355,000 over), and Miramonte Drive ($325,000 over).
The South Coast’s 19% of sales over list price aligned closely with the national average of approximately 20%. This contrasts significantly with California’s most competitive markets, where San Jose led with 75% of properties selling over list price, San Francisco at 63%, and both San Diego and Sacramento at 40%. The
South Coast market demonstrates a more balanced competitive environment compared to these Northern California hotspots.
Hope Ranch recorded two sales in October 2025, with both properties achieving an average and median sales price of $10,000,000. The lowest-priced sale was an estate on Via Roblada at $7,800,000, while the highest reached $12,200,000 for an estate on Via Abrigada. Hope Ranch maintains a 20-month supply of inventory, characterizing it as a buyer’s market with ample selection for prospective purchasers.
Goleta demonstrated robust activity with 35 residential sales in October 2025. The 26 House/PUD sales achieved a median price of $1,800,000 and an average of $1,906,688. Nine condominium sales recorded a median of $875,000 and an average of $1,043,333. Goleta’s price range extended from a $630,000 condominium on Armitos Avenue to a $4,450,000 house on Via Clarice, showing diverse opportunities within this active market.
Carpinteria recorded 15 residential sales in October, with eight House/PUD sales achieving a median price of $1,661,500 and seven condominium sales with a median of $787,000. Summerland had one sale, a condominium on Foothill Road that sold for $1,250,000. These communities continue to offer relatively more accessible price points compared to Montecito and Hope Ranch.
As of November 1st, the Santa Barbara Multiple Listing Service showed 227 active House/PUD listings and 75 active condominium listings along the South Coast. These numbers represent a decrease in House/PUD inventory from 252 on October 1st, while condominium listings remained stable. The current inventory levels, while improved from recent years, remain historically low. For perspective, during 2007 through 2011, total active listings fluctuated between 734 and 1,026 properties. The historical peak of inventory occurred in June 1992, when 1,297 active listings were available along the South Coast. Current House/PUD active listings in November 2025 total 252, representing a remarkable 57.5% decrease from the 438 listings available in November 2019, before the pandemic altered market dynamics. This persistent inventory shortage continues to support property values across the region.
Market supply varies significantly across South Coast communities. Goleta operates with a 1-month supply, indicating a feverish seller’s market. Santa Barbara’s 2-month supply places it in a heated seller’s market. Carpinteria/Summerland’s 2.4month supply represents a basic seller’s market. Montecito’s 4.7-month supply indicates a balanced market, while Hope Ranch’s 20-month supply clearly favors buyers.
Santa Barbara’s appeal extends beyond residential real estate to its status as a premier destination. The New York Post’s survey ranked Santa Barbara as the second most expensive city to visit in the United States, with a three-day trip for two costing $2,446, closely following Aspen’s $2,708. This ranking reflects the area’s premium positioning in hospitality, dining, and entertainment, factors that also support residential property values.
The Santa Barbara South Coast real estate market in October 2025 demonstrated resilience and strength, particularly in the luxury segment led by Montecito’s exceptional performance. While inventory remains constrained by historical standards, the market continues to function effectively with varied conditions across different communities and price points. The persistent imbalance between supply and demand, combined with Santa Barbara’s enduring appeal as both a residential destination and tourist haven, continues to shape market dynamics across the region.
Throughout the night, The Tribe – an LA-based collective known for performing concerts in support of meaningful causes – delivered spirited renditions of beloved Beach Boys classics. The tribute united generations of artists, family members, and longtime collaborators to honor Wilson’s legacy. Wilson Phillips and The Honeys, accompanied by the Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara, performed orchestral interpretations of signature Brian Wilson compositions. The evening’s emotional high points included appearances by Carnie Wilson, Chynna Phillips, and Wendy Wilson – each paying heartfelt homage to their father. Wilson’s grandchildren – Lola Bonfiglio and Leo, Beau, Jesse, and Will Knutson – joined the family onstage, continuing the lineage of musical tribute.
Rising talent also had its moment. Hunter Hawkins stunned the crowd with a breathtaking performance of “Don’t Worry Baby,” signaling the emergence of a star to watch. And no benefit concert would be complete without the generosity of music legends Kenny Loggins and David Pack who lent their voices to the cause. The dazzling La Bohème Dancers added sparkle and theatrical flair. The night’s biggest surprise came with an unannounced appearance by 1980s pop icon Taylor Dayne, who delivered a powerful rendition of her hit “Love Will Lead You Back.”
It was an unforgettable evening – one that blended music, community, and compassion in perfect harmony. Those inspired to continue the spirit of giving are invited to support Adam’s Angels during their celebrated Thanksgiving feast at the First United Methodist Church, featuring organic Shalhoob tur-
keys and performances by exceptional local musicians.
Please join Adam’s Angels or be an Angel steward of our seas. And if you find yourself alone this Thanksgiving, please know you are always welcome to join Adam and his many Angels for a delicious celebration of friendship with an extra helping of love.
To support Adam’s Angels, visit www.adamsangels-sb.org
To support the Surfrider Foundation, visit surfrider.org. by Maria W. Long
On Veterans Day, more than 1,000 families, friends, and grateful community members gathered at Santa Barbara Cemetery – where veterans from as far back as the Civil War are laid to rest – to honor the courageous men and women who have served with unwavering dedication and sacrifice.
The Santa Barbara Choral Society, led by veteran conductor JoAnne Wasserman , performed “A Tribute to the Armed Forces (Service Medley),” including the official song of The U.S. Maritime Service in tribute to 97-year-old veteran Donald Seth (U.S. Merchant Marines, Fmr.). Seth attended in his dressed blues, joined by friends Dana Newquist (U.S. Army, Fmr.) and Gary Simpson (U.S. Coast Guard, Fmr.). The Prime Time Band followed with “Enduring Traveler” and “Midway March.”
A program highlight was “The Veteran,” written by celebrated composer Barry De Vorzon as a tribute to fallen service members and those deeply
Richard sends his thanks for your many cards and good wishes, they are deeply appreciated. He reports that he’s improving every day, though there’s plenty of therapy ahead. Please continue sending your news and updates to his ever-helpful sidekick, Priscilla (805city@gmail.com).
affected by their military service.
A ‘Thank You’ to Lt. John Blankenship USN (Frm.) and Hazel Blankenship for their stewardship, and the crowd is already looking forward to celebrating this heartfelt remembrance ceremony next year.
Attendees included Mayor Randy and First Lady Janet Rowse, Pablo Paredes, Jill Nida, Pete and Gerd Jordano, Andrea Newquist, Sheriff Bill Brown, Stan Baratta, Dana Hansen, SBPD Chief Kelly Gordon, BGen Frederick Lopez, Ryan Marsh, Patricia Rumpza, Howard Hudson, Bob Burtness, David Gonzales, Jerry Gray, Hillary Hauser, and Bill Boetticher by Maria McCall
by Sigrid Toye
What a Night! The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s halls resounded with laughter with an old-fashioned Celebrity Roast – think Dean Martin! – and a panel of friends and colleagues to celebrate Executive Director Greg Gorga ’s retirement after helming the organization for 18 years. Welcomed were over 200 guests (not including crashers) who noshed on delicious Italian hors d’oeuvres and drinks in honor of Gorga’s Italian heritage. The Roast was a collaboration between Emily Falke , the museum’s curator and party planner, and I co-chairing, with the support of the Board of Directors and staff. An ever-lively John Palminteri as emcee introduced a dais of Roasters ready to step up, each with their own humorous lens on Gorga’s lengthy tenure. Sitting in a comfortable chair was the guest of honor, clutching a cardboard image of himself, ready for the punchlines about to circle like seagulls over a picnic!
Maritime Museum President Alex Weinstein welcomed the crowd and introduced the evenings panel: George Writer , Emeritus Board Member; Chuck Wilson , Immediate Past Board President: John Doordan , Board Member; Dr. Ray Ashley , former CEO San Diego Maritime Museum; Luke Swetland , CEO, SB Museum of Natural History/Sea Center; Steve Windhager , SB Botanic Garden Executive Director and Joe Gorga ,
Greg’s nephew and VP, Diablo Valley Community College. Quite a lineup I’d say!
Among the highlights was Ray Ashley ’s definition of ‘Research.’ “One of our shared exhibits was on the nautical history of rum and we felt this topic required extensive research. As museum directors it was essential to sample the libation for quality control… the thing is, I just can’t remember anything after that!” Past Presidents Geoie Writer and Chuck Wilson shared stories of their own.
“I made a few observations about Greg,” shared Wilson as the audience chuckled. “Zooming the Executive Committee meetings I’d put my screen on gallery view, kinda like Hollywood Squares, just to watch Greg squirm. But here’s the kicker… all of a sudden he’d just disappear – what’s up with that?” Executive Committee Member John Doordan recalled, “I couldn’t believe that Greg could actually bring that huge Point Conception Fresnel Lighthouse Lens into the museum. Eight years later and right before my eyes, this lunatic actually pulled it off… and went on to became The Great Gorga!” Most moving was the speech by Gorga’s nephew who spoke of his uncle with tears in his eyes.
“Greg is one of the most important people in my life, not only as my uncle but my mentor and support system – a man who cares deeply about people –everyone knows and love him – and the job that he does here at the museum.” The last person to stand up was the Roastee himself who thanked all
who’d both skewed and honored him with such gratitude and love. “The most important and gratifying job of my life has been this museum. Each day that I came to work I felt a sense of accomplishment, much of which has to do with the efforts of my talented staff. I’ll miss them and you all!”
Participating in the laughter, tears, kudos and cheers were a host of Santa Barbara museum directors, founders and donors. Representing the museums was Charles Hopper of the Zoo and Rich Block , Robin Gose of MOXI, former directors of Natural History and Sea Center Kart Hutterer and Dennis Power . Representing a family of sponsors, Peter Schuyler attended along with Marie Morrisrowe , Mercedes Millington , Susan Torry , Robin and Jess Parker and JeanMichel Cousteau and Nan Marr among others. Santa Barbara songstress Catherine Malear accompanied the festivities in Gorga’s honor
throughout the event with her melodic voice.
It was especially gratifying for those of us in attendance to watch as Greg was honored by Mayor Randy Rowse with an official declaration from the City of Santa Barbara for his years of service. At the apex of the evening, we watched the man who spent two decades preserving Santa Barbara’s maritime history being gifted with an historical symbol of his own: the dedication of the Lighthouse Lens with a named plaque placed front and center in his honor. This could not have happened to a more deserving person. Thank you Greg, from your museum family and the entire community!
Sigrid Toye is an Educational and Behavior Therapist with a PhD in Clinical Psychology, a freelance writer, and a storyteller. She loves all things creative, including her two (adult) artist children.
By 1876 he had planted thousands of trees on his land, and he reported the results of his research and experimentation in Forest Culture and Eucalyptus Trees. He noted that eucalyptus trees resist summer dryness, making them a perfect tree for Santa Barbara’s drought prone environment. Though he had planted several varieties, he touted the virtues of the blue gum, which was fast growing and could reach tremendous heights and widths.
Although attempts were made to use eucalyptus wood for posts, ties, and building material, people soon found
that unseasoned eucalyptus wood twisted and cracked, and once it was cured it became too tough. In addition, the eucalyptus pier pilings at Stearns Wharf were susceptible to marine worms, and the wood proved worthless for this purpose as well. Eventually, horticulturalists abandoned the tree for timber purposes.
Though failing miserably as a timber tree, the eucalyptus was touted as having medicinal value. A poultice made of its leaves sterilized wounds. Its oil led to general improved health and was used as a stimulant, aphrodisiac, anti-spasmodic, and breath-fresher. Proponents claimed it cured a long list of ailments, including bleeding gums and bronchitis. As an extra bonus, planting blue gums eradicated malaria in a region.
In Italy, so strong was the belief in the eucalyptus’ medicinal value that laws had to be passed and armed guards posted to prevent the stripping of leaves from newly planted trees. Special permits were required to control harvesting.
Another use for the tree was for fuel, the sources of which were rapidly disappearing from the native landscape. In 1895, Dr. Francesco Franceschi, world-renowned horticulturalist who co-founded the Southern California Acclimatizing Association in Montecito, published his inventory of exotic plants already introduced into Santa Barbara and noted the disappearance of the native woodlands. He wrote…
One hundred years ago, both our valleys and our hillsides appear to have been covered with magnificent evergreen oaks (Quercus agrifolia), a memory of this being retained in the names El Montecito (the small woods), and Carpinteria (the lum-
beryard). Unfortunately, most of these natural groves fell under the axe and the fires of early settlers, and it is only of later years that people have become aware of what treasures had been recklessly destroyed, so that it is with jealous care that what remains of the oaks is preserved at present, mostly in Montecito, where they certainly form one of the principal attractions.
Francheschi noted that for the past 30 years or so, the Australian blue gum had been planted all over the state and had become a prominent feature in the landscape and provided a stable supply of fuel. He clearly saw the useful role of the eucalyptus tree in reforestation. When the Italian government recruited him to establish a modern agricultural program in Libya in 1914, he planted thousands of eucalyptus trees there.
The tree became widely used for shade and for windbreaks. Ellwood Cooper wrote, “Owners of orchards, especially citrus orchards, have found them particularly beneficial as a break to the strong winds and a protection during cold weather.” Cooper noted that fruit orchards protected by eucalyptus windbreaks had larger growth and cleaner leaves and stems and that less fruit blew off.
Eucalyptus trees were also promoted as avenue trees. Responding to the “Good Roads” Movement, the author of New and Little-Known Trees for Southern California Avenues wrote, “If we need perfect roads, we also need them to be beautiful.” Eucalyptus trees, he claimed, exhibited the qualities of good avenue trees: uniform growth and individuality of character and feature.
Elwood Cooper also saw eucalyptus trees as useful for roads. “The public highway through my ranch,” he wrote,
“… has a double row of trees on either side.” Under these allées there was less mud in winter and less dust in summer. The trees mitigated the wind and shaded roads and provided shade in pastureland.
In addition, eucalyptus trees were grown for esthetic and ornamental reasons. In 1904, Gustav Stickley, prominent promoter of the Arts and Crafts Movement, visited the Montecito estate of landscape architect, Charles Frederick Eaton. He noticed that a rare lemon-scented, 60-foot-high eucalyptus growing among palms was a fitting contrast and companion to them. Stickley said, “…it transformed the monotony of unbroken sky views into a pleasing diversity.”
“There must not,” said Eaton, “be too much sky, or too much ocean – too much, for that matter, of any one element… The eucalyptus, stately and singularly tufted, breaks up the sky view.”
According to Robert Leroy Santos, author of The Eucalyptus of California: Seeds of Good or Seeds of Evil, the 1980s brought a renewed interest in large scale growing of eucalyptus trees for biomass fuel, fiberboard, and paper pulp. The list of its useful properties, he says, continues to grow. It can drain waste and eliminate soil salinity. It is a natural replacement for mothballs.
As a windbreak, it reduces soil erosion and limits dust. Besides protecting stock and crops and shading homes (thereby reducing cooling costs), eucalyptus windbreaks protect towns and seaports from damage.
Caltrans continued to plant various species of eucalyptus along highways. In 1980, over 30 thousand were planted. In 1997, Caltrans planted eucalyptus for the following reasons: 1. As part of the
bordering the former Las Fuentes (the springs) Ranch, now Birnam Wood. Coast oaks grow up to 80-100 feet tall and have a spread of 80 to 120 feet according to a multitude of websites. The verge of East Valley Road on which they might be planted is limited in size.
urban landscape. 2. A part of the rural aesthetic. 3. To define highway borders. 4. As windbreaks for safety and to prevent soil erosion. 5. As a source of chips for mulching to be used in planted areas. For the past 35 years many large and devastating fires have been blamed on eucalyptus trees. Many experts assert, however, that well-maintained eucalyptus trees and groves are no more flammable than any other tree. Alexander Kerr, an El Centro writer who spent seven years in Australia working in wildfire control, said that to log off all the trees, as was suggested after the Oakland fire of 1991, would invite terrible soil erosion and destruction of wildlife.
The debate about the tree rages on. Some say that 35 years of anti-eucalyptus propaganda has demonized the tree. Poor maintenance practices in groves have created dangerous fire hazards that arouse legitimate fear in California’s citizens. Others say there’s no room for eucalyptus trees in urban and suburban environments for they are just too dangerous.
Despite the debate, Alfred McClatchie was correct when he observed in 1904 that California would be a very different state without eucalypts.
The Diablo Firesafe Council of Alameda and Contra Costa counties created a synthesis of multiple studies that agree that all the following trees are highly flammable: fir, palm, larch, cypress, spruce, blue gum eucalyptus, bay, pine, juniper and cedar. They also said that all trees are flammable if debris is allowed to accumulate, and neighboring vegetation creates ladders that bring fire to the higher branches.
Fire Safe Marin of Marin County gives guidelines for making eucalyptus trees much more resistant to ignition. They advocate the following: removing vegetation around the base of trees; removing small-diameter lower limbs up to at least one-third of the tree’s height; removing limbs within 10 feet of the ground; removing all dead wood, peeling bark, and twiggy growth regularly; providing canopy separation; and removing all “ladder fuels.”
Fire resistant coastal live oaks ( quercus agrifolia ) are being considered as replacements for the row of eucalyptus
planted along East Valley Road
NOTE: This story was first published on June 24, 2010, and has been updated. For an image of burned houses and eucalyptus untouched go to https://milliontrees. me/2010/11/14/trees-withstand-thefirestorm/
Sources: Besides those mentioned in the text, Groenendaal, History of Eucalypts in
1985; McClatchie, Eucalyptus
in the United States, 1902. Many thanks to Marla Daily of the
Cruz Island Foundation for the use of her private library and rare books.
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
From comforting soups to decadent desserts, every bite feels like home. Savor the season at Lilac Montecito.
by Steven Libowitz
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20-FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21
‘The Rules of Comedy’ – Santa Barbara Junior High School’s budding thespians take on Hamlet, dabbling in mayhem and otherwise hamming it up in Peter Bloedel’s one-act that purports to explain and demonstrate what’s funny and what’s not. The Rules of Comedy gets physical – as in exploding vegetables, pies in the face, rubber chickens and… Hamlet – as the fast-paced, madcap outing hilariously inserts every trick in the comedy book into one of the most popular tragedies of all time in the William Shakespeare classic. Come ready to laugh and maybe even roll in the aisles (but please don’t).
WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: Marjorie Luke Theatre, Santa Barbara Junior High, 721 East Cota St. COST: $10 general, $5 students
INFO: (805) 884-4087 or https://luketheatre.org/events
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Way-off Broadway Theater – El Teatro Campesino was founded in 1965 by Luis Valdez on the Delano Grape Strike picket lines of Cesar Chavez’s United Farmworkers Union, where the company created and performed “actos” – short skits – on flatbed trucks and in union halls. The company won both Obie and Los Angeles Drama Critics Awards in 1969, then moved up north to its own headquarters in San Juan Bautista. Now, Teatro Caló – a UCSB-based company teeming with both theater graduate students and staff – are running with Valdez’ original idea, delving into local history with a cultural theatrical presentation called Golden State Stories: Local and Global Legacies. Directed by Sara Sotelo and performed by students spanning various fields of study, the troupe is performing its own set of actos focusing on current societal issues, including economic inequality and racism, in a series of 10-minute plays that look at seldom-told situations in the Santa Barbara area. Per Teatro Campesino’s classic example, the plays are coming to the communities, with three performances over the weekend.
WHEN: 2-5 pm November 21-23
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Arty Animals for Adults – Why wait ‘til the actual holidays arrive to enjoy special seasonal displays, especially one as creative and immersive as ZooLights?
The annual exhibit quietly opened last week, bringing all-new light displays featuring thousands of handcrafted silk-covered lanterns aglow with more than 50,000 LED bulbs spread all over the Santa Barbara Zoo’s grounds, shining a whole new light on the animal haven. The illuminated lantern displays – showcasing animal and nature scenes that represent wild places from around the world – are for the whole family. But tonight, for the first time, you can set your sights on the scenes sans the little ones, as ZooLights hosts one of just two 21-andover-only Adults Nights. Enjoy the sparkling holiday lights without the kids screaming, or whining, or getting too tired to traipse any further. Plus listen to live music, strike a pose at the festive photo booth and enjoy beer and wine tastings from local vendors on the hilltop, all included in the price of admission, which is the same as peak nights that make up the majority through December. There’s one more Adult Night on December 18, and the exhibit stays up nightly (save for seven dates) through January 11.
WHEN: 4:30-8:30 pm
WHERE: SB Zoo, 500 Niños Drive
COST: $34
INFO: (805) 962-5339 or https://www.sbzoo.org/event
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Swift-y singer djoins Django Fest – The Django Festival Allstars head back to the Jazz at the Lobero series, fronted by the son of gypsy jazz icon Dorado Schmitt, lead guitarist Samson Schmitt, who carries the torch forward with passion and precision. The “dream team” band of international virtuosos includes Ludovic Beier (accordion/accordina), Pierre Blanchard (violin), Antonio Licusati (double bass), and Francko Mehrstein (rhythm guitar), plus special guest vocalist Veronica Swift. The Ella-style scat specialist, who also comes from an esteemed family background in jazz, gained major international attention in 2015 when she placed in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Vocals Competition. Expect an eclectic musical experience from the all-acoustic ensemble that brings Django Reinhardt’s gypsy jazz legacy into the 21st century with blazing guitar riffs, soaring violin lines, dazzling accordion solos, rock-solid rhythm and deep grooves on the double bass.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $40 & $50 ($107 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
WHERE: Santa Barbara Museum of Contemporary Art, 653 Paseo Nuevo (Friday); Goleta Community Center, 5679 Hollister Ave. (Saturday); UCSB Theater Courtyard, UCSB campus (Sunday) COST: free INFO: https://globallatinidades.ucsb.edu/news-events/events
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22
Best of TEDNext – On the likely chance that you didn’t get to Atlanta for the TEDNext 2025 gathering, where a new wave of thinkers, builders, and visionaries took to the stage to explore what’s next in leadership, innovation, creativity and resilience earlier this month, you can still catch a condensed version of the innovative, transformative talks right here in town. What could transform your next decade? TEDxSB’s Mark Sylvester has curated two hours’ worth of the most powerful talks from three days of bold ideas from civic pioneers, artists, entrepreneurs, and scientists. These talks address how we live, work and lead in a rapidly evolving world, with particular focus on those changes that most disrupt how you see your work, your choices and your path forward. But it’s more than just a screening – the event also brings together a community of curious minds to explore what’s next together with ample time for conversation and connection. The conversations that happen after a talk, and the questions that arise might have even more impact.
WHEN: 12-3 pm
WHERE: Faulkner Gallery in the Santa Barbara Public Library, 40 E. Anapamu St. COST: free INFO: https://tedxsantabarbara.com
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22-SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23
Symphony Salutes Youth – Fresh off performance appearances over two consecutive weekends by the professional Santa Barbara Symphony at the Granada, the all-important educational aspect of the organization gets its chance to shine in public via two free November concerts for the community. The Symphony’s Youth Ensembles, which total more than 100 student musicians in grades 2-12, learn to collaborate, lead, and progress on their instruments through multi-level performing groups. Saturday’s concert at the Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall features the two ensembles geared for younger musicians in Camerata Ensemble and the Philharmonia Orchestra, both directed by Marisa McLeod The programs range from spooky tangos and ghostly legends to festive favorites for the grade 2-10 students to celebrate the magic, mystery and music of the season. Sunday brings the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony to the Lobero,
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Cam Pac-ked Program – Just three musicians comprise Camerata Pacifica’s roster for tonight’s concert, delivering a captivating chamber works program with pieces both classic and modern. Principal artists –Armenian cellist Ani Aznavoorian and Estonian pianist Irina Zahharenkova – team up for Rachmaninoff’s “Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op. 19,” considered one of the repertoire’s masterworks, followed by Zahharenkova taking on “Aequora” for grand piano, and electronics by María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir, which was commissioned for the Iceland Arts Festival in 2015. Then violinist Alena Hove joins the two principals for the program’s final work, the “Piano Trio in F-sharp Minor” by Arno Babadjanian, a national hero in Armenia, who composed the Trio in 1952. WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: Hahn Hall, Music Academy campus, 1070 Fairway Road COST: $75: INFO: (805) 884-8410 or www.cameratapacifica.org
where Daniel Gee will lead a galaxy-themed program that includes movements from Holst’s The Planets along with John Williams’ “Duel of the Fates” from The Phantom Menace Suite in collaboration with the Gee-directed Westmont College Choir. Concerto Competition winner Gretta Ulivo will also be featured as cello soloist for Arvo Pärt’s “Fratres.” [Extending the organization’s collaboration commitment, the older students in the ensemble were also treated to an opportunity to view planets and constellations through Westmont’s Keck Telescope, led by Dr. Jennifer Gee, the conductor’s wife and assistant professor of physics and director of the Westmont Observatory.]
WHEN: 3 pm November 22, 4 pm November 24
WHERE: Hahn Hall, 1070 Fairway Rd & Lobero Theatre, 33 W. Canon Perdido COST: free
INFO: https://thesymphony.org/concerts-events/orchestra-concerts/youthensembles-concerts
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26
Hansen Family Songfest – It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving eve without this annual gathering of local musician friends of the Hansen family, the husbandand-wife plus kids, in-laws and others who have made SOhO such a success for more than a generation in town. The annual songfest starts with dinner in the stage room, served and enjoyed while relishing music from friends of SohO. Then the official Hansen Family Band takes the stage for a set of popular songs and more, along with special guests that have included some big names over the years. Reserve a table to be sure to secure a spot for the popular event.
WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State St., upstairs in Victoria Court COST: free admissiom
INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22
Comedy for Good? – Santa Barbara-based comedian, musician, author (and creative director and brand strategist at Procore) is filming his first-ever comedy special live at the Luke in the heart of his hometown. The onenight-only event dubbed Andrew Antone: For the Good of the Order will be filled with the stand-up’s clever, sharp and witty observations on everyday life and heartfelt moments –plus surprise guest appearances – to evoke both laughs and connection in the streaming special. And who knows? You might appear on the special, too, as part of the audience.
WHEN: 7:30-9 pm
WHERE: Marjorie Luke Theatre, Santa Barbara Junior High, 721 East Cota St. COST: $30
INFO: (805) 884-4087/https://luketheatre.org/events or www.andrewantone.com/laugh
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