The Right of Whale by Montecito Journal

JOURNAL

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5 – 12 NOV 2026 | VOL 32 ISS 45 www.montecitojournal.net

Voice of theV illage

SERVING MONTECITO AND SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA

World Piece – Fifteen sculptures, fifteen global challenges, and one complicated planet. Judi Weisbart puts the pieces together in her new exhibition at Art & Soul, P.26

Fall Into Flavor – Forget gathering acorns. The Museum of Natural History has a tastier way to prepare for winter with its new Fall Tasting Festival, P.38

THE RIGHT OF WHALE

The SB Maritime Museum is no joking matter, page 16

A Piece of Japan – Tea, music, and a little gold dust. Leslie Andrea Westbrook finds beauty in the unexpected during another memorable day exploring Kyoto, P.42

Carly’s Frank(ish) Mission Carly Pippin crosses oceans in pursuit of objects redolent with history and aglow with that ineffable je ne sais quoi. She’d love to share, page 6

When your neighbors weigh 100 tons and commute thousands of miles, protecting the neighborhood becomes a rather international affair. Scientists, attorneys, and filmmakers gather at the Maritime Museum to examine the global forces shaping our local waters (Story starts on page 5)

A Slam Dunk

NBA standout Ajay Mitchell returns to UCSB as the Gauchos’ new general manager, celebrated by Montecito’s basketball faithful at the Coral Casino, page 22

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Celebrating Open Spaces – A landmark Pup Culture – Amy HOWLs about potty training 20 39 conservation effort aims to transform Naples away from home, plus a few ghoulish hounds INSIDE THIS ISSUE The Neighborhood Watch – The Maritime Museum Courtside at the Coral – A star-studded Coral Elizabeth’s Appraisals – The story behind Piotr 5 hosts 22 Casino 40 Grabowski’s a panel exploring how science, law, and gathering celebrates Ajay Mitchell’s village tapestry traces the rise of folk storytelling can protect whales and ocean ecosystems

eings and Doings – Carly Pippin avidly wanders the 6 Bmarkets of the Old and New World, hauls the stuff back to SB, and excitedly waves us into her salon.

homecoming and his new position as UCSB men’s basketball GM

etters to the Editor – Native Montecito L student writes in on their Paris riots experience

Montecito Moments – The MJ’s Zach Rosen gives the Some Assembly Required – Judi Weisbart 8 MClub a beer-y good time, Dracula was frighteningly 26 transforms everyday objects into reflections on good, and actress Sophia Bush at Godmothers

10 12 14

Tribute to… – Remembering the life of A accomplished architect Robert P. Senn our Westmont – Alum offers crash course on Y facilitative leadership, book signing event on knuckleball, and Jon Guerra offers free concert he Society Edit – The SBMA celebrates four T new exhibitions, Steve Gilbar has a new (and final) little book, plus Chumash artist Raymond Ventura

The Giving List – Dean Noble revives his 16 popular science-based improv concept

18 4

n Entertainment – Doublewide Kings and O their psychedelic happening, OSB’s “cursed hunchback” epic Rigoletto, storied Taxi Driver screenwriter Paul Schrader and much more Montecito JOURNAL

social justice, environmental preservation, and human rights in her latest Art & Soul exhibition

Ragtime’ at Rubicon – Local Chance Challen 32 ‘stars in Rubicon’s Ragtime

News Bytes – Laykin et Cie opens a Montecito 33 store, the annual Beautification Day, more gobags for Montecito, and other tidbits

host Village Road – Photos from Coast 34 GVillage Road’s 30th spooktacular event

In Her Element – Fire rituals, herbal teas, 38 and sensory experiences highlight Vedic Vibe, Corinna Maharani’s anniversary celebration A Matter of Taste – Wine, beer, spirits, and seasonal cuisine come together beneath the oaks for the Museum of Natural History’s inaugural Fall Tasting Festival

“Tea is one of the main stays of civilization in this country.” – George Orwell

art from traditional craft to collectible fine art

Stories Matter – November’s reading list 41 spans haunted houses, magical bookshops,

family murders, missing memories, and artistic freedom in prewar Berlin

Buzz – The Japanese adventure continues 42 in Travel Kyoto with traditional tea, a shamisen music lesson, and the Japanese art of repairing and ennobling broken ceramics with gold

obert’s Big Questions – When both sides 43 Rpoint fingers, who is destroying what we value most? Is there a perception gap?

44 Sheriff ’s Blotter Calendar of Events – 1st Thursday art 48 happenings, Scottish-Celtic jams with the Folk Orchestra, the Wild & Free Film Festival, and other pulse-quickening events

Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified 50 ads ini Meta Crossword Puzzles 51 MLocal Business Directory

5 – 12 November 2026

The Neighborhood Watch Protecting the SB Channel Means Thinking Beyond Our Own Waters

One of our friendly neighbors on their morning commute (photo by Adam Ernster/Media Director, SBCWHA)

by Zach Rosen

ontecito has always had an interesting collection of neighbors. Celebrities, artists, eccentric millionaires, and the occasional visiting royal. And then there are the ones who weigh 100 tons, eat several tons of krill a day, and rarely bother to introduce themselves. Our marine neighbors are considerably less interested in real estate prices, although they have some legitimate concerns about traffic. The Santa Barbara Channel is an important feeding ground for blue, humpback, and other great whales, whose annual migrations carry them along a coastline increasingly crowded with container ships, fishing activity, and human development. On November 12, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum will gather an unusual neighborhood watch of scientists, attorneys, and environmental storytellers for “From Local Waters to Global Change,” a panel exploring how protecting our marine neighbors requires cooperation far beyond Santa Barbara. Because when your neighbors travel thousands of miles every year, the neighborhood gets rather large. Fortunately, ours has some particularly dedicated residents keeping an eye on things. Marine biologist Holly Lohuis has spent decades studying and sharing the wonders of the Santa Barbara Channel, first working aboard Island Packers vessels in the 1990s before spending more than 20 years traveling with Jean-Michel Cousteau and his expedition team. Today, she serves as Co-Director of the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area, a designation earned in October 2023 that recognizes the region’s commitment to responsible whale watching, conservation, research, and education. The designation functions much like an environmental accreditation, requiring communities to demonstrate their commitment to protecting cetaceans and their habitats. In Santa Barbara, that means bringing together scientists, federal agencies, conservation organizations, tour operators, and even restaurants serving sustainably harvested seafood. An impressive neighborhood association, particularly considering how few of its most important members attend the meetings. The Whale Heritage Area’s steering committee meets several times a year to discuss research, conservation initiatives, and the changing conditions of the Channel. Among its most important partners is Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies, a program encouraging commercial vessels to reduce their speeds in designated areas, lowering the risk of collisions with whales while also reducing underwater noise and air pollution. For Lohuis, the importance of protecting these animals extends far beyond their considerable charisma. Whales, she explains, are ecosystem engineers, enormous creatures whose everyday activities help sustain the intricate marine food web. And one of their most valuable contributions is rather less majestic than a breaching humpback. Whale poop. The nutrient-rich material whales release near the ocean’s surface helps fertilize phytoplankton, the microscopic organisms that form the foundation of marine ecosystems. These tiny organisms use sunlight to grow, supporting a food chain that eventually circles back to the ocean’s largest animals. Lohuis calls it the “poop loop,” a particularly effective way of explaining marine ecology to schoolchildren and, presumably, anyone who appreciates a good bathroom joke.

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Beings and Doings objets d’heart by Jeff Wing

arly is talking museums and… exaltation? “Growing up I went to this show, Sultans of the Ottoman Emperor Empire at the Hammer. I just remember thinking it was the most magical thing I’d ever experienced.” Not to put too fine a point on it, but for 11-year-old Carly the visit was transformative. “For me a museum was a sacred space, almost like a cathedral. You go in and there’s this elevation of the spirit. A cathedral is designed do that. And I think a museum offers a similar reverence for the created thing.” And so we come to Pippin. The word has about it a certain phonetic lilt, a breezy suggestion of buoyancy. For all that, “Pippin” also carries historical gravity. In 768, Pippin was the firstborn of towering historical figure Charlemagne; first Holy Roman Emperor, King of the Franks, and by broad historical consensus the Father of Modern Europe. No big deal. Charlemagne’s kid likely didn’t guess that some 1,200 years in the future (far-flung

Montecito JOURNAL

Your Paris market in La Arcada (photo by Jeff)

Charlemagne-adjacent: Carly Pippin (photo by Tara Ramillano)

1973) he would capture the imagination of composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) and get his own Broadway musical, the eponymous Pippin, whose themes explore everyday wonder and the simple power of human connection.

guiding North Star as far as my aesthetic. But I love Italy, I love Spain, I love England. They all have beautiful craftsmanship in history.” With a smile of polite surrender, she pivots back to La Belle France. “I could go to France every year for the rest of my life and just love it,” she says. “So the shop is very French forward.” I’d mentioned in early correspondence the Frankish provenance of Carly’s surname. She happily embraced the inference. “Oh, I’m definitely in the camp that I’m probably long-lost French royalty,” she wrote in reply.

These rarely combined elements – deep European cultural history and a Tony Award-winning Bob Fosse musical – go hand in glove with the Pippin of this essay; both the energized Carly Pippin, and the place that bears her name. Pippin is a daydream with a door (if that helps), in effect a wholly imported European flea market in the La Arcada promenade. To strip away still more of the vernis décoratif, Pippin is an antique gallery, but in the same way the Eiffel Tower is a radio antenna. The noun is accurate but insufficient. “I love the history of French design,” Carly says. “France is very much the

Beings & Doings Page 454 454

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Montecito Moments Pints of Wisdom

Danuta Bennett, Peggy Wiley, Brendon Twigden, Amanda McIntyre, and Wilson Quarre enjoy The World of Beer lesson (courtesy photo)

Zach with his students thirsty for knowledge (courtesy photo)

by Lisa Duncan

“I

t’s beer. If you’re not having fun, you’re not drinking it right,” declared Zach Rosen, and judging by the laughter at Montecito Bank & Trust’s latest MClub Lunch & Learn, the beer expert had nothing to worry about. At the October 28 gathering, the

Montecito JOURNAL

Montecito Journal’s managing editor traded deadlines for draughts at Lama Dog Tap Room’s The Mullet, guiding a cheerful crowd through six international brews in what MClub director Maria McCall aptly called “liquid education.” Zach, a Certified Cicerone – beer’s answer to a wine sommelier – earned the credential at just age 22. Guests learned to tilt their glasses

Among those enjoying the decidedly spirited syllabus were Beverly Cavaliere, Jeff Dinkin, Angela and Jacques Habra, Dennis Kuttler, Karen Poythress, and Peggy Wiley. Bank representatives included Rob Haff, Jorge Morales, and Lisa Ross, while lunch from The Nook helped balance the liquid curriculum. The invitation-only MClub treats Montecito Bank & Trust clients to cultural outings, travel, and educational gatherings. But this particular lesson, with Zach serving as professor of pilsners and Maria as mistress of ceremonies,

for the perfect pour, swirl and sniff for aroma, and distinguish a lager from an ale. A pilsner from Lithuania and German bock were among the offerings, with a little brewing history thrown in for good measure. The truly unexpected lesson? Rosen suggested smelling one’s own forearm to reset the nose between tastings. This was not your average banking seminar! With beer glasses raised and giggles flowing, the roomful of aspiring connoisseurs took their homework seriously – although someone joked that afternoon appointments might have to be canceled.

Moments Page 464 464

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Montecito JOURNAL

A Tribute to…

Robert P. Senn: June 13, 1959 – September 12, 2026

Robert with his family

Robert P. Senn, June 13, 1959 – September 12, 2026

from French and English country homes, American Craftsman architecture, Spanish Colonial Revival, and the classical influences of Tuscan and Palladian design. He particularly admired the work and architectural legacy of George Washington Smith, whose influence helped define much of Santa Barbara’s architectural identity. Robert believed that architecture should be timeless, that buildings should be timeless, that buildings should respect their surroundings, and that preserving the architectural character of a community was an important responsibility. These principles were reflected in his work, including the design of his parents’ Tuscan-inspired home in Birnam Wood and the renovation and expansion of his family’s ocean-view home on the Riviera, where he resided with Monica and their four children. His professional contributions extended beyond his private practice. Robert served on both the Montecito Board of Architectural Review and the Hope Ranch Board of Architectural Review, where he contributed his knowledge, experience, and perspective to preserving

Robert’s life was deeply intertwined with Santa Barbara. He was born and raised here, pursued his education and architectural training elsewhere, and ultimately returned home to establish his career and raise his family. He devoted much of his professional life to the architectural character of the communities he loved. His appreciation for history, traditional design, and the enduring beauty of Santa Barbara was reflected in his work and in the contributions he made to the places he called home. His architectural legacy will remain part of the communities he helped shape, while his family and the memories they share will carry his story forward.

the distinctive architectural character of these communities. His work and architectural perspective were also featured in Dream Homes of Coastal California, recognizing his contribution to the region’s residential architecture. Outside of architecture, Robert had a lifelong appreciation for athletics and the outdoors. As a young man, he was an accomplished hurdler and competed at the CIF level at Santa Barbara High. He enjoyed skiing, travel, and the many outdoor activities that were part of the Santa Barbara lifestyle. While Robert’s professional accomplishments were an important part of his life, his family remains an enduring part of his story. He is survived by his former wife of 20 years, Monica Senn, with whom he shared a family and raised their two children; Sophia, who is pursuing her studies in art at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and Charlie, an avid tennis player and senior at Santa Barbara High School. He is also survived by his stepsons, Henry and Grayson, who were an important part of the family they shared. He is survived as well as by his three sisters: Suzanne Senn; Kathryn Everling and her husband, Richard; and Carolyn Layman and her husband, Kenneth. He also leaves behind nieces, nephews, and extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Peter Senn and Agnes Senn.

JOURNAL

obert P. Senn, a lifelong Santa Barbara native, accomplished architect, and father, passed away on September 12, 2026, at the age of 67. Born on June 13, 1959, at St. Francis Hospital in Santa Barbara to Dr. Peter Senn and Agnes Senn, Robert was raised in the community that would remain central to his life and career. His deep connection to Santa Barbara and his appreciation for its history, architecture, and natural beauty would ultimately shape his professional path. Robert pursued his passion for architecture at the University of Colorado, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design, followed by a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington in 1987. His education and travels also took him to Italy, where he developed an even greater appreciation for classical architecture, historic buildings, and the enduring principles of traditional design. Before returning to Santa Barbara, Robert gained valuable professional experience working on historic preservation projects in Colorado’s former mining towns and Seattle’s Pioneer Square. These experiences helped shape his architectural philosophy and strengthened his commitment to preserving the character and history of the built environment. He became a licensed architect in California in 1990. Upon returning to his hometown, Robert continued building his architectural career, working with Thomas Bollay and Associates, Warner + Gray and Sorrell Design in Montecito before establishing his own practice, Santa Barbara Architecture, Inc. Throughout his career, Robert developed a distinctive appreciation for traditional architecture, drawing inspiration

Executive Editor/CEO | Gwyn Lurie gwyn@montecitojournal.net President/COO | Tim Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net Managing Editor | Zach Rosen zach@montecitojournal.net MoJo Contributing Editor | Christopher Connor Art/Production Director | Trent Watanabe Graphic Design/Layout | Stevie Acuña Director of Operations | Jessica Shafran VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood leanne@montecitojournal.net Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Joe DeMello, Thomas Mock Features | Jeff Wing Proofreading | Helen Buckley Contributors | Scott Craig, Chuck Graham, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye, Elizabeth Stewart, Leana Orsua, Jeffrey Harding, Houghton Hyatt Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz Gossip | Richard Mineards, Lisa Duncan 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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MUSIC, LYRICS AND BOO

hen you bring people together, make it count. That was the driving force behind the Facilitative Leadership Workshop where more than 30 business, nonprofits, and church leaders gathered for a lively morning of collaborative learning on Oct. 16 at the Westmont Downtown | Keith Center. “While large corporations regularly hire high-level consultants to train their executives in facilitative leadership, nonprofits and faith-based organizations rarely get that chance,” said organizer Deborah Dunn, Westmont professor of communication studies. “I decided to change the script.” Alumnus Don Waisanen (‘02), professor of public affairs at CUNY’s Baruch College and author of Leadership Standpoints and Improv for Democracy, facilitated the talk that was co-sponsored by the Westmont Center for Dialogue and Deliberation and the Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts. The workshop aimed to shift leadership mindsets from “predict and control” to “sense and respond.” During interactive exercises, Waisanen challenged attendees to break away from rigid, outdated formats, such as 150-year-old parliamentary procedures, and instead embrace dynamic, participatory meeting designs like “1-2-4-All.” “We human beings have two forces constantly working against us in groups,” Waisanen said. “One is the underuse of information that actually exists in the

Resistance vs. Yielding: Don Waisanen illustrates what happens when a leader changes their approach with Cody Howen (’15) (photo by Scott Craig)

room, and the other is social pressures.” He urged leaders to structure conversations that draw out every voice, adding, “As a facilitative leader, we want to be able to flex and not just get stuck in one way of being.” Waisanen also walked participants through navigating the unavoidable friction that happens when groups tackle complex problems. “When we’re in that territory of complicated problems, we hit what’s called the groan zone,” Waisanen noted. “It’s going to get messy and difficult. There will be negative feelings going on. Legitimize this. It’s good. It means we’re really stretching before we hit this convergence zone and make decisions together.”

Westmont Page 304 304

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Don Waisanen (photo by Scott Craig)

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Montecito JOURNAL

The Society Edit Art and Books and ‘tings by Joanne A Calitri

ello, Loves! Welcome to November, yes, the season that brings the bold reminder of eight weeks left to 2026… hopefully you’ve had a cherished year thus far, and ready to go the last quarter in style! Let’s warm up our creative visual aesthetic with art! Top of the list is the autumn opening event at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, November 13, 6-8 pm, titled, “An Evening of Art, Music and Merriment Fall Opening Party.” Here we find a mix of the SBMA’s four new exhibitions on the level of the escape one needs in the midst of current extreme distraction. Adding ambient audibles are two noted downtown DJs – DJ PTRK LMR (aka Patrick Lamar) who spins future beats, afro beats, amapiano and more; along with DJ Ananas who spins alternative house. There will be of course a photo booth, signature artist-designed cocktails, with lite bites and drinks for purchase. Tickets at www.sbma.net/ events/fall-2026-opening-party

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Your bird’s eye view into the museum’s four new exhibitions are: Cassatt & Friends, which holds twenty works by artists Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Cézanne, James McNeill Whistler and others. The focus is on printmaking versus painting and the methods employed by the artist’s hands. Stage Craft: Pictorialist Photography and Performance, artworks at the turn of the 20th century from the Pictorialists who, against the day’s conventions, promoted photography as art. To make their point, the photographers chose scenes from literature, mythology, or their imaginations, treating the camera frame like a stage-set. Dismissing the clarity of commercial photography, Pictorialist mood-establishing methods included soft focus, dramatic natural lighting, and unconventional compositions. Elegies of Abstraction represents an abstract group of 1960-70 transitional paintings. Portraits Revealed is a curated selection of portraits from the museum’s collection by artists Bartolomeo Bettera, Lenz Geerk, Mary Grace, William

Michael Harnett, Alfredo Ramos Martínez, F. Luis Mora, John Frederick Peto, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, Luis de la Cruz y Ríos, Della Shull, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Cynthia Talmadge, and Francisco de Zurbarán. Next, it is worth the drive to Santa Ynez, as confirmed by MJ Managing Editor Zach Rosen’s review of Mattei’s Tavern in last week’s MJ issue. This time let it be for the Second Thursday Art Lectures at the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Museum & Cultural Center, on November 12, 5 to 8 pm, for a lecture and art presentation by multidisciplinary Chumash Artist Raymond Ventura, Sr. He will discuss his artist journey and creations. Ventura Sr. is known for his ceramic pieces where he blends rock art, traditional basketry, and Chumash culture. He also has a collection of jewelry, flint knapping, and paintings. The museum will be open for attendees and light refreshments are served. The event is free but requires registration, as these do fill up!

Chumash artist Raymond Ventura, Sr. (courtesy photo)

The scenic drive to Ojai is a work of art in and of itself, which finds you in town bumping into artists of all genres, most being members of the 70+ Ojai Studio Artists group. The group usually has a show up at the Ojai library. While in Ojai, dive into your literary aesthetic at Barts Bookstore, founded in 1964, with its self-proclaimed advert “the world’s largest outdoor bookstore.” Indeed, it is stocked with over 130,000

411: www.sychumashmuseum.org

More art is scheduled at the Palm Loft Studios Carpinteria, a show of 19 artists managed by gallery owner Arturo Tello. The next show runs November 14 through January 2, 2027, and is themed, “Home for the Holidays.”

Society Edit Page 444 444

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The Giving List Improv at SBMM: Laugh It Up and Learn by Steven Libowitz

might be all wet, but maybe the reason Dean Noble left his position as executive director of Elings Park to take up the same role at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum was simply to be able to resume producing and hosting science-based improv shows again. After all, the veteran improv pro – he who shelved making up stuff on stage to serve in top roles at nonprofits in town – almost inevitably created IMPROVology in 2015, almost a decade into his tenure as Director of Education at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Each episode of the lively science-comedy mash-up featured Noble interviewing scientists or Zoo staff involved in animal behavior and beyond, and then challenging professional Los Angeles improv actors to create comedy scenes through improv episodes based on the information. The shows were such a hit that they moved from the 80-person capacity of

the Zoo’s multipurpose space to the Lobero, where more than 600 people could not only partake of the fun, but learn something about creatures and the Zoo along the way. IMPROVology also expanded to UCSB and the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. But then Noble took on the job at Eling which, though the privately-owned space is as spectacular a natural park as there is in town, doesn’t have any public indoor spaces to accommodate performances. Now, not even nine months into taking over the position at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum from Greg Gorga, who retired after 17 years at the helm, Noble is resurrecting the concept for a more water-based, ocean-centric theme. Call it satisfying a seven-year itch. Or maybe improv remains a fantastic way to introduce people to the museum, its special place in the Santa Barbara Harbor, and its role in preservation and education. “Well, I wanted to get back a little bit more into the conservation world,” Noble said. “But why not bring in some-

After less than a year at the helm, SBMM ED Dean Noble is bringing back something big to the museum (photo by Adam Ernster)

that the program originated in the Santa Barbara Channel. The experts sharing stories facilitated by Noble include John Ryan of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, a biological oceanographer who studies the ocean soundscape; Holly Lohuis, a marine biologist, naturalist with Island Packers, and co-director of the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area; and Dr. Lindsey Peavey Reeves, program manager with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) Sound Monitoring. Dr. Reeves leads a diverse team of government and academic partners working to continuously monitor ocean soundscapes. “We are putting a spotlight on a key local environmental initiative,” Noble said. “We’ll hear some whale sounds and

thing I know works well at breaking down any barriers to science, and open it up to everyone in a fun way?” SBMM’s new series is called Unscripted Voyages, emphasizing the spirit of spontaneity at the waterfront. The performers, within structures suggested by Noble, determine the voyage’s controlled freefall into the unpredictable with no navigational maps, so they can just go with the current. The first evening, slated for November 7 at the museum’s literal waterfront harbor location, focuses exclusively on whales and whale stories through a collaboration with the initiative called Blue Whales and Blue Skies (BWBS). This is a voluntary Vessel Speed Reduction program aimed at reducing the environmental impacts of commercial shipping in areas where whales, coastal communities, and commerce intersect. It is no accident

Giving List Page 304 304

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On Entertainment

Psych in! Doublewide Kings and Symphony Re-team for Another Dose

Get groovy with the Kings and Symphony at the Granada on Saturday, November 7 (courtesy photo)

by Steven Libowitz

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all it Psychedelic Symphony, the Sequel, or Son of Psychedelic Symphony, or A Second Season of Psychedelic Symphony. Whatever the alliterative appellation, music fans get another chance to get into the groovy at the Granada on Saturday, November 7, when everybody’s favorite local dad band The Doublewide Kings once again teams up with the Santa Barbara Symphony (SBS) for another journey through the mind-expanding music of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The Doublewide Kings’ raw but honed classic rock and roll ethos once again meshes with an orchestral treatment from a sizeable subsection of the ensemble, courtesy of arrangers Brett Strader and Carl Rydlund, all under the clearly congruous conducting of the Symphony’s Nir Kabaretti. SBS and Mr. Kabaretti just launched their 21st season together two weeks ago. While there are a few different special guests, the fan favorite mainstays will be involved: the six official members of the Kings, joined by local stalwarts on keyboards and backing vocals, including the powerhouse singer Miriam Dance and keyboardist George Friedenthal. So why revisit the psychedelic-era classics catalog? Well, for one thing, there’s little disagreement that last year’s show far outstripped the two previous collaborations that introduced symphonic rock to the Granada stage produced by other organizations over the intervening years. While those outings focused on a single artist (Van Morrison, Bob Dylan breakout The Band), the back catalog-leveraging variety approach kept things fresh and colorfully hopping the whole night long. The ultimate result was Kings & Co. not only avoiding the sophomore slump that sullied The Band show, but soaring to unexpected heights of collaboration and creativity. “It really was our best so far,” said Palmer Jackson, Jr., the band’s rhythm guitarist and co-lead singer – as well as a fourth-generation Santa Barbara native and executive chairman of the Granada Theatre. “It was a ton of fun to get into a variety of different music, and there’s a lot there. So we thought, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” Indeed. Last year’s show boasted astonishingly thorough and expressive arrangements. These included the long version of the Moody Blues “Nights in White Satin” (complete with intro and outro, and the extended “Late Lament” spoken-word poem narration), an exuberant and mind-blowing take on Pink Floyd’s “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” and a devilishly playful rendition of Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s “In the Beginning.” This year, the Kings-Kabaretti-Strader gang are dipping back into the Moody’s Days of Future Passed conceptual day-in-the-life album (semi-spoiler ahead) for the other hit single, while also revisiting ELP, Steppenwolf, and The Doors. But there will also be some new approaches, including special sound effects from the symphony on (spoiler alert II) “Riders on the Storm.” “The lightning and the thunder and the rain, the whole works,” Jackson said. “How fun is that?” Dance, who brought the house down with Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” in 2025, will be back to belt out an even more enduring classic from one of the iconic women of the era, while (in another hint) Strader is once again composing an original prelude for the symphony, leading directly into the first number of the night, another classic of the era that was heard prominently on the original 1969 Woodstock soundtrack. “Having the orchestra come in an echo and expand on those utterly iconic guitar

Entertainment Page 284 284

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Celebrating Open Spaces Naples and the Land Trust by Hattie Beresford

here’s exciting news from the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County this week. They have launched a campaign to save 1000 acres of the Gaviota Coast and create a preserve open to the public. Known as the Naples/Santa Barbara Ranch the acreage has been under pressure for development. The Trust is in the process of purchasing the property and plans to create a permanent preserve which will be open to the public and serve to support native wildlife as well as a varied landscape of riparian corridors and grasslands. For years, the lands of the “paper town” of Naples have been under threat of development. In the past, many groups have fended off that threat through protest and litigation, but now the property is again for sale and offers Santa Barbarans a once-in-a-generation chance to purchase the land and preserve it for the people as well as for the natural flora and fauna of the coast. Naples/SBR is part of the Ancestral homelands of the Chumash people. Dos

Pueblos Creek takes its name from the two Chumash villages at its mouth which were noted in the journals of the Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo expedition in 1542. The Chumash communities in Santa Barbara have long understood that all land, including this land, is not something to own, but is something to care for. Protecting Naples/SBR keeps this landscape whole for fostering living relationships. Rancho Dos Pueblos, Naples, and the Gaviota Coast all have a fascinating history that reaches back to Chumash villages and stretches through the days of Spanish exploration and settlement to the conquest by United States forces. One hundred and seventy-six years later, the original farm and ranch communities of Goleta have grown houses instead of corn, while the Gaviota Coast, being mostly ranchland, has seen much less urban or industrial development (though what there is, is controversial). The entire area is an important geologic zone that should remain lightly touched, and purchasing this vast acreage will provide a nurturing landscape to preserve its integrity.

Open Spaces Page 364 364

Naples and Santa Barbara Ranch can become a nature preserve and open space for all (photo by Gavin Palmer)

Naples was once part of the Dos Pueblos Ranch, seen in the 1880s or ’90s. (courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)

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Courtside at the Coral

Ajay Mitchell Returns to Help the Gauchos Make Their Next Move

Head Coach Joe Pasternack, new GM Ajay Mitchell, and Arnhold Director of Athletics Kelly Barsky (photo by Jeffrey Liang)

by Zach Rosen

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portal offering players opportunities to bounce between programs, talented athletes at mid-major schools often depart for larger universities with deeper pockets and greater exposure. Mitchell took another route. The Belgian-born guard spent three seasons at UCSB, earning Big West Player of the Year honors and helping lead the Gauchos to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. Rather than transfer to a higher-profile program, he stayed in Santa Barbara, developed his game, and eventually earned a second-round selection in the 2024 NBA Draft. Now playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Mitchell has become a rising talent in the league. “He stayed loyal and stayed three years and proved you can be an NBA star going to UC Santa Barbara,” Pasternack says. That loyalty has become a valuable recruiting tool for the Gauchos. As general manager, Mitchell will serve in an advisory and mentorship capacity, helping recruit prospective players, retain current talent, and strengthen relationships with alumni and supporters. According to Pasternack, Mitchell has already helped convince several players to remain at UCSB rather than pursue opportunities elsewhere. “He was able to explain the grass is not always greener, and that’s a great life lesson,” Pasternack says. “Telling them, ‘Stay loyal like I did and look what happened to me.’”

he Coral Casino has seen its share of heavy hitters over the years, though they usually arrive with a tennis racket, a cocktail, or a particularly impressive portfolio. Recently, however, the seaside social club played host to a different kind of star power as UCSB men’s basketball coach Joe Pasternack gathered some of the area’s biggest names to celebrate one of the Gauchos’ brightest exports. Ajay Mitchell, the former UCSB standout turned Oklahoma City Thunder sensation, was back in town, and this time he was bringing a little NBA magic home to Santa Barbara. The occasion was Mitchell’s appointment as general manager of the UCSB men’s basketball program, a homecoming that brought together an impressive roster of Montecito residents, UCSB alumni, and basketball enthusiasts. Hosted by Montecito resident and UCSB alumnus Mike Stewart, the gathering included Bob Duggan, CEO of Summit Therapeutics; Jeff Henley, vice chairman of Oracle; Marc Stad, owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves; entertainment executive Rick Rosen; and Nick Swimmer, among others. For Pasternack, it was a remarkable collection of talent and influence, all united by their enthusiasm for a young man who had taken the Gauchos to the national stage. Mitchell’s journey is particularly impressive given the current landscape of college basketball. With the transfer

“I am in no way interested in immortality, but only in the taste of tea.” – Lu T’ung

Courtside Page 474 474

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Letters to the Editor

The Paris Protests: “More Manuals, Less Emmanuel”

t’s 1:30 pm in Paris, I stand on the sidewalk in the 3rd arrondissement, an area known for its trendy cafés and fashion week pop-ups. There’s an electricity in the air today, a feeling of anticipation. For the past two weeks, people have been organizing protests for today, October 17th. In September, high school students around the country began to protest the conditions in their schools. A lack of desks and chairs, a lack of heating in the winter and fans in the summer heatwaves, a lack of staff, and a lack of working bathrooms are just some of the complaints that have been made by students and faculty. Since September, the movement has expanded beyond deteriorating school conditions to reflect widespread anger over France’s rising cost of living. October 17th was chosen as the date of mass protest for a specific reason – On October 17th, 1961, hundreds of Algerians were killed by Paris police during a peaceful protest against a daily curfew imposed on them.

Today, some stores are exceptionally closed, and the ATMs on the street have been covered. It is now 1:45 pm and the street is alive with a stream of protesters marching towards Place de la République, the usual gathering place for protests in Paris. A large group from an art school passes by, clad in cardboard Greek military helmets with a giant Trojan horse float (this group would have fit in perfectly at the SB solstice parade). The crowd breaks out into song, singing happy birthday in French before chanting “ACAB.” Two young girls run past me, clutching a clarinet and a trumpet. A few minutes later I see them again, this time they are playing their instruments alongside an entire marching band. Across the street, another girl is spray painting a caricature of current French president Emmanuel Macron on an electricity box. Honestly – it’s a good vibe, it feels hopeful yet angry. I’m not the only spectator watching from the sidewalk; there are plenty of people going about

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their daily business, including families with small children and tourists. A bike whizzes by, its rider wearing a French flag as a cape. Watching the procession of protestors, I realize that its participants are people of all ages: old ladies hunched over, high schoolers, nurses in their scrubs, cancer patients, teachers, train conductors, and plenty clad in hi-vis yellow vests (aka les Gilets jaune). Gen Z culture is deeply intertwined in the protest, shaping its energy. I see teens in Spiderman masks, and others waving flags with the skull-and-crossbones pirate logo of the anime series One Piece. One guy is wearing a pink unicorn onesie with a keffiyeh. Of course, there are plenty of signs with internet memes on them, such as “Generation 67 refait mai 68,” referencing the nonsensical “six-seven” meme as well as the May 1968 student revolt in France. Police vans roll by in their dozens and the group of high schoolers huddled beside me on the sidewalk begins to sing the empire’s song from Star Wars. Although there is a strong dislike for the police, there is a deep respect for firefighters, and each time a fire truck needs to pass, the crowd quickly parts to make way, and even offers applause for the firemen. I’ve never seen a protest this big, it feels

like there are protesters on almost every street I pass. My boyfriend, GoPro in hand, nudges me, asking if we can go see whatever is unfolding at Place De La République. I nervously agree and we continue walking. We are nearly a street away when suddenly tear gas stings my nostrils and eyes. Police vans are blocking the road and police officers in full riot gear yell at people to turn around and go the way they came. To my right, a boy with down syndrome is sitting on the sidewalk, rubbing his eyes as his father comforts him. This is where we decide to turn around and walk home, invigorated and hoping for positive change. Sofia Fouroohi-Martin

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Neighborhood Watch (Continued from 5) “They’re like the farmers in our fields,” she says, describing how whales enhance the productivity of the ocean. The significance becomes clearer when considering the devastation of commercial whaling. Lohuis points out that more than 800,000 whales were killed worldwide during the 1960s alone, removing an extraordinary amount of biological activity from marine ecosystems. Blue whales were driven to a fraction of their historical numbers, while other species suffered similarly catastrophic declines. Their recovery represents one of conservation’s great achievements, although the challenges have changed considerably since the heyday of industrial whaling. Today, warming waters are altering where whales find food, while commercial shipping brings the hazards of underwater noise and vessel strikes. The Whale Heritage Area recently premiered Whales in a Changing Ocean, a 30-minute documentary produced by Adam Ernster examining how changing ocean conditions affect blue, gray, and humpback whales in the Channel. Lohuis hopes the film will help audiences understand that even an animal weighing 100 tons remains dependent on the smallest organisms in the sea. And that protecting these relationships requires looking well beyond the Channel Islands.

Following the Money For Allie Butkiewicz, Director of Major Gifts at ClientEarth USA, the connection between Santa Barbara and the wider Pacific became particularly clear through an environmental dispute hundreds of miles south. In Mexico’s Gulf of California, the proposed Saguaro Energia liquefied natural gas project has attracted opposition from environmental organizations concerned about its potential effects on marine biodiversity, local communities, and migrating whales. The project involves transporting natural gas from the United States to a proposed export terminal on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Environmental advocates argue that the associated industrial infrastructure, vessel traffic, and underwater noise could threaten sensitive marine habitats. ClientEarth USA has approached the controversy from an interesting direction. Rather than concentrating exclusively on environmental regulations, its attorneys are examining the financial relationships that could make the project possible. Their question is straightforward. Even setting aside the ecological concerns, does financing the project make good business sense? In a March 2025 letter to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, ClientEarth USA urged the bank to reconsider its involvement with the project, citing litigation, financial uncertainty, biodiversity concerns, and potential reputational risks. The letter outlined lawsuits challenging aspects of the project’s permitting and infrastructure, while questioning whether the investment aligns with the bank’s publicly stated environmental commitments. These are ClientEarth USA’s legal and financial arguments, rather than judicial findings against the bank. For Butkiewicz, the approach illustrates how different organizations can contribute their particular expertise to a shared environmental concern. “It’s really key that all these organizations work together,” she says. ClientEarth USA, a separate nonprofit within the international ClientEarth network, specializes in corporate accountability, using legal and financial arguments to challenge business practices it considers harmful to people and the planet. And its connection to Santa Barbara goes back further than one might expect. Butkiewicz recounts that founder James Thornton conceived the organization’s name while walking along Santa Barbara’s beaches with his husband. The area has remained personally meaningful to the organization, inspiring Butkiewicz to develop relationships with local environmental advocates rather than simply arrive with another fundraising pitch. Those relationships eventually brought her together with Lohuis and the Redford Center, creating the foundation for the November 12 panel.

Three Ways to Make Waves The evening brings together four speakers representing three complementary approaches to conservation. Lohuis will provide the scientific perspective, drawing on her experience with the Santa Barbara Channel and marine life around the world. Joining her is Joel Reynolds, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council whose decades of work include campaigns protecting gray whales in Baja California and addressing ocean noise pollution.

26 Montecito JOURNAL

Neighborhood Watch Page 414 414

Some Assembly Required Judi Weisbart Takes on the World at Art & Soul

World Series opens Thursday, November 12, with a public reception from 5 to 7 pm at Art & Soul Gallery

by Zach Rosen

he world is a complicated place. Wars, environmental crises, inequality, political divisions. (Please tell me you voted this past Tuesday…) There are days when the whole thing seems to be coming apart at the seams. Judi Weisbart has decided to put a few pieces together. On November 12, the Santa Barbara artist will unveil World Series at Art & Soul Gallery, an exhibition of 15 assemblage sculptures exploring the issues that shape our shared existence. Using familiar objects, unexpected combinations, and a healthy dose of symbolism, Weisbart transforms some of humanity’s largest problems into works of art that can be examined from every angle. The problems themselves remain considerably harder to solve. But sometimes, figuring out how the pieces fit together is a good place to start. Weisbart began developing the sculptures in the 1990s, confronting subjects ranging from poverty and human rights to environmental preservation, conflict, and social justice. Nearly three decades later, the works have lost remarkably little of their relevance. One might have hoped humanity would have made a little more progress by now. Rather than offering easy answers, Weisbart uses assemblage, the artistic practice of bringing disparate objects together, to make complex concerns tangible. Familiar materials acquire unfamiliar meanings, inviting viewers to reconsider subjects they may have encountered a thousand times in the headlines. “Art is one of the ways we speak to each other about the issues for which we feel passionate concern. It is our universal language,” Weisbart says. And she has quite a lot to say. The exhibition’s 15 sculptures each address a different global challenge, but their underlying message is shared. Whatever our differences in geography, culture, or circumstance, we inhabit the same planet. Its problems have a habit of crossing borders, regardless of how carefully those borders are drawn. Weisbart is also making sure the conversation extends beyond the gallery. Each sculpture has been paired with a nonprofit organization whose work connects to its subject matter. The participating groups represent a cross-section of Santa Barbara’s community, including

“There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life.” – Lin Yutang

CALM, Women’s Economic Ventures, Community Environmental Council, New Beginnings, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Direct Relief, and Lotusland. Montecito Journal is also among the 15 participating organizations, alongside Legal Aid, Planned Parenthood, Santa Barbara Zoo, the Anti-Defamation League, United Nations Association, and the Multi Faith Harmony Coalition. A percentage of artwork sales will benefit the participating nonprofits, creating a connection between the concerns represented in the sculptures and the organizations working to address them. And Weisbart has assembled another project from the exhibition’s ideas. Birth of Reason, a 15-episode multimedia storytelling initiative developed by Weisbart and created in large part by Ciara Barnes, expands upon the sculptures through interviews, artist commentary, and personal stories. Co-produced and hosted by Belle Hahn, the series features conversations with artists, activists, educators, nonprofit leaders, and others engaged with the issues. Its Incredible Humans and Big Little Voices features bring together people working toward change and younger generations who will inherit the consequences of today’s decisions. Because while the sculptures began taking shape decades ago, the questions they raise belong just as much to the future. For Weisbart, whose artistic practice has long centered on peace, compassion, and social responsibility, the exhibition is an opportunity to turn concern into conversation, and perhaps conversation into action. “My work is for social justice, peace, compassion and beauty,” she says. “This is the focus of my life’s work.” Fifteen sculptures. Fifteen challenges. One rather complicated planet. Putting it all together may require a few extra hands. World Series opens Thursday, November 12, with a public reception from 5 to 7 pm at Art & Soul Gallery. For more information, visit artandsoulsb.com or birthofreason.com

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Entertainment (Continued from 18 18))

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lines is going to be amazing,” Jackson said. Jackson said the Doublewide Kings have taken something from each of the first three concerts in the collaboration with the symphony to up the ante in how to play in a measured way that fits with the orchestra’s rigid scores. The result should be evident throughout the night. “We were only getting two rehearsals for the symphony,” Jackson said. “It took us a couple of years to realize that just because we know the song doesn’t mean that we can sync up with the symphony who has to follow an orchestral chart. So this year, we have had three sessions with Nir in advance, just to have him listening to us play. That way he can tell us early if what we’re doing doesn’t match up with the charts and we can fix it right then.” Jackson said the band has also learned a valuable lesson. Just as the Kings get to gig with these songs as unadorned, orchestra-free rock n’ roll the rest of the year, the band recognizes the need to leave room for the symphony to exult in its own rock band-free orchestrations. “It’s fantastic to have them play with us and make the sound richer, but you also want to feature them by themselves in some sections. We’ll be doing that at least as much as last year.” Other adjustments are in the visual arena. The semi-psychedelic projections on the rear screen behind the musicians – “trippy visuals” that recalled the famed, pulsating Joshua Light Show at the legendary Fillmore West back in the day – will be created by the same guy who did the Tribe’s Brian Wilson/Beach Boys tribute last year. “It’s more immersive and cinematic,” Jackson said. And those dance-trend demonstrating go-go dancers, ubiquitous in the 60s, will gyrate in the luxury boxes closest to the stage on several of the songs for a swinging throwback look. “The show is going to be a little more rocking, a little more get up and move,” Jackson said. “So it’s really exciting to have them.” Urged to reveal another highlight of the night, Jackson mentioned a song that is slightly more obscure than the rest of the set in – spoiler alert trois – “Green-Eyed Lady,” the one-hit wonder from Sugarloaf that rose to No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 back in 1970. Jackson and the Kings engaged film and TV composer Kevin Kiner, best known for his work on Star Wars series, to arrange the song that stretches to more than six minutes in its full version. “He just turned it into almost a James Bond theme, full of horns and other instruments,” Jackson said. “It’s great.” Are you psyched up yet?

Classical Corner: Comedy, CAMA & ‘Rigoletto’ Opera Santa Barbara launches its 2026-27 season this week having settled comfortably at the Lobero, the mid-size theater that was originally known as an opera house before the 1926 Santa Barbara earthquake. The season – the 10th under the baton and leadership of Kostis Protopapas – gets underway with a perennially popular tragedy in Verdi’s Rigoletto, although OSB has transformed the setting from Italy during the Renaissance to more of a gothic Victorian horror story, running November 6-10, just a week after State Street Ballet’s Dracula plumbed that genre. New this season is a third performance on Tuesday evenings to augment OSB’s traditional Friday night and Sunday afternoon shows. That’s also the schedule for another time-tested comic tale in Rossini’s Barber of Seville, which performs February 19-23 before the season closes with the compa- Find Humor & Harmony on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at ny’s latest production, Craig Bohmler MAW’s next Mariposa Series (courtesy photo) and Steven Mark Kohn’s contemporary American opera Riders of the Purple Sage, which is based on Zane Grey’s Western novel and debuted less than a decade ago. Sage is set for shows on April 23 & 25. Visit https://operasb.org

The Canellakis‑Brown Duo visit Hahn Hall in the second installment of the Music Academy of the West’s Mariposa Concert Series on Tuesday, November 10.

Entertainment Page 364 364

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“Tea is a religion of the art of life.” – Kakuzō Okakura

5 – 12 November 2026

Min Jin Lee American Hagwon

Terrace Martin

Thu, Nov 12 / 7:30 PM / Campbell Hall

Fri, Nov 6 / 7:30 PM / Campbell Hall

“Lee’s gift is her ability to write sweeping, magisterial books that take on ponderous political themes… and to make their unhurried quiet intrigues read like thrillers.” The New Yorker

“One of the most talented, accomplished and respected musicians in hip-hop and jazz.” NPR

Les Arts Florissants

Doug Varone and Dancers

The Magic of Monteverdi

William Christie and Paul Agnew, Directors

Sat, Nov 14 / 2 PM & 7 PM / Lobero Theatre “Varone’s ability to convey depths of emotion through highly charged, physically exciting choreography has made him a rarity among his generation.” The New York Times

Visit our website to view the full 2026-2027 lineup 5 – 12 November 2026

Sun, Nov 15 / 4 PM / Lobero Theatre “Astonishingly beautiful… wonderful sensuousness of tone and rhythmic precision.” The Guardian (U.K.)

(805) 893-3535 | www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu Lobero event tickets can also be purchased at www.Lobero.org

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Westmont (Continued from 12 12))

Giving List (Continued from 16 16))

Local community members found the practical, hands-on approach both refreshing and immediately applicable. Jeff Atlas, representing Ocean Hills Covenant Church, highlighted how the workshop expanded his perspective on being flexible through difficult dynamics. “I’m always interested in learning to be a more effective leader and communicator in all the areas that I touch,” he said. “Being an adaptive facilitator depends on the situation. When it gets to crisis mode, it definitely changes, and it’s important to be aware of that ability to pivot the style that you were using.” For small business owners Adam and Katie Schuette, who have run a wedding planning company together since 2008, the morning felt like an invigorating return to the classroom. “This kind of discussion is refreshing to me,” Adam Schuette said. “How do you grow the next generation, and move forward in every conversation?” Katie Schuette noted how Waisanen’s insights on leadership status and authority hit home. “We need to get out of our defaults,” she observed. “My default is that of leadership or a CEO position, and it was helpful to realize that you can shift into a more equitable position with people on your team without losing that authority overall.” Following the morning sessions, participants gathered over a complimentary lunch to continue discussing

how to bring these collaborative tools back to their own teams, boardrooms and congregations. The first improv-science journey, Unscripted Voyages, comes to the SB Maritime Museum on November 7 (courtesy photo)

Knuckleball Family Journey Hits Montecito It flutters, it darts, and it defies the laws of physics. Now, the rarest throw in sports takes center stage as award-winning journalist Brian Gaffney visits Tecolote Book Shop on Saturday,

Westmont Page 444 444

School of Hard Knucks (courtesy photo)

Ben Gaffney pitching at Westmont (courtesy photo)

Distinguished Speaker series into other artistic fields. “We can use world class artists to help explore and interpret the stories of the museum, not just with actors, but also artists, sculptors and photographers.” It’s all just an innovative way to bring more people into SBMM’s sphere, where they can view fascinating seafaring exhibits with strong local ties, and learn about the museum’s enviable education programs, which number more than a dozen and span from age 2 to adults. Every year, nearly 5,000 students are introduced to the sea via handson offerings that include trips on the Mystic Whaler tall ship, excursions to tide pools, and, more recently, trips on the Lil’ Toot ferry as part of the Meet the Harbor Seal curriculum for first graders. “They come to the museum to learn about the seals, get a children’s book that we created and then go out on Lil’ Toot and meet the harbor seal up close,” Noble said. “We’ve also started doing some adult hikes and expeditions led by naturalists. So we really do have educational programs for all ages where people can learn about the Blue Economy, and how important the oceans are to our future.” Unscripted Voyages’ marine education is made even more memorable by scientific fact-based, spontaneously invented songs and stories. And laughter.

see some home video footage of whales as well as hear about the research and programs they’re all working on.” What could be relatively, ahem, dry information will then be turned into comedic scenes by six highly-experienced improv actors, with scheduled performers including Edi Patterson, Dan O’Connor, Stephen Kearin, Kari Coleman, Ryan Smith, and Lisa Fredrickson. Their collective credits run from HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones, to 30 years as founder of Impro Theatre, guest shots on Seinfeld, voice roles in Kung Fu Panda, writing and producing for Fox’s MADtv, and co-creating the upcoming Sketch Box. “Most people have never seen a show like this,” Noble said. “It’s really a very memorable evening. The songs and stories will linger long after the lights go down, just like with IMPROVology, when people would stop me at Trader Joe’s to remind me of moments they loved from months before. It’s really remarkable.” With future Unscripted Voyages shows, Noble plans to expand the field beyond the scope of the Zoo’s IMPROVology. “We can have biologists and scientists, of course, but also sailors and navigators,” he said. “The ocean has many more stories that can be told.” The intention is also to broaden the Maritime Museum’s already popular

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5 – 12 November 2026

2026

DESIGN AWARDS GALA Recognizing Excellence in Archicture

A DISTINGUISHED CELEBRATION OF ARCHITECTURAL ACHIEVEMENT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2026 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM | CABRILLO PAVILLION Celebrate architectural excellence at Santa Barbara’s annual Design Awards, honoring outstanding projects by local and regional licensed architects. Awards span residential, commercial buildings, mixed-use, conservation, Santa Barbara heritage, interior architecture, small projects, and proposed/unbuilt projects. Sponsorship opportunities available.

For tickets & information: aiasb.com | 805.966.4198 | info@aiasb.com

5 – 12 November 2026

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Montecito JOURNAL

‘Ragtime’ at Rubicon

Young Performer Bringing History to Life by Dalina Michaels

t just 13 years old, Chance Challen is already a seasoned performer, and he is once again bringing his talents to the stage in Rubicon Theatre Company’s production of Ragtime in Ventura. In this powerful musical set at the turn of the 20th century, Challen takes on the role of a young boy living in a time of tremendous change, opportunity, and uncertainty. For Challen, this role is an opportunity to do more than perform in a celebrated musical. It is a chance to step into another era, explore a different world, and help tell a story that continues to resonate with audiences today. Challen explains: “Ragtime is a musical set in early 1900s that tells a story that has taught me more about the world than any other show I have been a part of. I will never forget this story and this music – something emotional happens when you see this show and it doesn’t leave you.” Performing onstage at 13 is an impressive accomplishment, and Challen’s participation in Ragtime highlights the dedication and skill required of young performers working alongside a professional theatrical company. Bringing a character from the early 1900s to life calls for more than learning lines and songs. It requires imagination, emotional awareness, and the ability to connect with an audience across generations. Challen shares: “I feel that pre-teenage boys of the past and today are very much the same but the specifics of their lives are different. For example, in the show, we talk about new technologies like moving pictures and electricity. These are just as exciting as the new technologies of the modern-day world. There are also a lot of changes in the world with regards to immigrants and racism; my character is part of the hopefulness that this show has despite a lot of the injustice that is presented. At its heart, Ragtime is a story about dreams, belonging, family, and the pursuit of a brighter future. Its themes remain relevant today, reminding audiences how individual lives intersect with the larger events shaping society. And the score is incredible! Says Challen: “The music is unforgettable not only because it is so powerful but also because the songs themselves are part of the story telling.” Rubicon Theatre Company’s production offers local audiences the opportunity to experience this remarkable musical live, with performers bringing its memorable characters and powerful story to life. The presence of young talent like Challen adds another meaningful dimension to the production, demonstrating how theater connects generations of performers and audiences alike. For Challen, who just returned from a year-long tour of the musical Mrs. Doubtfire, it’s a chance to perform in front of a home-town crowd: “I live in Santa Barbara, so performing at the Rubicon is great because it is so close to home. I get to see my family and pets and it’s only a 30-minute drive away!” Challen was also in Rubicon’s production of Bonnie & Clyde two years ago, so local

Join Challen at the Rubicon for the production of Ragtime (courtesy photo)

audiences may remember seeing him in that show as well! Whether you are a longtime musical theater enthusiast, a supporter of emerging young talent, or simply looking for an unforgettable live theater experience, Ragtime promises an evening filled with music, emotion, and thought-provoking storytelling. Challen agrees: “Ragtime is a magnificent show and the way our production team has made the intimate space at the Rubicon Theater adapt to this grandness makes you feel so close to what is happening onstage. It is a unique way to experience Ragtime!” Ragtime also marks a major milestone for the Rubicon: for those who have been part of the theatrical community in Santa Barbara and Ventura, Ragtime is the swan song for the original founders of the Rubicon, Karyl Lynn Burns Dalina Michaels is a and James O’Neil. The two founded former television news Rubicon in 1998 and have overseen producer and writer. She nearly 200 productions for the compais a Montecito native and ny. Ragtime marks the final production graduated Westmont for Karyl Lynn as she is stepping down College with a degree in after this show. We wish them well! Communication Studies and Theatre Arts.

Ragtime runs at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura till Sunday, November 15th. Tickets are available at: https://rubicontheatre.org

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“Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things.” – Chaim Potok

5 – 12 November 2026

News Bytes

Laykin et Cie Opens Montecito Salon by MJ Staff

little sparkle is coming to Montecito Village as Laykin et Cie, the historic fine jewelry house established in 1932, celebrates the grand opening of its first freestanding Montecito salon on Saturday, November 7, from 5-8 pm. Hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Erik Laykin, the evening marks a new chapter for the jeweler, which has spent nearly four years welcoming clients at the Rosewood Miramar Beach. The new location at 1482 East Valley Road gives Laykin et Cie a dedicated home in the heart of Montecito Village, continuing its commitment to the community and its tradition of precious jewels and personal service. The grand opening promises an evening of elegance, with cocktails, champagne, and hors d’oeuvres served as guests explore the new salon. Attendees are encouraged to dress in festive holiday cocktail attire, offering an early opportunity to break out a little seasonal sparkle. Complimentary parking will be available.

Citizens of the Year Dana Hansen and Michael Edwards. Young artists will join the celebration with an Upper Village window exhibition themed “Our Village, Our Home.”

More Go-Bags for Montecito The Montecito Community Foundation is helping residents prepare for the unexpected by funding an additional 100 emergency evacuation go-bags for the Montecito Fire Department. Fire Chief Brian Fallon says the bags are similar to those firefighters keep packed and ready for emergency deployments. Each contains essential supplies, including emergency food, a flashlight, first aid kit, safety goggles, N95 mask, and survival blanket. The complimentary bags provide a starting point for evacuation preparedness, with residents encouraged to add medications, important documents, and personal necessities.

Available while supplies last, one bag per household, and can be requested at montecitofire.com/evacuation-go-bags

Don’t Miss Beautification Day

Building Bridges Through Art

Grab your gloves and a little neighborhood pride! The Montecito Association invites residents to its annual Beautification Day on Saturday, November 7, continuing a community tradition spanning more than four decades. Volunteers can check in beginning at 9 am outside Tecolote Book Shop in the Upper Village, where they’ll receive cleanup supplies, T-shirts, and breakfast courtesy of Rosewood Miramar. This year introduces the District Challenge, pitting Montecito’s six districts against one another to see which can collect the most litter. Volunteers can also help spruce up the Hammonds Beach Trail with the Montecito Trails Foundation. Following the cleanup, participants will gather for live music, awards, and lunch prepared by Montecito firefighters. The festivities will also honor

Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges and his wife, Susan, are bringing a new creative destination to downtown Santa Barbara. Bridges Gallery, directed by their daughter Jessie Bridges, opens December 3 at 1309 State Street, transforming the former Tamsen Gallery into a space for art exhibitions, live performances, film screenings, and creative conversations. The family venture grew from Jeff and Susan’s photography exhibitions at the location, inspiring them to establish a permanent artistic home. The inaugural exhibition, Take It to The Bridge, explores bridges both literally and metaphorically through photography, painting, collage, and film. Featured artists include Richard Misrach, Spider Martin, Lou Beach, and the Bridges themselves. The gallery celebrates a family philosophy passed down from Jeff ’s

father, Lloyd Bridges, that “we’re all in this together.” The public is invited to the grand opening during 1st Thursday, December 3, from 5-8 pm. Visit bridgesgallery.com for details

‘Bunny Mellon Style’ Bryan Huffman and Thomas Lloyd, authors of the book, Bunny Mellon Style are making a Montecito stop on their book tour. They are speaking and signing their book at Emily Joubert, on November 11, 11 am to 1 pm. Free to the public. Lloyd is Bunny’s grandson, and president of the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation. Huffman is a Charlotte North Carolina residential Interior Designer with clients up and down the East Coast and westward into Texas. He was a personal friend of Bunny Mellon and provides firsthand insight into her houses, gardens, and style.

El Encanto’s Culinary Series This upcoming Saturday, November 14, at 6:30 pm, the El Encanto Hotel’s Culinary Series features 30-year Los Angeles Chef and Restauranteur Josiah Citrin. Chef Citrin is affiliated with the two-Michelin-star Mélisse

Bunny Mellon Style authors Thomas Lloyd and Bryan Huffman (courtesy photo)

Restaurant, the one-Michelin-star Citrin Restaurant, and several of L.A.’s most celebrated restaurants. He is partnering with El Encanto Executive Chef Joel Viehland on a collaborative menu served in the resort’s hillside Dining Room and Terrace overlooking the Pacific. 411: www.elencanto.com/stay

Built for years, not seasons Who’s ready? Come and see what’s new!

This crew is ready to clean! (courtesy photo)

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5 – 12 November 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Ghost Village Road 30th Annual Gathering of Ghouls & More Along CVR

story and photos by Joanne A Calitri

t was the perfect dark and dreary Halloween day as the clouds and rain drifted into our town by late afternoon, ah yes, just as the 30th Annual Ghost Village Road began. On cue, thousands of trick-or-treaters stormed Coast Village Road, a tradition that is, indeed, every year more popular than the last. I’m obliged to describe Montecito as the confirmed Halloween celebration destination, as I overheard peeps saying they came “up to the event from Topanga Canyon.” This yearly pilgrimage of outof-towners is certainly not to do with any celebrity quotient, except that Katy Perry did publicly go on record to say she is devoting this Halloween to her daughter and was herself seen on CVR in an allwhite cat suit with a white wig. Amidst the ballerinas and witches stalked many fierce monsters and Harry Potters; along with a werewolf two sto-

34 Montecito JOURNAL

ries in height and bevies of fairy princesses. It seemed dogs in costumes had their day as well, but all manner of pets were seriously outdone by the youngster with a see-through plastic backpack filled with eight LIVE birds – hot and fluttering and cooped up in there. What are people thinking about that one? By 4:30 pm, babies were crying in their fancy carriages or literally sound asleep, whilst parents continued the jaunt till every child’s bag overflowed with the generosity of the CVR businesses. Here’s to the team at Lucky’s Restaurant who always gathers for my photo ops, and to Richie’s Barber Shop, Lion’s Tale, Sotheby’s Realty, Village Properties, Berkshire Hathaway, American Bank, Jeannine’s Bakery & the Montecito Association, Lilac Montecito, all the businesses and all of you! Photos do tell the story…!

5 – 12 November 2026

FREE copies of Sea Change will be available while supplies last (pick up at event, one per household)

Sankai Juku

Rana Foroohar

TOTEM: Void and Height

Sea Change: America’s New Great Game in the Arctic Circle Thu, Nov 19 / 7:30 PM / Campbell Hall “Rana Foroohar has an uncanny ability to sense seismic shifts in economics and politics before the rest of us.” – Evan Osnos, The New Yorker staff writer

Direction, Choreography and Design by Ushio Amagatsu

Fri, Nov 20 / 7:30 PM / Granada Theatre Unfolding through acclaimed Butoh company Sankai Juku’s signature blend of sculptural movement, visual precision and hypnotic stillness, TOTEM stands as the culminating statement of one of contemporary dance’s most influential visionaries.

Hilary Hahn, violin Matthias Goerne, baritone Gloria Chien, piano Wed, Dec 2 / 7 PM / Granada Theatre Program includes: Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, (“Spring”) Beethoven: Three selected songs Beethoven: An die ferne Geliebte, op. 98 Reena Esmail: Wir (A&L co-commission) J.S. Bach: “Hier in meines Vaters Stätte,” BWV 32 J.S. Bach: “Der Friede sei mit Dir,” BWV 158

Visit our website to view the full 2026-2027 lineup 5 – 12 November 2026

“Nothing [Hahn] does is for show. Technique, feelings, heart and mind are intuitively fused.” The Times (U.K.)

“Today’s leading interpreter of German art songs.” Chicago Tribune

“A wondrously rich palette of colors, which she mixes with dashing bravado and with an uncanny precision of calibration.” The Boston Globe

(805) 893-3535 | www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu Granada event tickets can also be purchased at: (805) 899-2222 | www.GranadaSB.org

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Entertainment (Continued from 28 28))

Open Spaces (Continued from 20 20))

Cellist and filmmaker Nicholas Canellakis, a 2001 alumnus of MAW back when Hahn was still Abravanel Hall, teams with pianist‑composer Michael Stephen Brown for a program called Humor & Harmony that features chamber music, comedy, and Canellakis’ short film My New Cello. Works by Chopin, Brahms, Saint‑Saëns, Gershwin, and originals (plus lots of nourishing banter) are on the slate. Visit www.musicacademy.org/mariposa

CAMA commences its 108th concert season with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the New York ensemble that was one of the first – dating back more than half a century – to play without a conductor; fostering the collaborative philosophy that involves deep listening between musicians and applying chamber-music instincts to the orchestral stage. Long considered one of the world’s premier chamber orchestras, the Orpheus will be joined by British pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason – herself no stranger to Santa Barbara – to perform Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595.” The program will also feature the Southern California premiere of Katie Jenkins’ “Elixir of Life,” which was co‑commissioned by Orpheus. Also on the bill: Selections from Handel’s “Water Music,” and Haydn’s “Symphony No. 91 in E-flat Major.”

Visit www.camasb.org

Focus on Film First some reminders of the film festivals taking place this weekend, which include NatureTrack’s truncated offering on November 5 at the Alcazar Theatre in Carpinteria, and the second annual Wild & Free fest that expands beyond Goleta’s screens to a gala event at the Bacara, and a special outdoor walking panel, among other special offerings November 6-8. Also, the Ojai Film Festival, with its new artistic and executive team, has its final four days November 5-8, with highlights including a 50th anniversary screening of Taxi Driver with Director Paul Schrader on hand for a Q&A and to receive the inaugural Ojai Film Festival Storyteller Award on Saturday afternoon, and The Santa Barbara Surf Film Festival then back at the theater in the evening for his makes a splash in town from Nov. 12-14 latest effort, The Basics of Philosophy. (courtesy photo) Next up: The Santa Barbara Surf Film Festival, which opens its sixth annual event with a return to its original venue of the Arlington Theatre on November 12, when Santa Barbara native Tom Curren, the surfing pioneer who has appeared in more than 100 surf films and has been inducted into the Surfers Hall of Fame. The program also features screenings of several short films from local filmmakers and the world premiere of kelp forest warning shot Harvest to Heal with a Q&A, before the focus shifts to the Funk Zone for community screenings and events November 13-14.

An 1887 ad for Naples says it is “Not a Paper Town”; unfortunately for the Williams, it was… (courtesy photo)

As of September 2026, $65 million dollars for the acquisition of Naples/ SBR have already been secured. What remains to be raised is funding to cover the costs of unraveling the complicated legal status, moving forward as a legal entity, and for the creation of the preserve itself. That figure is $16 million dollars. Wild America Fund is adding its expertise in negotiating the legal steps required. At this point, the Trust also needs help from the public. Conserving Naples/SBR would remove the possibility of residential development from this extraordinary coast once and for all,” says Land Trust Executive Meredith Hendricks. “The opportunity to help protect such a special place is one we simply cannot miss and will ensure that one of California’s most remarkable coastal landscapes remains open, connect ed, and protected forever.

Goleta 1997 with a few fields still under cultivation (courtesy of UCSB aerial photo collection)

For additional information and how to donate go to the following links visit www.sblandtrust.org/savenaplescampaign The following link to a 4-minute instagram explains it all: Instagram.com/reel/De25x8Nh18U/

Hattie Beresford has been writing a local history column for the Montecito Journal for more than a decade and is the author of several books on Santa Barbara’s historic past

Visit www.santabarbarasurffilmfestival.com

SBIFF Announces Virtuosos Add an octet of actors to the already posted list of honorees at the 2027 SBIFF, which takes place in early February. One of the best events at the fest, the Virtuoso Awards recognize up-and-coming or otherwise standout performances of the year, this time featuring Anthony Ippolito of I Play Rocky; Carrie Coon of The Liberation; Jaafar Jackson who stars in Michael; Jordan Firstman of Club Kid; Inde Navarrette from Obsession; Kate O’Flynn of Tender Loving Care, Mariana di Girolamo of Oscar fave Wild Horse Nine, and Rosalind Eleazar from Misty Green. Expect Oscar nominations for at least a few of them.

Creative Revolution Comes to Carrillo Rec Santa Barbara Birth Center has an unusual benefit event on Saturday, November 7, with the Creative Revolution Tour stopping at Carrillo Recreation Center, where artist Flora Bowley leads a day for people to “Make things with your hands, move your body, share, laugh, and simply enjoy being in a room full of humans doing human things.” It’s the final stop of Bowley’s first-ever tour, visiting six cities spanning 7,500 miles. “In a culture that often values consumption over creation and division over connection, this is our soulful rebellion,” she says on her website. “For one full, sacred, joyful day, we’ll put down our phones, pick up art supplies, let go of perfection, and remember how good it feels to embrace the tender, honest, beautiful parts of being alive... together. No art skills required.”

Visit https://florabowley.com/retreats/creative-revolution-tour-santa-barbara

36 Montecito JOURNAL

Goleta was a landscape of farms in 1929 (courtesy of UCSB aerial photo collection)

“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.” – Bill Watterson

5 – 12 November 2026

FROM LOCAL WATERS TO GLOBAL CHANGE: PROTECTING OUR OCEAN AND PLANET NOVEMBER 12 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

SANTA BARBARA MARITIME MUSEUM AT 113 HARBOR WAY, SUITE 190 Join us on Thursday, November 12th, for an evening with The Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area, ClientEarth USA and The Redford Center. Enjoy a thought-provoking panel exploring the health of our oceans and hear how our panelists are working to protect and advocate for marine life. The Redford Center will be showing an exclusive segment from the film A Life Illuminated, and the Whale Heritage Area Foundation will also screen a clip from their new film Whales in a Changing Ocean. After the panel, join us for a sunset reception with light bites, drinks and live music outside of the museum overlooking the harbor. PLEASE RSVP BY NOVEMBER 6TH TICKETS: $10 FOR SBMM MEMBERS AND $15 FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC. FOR RESERVATIONS, EMAIL RESERVATIONS@SBMM.ORG, OR CALL (805) 456-8750 OR:

PRESENTERS INCLUDE:

Joel Reynolds is a senior attorney and strategist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, where he has served since 1990. A Columbia Law School graduate, he led campaigns protecting Baja California’s gray whales, opposing Alaska’s Pebble Mine, and combating ocean noise pollution. Twice named California Attorney of the Year, he won a 2017 Emmy for the documentary Sonic Sea.

5 – 12 November 2026

Holly S. Lohuis is a marine biologist, marine educator, and naturalist based in Santa Barbara. She serves as Co-Director of the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area and works with organizations including Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, and Island Packers, the boat concessionaire for Channel Islands National Park.

Danielle Lackey is Executive Director of ClientEarth Americas, leading environmental legal strategies and operations. Previously, she served as Chief Legal Officer of a leading technology company, practiced white-collar litigation, and founded a legal services company. She also worked with NRDC opposing mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay. She graduated with distinction from Stanford Law School and Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University.

• Voice of theVillage •

Jill Tidman is Executive Director of The Redford Center, founded by Robert and James Redford in 2005. An environmental activist and filmmaker with 25 years of experience, she has led the organization since 2012, producing three award-winning documentaries and impact campaigns. Previously, she worked with Business for Social Responsibility, The Natural Step, and Global Footprint Network, advancing environmental conservation through storytelling.

Montecito JOURNAL

In Her Element

A Matter of Taste

Corinna Maharani Celebrates 25 Years of Ayurveda

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Welcomes Fall’s Flavors

by Zach Rosen There will be plenty of fall flavors including drinks and small bites (photo by Baron Spafford)

arth, water, fire, air, and space. According to Ayurveda, these five elements make up the world around us and, rather conveniently, the world within us. Some days, of course, one suspects the proportions are a little off. On November 5, Ayurvedic practitioner Corinna Maharani will invite Santa Barbarans to get reacquainted with their elemental selves during Vedic Vibe, an interactive evening at SBCAST for the city’s 1st Thursday Art Walk. There will be fire rituals, herbal concoctions, sensory explorations, and opportunities to discover what your body might have been trying to tell you all along. After 25 years of practicing Ayurveda in Santa Barbara, Maharani has learned a thing or two about listening. Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine, approaches health through the relationship between the body, mind, senses, and natural world. Its roots reach back thousands of years, although Maharani has spent much of her career finding ways to make that ancient knowledge accessible to contemporary life. Her own education included more than two decades of direct study with the late Vaidya R.K. Mishra, a teacher of the Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda lineage. What began as a local clinical practice in Santa Barbara has since grown into Maharani Ayurveda & Academy, with students and practitioners extending well beyond the Central Coast. The academy, established in 2017, offers professional training in traditional Ayurvedic practices, including PanchaKarma, Marma Therapy, and Maharani’s signature Ayurvedic Sacred Bodywork. Twenty-five years later, the student has become the teacher. And this Thursday, the classroom is getting considerably larger. Vedic Vibe will turn SBCAST into a playground for the senses, with interactive stations exploring the five elements and their corresponding sensory experiences. Fire, for example, relates to sight. Guests can investigate this connection through a ghee-gazing station, while Earth gets a decidedly tastier treatment with herbal tea blending and hands-on experiences such as warm stone self-massage. Space, associated with hearing, will be explored through a pathway of trees and sound.

38 Montecito JOURNAL

by Zach Rosen Corinna Maharani hosts Vedic Vibe this Thursday, November 5, from 5 to 8 pm at SBCAST (photo by B.Willing Photography)

Artistic projections will bring additional natural imagery to the building, from microscopic bacteria and algae to oceans, winds, and forests. Mother Nature, apparently, has quite the multimedia department. The evening begins at 5 pm with Agnihotra, a traditional fire ritual performed at sunset. Around 6 pm, Maharani will offer a brief introduction to Ayurveda and the elements, including ways to explore their presence through one’s own pulse. Visitors can also stop by the academy’s anniversary table for quizzes and mini consultations to learn about their Ayurvedic body types and what those classifications suggest about individual constitutions. And because an exploration of the senses would feel rather incomplete without dinner, Nimita Cuisine will offer a special Diwali-inspired feast for purchase, drawing inspiration from India’s Festival of Lights. The celebration follows a series of October anniversary events, but Vedic Vibe offers a particularly fitting conclusion to Maharani’s milestone year. It brings her students, her teachings, and the wider Santa Barbara community together in an environment where curiosity is encouraged and participation is part of the experience. For Maharani, preserving Ayurveda means keeping its knowledge alive through practice, education, and the people who carry it forward. And after a quarter century, she is still finding new ways to share that knowledge. One element at a time.

Vedic Vibe takes place Thursday, November 5, from 5 to 8 pm at SBCAST. Admission is free. For information, visit maharaniacademy.com

and Seaward Brewing, while High Seas Mead brings something a little different to the fermentation conversation. Hermanas Amigas Tequila, Ventura Spirits, and other distillers will keep the spirits high, with Beacon Coffee providing an alternative for those seeking a different sort of buzz. Naturally, all that liquid education requires some sustenance. The culinary lineup includes Convivo Restaurant, Bistro Amasa, Marisella, Luna Olivo, The Nook, Hotel Californian’s The Knock, and several other regional kitchens. Convivo will even bring back its ribs, a crowd favorite from the Museum’s previous Beer Festival. A little something for the carnivores among us. The festival unfolds across the Museum’s 17-acre oak woodland campus, where guests can wander between vendors, meet the makers, and discover the stories, science, and regional traditions behind their favorite flavors. It’s an opportunity to ask a winemaker about fermentation, a brewer about ingredients, or a chef about the peculiar alchemy that makes a dish memorable. And there’s a rather worthwhile reason for all this indulgence. The festival serves as a fundraiser for the Museum and Sea Center, with 100% of net proceeds supporting science and nature education programs. Those funds help cultivate curiosity in the next generation of scientists, naturalists, and environmental stewards. General admission is $125, with festivities running from 2 to 5 pm. Earlyentry tickets are $165 and allow guests to begin exploring at 1 pm. All tastings are included in admission. So while the squirrels spend November preparing their winter provisions, Santa Barbarans have another way to celebrate the season’s abundance. After all, some of the best things growing on the family tree are meant to be shared.

utumn is a season of considerable appetite. Squirrels are gathering acorns, bears are preparing for hibernation, and Santa Barbarans are developing a sudden interest in the finer points of fermented grapes. Nature, it seems, has its priorities. On November 7, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History will embrace this seasonal hunger with its inaugural Fall Tasting Festival, bringing together more than 40 food and beverage offerings beneath the oaks along Mission Creek. There will be wine. There will be beer. There will be spirits and seasonal delicacies. And unlike the squirrels, guests are encouraged to sample everything before deciding what to take home. Of course, the Museum is hardly a newcomer to the business of good taste. For 38 years, its Santa Barbara Wine Festival has been a beloved fixture on the local culinary calendar, bringing winemakers and enthusiasts together for an afternoon of sipping and socializing. Now that family tree is sprouting another branch. Consider the Fall Tasting Festival the Wine Festival’s younger sibling. A little cooler, considerably more autumnal, and apparently eager to explore the wider world of adult beverages. And like any younger sibling hoping to make an impression, it has invited quite a crowd. Among the winemakers are familiar regional favorites including Andrew Murray Vineyards, Bien Nacido, Brander Vineyard, Fiddlehead Cellars, Grassini Family Vineyards, Margerum Wine Company, Melville Winery, and Sandhi Wines. From the Santa Ynez Valley to the Santa Rita Hills and beyond, the lineup offers a rather delicious geography lesson in Santa Barbara County’s wine country. Beer enthusiasts can branch out with pours from Third Window Brewing, Draughtsmen Aleworks, Island Brewing,

“Coffee is a language in itself.” – Jackie Chan

For tickets and information, visit sbnature.org

5 – 12 November 2026

HOWL with Amy

DEAR HOWL, In the later part of August of this year, we brought home a 10-weekold puppy, Bruno. He is truly amazing and we are so crazy in love with him. He sleeps through the night, and we take him to his doggie door in the family room, and he goes directly out to do his business. Throughout the day he is in the family/kitchen area and uses the doggie door as needed. In mid-October he finished his shots and we started taking him out to friends houses to meet and play with their dogs. He has had at least one accident in all our friends’ homes. I don’t know why or what to do. Please HELP, confused and embarrassed

DEAR CONFUSED AND EMBARRASSED, Let me first explain that Bruno is too young to have an adult hold system which would allow him to be active and still hold his potty until he was in an appropriate place. Compounding this further, he is in a new environment. At your house he knows where his potty spot is/the dog door because he has been going there with direction for 10+ weeks. At your friends’ homes, he has no idea where to go to do his potty or how to get there. I suggest upon arriving at your friends’ homes you give him some time to potty before entering their house. Usually car rides will accelerate the need to urinate (and often poop). If Bruno does not go to the bathroom I would limit play to outdoors. If he does potty, retake him out again after 20 minutes of playtime. This is probably a good guideline to follow for quite a few months so his bladder can mature and he gets used to the routine for places other than home. Amy Peer Have something to HOWL about? Please send your dog questions to Amy at pets@montecitojournal.net

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• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Elizabeth’s Appraisals

sensibilities of a formally trained painter to traditional, handcrafted textiles. I myself own a Polish tapestry, although mine depicts a Polish mountain range rather than a quaint village. Even though these works can have an intentionally somewhat amateurish quality, they were often designed by exceptionally accomplished artists. That seemingly amateur “folk art” quality was, in fact, considered part of their charm. Piotr Grabowski subsequently became the artistic director of the Opole Cooperative and served as its president from 1991 to 2002. On 1stDibs.com, you will find mid-century modern and folk-art dealers offering tapestries by Grabowski, including examples made for export and imported into the United States by a New York firm, Cepelia, for thousands of dollars in today’s market. Cepelia was the commercial and organizational network through which Polish artist-designed art and crafts reached international markets. Its New York showroom became a gathering place for the liberal-minded lovers of folk art during the 1960s and 1970s. They even held openings accompanied by folk music! Grabowski was the respected designer, although the actual weaving was likely executed by skilled weavers in the Opole village cooperative. The title of Grabowski’s tapestry is indeed Grzebyk – Opole Houses. Grzebyk refers to a particular style of kilim weaving native to Poland. Opole is a region in southwestern Poland with a strong tradition of folk culture and artistic production. In the late 1960s, magazines such as Interiors praised Cepelia tapestries and documented the growing American appreciation for translating regional visual culture into contemporary artistic textiles. A case in point is the period’s enthusiasm for macramé! The New York showroom, located at the rather fashionable address of 5 East 57th Street, is an important part of this story. The fact that this seemingly amateurish, traditional tapestry depicting a southwestern Polish village entered that showroom places it within the broader postwar American appreciation of European craftsmanship, including furniture design, textile design, and artist-created decorative arts. I am sorry I mentioned macramé. I DID weave such a massive terracotta flower pot holder myself back in the 1980s!

Folk Art and Polish Tapestries by Elizabeth Stewart

’s daughter inherited a wall-size Polish tapestry from her grandparents, who were not Polish. B is wondering how this piece came into the hands of a non-Polish family. I can tell you, B: your daughter’s grandparents were liberal, enlightened lovers of folk culture, and probably liked Woody Guthrie, too! This tapestry, measuring 99x149 cm, is a prime example of the mid-20th-century interest in folk art of all kinds (I particularly associate this movement with the 1970s). The tapestry was likewise created in the 1970s by the classically trained artist Piotr Grabowski (born 1933). I see his name on the label on the back of the work. He graduated with honors from the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków in 1957, and that same year became a member of the Association of Polish Artists and Designers, a formidable group with a philosophy that was somewhat unusual for its time: that craft art was fine art, and fine art was also a craft. This is an important distinction, because in the United States during the mid-20th century, some enlightened, liberal-minded individuals shared precisely this philosophy. Consider the fine Danish Modern furniture of the 1960s, crafted in teak, rosewood, and walnut. Although furniture was, by definition, utilitarian, it was increasingly considered art, and knowledgeable buyers sought out pieces made by particular artists and designers, Finn Juhl being an excellent example. By the time this tapestry was created in Poland and imported to the United States, the 1970s had become an era in which

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The simple tapestry Grzebyk – Opole Houses found popularity during the ‘70s

traditional craftsmanship was beginning to receive serious recognition. This was true among many of the same collectors who purchased folk music records, including those by The Weavers. Ethnic folk dancing was appreciated by many of the same people who purchased traditional Polish tapestries in the 1970s. An object that was utilitarian or decorative, made from wool or wood, could also be considered art; snobbism was decidedly frowned upon. This was a relatively novel concept, and European importers recognized that some liberal, educated, upper-middleclass Americans were willing to pay for folk music, hand-loomed tapestries, and objects with distinctly regional, peasant-style themes. B’s daughter’s tapestry is a wonderful example: it depicts a quaint Polish village. At this time, those of us who could afford Prairie dresses, an American folk-inspired style, bought them from designers such as Jessica McClintock. In England, they bought the same sort of folksy dresses from Laura Ashley. Educated artists, such as the creator of B’s daughter’s tapestry, moved easily between painting and textile design, bringing the JAMIE KNEE PETITE WINE TRAVELER

Award-winning global wine presenter and Certified Specialist of Wine. Named Top 50 Most Influential Women in Wine. Wine Travel Awards Top Wine Influencer 2026. Montecito Journal Wine Travel Writer.

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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40 Montecito JOURNAL

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“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.” – T. S. Eliot

5 – 12 November 2026

Stories Matter

Neighborhood Watch (Continued from 26 26))

Fall Leaves, Mystery, and Intrigue by Leslie Zemeckis

‘Sleepers in the Snow’

‘Thunderbird Ranch’

alloween may be over, but Sleepers in the Snow, the latest terrifying novel from Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat, will keep the chills coming. An unnamed man moves into Kirkhill, an isolated house on the windswept North York Moors. It seems like the perfect place for peace and quiet, and as a bonus it comes fully furnished, right down to the previous occupants’ clothes, knickknacks, and old diaries. The man quickly becomes obsessed with the belongings of the previous owners, who mysteriously vanished. The man has secrets of his own. Meanwhile, the house stands in the shadow of a giant transmission tower that begins to emit mysterious voices. Objects turn up even after he gets rid of them, and ghostly figures emerge from the fog. This will scare you. It is so darn good, and Harris knows how to keep the reader engaged. Why did the man come here? Who are the people appearing out of the mist? Is the past reaching out to warn him – or threaten him?

‘Mr. Mendlebee’s Pandimensional Literary Repository & Yarn’

r. Mendlebee’s Pandimensional Literary Repository (and Yarn) by Rebecca McKee is a quirky, delightfully odd story about letting go and forgiveness. A magical bookshop draws customers who find exactly what they need among its lost or forgotten objects. What starts as a cozy read turns into something unexpected. Not everyone can see the bookstore, but it has one rule for those that do: once you visit, you may never return. When a stranger comes to town and breaks that rule, all the threads keeping the Repository together begin to unravel. 5 – 12 November 2026

Danielle Lackey, Executive Director of ClientEarth Americas, will discuss environmental advocacy through corporate law and accountability. Rounding out the panel is Jill Tidman, Executive Director of the Redford Center, the environmental storytelling organization founded by Robert and James Redford in 2005. The Redford Center will share an exclusive segment from A Life Illuminated — a film about marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder’s bioluminescent deep dive — bringing filmmaking into a conversation otherwise centered on science and legal strategy. For Butkiewicz, that combination is particularly important. Scientific research can explain what’s happening. Legal expertise can identify opportunities for intervention. Film and storytelling can help audiences develop the emotional connection that inspires them to care. Lohuis has witnessed that last element firsthand throughout her career. “We could share stories, we could share the research, but really, people just need to get out there and get their own emotional connection,” she says. Technology is making those encounters increasingly personal. Through the Happywhale platform, whale watchers can photograph the distinctive markings on a humpback’s tail and help identify individual animals, sometimes following their sightings across years and thousands of miles. On a recent Condor Express outing, Lohuis and fellow passengers encountered four humpbacks, identifying three through photographs of their tail flukes. Two already had names. Suddenly, the enormous animal disappearing beneath the surface becomes a familiar face. Or at least a familiar tail. And there are ways to help even without boarding a boat. Lohuis encourages consumers to consider how their purchases are transported, support companies participating in whale-safe shipping initiatives, volunteer with conservation organizations, and experience responsible whale watching firsthand. Ultimately, the panel aims to make ocean conservation approachable, connecting global challenges with the waters just beyond Santa Barbara’s shoreline. Because protecting the neighborhood means understanding everyone who passes through it. Even the neighbors who never stop to say hello. From Local Waters to Global Change: Protecting Our Ocean and Planet takes place Thursday, November 12, at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. Visit https://sbmm. org/santa-barbara-event/whale-panel-discussion for more information. Make an evening of it and also visit Judi Weisbart’s Art & Soul exhibition! (See the article on page 26…)

aura Griffin delivers another terrific read with Thunderbird Ranch. A Texas family harboring more than one secret gathers for a celebration at their ranch when a murder shatters the festivities. Could the killer be the bride-to-be or one of her children? Detective Kay Graham must untangle the family’s lies to uncover the truth.

‘Before I Disappear’

magine waking up in a motel with a new name, a new identity, and no idea how you got there. That’s how April’s day begins. Instead of waking in her New York apartment, the criminologist finds herself in a remote motel in Iowa under police protection. She’s told she is the key witness to an awful crime. The problem? She has no memory of it. Why has she left her home in New York? Where is her fiancé? Can she trust the cop protecting her? Nothing is as it seems. If only she could remember. Cate Quinn’s new novel Before I Disappear is a suspenseful, twisty page-turner.

‘Venus, Vanishing’

enus, Vanishing by Rebecca Birrell is for art lovers and fans of Weimarera decadence. Hannah is a young Jewish woman, a seamstress, longing to break free from her conservative family and their suffocating expectations. When her mother arranges an unwanted marriage, Hamnah packs up and sneaks out. She quickly falls in with a bohemian crowd and lifestyle much more suited to her freewheeling ways in Berlin. Hannah discovers herself as an artist, along the way experimenting with lovers Saul and Charlotte and the elegant art

• Voice of theVillage •

patron Elke. Rich storytelling about Jewish and queer life under the shadow of the ris ing Third Reich.

Leslie Zemeckis is an awardwinning documentarian, bestselling author, and actor. The creator of “Stories Matter,” co-sponsored by SBIFF, and the founder of the Santa Barbara Literary Festival.

Montecito JOURNAL

Travel Buzz

Japan Travels Part 6: Kyoto Lessons… A Day of Tea, Music and Craft by Leslie Andrea Westbrook

performer with the Nagauta Kabuki ensemble, began by explaining that the Japanese musical scale can sound foreign to Western ears. The shamisen dates back about 450 years and was later adopted by traveling blind musicians who could, he explained, “feel the music on their skin and imagine the scenery.” He played “Matsu no Midori,” a song celebrating spring, pine trees and the transformation of a young woman into a courtesan. Listening to its strange, haunting beauty in that secluded temple room, I couldn’t help but think of my father playing music (albeit of a different sort) in Kyoto nearly 80 years earlier.

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Hakumai Yamada giving a lesson on the shamisen

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Hakumai explained that the music celebrates spring, the wind blowing through the pine trees and the growth of a girl into a woman. I even wrote a little haiku on the spot for him: Firefly lights delight Pine tree-shaped geisha dances Cherry blossoms float Hakumai then demonstrated the song we would learn. We were shown how to hold the instrument and taught the fingering. After a few tries, we were playing together, accompanied by his singing. Once we had “mastered” the shamisen, Hakumai invited us to sing along to Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” I belted it out, a bit off-key but with my usual enthusiasm.

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Delicious Japanese delicacies found in a Kyoto shop

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livia – my fairy goddaughter #1, now a wife, mother, and doctor of Oriental medicine – was my traveling companion in Kyoto. One particularly memorable day began with pastries at a fancy little bakery before we headed to Tadoro, a tea showroom established in 1790. There we learned about “open-sky” teas, grown in open, unshaded fields, and bought several fine teas as gifts. After a quick, tasty vegetarian “Buddah bowl” lunch at Veginny, a tuckedaway restaurant down a stairwell, we hurried off to a very special music lesson arranged by Wabunka (https://wabunkalux.jp/kyoto), a terrific company that curates cultural immersion experiences throughout Japan. Our 90-minute shamisen lesson took place in a private room overlooking a garden at Daijo-in Temple, an area not ordinarily open to the public. The shamisen, a traditional threestringed instrument with a sound reminiscent of a banjo, seemed a fitting choice for me. My father, a jazz musician, had been stationed in Kyoto with the U.S. Army during the Occupation. He served as a bridge guard while also playing piano and drums for fellow servicemen. He even composed a melancholy song there after another soldier gave him lyrics to set to music. Our teacher, Hakumai Yamada, a

“Wow!” Hakumai exclaimed. “That is the first time that any of my students have sung along!” I think we got an “A.” What a treat it was to meet Hakumai and try our hand at this ancient instrument in such a special setting, where we felt not only the change of seasons, but the quiet flow of time. Before we left, he handed each of us a small paper blessing tied with a blue grosgrain ribbon, made by a friend of his. “It means that your wish will come true.” It already had. After our lesson, Olivia went for an acupuncture treatment while I wandered off for a crafts workshop. I strolled along the Kamo River, watching cyclists and pedestrians, friends and lovers sitting along the banks and enormous ravens swooping

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5 – 12 November 2026

Ladies in beautiful linen kimonos spotted along our Kyoto walks

down to steal food from startled picnickers. After crossing the river repeatedly during my explorations, I began wondering whether one of these bridges might have been the very one my father had guarded in 1947. I had no way of knowing. But somehow it felt right. My next stop was POJ Studio in the Shimogyo district, a beautifully curated shop filled with Japanese craftsmanship: cherrywood sake cups, handmade ceramics, leaf-shaped incense, woven hangings and exquisite silk and linen kimono jackets. I was there for a kintsugi workshop – the ancient art of repairing broken ceramics with tree sap and powdered brass or gold.

Embracing the broken in this kintsugi workshop

5 – 12 November 2026

Alongside a charming couple from Maui, I learned the basics, made a small repair and left with a little ceramic vessel safely packed to cure for a month. There was something particularly satisfying about learning a craft built around the Japanese idea that broken things need not be discarded; their scars can become part of their beauty. That philosophy seemed to echo something I was discovering throughout Kyoto: the past is not simply preserved here. It is carried forward, repaired, reinvented, and made part of everyday life. One evening, after our only disappointing meal, I became fascinated by a restaurant I had passed earlier. Its entrance was marked by a koi pond, and only five tables were visible inside. It wasn’t on Google Maps, so I wrote to the ryokan next door. Unfortunately, the reply came after we’d left: “So sorry I just found your message. The name of the restaurant is Nishiiji Oedo. I think it’s too late… so sorry.” It was yet another small example of the kindness and thoughtfulness I encountered everywhere in Japan – even when the answer arrived too late to be useful. Perhaps that, too, is part of the pleasure of traveling: not finding everything you seek, but discovering things you never knew you were looking for.

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

Robert’s Big Questions They Are Destroying What We Value Most? by Robert Bernstein

“T

hey want to destroy what we value most.” This is an idea that may explain some of the polarization we see today. We sometimes hear that the other side is an “existential threat.” The claim is not just about a possible difference in values or policies. It is a claim about malicious intent. Two months before the 2024 election, Pew Research published a relevant report: 81% of Trump voters believed that “the other side fundamentally disagrees about America’s core values and goals”; 75% of Harris voters felt the same way about their opponents. Consider these values: Freedom, Democracy, Fairness, Safety, Tolerance. All sides may genuinely value these. But there may be disagreement about how to achieve them. One side might want to ensure safety by limiting access to guns. The other side might perceive this as a threat to something they hold dear. Yet both sides value safety. Most Americans value tolerance. Yet they may disagree about limiting hate speech. How much do we have to tolerate intolerant speech versus intolerant behavior? Democracy can allow a majority to limit the freedom of minority groups. What seems fair to one group may seem like an attack on another group. Even when values are shared, there may be a difference in priorities. And we should distinguish between conflicting values and conflicting interests. Landlords and tenants have conflicting interests. As do employers and employees. And producers and consumers. We can seek win-win solutions, but some conflict and compromise will be unavoidable. There is one bit of good news: People often misjudge what the other side actually believes. An organization called More In Common found a large “perception gap.” Some notable examples: 85% of Republicans agree that “Properly controlled immigration can be good for America.” While Democrats estimate only 52% of Republicans would feel that way. A perception gap of 33%. And 79% of Republicans agree that “Racism still exists in America” while Democrats think it is just 51% of Republicans who would agree.

• Voice of theVillage •

On the other side: Republicans think that only 38% of Democrats oppose open borders. In fact, 74% of Democrats oppose open borders. Where do people get these misperceptions? The More In Common study asked people what news sources they used. As you might guess, partisan media explained a lot of the misperception. Interestingly, those who got their news from the major TV networks ABC, CBS, and NBC tended to be more accurate in their perception of the other side than those who did not follow news at all. Those who posted political content most on social media tended to be most inaccurate about the views of the other side! In general, Republicans had a higher overall perception gap about Democrats than Democrats had about Republicans. But there was one exception: Highly educated Democrats had a very high misperception of Republicans. Perhaps due to less mixing with Republicans. Republicans had high misperception of Democrats regardless of education level. Some people on each side do hold extreme views and they may be quite vocal about it. But that does not mean their views are widely accepted by that side. There is a fine line between “values” and “issues.” Universal healthcare is a prime example. Healthcare goes to the root of how we value our fellow human beings. Depending how the question is worded, a majority of Republicans support the idea that every American has a right to healthcare. The numbers fall if it comes down to the specifics of how much government should provide that care and/or pay for it. Interestingly, a 2025 Pew study showed that 60% of lower income Republicans support something like Medicare for all. The Climate Crisis is a similar case. This was not a partisan issue in the past. It has become a subject of massive disinformation. Values are shared that we must protect the planet. And specific policies are shared. But Republicans are factually misinformed on the threat. There are malevolent actors in the world. And there are also forces that benefit from division. Overall, the world will work better when we realize that most humans share similar human values Montecito JOURNAL

Society Edit (Continued from 14 14)) used and new books, ranging from rare out-of-print gems to well-loved paperbacks. One just takes the time to escape into the tomes and, yes, it is outdoors. There is no catalog or database to reference, however the store’s excellent booksellers know fairly well what’s on the shelf. While there, give a nod to bibliophile, bookseller, and author Holden Arquilevich, who works there and is the esteemed librarian at the Carpinteria Library, part of the Black Gold library system. Last week, I was informed directly by Montecito author Steve Gilbar that he has a new book out titled, Paradise Found: A Little Book of Santa Barbara Quotes. Gilbar reached out to me about it, saying, “It just came out and collects over 150 pithy quotes by writers about our town. I’ve published several books about SB and Montecito over the years, but this one is my favorite and, as my

Westmont (Continued from 30 30)) final book, a bouquet to the town where I have lived for almost a half-century.” I met Gilbar at a Speaking of Stories event, the days when I did photography for the shoebox theatre organization. Gilbar created the standup literature phenomenon back in ‘95. When the group folded, it seems Gilbar left and returned as they all do, to make a home in Montecito. Gilbar has been covered numerous times by the Montecito Journal: (www.montecitojournal.net/tag/ steven-gilbar) Also do check out former Speaking of Stories alum/famed British actress-artistic director Karin de la Peña Collison, who has migrated from theater and film to screenwriting with numerous awards. She currently resides in Montecito with hubby Benjamin Aerenson, previously living in NYC. And that’s a rap Loves! Till next week… Xx JAC

M SHERIFF’S BLOTTER Credit Card Theft / 1400 block N. Jameson Lane Sunday, October 18, 14:44 hours Reporting Party (RP) reported her juvenile son stole her credit card and made fraudulent purchases. RP requested prosecution. Alcohol / Channel Drive-Butterfly Lane Monday, October 19, 14:39 hours Deputies responded to location and cited two subjects for alcohol offenses Transient Camp Fire / Finney Street Railroad Tracks Tuesday, October 20, 11:21 hours Vegetation fire at a transient camp between Finney and the railroad tracks. Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Department was supported by SBCF hand crews as they were returning from training. A domesticated cat that was leashed to a tree in the camp was rescued with minor burns and turned over to county animal control. Arrest / Olive Mill Rd & Coast Village Road Tuesday, October 20, 14:13 hours Deputies contacted subject near Olive Mill Rd. and Coast Village Rd. in Montecito. Subject voluntarily provided her identifying information, and a records check confirmed two outstanding arrest warrants, one felony and one misdemeanor. Subject was arrested without incident.

Nov. 7, from 3 to 4 pm to discuss his new book, School of Hard Knucks: My Three Sons and Baseball’s Wildest Pitch. Gaffney, a vice president of documentary programming at Fox News Media, Emmy-nominated producer and former sportswriter, chronicles a decade-long, cross-country journey to help his three baseball-crazed sons master the unpredictable knuckleball. His narrative follows their quest to perfect the spin-free pitch while connecting with legendary knucklers, sports scientists and MLB executives trying to keep the dying art alive. The story hits close to home for the local community: one of Gaffney’s sons, Ben, is a sophomore knuckleball pitcher for the Westmont Warriors. Featured on The Brian Kilmeade Show and praised by Bull Durham Director Ron Shelton, School of Hard Knucks blends sports journalism, scientific inquiry, and family memoir to show how relentless discipline on the mound translates into life lessons off the field. During the afternoon event, Gaffney will share stories behind the book, discuss the history of the knuckleball and answer audience questions. A book signing follows the presentation, with copies available for purchase.

Jon Guerra in Westmont chapel (photo by Brad Elliott)

followed by Ordinary Ways in 2023 and Jesus in 2025. The concert is free and open to all ages, with no registration or tickets required.

Men’s Soccer Secures Playoff Spot Westmont men’s soccer clinched a berth in the upcoming PacWest Tournament on Oct. 31 defeating Point Loma 4-1 on Senior Day at Thorrington Field. The high-stakes win propelled the Warriors into third place in the conference standings and preserved Head Coach Morgan Cathey’s undefeated 12-game Senior Day winning streak. Ahead of kickoff, Westmont honored seniors Ulises Velez-Lazaro, Cole Lomeli, Leonel Olivo Ortiz, and Jackson Obleda. Lomeli opened the scoring early with a ninth-minute penalty kick after Olivo Ortiz drew a foul in the box. Micah Maljian doubled the lead in the 44th minute off an assist initiated by goalkeeper Aidan Strickler, while an own goal off a corner kick and an 82nd-minute strike from freshman Julius Oehmichen sealed the decisive victory. As the third seed, Westmont heads to Dominican University on Thursday, Nov. 5, to face second-seeded Vanguard at 2 pm in the PacWest Tournament semifinals.

Jon Guerra Offers an Evening of Devotional Music The Westmont Music Department and the Sacred Stories Project invite the campus and local community to an evening of music and storytelling with singer-songwriter Jon Guerra on Friday, Nov. 6, from 7 to 9 pm at Santa Barbara Free Methodist Church, 1435 Cliff Drive. Guerra creates devotional music designed for quiet reflection and soul-tending. The Austin-based producer, who composed music for Terrence Malick’s 2019 film A Hidden Life released his debut devotional album, Keeper of Days, in 2020,

Domestic Violence / 300 block Malaga Drive Wednesday, October 21, 11:21 hours The RP’s ex-husband has been calling and texting her in violation of the served domestic violence restraining order, a violation of 273.6 PC (Violating RO). The suspect is transient and unable to be contacted at this time. Burglary / 500 block Parra Grande Lane Friday, October 23, 18:23 hours An unknown suspect entered the victim’s garage between 17:00 and 18:00 hours and stole her generator and a specialized road bike. There was no surveillance footage and no suspect information.

44 Montecito JOURNAL

The Warriors earned a playoff berth (photo by Hope Hensley)

“Without my morning coffee, I’m just like a dried-up piece of roast goat.” – Johann Sebastian Bach

5 – 12 November 2026

Beings & Doings (Continued from 6)

voyageur frequent Pippin is located adjacent to the storied Turtle Fountain in La Arcada Plaza, and is in effect a walk-in treasury of Carly’s wide-ranging discoveries. She is a restless sort driven by an informed love of beauty; of those radiant objects that move through time, gathering accumulated affection and energy from every thoughtful, admiring stare, every pair of hands that, over centuries in some cases, have lovingly buffed away a smudge or hefted a piece by wavering lamplight. Carly has her resources. “The model of travelling to France and sourcing in France is definitely what I do. I visit a couple of times a year and bring things home. But I also shop domestically. There are some great antique shows in America. Round Top is an excellent one in Texas. Round Top is this tiny town of ninety people. Twice a year a hundred thousand people descend onto it for miles and miles of antiques.” She summarizes with a smile. “I shop wherever a treasure can be found. And every time I do a sourcing trip I’ll have a… they call it a drop. I’ll have a big drop event.” There is one stop on the Continent, though, that may be considered antique central, a place where the markets often receive an inflow of antique goods from greater Europe generally. “On this most recent trip I went to Paris and went to the weekend flea markets that are just always happening in Paris. I carry things in the store from all other places too, but I think I

design with the French feel in mind.” She describes the rigid business metric she applies when considering an item for Pippin. “Does it feel like you could be in France? Does this object feel like it could be in a French house or in the French country?”

récit des origins Carly Pippin may curate her shop’s inventory by “feel,” but these intuitions are not completely free-floating. It’s worth noting that Carly is not the “student” whose academics led her to self-revelation; her early passions compelled her to learn all she could about the stuff that mesmerized her. Carly was, of course, formed in the Pippin homestead. “I grew up in a very artistic household,” she says. “My mom was an artist and a jewelry designer and a painter. She can do anything, yeah. And then my dad, he worked in the business landscape but absolutely loves music. He’s a rock star guitarist.” I’m beginning to get the drift, though I may well have guessed at Carly’s rightbrain provenance given her emotional connection to history’s human breadth and depth. She took these predilections to class, and of course to the Museum. “At Pepperdine I was a humanities major, art history minor. I had thought about working in the museum world and that all made sense. But I wasn’t sure yet how that was going to unfold. But when I graduated, I went to Washington D.C. and got two

internships. One at the Smithsonian’s Museums of Asian Art, and at the United States Navy Museum. And then within two months I was hired at the Smithsonian. One thing led to another and it was amazing.” Several years in, she pursued and received an MBA at Georgetown University, later returning to California and working with the Getty Foundation. That is, having immersed herself in antiquity itself, she next honed her business sense. What on Earth was she thinking? “I wanted a shop. But it was never something that I thought would actually happen.” It happened. Though surely in a less passive form than that limp little sentence suggests. She is so positively enamored of the objet voyageant dans le temps, it would seem to speak to her love of… life? – and the warm beings who, through the ages, have inhabited its daily rigors, and share among themselves beloved things. Her shop, Pippin, reflects this. “I want the experience here to be very experiential, very transporting,” Carly says. “The people who really connect with my shop are seekers of beauty.”

Parisian Christmas Market And in the Seasonal Soirée category, Pippin will be hosting a Parisian Christmas Market on Saturday, November 14th, from 11 am to 6 pm. “It’s one day only,” Carly enthuses. “I’m going to be debuting what I got in France from my recent trip. It’ll have all sorts of fun Parisian-esque elements; specialty goods from France, specialty

The orderly displays in Pippin give no hint of the caffeinated “hither and yon” of Carly’s far-ranging curation (photo by Jeff )

baked goods, and then some local artists as well, which I’m really excited about. We’ll have a collage artist, Diana Arsenian, and then a ceramic artist named Stephanie Rose. “I really think of my shop as both local and European, local and global. I love the Santa Barbara art scene. I just love that about Santa Barbara, so I celebrate our local art and the old world art of Europe.” Pippin’s gorgeously timeworn antiques are personally curated by besotted proprietor/frequent flyer Carly Pippin, at domestic and offshore flea markets like the bi-annual Foire de Chatou outside Paris. Her wide-ranging curiosity, intuitive love of lasting beauty, Pepperdine Art History undergrad, several years working at the national museums of Asian Art in Washington D.C., and general infatuation with the wider world – these elements have culminated in Pippin, where the curated past glowingly inhabits the welcoming present. The antique objects in Pippin are totems of the lives they’ve touched. “What I love about my space is it’s very feminine, and I lean into the beauty aspect unabashedly. It’s also the idea of an object that’s been around for a long time, something that has many lives to it,” Carly says. “And now you’re part of that object’s story. I find the idea romantic.” PIPPIN 1114 State St Suite 24, Santa Barbara, CA 805-724-4887 / hello@pippinhome.com

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 The Olde World at your feet (photo by Jeff)

5 – 12 November 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Moments (Continued from 8)

The class’s liquid lesson (courtesy photo)

may have been its most refreshing yet. Who says you can’t get an education before happy hour?

A Bloody Good Night Dracula wasn’t ready to return to his coffin after the curtain fell! On October 30, State Street Ballet unveiled its world premiere of Dracula, a dark shadow at the Granada Theatre, then spirited its creatures of the night across State Street for an after-party at the Community Environmental Council building. The spine-tingling production paired Nicolas Blanc’s dramatic choreography

with Philip Glass’s haunting score, performed live by the Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet. Tigran Sargsyan took the title role, with Maria Rita Rapisarda as Mina Murray and Saori Yamashita as Lucy Westenra. Victorian-inspired costumes by Ben-Oni Cortes added a fashionable flourish to the fright. With Halloween just hours away, the timing couldn’t have been more deliciously macabre! Once the curtain came down, the bloodletting gave way to lively conversation as dancers, donors, and devotees mingled in considerably less sinister surroundings. Executive Director

Actress Sophia Bush discussed her new memoir with Godmothers’ Jennifer Rudolph Walsh (courtesy photo)

leap into television stardom to a salmon snatched from a river by an eagle. “I’m the fish,” she joked. Asked about learning to honor her own needs, Bush offered another revealing admission: “I’d rather break my own heart than yours.” The evening ended with audience questions and signed books awaiting readers. For a Hollywood star accustomed to performing other people’s stories, this was a moving moment to tell her own.

Cecily MacDougall introduced Blanc to the celebratory crowd, giving guests an opportunity to meet the creative force behind the newly commissioned ballet, sponsored by Cheryl Goldberg. Not to be outdone by the cast, Board President Dr. Nicole Callahan carried a striking Dior tote emblazoned with Bram Stoker’s Dracula – proof that even vampires appreciate haute couture! The star of the party, however, may have been Sargsyan himself, who leaned in for a playful bite of Yamashita’s neck, a single red rose in her hand. Apparently, Lucy wasn’t quite finished with the Count either! For one bewitching opening night, Santa Barbara’s cultural set had plenty to sink its teeth into.

Sightings Montecito’s Zoë Saldaña traded Halloween costumes for black-tie glamour at Airbnb.org’s inaugural gala at Milk Studios in Los Angeles on October 28. Sporting a chic black tuxedo by The Row with Cartier jewels, the Oscar winner mingled with Katie Couric while Jimmy Kimmel hosted the affair benefiting emergency housing for families. Now that’s a fashionable way to give back! Katy Perry traded glamour for a little country charm, making a Halloweenseason appearance at Lane Farms Pumpkin Patch in Santa Barbara. With pumpkins galore, hayrides, farm animals, and a corn maze, the local fall favorite offered a decidedly down-toearth setting for the superstar. Kendall Jenner celebrated Halloween and her 31st birthday with a costume bash at Bar Marmont in West Hollywood. The birthday girl channeled Nastassja Kinski in Paris, Texas, with platinum-blonde bob and hotpink minidress, Jacob Elordi was her onscreen husband. Leonardo DiCaprio prowled as the Big Bad Wolf, with Vittoria Ceretti as Little Red Riding Hood. Hailey Bieber looked angelic in wings and a halo, while husband Justin Bieber played the red devil. Charli XCX channeled Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character in Secretary, and Cara Delevingne went full Rocky Horror as Dr. Frank-N Furter. Quite the Halloween cast!

Sophia’s Next Chapter

Board President Dr. Nicole Callahan with her Dracula Dior tote (courtesy photo)

Tigran Sargsyan taking a bite of relaxation and Maria Rita Rapisarda at the afterparty (courtesy photo)

Guests headed to the CEC building for the Dracula afterparty (courtesy photo)

46 Montecito JOURNAL

“I had it, and then I lost it, and then I had to find it again.” Actress Sophia Bush wasn’t talking about a misplaced Hollywood accessory. She was describing her voice – and the long journey to reclaim it – during an intimate conversation at Godmothers Bookstore celebrating her new memoir, And I Will Tell You Mine: Notes from a Life in Progress. Godmothers co-founder Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, who led the discussion, told the attentive audience that the evening was “ten years in the making.” Bush, 44, had spent nine of those years resisting invitations to write her life story. The One Tree Hill and Chicago P.D. star held little back, discussing family tensions, early fame, public scrutiny, and learning to advocate for herself as fiercely as she has for others. She recalled being told as a schoolgirl that her parents would divorce – only for the conversation to disappear, unresolved, until she was 34. “I wish I hadn’t carried that for 26 years,” she reflected. At one point, Bush’s eyes welled with tears. But there was laughter, too, particularly as she likened her bewildering

“I would rather suffer with coffee than be senseless.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

5 – 12 November 2026

Courtside (Continued from 22 22))

The idea is to build a connection that extends beyond game day, introducing children to collegiate athletics while giving them an opportunity to interact with the players. And for Montecito families looking for an afternoon of entertainment, Pasternack has a fairly persuasive argument. Why make the drive to Los Angeles to watch the Lakers or Clippers when high-level basketball is being played just up the road? “We don’t have an NBA team, an NFL team, or a Major League Baseball team in Santa Barbara,” he says. “Make this your team.” It’s a pitch that combines hometown pride, affordable entertainment, and the opportunity to expose younger fans to a major university campus. For Pasternack, the excitement of college basketball comes from the players’ passion and the energy of a crowd that has a personal stake in the outcome. And with Mitchell’s continued involvement, the Gauchos have a particularly persuasive ambassador for what the program can accomplish. The Coral Casino gathering may have assembled some of Montecito’s most influential fans, but the next big event on Pasternack’s calendar requires considerably less formal attire. Just find a seat in the Thunderdome, wear some blue and gold, and prepare to cheer.

For season tickets and the full schedule, visit ucsbgauchos.com Joe Pasternack giving some remarks and introducing the Gaucho’s new Men’s Basketball GM (photo by Jeffrey Liang)

It’s a compelling pitch coming from someone whose career has followed that very trajectory. Mitchell can speak to the challenges of college basketball, the demands of professional competition, and the advantages of developing within a program that believes in its players. His connection to Santa Barbara also extends beyond the court. Despite an NBA career that could take him practically anywhere, Mitchell has chosen Montecito as his offseason home. “He wants to make Santa Barbara his home,” Pasternack says. For the coach, that relationship is another example of how UCSB basketball can connect the university with the surrounding community. And with the 2026-27 season underway, Pasternack is hoping to turn that hometown enthusiasm into a packed Thunderdome. The Gauchos opened their season November 2 with an 85-55 victory over San Francisco State and return to the court Saturday, November 7, at 1 pm against Oakland University. The roster combines returning players with promising newcomers, giving Pasternack plenty of reasons for optimism as he enters his 10th season leading the program. “We’re really excited. We’ve never had this type of demand for season tickets, ever,” he says. “It’s getting close to capacity. We still have some season tickets left.” Part of that excitement comes from the players themselves, whom Pasternack praises for their character, academic commitment, and potential to compete at the professional level. He is also making a concerted effort to introduce Gaucho basketball to Montecito’s younger residents. Recently, the team visited the Montecito Club for a basketball clinic organized with Assistant GM Justin Allen from the club. UCSB players worked individually with local children on the outdoor court, demonstrating drills and sharing a few tricks of the trade.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAGE IV, 1125 COAST VILLAGE ROAD, MONTECITO, CALIFO 93108. SAGE IV LLC, 1125 COAST VILLAGE ROAD, MONTECITO, CALIFO 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on October 23, 2026. 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 5 – 12 November 2026

copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2026-0002622. Published Oct. 29, & Nov. 5, 12, 19, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MISSION AGENCY PROCESSING & DRAFTING, LLC, 729 W MICHELTOERNA ST, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101. MISSION AGENCY PROCESSING & DRAFTING,

LLC, 729 W MICHELTORENA ST, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 24, 2026. 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. 20260002379. Published Oct. 29, & Nov. 5, 12, 19, 2026

Gerd and Pete Jordano with Matt English showing some Gaucho pride (photo by Jeffrey Liang)

MONTECITO SANITARY DISTRICT PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Montecito Sanitary District shall conduct a public hearing at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at its Board Room located at 1042 Monte Cristo Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108 as well as via Zoom Meetings; meeting ID 861 1897 5917, to consider the adoption of Ordinance No. 26 of the governing board of the Montecito Sanitary District increasing the compensation of Directors of the Board pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 6489. The public may attend and comment by calling 1-669-900-6833 and entering Meeting ID 861 1897 5917 or by visiting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86118975917 Copies of the text of the proposed ordinance are on file with the clerk of the District Board and are available for public inspection at the Districts’ offices. See https://www.montsan.org/

• Voice of theVillage •

Published October 29 & November 5, 2026 // Montecito Journal

Montecito JOURNAL

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Calendar of Events

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6

by Steven Libowitz

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5 1st Thursday – If November’s iteration of the monthly art-and-culture walk downtown needs a theme, call it Photos R Us. Photographs both historical and modern are the order of the evening at three gallery spaces within a couple of blocks of each other at the northern end of the arts district, beginning with the Chanel in Vogue exhibition from New York at Couture Pattern Museum (1525 State, Penthouse Floor, Ste. 301). Among the fashion pix displayed are ones taken by American photographer Irving Penn and Brit lensman Cecil Beaton, whose work was responsible for helping to capture and elucidate a new sense of style over the years, while Chanel archival materials will also be on display… Art & Soul (1323 State) is hosting The Willard Suitcase Project, featuring Jon Crispin’s evocative photographs of suitcases left behind by patients at New York’s Willard Psychiatric Center, luggage discovered when the facility shuttered after a century. The shots of deeply personal belongings reveal forgotten lives and stories, inviting reflection on dignity, identity, and mental health, and are presented in support of the New Beginnings nonprofit… Domecíl’s (1223 State) display is a bit more modern, as photographers Brian Kuhlmann and Joslyn Lawrence, the artists behind the Song of Absolution exhibit, will be on hand to share a slideshow and discuss their evocative photographs of trees from around the world and our local landscape; scenes rendered with a moody, painterly quality that captures the quiet beauty and mystery of nature. In other media, Sullivan Goss (11 E. Anapamu) hosts the opening reception for Beyond the Veil, Maria Rendón’s third solo show of her sublime abstractions at the gallery. Sullivan Goss is also hosting Mary-Austin Klein’s exhibit of representational realist work Lucidity, as well as the gallery’s annual Fall Salon of recent acquisitions and historic masterworks on display… Experience even more non-realist paintings at Faulkner Gallery (40 E. Anapamu), which hosts the annual Abstract Art Collective member show, where dynamic paintings from more than 50 different artists adorn the walls of two different spaces within the Public Library building… Wanna get even more out there in a three-dimensional and time-spanning way? Head over to San Marcos Courtyard (1129 State) for The Power of Possibility, a celebration of light, creativity and community to mark nonprofit Unite to Light’s 15-year anniversary. Experience inspiring light art, live music and hands-on activities for all ages to mark the milestone of having distributed over 300,000 solar lights across more than 80 countries, bringing illumination and power to people without electricity around the globe. Among the attractions are Illuminated art installations created by local Santa Barbara light artists, live performances, and hands-on creative projects including a shared art project with Explore Ecology. The first 100 guests can make a free sun attachment for their Luke Light, Unite to Light’s portable solar-powered task light. In the timely-as-heck department, UCSB’s National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, aka NCEAS (1021 Anacapa, Suite 300) brings out scientists from UCSB and experts from the community to explore how Pacific climate dynamics influence weather, coastal erosion and ecosystems. They’ll share the science behind the local impacts of El Niño through short presentations, a panel discussion, and Q&A, with live music and refreshments to temper the challenges of climate change… The local short screening in SBIFF’S Santa Barbara Filmmaker Series at its Film Center (916 State) is Lauren David’s documentary The Gift of Darkness, about José García Antonio, a sculptor from Oaxaca, Mexico, who loses his sight and must figure out how to persevere… Feeling a bit blue? Wash it away with the authentic blues and R&B music from veteran Santa Barbara bluesman Morganfield Burnett outdoors on the 900 block of State. WHEN: 5-8 pm WHERE: Lower State Street and side streets COST: free INFO: (805) 962-2098 or www.downtownsb.org/events/1st-thursday

48 Montecito JOURNAL

The Martin Chronicles – The Grammy-nominated saxophonist, producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Terrace Martin works at the intersection of jazz, hip hop, R&B and soul. Through his collaborations with such artists as Kendrick Lamar, Herbie Hancock, and Snoop Dogg, Martin has helped to shape the sound of contemporary music across genres. Joined by a powerhouse six-piece ensemble at UCSB tonight, he’ll create a groove-driven sound that is both rooted in jazz tradition and radically forward-looking. WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: Campbell Hall, 574 Mesa Rd., UCSB campus COST: $40-$55 INFO: (805) 893-3535 or https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5-SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8 LADAMA Leads the Way to Inclusion – Next up in the increasingly impressive ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! series is LADAMA, an innovative, Pan-American musical ensemble composed of four female virtuosos from different countries across the Americas who together put forth a vibrant, genre-fluid sound that bridges traditional folklore with contemporary pop, rock and soul. Respectively representing Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia and the U.S., Mafer Bandola, Lara Klaus, Daniela Serna, and Sara Lucas come together to create a cross-cultural fusion, seamlessly singing in Spanish, Portuguese and English, and often weaving messages of female empowerment, social justice and cultural preservation into their songs. All we can say is viva! WHEN: 7 pm tonight-Sunday WHERE: Carpinteria Arts Center, 855 Linden Ave., Carpinteria (Thursday); Isla Vista School, 6875 El Colegio Road (Friday); Guadalupe City Hall, 918 Obispo Street, Guadalupe (Saturday); Marjorie Luke Theatre at Santa Barbara Junior High, 721 East Cota St. (Sunday) COST: free INFO: https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/learn/viva-el-arte-de-santa-barbara FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 Wild & Free Film Festival – This other annual film fest screens captivating, adventurous, environmentally-focused films from around the world, and in a town (Santa Barbara, CA!) celebrated as the birthplace of the environmental movement. The Wild & Free Film Festival will be showing 40 films (six features and 34 shorts over just two days and three nights), beginning with an appropriately Mediterranean-inspired reception at the Opening Night Gala at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara. What’s so appropriate about a Mediterranean-inspired reception? Thank you for asking. That night’s Central Coast premiere is The Siege of Paradise, which examines the heavy toll of over-tourism on the picturesque Cinque Terre region in Italy. The film documents a single chaotic summer where fewer than 3,000 local residents share their cliffside villages with roughly four million tourists, social media influencers, and content creators. Director Gar O’Rourke will receive the W&FFF’s inaugural Teva Trailblazer Award. Weekend highlights include screenings at Camino Real Cinemas, filmmaker Q&As and panels. There will be an after-party on the Hilton Garden

“Adventure in life is good; consistency in coffee even better.” – Justina Chen

5 – 12 November 2026

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 & SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8

FIRST THURSDAY PIC THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12 Listen up Laddies and Lassies – You take the high road (aka Valley Road/ Rt. 192) and I’ll take the low road (State Street) and we’ll all be together – at the Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara’s popular Scottish-Celtic concert. The uniquely formatted ensemble’s second show of its 10th anniversary season once again applies the group’s blend of folk instruments and classical strings – not to mention founder Adam Phillip’s adventurous arrangement – over featured selections that include the “Skye Boat Song,” “Scotland the Brave,” and, of course, “Loch Lomond.” The show also debuts new music by Galen Fraser, son of Alasdair Fraser, a famed Scottish fiddler who has played with the FOSB in the past. You’d have to be a dobber or eejit to miss it. WHEN: 7 pm Friday, 4 pm Sunday WHERE: Trinity Episcopal Church, 1500 State St. (Friday); The Chapel at El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, 123 E. Canon Perdido St. (Sunday) COST: $35-$40 INFO: (805) 260-3223 or https://folkorchestrasb.com Inn rooftop, and look for Sunday morning’s innovative Walking Panel at Ellwood Mesa, where a gentle 45-minute stroll includes stops for conversations with filmmakers and local experts. The fest concludes with free community programming on Sunday afternoon. INFO: www.wildandfreefilm.org for details, schedule and passes SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8 DJ Spins New Stories – D.J. Palladino, who has written about arts and culture in town since 1980 and, with wife Diane Arnold, has co-owned the tiny but mighty Mesa Bookstore, adds a story collection to his published bookshelf that boasts two novels and a poetry collection. Spake as a Child tells the tales of three boys coming of age in very different eras and locales, ranging from a 1950s kid wrestling with moral problems of a Catholic upbringing in a nuclear age, to beach town high-school youth hellbent on chemical transcendence in the 1960s, to a young man’s trip to Kyoto, where he balances a vivid imagination against jet lag and the long shadow of the sublime. Palladino pontificates on the work at Chaucer’s Books this evening. WHEN: 6 pm WHERE: 3321 State St. in Loreto Plaza Shopping Center COST: free INFO: (805) 682-6787 or www.chaucersbooks.com

Lovin’ on Lloyd – How strange it is that we have -- for decades -- two internationally-known superstars in their respective chosen media with the last name Lloyd, both living in our charming little slice of heaven known as Montecito and both 88 years old. Actor Christopher Lloyd, whose memoir was just published last month, is a true treasure, but the focus here is on Charles Lloyd, the still somehow youthful musician whose influence on jazz and even popular music in California alone dates to the mid-1960s, following years of development in his native Memphis and in New York. To call the composer and multi-reed man merely a saxophonist in performance or recording is a slight to what, for both him and his audience, is as much a spiritually uplifting experience as a concert. As always, and almost annually, Lloyd lavishes his love on his hometown jewel of a theater known as the Lobero. There he’ll be launching his fall mini-tour/self-described “trial run” before a quartet of dates in Minnesota, New York City, and Newark, following which he’ll step across the pond to play at the Loveland Music Festival in Copenhagen at the end of the month. The quartet this time around features the wonderfully experimental and collaborative colleagues Bill Frisell on guitar, Larry Grenadier on bass, and multi-percussionist Kweku Sumbry exuding the traditions of the Djembe Orchestra percussion ensemble in handling the skins. WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $60 & $85 ($135 premium tickets includes preferred seating and a pre-show reception with complimentary drinks and light bites) INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org

NOTE TO READERS This entertainment calendar is a subjective sampling of arts and entertainment events taking place in the Santa Barbara area for the next seven days or so. It is by no means comprehensive. Please also see my feature stories elsewhere in this issue for more events. In order to be considered for inclusion in this calendar, please submit information – including hi-res photos – by 12 noon Wednesday eight days prior to publication date. Email: slibowitz@yahoo.com. 5 – 12 November 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING (805) 565-1860

ESTATE/SENIOR SERVICES

Your Trusted Choice For Estate Sales, Liquidation & Downsizing Moving Miss Daisy’s providing comprehensive services through Moving Miss Daisy since 2015. Expert packing, unpacking, relocating to ensure your new home is beautifully set up and ready to enjoy. Miss Daisy’s is the largest consignment store in the Tri-Counties - nearly 20K sq.ft.- always offering an unmatched selection of items. We also host online Auctions. Glenn Novack, Owner 805-770-7715 www.missdaisy.org info@movingmissdaisy.com

PHYSICAL TRAINING & THERAPY

Stillwell Fitness of Santa Barbara In Home Personal Training Sessions for 65+ Help with: Strength, Flexibility, Balance Motivation, and Consistency John Stillwell, CPT, Specialist in Senior Fitness 805-705-2014 StillwellFitness.com

GOT OSTEOPOROSIS? WE CAN HELP At OsteoStrong our proven non-drug protocol takes just ten minutes once a week to improve your bone density and aid in more energy, strength, balance and agility. Please call for a complimentary session! Call Now (805) 453-6086

THE CLEARING HOUSE

LANDSCAPE

REVERSE MORTGAGE SERVICES

CASA L. M. Landscape hedges installed. Ficus to flowering. Disease resistant. Cactus gardens installed. Certified rootstock roses and fruit trees. Professional pest control installation. State Lic. QAC79160 & insured. Call (805) 963-6909

Reverse Mortgage Questions? Talk to an Expert! All Inquiries Strictly Confidential

GAYLE NAGY – NMLS 251258 805.448.9224 gnagy@gemcorp.com Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the CA Residential Mortgage Lending Act. 3625 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 258 Westlake Village, CA 91362 NMLS 2427

WATERLILIES and LOTUS since 1992 WATERGARDEN CARE SBWGC 805 682 5750

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

EXPERT ADU GUIDANCE Expedite ADU Process FREE CONSULTATION SB & Montecito Michael Humphrey (805) 570-3333

CARPET CLEANING Carpet Cleaning Since 1978 (805) 963-5304 Rafael Mendez Cell: 689-8397 or 963-3117 Recognized as the area’s Premier Estate Liquidators - Experts in the Santa Barbara Market! We are Skilled Professionals with Years of Experience in Downsizing and Estate Sales. Personalized service. Insured. Call for a complimentary consultation. Elaine (805)708-6113 Christa (805)450-8382 Email: theclearinghouseSB@cox.net Website: www.theclearinghouseSB.com TRESOR

Openings now available for Children & Adults. Piano Lessons in our Studio or your Home. Call or Text Kary Kramer (805) 453-3481 ELECTRICIAN Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575

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

SB CEMETERY LOCATION Two sites are available at the Santa Barbara Cemetery which together can accommodate either one casket & one urn OR two urns. Central: Block D, Number 31 Valued at $21,000 Offered at $16,000 (805) 455-9869 - Please text for the soonest reply.

50 Montecito JOURNAL

Local Montecito building Contractor accepting jobs big or small Low rates & free estimates Jim: (209) 471-7577 LIC #55818

PIANO LESSONS

TILE SETTING

We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry. Located in the upper village of Montecito. Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation. 1470 East Valley Rd Suite V. 805-969-0888

LOCAL CONTRACTOR

HAUS & KEY CO-HOSTING Professional short-term rental co-hosting built on transparency, reliability, and fivestar guest care. We handle the day-to-day so your investment works harder for you.

PET CARE & HOUSE SITTING Experienced, dependable pet lover available for pet sitting, dog walking & house sitting. Flexible schedule, great rates & references available. Text Jessica: (312) 315-5035

hausandkeycohost.com 805-500-8290 DONATIONS NEEDED

MENTAL HEALTH & WELL-BEING

Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944

Michael Bolton, MD. Harvard-Trained Board Certified Psychiatrist. Specializing in Adult ADHD. BecomeYourAuthenticSelf.Com Insurance accepted.

Donate to the Parrot Pantry! At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds’ best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies.

HANDYMAN Handyman serv. Montecito to Goleta Reasonable rates No material markup Many years serving the area Call to discuss your needed repairs Mark Williamson (805) 680-8025

Volunteers Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help. (805) 969-1944

WANNA PLACE AN AD IN OUR CLASSIFIEDS? It’s simple. Submit your ad online at crm.montecitojournal.net OR scan the qr code. Please note, all ads must be finalized by Friday at 2pm the week prior to printing. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex (3% surcharge)

“Coffee first. Schemes later.” – Leanna Renee Hieber

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED K-9 PALS need volunteers to be foster parents for our dogs while they are waiting for their forever homes. For more information info@k-9pals.org or 805-570-0415.

5 – 12 November 2026

Last Week’s Solution:

By Pete Muller & Frank Longo For each of the first five mini crosswords, one of the entries also serves as part of a five-word meta clue. The answer to the meta is a word or phrase (six letters or longer) hidden within the sixth mini crossword. The hidden meta answer starts in one of the squares and snakes through the grid vertically and horizontally from there (no diagonals!) without revisiting any squares.

W A G A K I R A M I N I M A D D L E S Y S

A R C A S D O I S H O U T P O R G Y W E E

F I T T H O S E H O L L A I S L A M S T Y

F O R D U R A S A J A K W H I T E E L S E S

C D C O R A M A P U N C H A N D E S K Y D

A P T S E R T S T A I R S I C K O T R E E D

KIDS

SHOUT

THIS

FOR

CANDY

TRICKORTREAT

PUZZLE #1

PUZZLE #2

PUZZLE #3 4

1 5

Down 1 DOJ division?: Abbr. 2 Colorado county whose seat is La Junta 3 Avocado or pistachio, e.g. 5 Feeling associated with 3-Down 7 How many Grand Slam titles Iga Swiatek has won

Down 1 In the credits, say 2 President of the Palestinian Authority 3 You might want to drive one home 4 They may be dramatic, decorative, or dark 5 Where some people drop acid

Across 1 Seltzer starter? 5 Moves from site to site 7 Charon's companion in space 8 Lead-in to market 9 "We ___ Lady Parts" (2020s Britcom)

PUZZLE #5

Across 1 Is hardly at a loss for words 5 What lots of lots have 6 See 7-Across 7 With 6-Across, as big as one is going to get 8 What many conversations in "CODA" use, for short

Across 1 Valley associated with many cabs? 5 Pre-delivery difficulty 6 Sphere of influence 7 A snitch spills them 8 Reason to do an annual late shift, for short?

PUZZLE #4

Down 1 Influencers with many followers 2 Set of keys in a ring? 3 Do as Dexter did at Starlight Lanes 4 String on a tax form, for short 5 Imaging company that once made camera film

4 6

Across 1 Word preceding and following "eat" 4 "Fusses" and "sera" are forms of it 6 Claw alternatives on hammers 8 "Three Coins in the Fountain" fountain 9 Marble alternative for a chic countertop

Down 1 Snakes on a plain by the Nile? 2 Real standout 3 Big-band drummer Gene 4 Lead-in to market 6 Like muscles and throats that might be treated

META PUZZLE

1 5

4 7

6 7 8

Across 1 Given 4 Button often depicting a sideways triangle 6 Waves that are alternatives to weaves 8 One might get caught in a jamb 9 Piece of Lamb or Bacon

Down 1 With 3-Down, desserts that may be served à la mode 2 Arraignment arrangements 3 See 1-Down 5 Song that Trump has often bopped to at rallies 7 Like some people who could use icebreakers

Across 1 Comic actor DeLuise 4 Sound that causes trouble in spelling bees 6 "___ notte" (Italian for "goodnight") 7 Xiuhpohualli calendar user 8 Veiled promise?

Down 1 Garment that's the male counterpart to a sari 2 Never lost to, informally 3 Chain that competes with Caliber Collision and Crash Champions 4 Fed. loan source for a mom-and-pop shop 5 Unc's son or daughter

LOCAL BUSINESS DIRECTORY Residential & Business Professional telephone & gate Phone opener Systems service 805-217-8457

CorporateTelecom@Rocketmail.com opener

*Nortel/Norstar, Panasonic & all others *Telephone, line & gate connections *Installation, troubleshooting & repair *Licensed & Insured with 25+ years experience

Professional telephone & gate opener service

Santa Barbara Estate Management

Joe Boudre (805) 319-5364

www.santabarbaraestate.management City of Santa Barbara Business License # 984709

Compounding Pharmacy & Boutique

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24 Hr. Service www.warriortaxi.com Santa Barbara Top Personal Taxi Service s

Phone: 805-969-2284 Fax: 805-565-3174

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1498 East Valley Road Montecito, CA 93108

Oak Park Stage

LAX • Airport Runs Special Events

(805) 896-0443 (805) 680-8088

Andrea Dominic RPh Sherry Saffarnia, PharmD Thomas Johnsonbough RPh.

Tai Chi & Qigong

WARRIOR TAXI CO. 2

Mini Meta

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Oﬃce (805) 684-4537 | After-hours care (805) 684-4538 care@carpinteriadental.co | 5565 Carpinteria Ave. STE 2, 93013

TaiChiToni.net | (805) 570-6194

For all your 2027 Medicare Insurance options

ANDSCAPE REATORS EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ

License # 0773817

(805) 617-6683 EDUARDO@LANDSCAPE-CREATORS.COM IRRIGATION INSTALLS

HARDSCAPE INSTALLS

PLANTING INSTALLS

LIGHTING INSTALLS

LICENSED LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR: #1129976

5 – 12 November 2026

LAWN CARE SERVICE

Denise Richter

Bilingual Staff

(805) 683-3636 3412 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93105

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Scan here for more properties!

Office Globally

©2026 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. Equal Housing Opportunity. Information not verified or guaranteed. If your home is currently listed with a Broker, this is not intended as a solicitation. Santa Barbara office; award based on 2025 production of 1,361 offices in the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Global Network.

1 4 7 5 E A S T M O U N TA I N D R I V E . CO M

1475 E MOUNTAIN DR, MONTECITO 5BD/6+(3)½BA • $28,500,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group 805.565.4014 LIC# 01426886

813 ROMERO CANYON RD, MONTECITO 5BD/7BA • $24,500,000 Josiah Hamilton / Brittany Arntz 805.284.8835 LIC# 01415235 / 02055307 1567 E A S T VA L L E Y R O A D. CO M

917 PARK LN, MONTECITO ± 239.51 acres • $21,350,000 Jody Neal 805.252.9267 LIC# 01995725

1130 GARDEN LN, MONTECITO 5BD/5+(2)½BA • $17,500,000 Dan Encell 805.565.4896 LIC# 00976141

1567 E VALLEY RD, MONTECITO 6BD/6+(2)½BA • $14,250,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group 805.565.4014 LIC# 01426886

468 CROCKER SPERRY DR, MONTECITO 3BD/3+(2)½BA • $11,825,000 Bartron Real Estate Group / Beth Goodman 805.563.4054 / 805.455.1909 LIC# 01005021 / 00966870

605 S A N YS I D R O R O A D. CO M

610 OLIVE RD, MONTECITO 5BD/4BA • $10,875,000 Cristal Clarke 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

663 LILAC DR, MONTECITO 5BD/6+(3)½BA • $10,500,000 Cristal Clarke 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

605 SAN YSIDRO RD, MONTECITO 5BD/4½BA • $6,800,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group 805.565.4014 LIC# 01426886

1301 PLAZA DE SONADORES, MON 2BD/2½BA • $5,950,000 Lisa Foley 805.252.2271 LIC# 01995513

1080 LADERA LN, MONTECITO 4BD/4BA • $4,500,000 The SB Group 805.886.5735 LIC# 01314939

189 HERMOSILLO RD, MONTECITO 4BD/4½BA • $4,250,000 Brittany Arntz & Josiah Hamilton 805.680.5946 / 805.284.8835 LIC# 02055307 / 01415235

526 SAN YSIDRO RD#A, MONTECITO 3BD/2BA • $3,950,000 Cristal Clarke 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

416 RANCHITO VISTA RD, MONTECITO ±1.3 acres • $850,000 Jasper Rhodes / Jody Neal 805.708.8136 / 805.252.9267 LIC# 02220808 / 01995725

S A N TA B A R B A R A • M O N T E C I TO • G O L E TA • V E N T U R A • O J A I • L O S O L I V O S • PA S O R O B L E S • W E S T L A K E V I L L A G E