Centennial Celebration – Alumni return, memories resurface, and a community gathers to celebrate 100 years of education at Notre Dame School, P.28
Meet the Doctor – From operating room to trapeze bar, Dr. Mica
shares the discipline, curiosity, and balance that define her work in this
Opening Quarter Stats
A quieter quarter reveals shifting dynamics in Montecito real estate, where fewer deals meet stillelevated prices and constrained inventory, page 5
RECORDING PRODUCER, NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTER, RESTAURATEUR, AIRBORNE ELECTRIFIED TODDLER; RESTLESS GENIUS RAY WINN WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE. TILL THE DAY HE WASN’T. (STORY STARTS ON PAGE 6)
Staying Power
For 30 years, Melissa Pierson’s Coastal Hideaways has shaped the area’s vacation rentals through acute attention to detail and a deeply personal approach to hospitality, page 18
New at the Helm – The Maritime Museum welcomes new leadership as Dean Noble steps in, blending experience, curiosity, and a deep connection to the ocean, P.20
Bergman
new series, P.31
The Spirit of Return to Freedom, page 22
another fine property represented by
•Graduate of UCLA School of Law and former attorney (with training in Real Estate law, contracts, estate planning, and tax law)
•D edicated and highly trained full-time support staff •An expert in the luxury home market
Remember, It Costs No More to Work with The Best (But It Can Cost You Plenty If You Don’t)
1313 CASTILLO STREET • SANTA BARBARA
A classic California Craftsman Cottage with detached twin town-homes completes this recently renovated downtown triplex. Each of the three units has two bedrooms and a bath, plus a private fenced yard, and a dedicated parking space (the front cottage has a garage). The two town-homes are offered vacant and were both previously rented at $4000/ month while the front cottage is occupied month-to-month at $4500/ month.
100 years of history, a new chapter of excellence.
Notre Dame is on the rise, growing in academic excellence, faith, and opportunity for every student. As we enter our 100th year, the future has never looked brighter.
We are honored to recognize Mr. & Mrs. Nick Weber for their extraordinary generosity and unwavering belief in our mission.
16 On Entertainment – Prepare for the Italian cultural event La Piazza, Disney à la chorale along with a symphony of other musical happenings, and Assassins takes to the stage
Beings and Doings – Ray Winn had a life no fortune teller would’ve dared predict aloud. Nuclear test site overseer / night club owner / Viking Mars Lander imagist / doting dad and grandfather, besotted partner… some guys have all the luck
Montecito Miscellany – The spirit of Janis Joplin rocked ETC and a tall Leporid was spotted around town last
Our Town – Tech is on the way to Our Lady of Mount Carmel thanks to the SY Band of Chumash Indians’ grant
In Business – Sunstone opens along Coast Village Road and Arnie’s Rooftop Bar in Linden Square gets an opening date – with views
31 Meet the Doctor – An introduction to Ophthalmologist Dr. Mica Bergman in this new series
34 Sheriff’s Blotter
18 Coastal Hideaways – For 30 years Melissa Pierson has been helping visitors and homeowners alike find the perfect vacation home
20 Meet Dean Noble – Sigrid happens upon the welcoming ceremony for the Maritime Museum’s new executive director
22 The Giving List – The Spirit of horses will be on full display at Return to Freedom’s upcoming anniversary event
28 Notre Dame Centennial – Notre Dame School celebrates 100 years of faith-based education, service, and tradition in upcoming gala
29 Your Westmont – A downtown talk examines AI on April 23, art graduates offer an exhibition, and singers preform ahead of trip to Brazil
30 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – A 19th century drinking vessel tells of wine-fueled European bachelor adventures and Dionysian excess
35
37
44
Curator’s Choice – The bizarrely porous Chinese Alligator skull
Spirituality Matters – There’s plenty to sing about with a wide, colorful selection of song circles, music & meditation, and other exaltations
Calendar of Events – The Maritime Museum gets Aquean, time to fly a kite while laughing aloud, nature swaggers onto center stage at both the Marjorie Luke and the Wild and Free Film Fest, plus more happenings
46
Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales
47 Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles
Local Business Directory – Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer
Real Estate
1st Quarter Montecito Real Estate Report: Springing into Home Sales
by Mark Ashton Hunt
Hello, Montecito residents and visitors… I hope you are enjoying springtime in paradise. For our regular MJ readers, you might have noticed this article’s absence from the publication for these past few months after 13 years of regular reporting… my apologies. However, after some time off and letting the market settle into 2026, I’m back on track and with fresh news on our ever changing and yet often remaining the same (yes that is a contradiction but a fact…), housing and real estate market.
I thought perhaps comparing Montecito’s 93108 first quarter 2026 home sales to the first quarter of 2025 was a good place to start my journey back to stats, listings, and recent sales. Little did I know what I’d find. Surprisingly, home sales reported in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in Montecito’s 93108 first quarters were significantly different in 2026 than in 2025.
What stood out when comparing first quarter year to year is that in 2025’s first quarter, there were 61 home sales. In first quarter 2026, however, we saw only 36 home sales in the 93108. This is a roughly 40% decrease in the number of home sales from first quarter to first quarter over these two consecutive years. This first quarter of 2026 is possibly the least amount of home sales we have seen in a three-month period since the 2008/2009 time frame.
Additionally, on the highest end we saw eight homes sell over $10M in 2025 (with five of those being over $20M), while 2026 has seen just five sales over $10M in the same first quarter time frame – and at this writing, nothing over $15M has closed in 2026, though there are two larger estates over $20M in escrow as I type.
While inventory is certainly lower this year in most every price range than at any point in the past that I can remember, there are still many exciting properties to choose from. And though prices on sales and asking prices remain high, we are seeing some price reductions and even multiple reductions on some homes before they find a new buyer. Is this because of reduced demand or prices going down? I feel perhaps not. It is more likely due to a seller pricing higher with assumptions of those 10 to 20% yearly increases we saw from 2020-2024; a frenzy that may well have leveled off. Time and stats will tell.
The higher end seems to be holding up with sales strong over $8M and every few weeks there is a sale over $10M. Meanwhile, on the lower end, there are very few entry level homes on the market under $4,000,000 other than condos, and literally just three single family properties under that price point. The $5 to $8M range has been a sweet spot for buyers of late, but right now there are only ~ 14 homes (+/-) on the market in this price range. A few of these are high end condos, properties in either Birnam Wood or Ennisbrook gated communities, and a couple of beach area and foothill options.
While inventory is indeed slim, I can point to the value in a number of listings in each price range, and am surprised by this slowdown in sales volume we are seeing. Montecito just keeps getting better and better in terms of progress on our streets, new stores and restaurants, etc. And though many of us miss the village vibe of some 10 years back –when things were a little more casual and the town was not such an Instagram destination – there is certainly nothing wrong with living somewhere that the rest of the world envies.
That said, I ask for us all to slow down a bit on the roads (you kids on e-bikes, too), and let’s be kind in the tighter and busier parking lots. Which is to say; as always,
GOTMONTECITO.COM
KELLY CAMPBELL Director of
Sales
Beings and Doings
Coal Town to Mars: How Ray Winn Won
by Jeff Wing
The fuel noisily ignites; a controlled explosion. The ground shakes, the gantry falls away amid billowing clouds of exhaust, birds flee the scene in panicked, sunlit flocks. The rocket rises on visible flame, gains speed and is soon ballistically tearing through blue sky on a path of its own making, attaining – and ultimately escaping – the upper atmosphere. Which is to say, Ray Winn has taken his leave. The sudden silence is disorienting. To some it is downright deafening.
“I was in Las Vegas yesterday and I had to buy some things, and one of the things I had to buy was a hammer.” I’m sitting with Peter Kavoian, Ray’s partner of 38 years, at the Birnam Wood clubhouse. “Everything’s behind plexiglass now, so I’m waiting for someone to show up so I can buy this hammer, and I thought ‘…well, this is something that Ray and I would normally have done together–’” Kavoian’s eyes suddenly blur with tears. “This pain just comes out of nowhere,” he says with difficulty. “I just
sat down in the store and started weeping. It’s ridiculous.”
Peter sighs heavily, rallies with a weak smile and wipes his eyes. Here comes the blithe spirit for whom Ray fell so hard those years ago. “I’m just lucky they didn’t call the paramedics on this sobbing lunatic!”
Dangling Seat Belts
Ray Winn passed in December at the age of 91. Photos of Ray taken in his Autumn Years show an amiable older gentleman with kind eyes and a tranquil bearing. This is, in part, a ruse. Ray was like Halley’s Comet viewed head on. You don’t see from that perspective the celestial object’s
wildly defining feature – the long vivid tail of the thing as it tears through the cosmos. Glancing at Ray across a room you can be forgiven for not seeing the kid who biked across Vegas with mobster Bugsy Siegel’s chicken takeout, or the guy giving JFK a chopper tour of a nuclear test site.
Scientist, inventor, composer, self-discoverer; Ray’s revelatory pilgrimage reached its zenith in the early ‘70s, when what should the married father of three discover but a largely unmapped terra incognita named… Ray Winn. So it was that when a common friend introduced Ray and Peter Kavoian in 1988, stars aligned at the doorstep and 37 years of inseparable love commenced like the turning of a page. Ray was a man for whom a single lifetime was never going to be enough, and yet by all appearances he was becalmed and content. How?
Two words: Peter Kavoian.
Beings & Doings Page 264
“My dad wasn’t this unapproachable genius. He was very approachable. And when he and Peter moved to Santa Barbara, I was so grateful because I’ve lived up here since he got transferred from EG&G here – my whole life. When he and Peter came back in the early ‘90s, it was just so cool because we had everybody here.”
– Lisa Winn-Luna
Winn Family Bonanza (courtesy photo)
Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) is an electrical short circuit in the upper chambers of the heart that results in an irregular heartbeat and can lead to heart-related problems and stroke.
Join us for a free, virtual discussion on caring for your heart, from prevention to intervention.
CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS | STRATEGIES FOR TREATMENT
STROKE RISK AND PREVENTION | Q & A
THURSDAY, APRIL 16 | 4 – 5 P.M.
REGISTER AT: cottagehealth.org/heartmtd
CHEE YUAN NG, MD
Cardiac Electrophysiology
Cottage Cardiology Clinic - Santa Barbara
SPRING FAMILY FESTIVAL FOR
MEMBERS
Prehistoric Forest SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2026
9:00–10:30 AM
Celebrate spring with a morning of hands-on, nature-inspired fun next to the dinosaurs! Enjoy creative outdoor activities for kids and families, including eco-printing, native seed planting, and nature rubbing art inspired by The Living Print exhibit.
Coffee, beverages, and snacks included.
Free for Members with RSVP.
Members may bring guests for $15 each (festival access only—does not include other Museum exhibits).
Not a Member yet? Join us today.
For more information, contact membership@sbnature2.org.
RSVP
2559 Puesta del Sol Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Montecito Miscellany Montecito Rocks Joplin
by Richard Mineards & Friends
Asoul-shaking, microphone-smashing tribute brings Janis Joplin’s legend to life onstage – family, friends, and hometown heroes in full-throttle rock-and-roll mode.
Santa Barbara turned the volume up for opening night at the New Vic Theatre, where Ensemble Theatre Company unleashed a full-throttle celebration of Janis Joplin – equal parts grit, glamour, and glorious sound.
After the final encore, and eight standing ovations, the crowd surged into a post-show reception, clinking glasses and noshing bites, riding the electric high of a performance that shook the walls and stirred the soul.
Front and center were Geof and Laura Wyatt, visionary producers, who said, “It was fantastic! We’ve been traveling and missed the preview, so we had no idea it was this amazing and incredible!” Also attending was Kenny Nemes, manager of the late Janis Joplin’s Estate: “Mary Bridget Davies is our star. She does an incredible job, and I’m thrilled that she has made it to Santa Barbara.”
Mary Bridget Davies blew the roof off when she broke the microphone after singing “Me and Bobby McGee.” Her son, Myles Downing, age 8, looked on with pride, saying, “Mom was amazing!”
Montecito hometown heroes George Quirin and Maitland Ward lit up the stage. Quirin quipped, “It’s cool, baby! It’s a kick!”
From Los Angeles, Lucille Dorn, 84-year-old grandmother, and Shelia Dorn, mother of cast member Sha’Leah Nikole, who plays Aretha Franklin, were moved to tears. Lucille said, “Her talent is a gift. This show is a gift! Her brother is singing right now with Alicia Keys, and I’m overwhelmed with pride. To see my granddaughter on this stage, carrying
on such incredible music, it fills my heart completely.” Meanwhile, Ginny Brush, in a beatnik black beret, and Dana White, smiling ear to ear, radiated effortless cool.
Beverly Ragovoy flew in all the way from Stamford, Connecticut to honor her late husband, Jerry Ragovoy, who wrote “I’m Gonna Rock My Way to Heaven,” “Piece of My Heart,” and others for Joplin. Jerry also wrote the classic “Time is on My Side” for the Rolling Stones. Beverly later remarked from her home in NYC, “I’m confident Jerry would love this powerful ETC Production. Both the actors’ and musician performances are impressive, along with the expanded projections that contribute to our appreciation of Janis’s musical influences, which include the Great Blues singers.” She was emotionally touched and thrilled to see his legacy roar back to life in our Tony Town.
Artistic Director Scott DeVine shimmered in a gold lamé jacket, while Co-director Brian McDonald leaned into the vibe with a psychedelic paisley
Miscellany Page 334
Cast, crew, and family celebrating a successful performance (photo by Priscilla)
Brian McDonald and Mary Bridget Davies (photo by Priscilla)
News Bytes
Author
Shira Kupperman Boehler to Speak in B’nai B’rith
by MJ Staff
Shira Kupperman Boehler went on a 6-mile run the morning before doctors told her they suspected she had lung cancer. She didn’t believe them. So begins her saga on Today.com, and Shira Kupperman Boehler continues to avidly spread the word. Santa Barbara will host an intimate and thought-provoking literary event on Sunday, April 19, as Kupperman Boehler presents her new memoir, One Scan Saved My Life, at the Congregation B’nai B’rith library. The afternoon gathering, hosted by the Kupperman family and the congregation, will feature a conversation with the author exploring her deeply personal story and its broader implications for public health.
Boehler’s book recounts her unexpected diagnosis of stage I lung cancer at age 44 – despite being a healthy, athletic, lifelong non-smoker – and the life-saving role of early detection. Through her experience, she challenges existing screening guidelines that often exclude nontraditional risk groups, including women and non-smokers.
Blending memoir with advocacy, Boehler’s work calls for a rethinking of how lung cancer is detected and who qualifies for preventative screening. The event invites the community to engage in a meaningful conversation about prevention, policy, and the power of early intervention. Guests are encouraged to RSVP in advance.
The Santa Barbara Education Foundation (SBEF) will mark a major milestone with its 40th Celebration: Strong Roots Supporting Bright Futures on April 23, bringing together community leaders, educators, and supporters to honor four decades of
investment in public education. MJ’s Gwyn Lurie will serve as emcee, with Angel Martinez, former CEO of Deckers, as keynote speaker. Proceeds from the event will support SBEF’s ongoing mission to inspire and invest in student success.
411: https://sbefoundation.org/40th-celebration
“Swing for the Million” Campaign
Elings Park is calling on the community to step up to the plate with its new “Swing for the Million!” campaign, aimed at renovating the Castagnola Softball Complex. A generous donor has pledged $1 million toward the $1.2 million project, contingent on Elings Park raising the remaining $200,000 by May 1.
411: https://tinyurl.com/Elings-Swing-Donate
Wine Cask Dinner and Comedy Series
Santa Barbara’s historic Wine Cask Gold Room is enjoying a lively new twist with the launch of a dinner and stand-up comedy series beginning Saturday, April 11 at Intermezzo Restaurant in El Paseo. The evening pairs a full dining experience with a rotating lineup of professional comedians from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and the Central Coast.
Dinner seating begins at 7 pm, with the show starting at 8 pm, offering guests an intimate, laughter-filled night in one of downtown’s most iconic venues. Tickets are available through OpenTable.
Explore Ecology
Environmental Steward Awards April 16
Annual Explore Ecology Environmental Stewardship Awards voted on by locals will be presented April 16 at the Cabrillo Pavillion. Tickets required.
411: https://exploreecology.org
Other Reminders:
- April 9, Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs / Sortis Holdings public meeting, Carpinteria Community Church. Sortis Holdings latest development proposal for 191 luxury homes on the undeveloped Carp bluffs area that was previously denied for development. https:// carpinteriabluffs.org/
- April 15, Juneteenth SB Call for Artists, Vendors, Volunteers, Sponsors, deadline. https://juneteenthsb.org/
- April 18, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Earth Day Saturday: The theme is “Life Grows Where Water Flows;” free. https://syceo.org/earthday
- May 15, Santa Ynez Chumash Museum & Cultural Center 1st Anniversary. www. sychumashmuseum.org
Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Joe DeMello
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
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
Published by:
Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC
Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito,
Shira Kupperman Boehler to present her new memoir at the Congregation B’nai B’rith library
Event-Ready Skin Starts Here
Our Town Technology Grant for Our Lady of Mount Carmel
by Joanne A. Calitri
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation donated more than $93,000 to 13 area schools through its Technology in Schools Program for the ‘25-‘26 school year. The funds support classroom technology needs for both students and faculty.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School (OLMCS) was awarded $5,000 to implement a one-to-one device program for grades one through eight. The funding also covers protective cases for devices and keyboards for middle school students.
I reached out to OLMCS Principal Tracie Simolon regarding the grant. She shared that the school’s first-grade teacher, Erica Holtgrewe, spearheaded the grant effort and wrote the proposal. “We are incredibly grateful for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation’s generosity to our local schools. This grant will allow us to replace aging technology with new student iPads. The Foundation’s investment directly supports our students and aligns with our mission by strengthening our academic program while preparing students to thrive in a technologically advanced world, grounded in strong moral and ethical values.”
Holtgrewe, originally from Vancouver, moved to Santa Barbara to reconnect with her American roots and pursue her teaching career. Her experience spans kindergarten through eighth grade, including physical education, math, reading, and language arts. She was named Teacher of the Month in June 2022 by KEYT, KKFX, and NEYT, and holds an MA in Educational Counseling from Azusa Pacific University.
Kenneth Kahn, tribal chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, stated, “Each year, we see how meaningful technology can transform a student’s education. Through our Technology in Schools Program, we’re honored to support the educators and staff who champion this work and to help provide the tools that strengthen the future of education in Santa Barbara County.”
The school technology funding initiative began in 2015, when the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians donated proceeds from its annual charity golf tournament to four local schools. Inspired by the success of those initial grants, the tribe’s leadership established the Technology in Schools Program through its foundation to address the growing
technological needs of classrooms in Santa Barbara County. Since its inception, the program has distributed more than $640,000 in grants to area schools.
The full list of 2026 grant recipients includes Ballard School District (Solvang), Leonora Fillmore Elementary School District (Lompoc), Cabrillo High School (Lompoc), Notre Dame School (Santa Barbara), Our Lady of Mount Carmel School (Santa Barbara), Jonata Middle School (Buellton), Dunn School (Los Olivos), Adelante Charter School (Santa Barbara), Santa Barbara High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, Santa Ynez Valley Charter School, Solvang School District, and Santa Ynez Valley Christian Academy.
To date, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has donated more than $30 million to hundreds of organizations, schools, and community groups locally and nationwide as part of its long-standing tradition of giving.
Joanne A Calitri is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@ yahoo.com
OLMCS first-grade teacher Erica Holtgrewe working with a student using an iPad (courtesy photo)
In Business Sunstone Wine Lounge and Arnie’s Rooftop Bar Updates
by Joanne A Calitri
Sunstone Wine Lounge, now open at 1294 Coast Village Road, offers locals the opportunity to enjoy the winery’s experience without the drive to its Santa Ynez estate. The lounge is open to both the public and wine club members seven days a week, with both walk-ins and reservations welcome.
The space features Sunstone’s classic wines, curated tastings, and SOLIS, a non-alcoholic option. Interior design is by Cabana Home. Guests can follow the lounge’s Instagram account for event updates and occasional promotions. 411: www.instagram.com/sunstonemontecito
Arnie’s Rooftop Bar in Linden Square
I first reported on Arnie’s Rooftop Bar in November 2025 in our News Bytes section, when early buzz began circulating that restaurateur Arnie Sturham had acquired the space and was developing the concept. Sturham, who moved to the area three years ago, holds a BS in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Washington State University.
Originally slated for a January 2026 opening, construction design and permitting delays pushed the timeline. The
bar is now expected to open April 20, with a private soft opening for press and invited guests happening beforehand. Sturham’s other business, the Treehouse Café in Washington state, has operated for more than 20 years as a pub offering pizza and live music. In contrast, the Carpinteria location – responding to neighborhood preferences – will open as a more low-key lounge aligned with the local lifestyle. Plans include television screens for sports, similar to its downstairs neighbor, Third Window Brewing.
The venue, limited to guests 21 and older, will be the only location in Linden Square permitted to serve hard liquor. Trina Vysniauskas-Armitage will lead the craft cocktail program. The bar will also offer four draft beers and a selection of approximately 20 local wines.
The ambiance features outdoor greenery and a rectangular fire pit, along with nautically inspired furnishings that include rattan bar stools and hanging “egg” chairs. Seating includes sectional couches and a mix of high- and low-top tables. The rooftop setting offers views of Carpinteria’s mountains and coastline, with a layout designed to accommodate both groups and individual visitors. Hours are expected to be 12 pm to 10 pm on weekdays and until 11 pm on weekends.
411: www.instagram.com/arniesrooftopbar
The Sunstone Wine Lounge is open on CVR for all your vino needs (courtesy photo)
Arnie’s Rooftop Bar soon to open in Linden Square (courtesy photo)
janis joplin
On Entertainment La Piazza: It’s in there!
by Steven Libowitz
Jacopo Giacopuzzi ’s first visit to Santa Barbara was just shy of 13 years ago. That was when the native of Verona, Italy, studied at the Music Academy of the West as a 2013 solo piano fellow with the legendary Jerome Lowenthal . He basically never left.
As soon as he concluded his Masters in piano performance at USC Thornton, Giacopuzzi moved right back to town.
“I thought it was the place where I had to be,” he said.
A serial entrepreneur, Giacopuzzi has created all kinds of collaborative pairings of music and other fields, including in his day job as a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway in Montecito, just a stone’s throw from MAW’s Miraflores campus.
His latest project in putting things together is a three-day event, April 10-12, when Santa Barbara Public Library’s new plaza and Faulkner Gallery transform into La Piazza for an Italian music, food, and culture festival.
The idea was to connect his love of music and Santa Barbara with his longing for the sense of community that runs through his Italian blood.
“From the moment I moved here, I felt a disconnect with Europe in terms of community and the way people connect,” Giacopuzzi said. “I realized I needed to import the sense of European lifestyle where people just naturally transition to a common place of the plaza and connect in a very genuine, natural way. They bond over passions about music and arts and food. It’s a light spirit that counters divisiveness, where you meet at the plaza and share ideas and have a good time.”
Giacopuzzi began by forming an Italian club that meets weekly and now boasts more than 160 members, and later started a series of events called Bistro Musicale, which were recitals that paired Italian menus and wines with performance pieces. Attending the grand opening of the library’s new Towbes Plaza last year, he knew he’d found the perfect venue for expanding that formula into a communal gathering he called La Piazza.
“It’s exactly what I envisioned for a festival, with a beautiful outdoor space downtown and a very accessible community room in Faulkner,” he said.
Although it’s a new event, the comprehensive offerings over the weekend are impressive. On the musical menu, Friday’s concert at 4 pm is titled “Amore Italiano: Rome, Cinema, and the Music of the Heart,” pairing pianists Giacopuzzi and Alvise Pascucci with Camille Miller on violin and Tommaso Benciolini on flute for a program that starts with an adaptation of Respighi’s “Pines of Rome” – performed just two weeks ago by the Santa Barbara Symphony – followed by excerpts of classic movie music with scenes projected on the walls of the gallery. Saturday afternoon’s concert, titled “Recomposed: Vivaldi, Verdi, and the Art of Reinvention,” features performances by Giacopuzzi, Benciolini and violinist Jessica Guideri, the symphony’s concertmaster playing adaptations of Vivaldi, Verdi and Nino Rota. Sunday’s closing concert brings pianist Antonio Artese and his West Coast Trio featuring bassist Luca Alemanno and drummer Mark Ferber, and flautist Benciolini to Faulkner for a rare performance of Claude Bolling’s “Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio.”
The festival’s gastronomic angle (italianate eats and demonstrations) takes place on Saturday and Sunday at Towbes Plaza, where visitors will enjoy bread and olive oil tastings, a fresh pasta stand, booths offering an array of authentic Italian products, cooking demonstrations and more. Cultural considerations will include hands-on workshops for kids, tarantella dance lessons, and seminars on the food, wine, and
Entertainment Page 404
Mary Bridget Davies Photo: Jason Niedle
Seared Sea Scallops
Jacopo Giacopuzzi is the conductor [so to speak] of this weekend’s La Piazza Italian culture fest (courtesy photos)
VILLAGE PROPERTIES
Proudly Congratulates Marcy Dolle Bazzani
For her outstanding representation and successful closing in Hope Ranch:
4178 CRESTA AVENUE
Represented Buyer | Sold for $9,825,000
805.717.0450 marcy@villagesite.com villagesite.com | DRE 01402612
Coastal Hideaways Melissa Pierson Is at Home in Hospitality
by Zach Rosen
Thirty years ago, before Airbnb listings and algorithm-driven bookings, Melissa Pierson unlocked the door to a different way of thinking about hospitality. A home, prepared with care and an eye for detail, could shape how someone experienced a place. What began with a single seaside rental grew into Coastal Hideaways, a lasting presence in Santa Barbara’s vacation landscape, built through consistency, relationships, and an instinct for what makes a stay feel complete.
Melissa’s roots run deep in Santa Barbara. Raised here, she watched her family scatter across the country while she remained, drawn to the rhythm of the coast and the opportunities it held. Her path into business took shape in stages, driven as much by circumstance as by ambition. She started young, working wherever she could, learning early that effort translated into independence. That mindset carried her into her first ventures, long before Coastal Hideaways took shape.
805.259.8808
For his outstanding representation and successful closing of:
439 LAM BERT ROAD
CARPINTERIA, CA 93013
OFFER ED AT $9,995,000 REPRESENTED SELLER
3236 CA MPANIL DRIVE
SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109
OFFERED AT $4,995,000 REPRESENTED SELLER
Her earliest business was a skincare salon, where she developed her own line of products and built a client base from the ground up. From there, she entered the medical field, rising to become a national sales manager. The role sharpened her understanding of people, timing, and trust. She went on to launch a medical recruiting firm with multiple offices, placing physicians and executives. After selling that company, she created a childcare concept in Ventura that offered overnight care for young children, an uncommon service that met a real need for working families. Each chapter added another layer of experience, preparing her for what would come next.
A Business Built on Care
Coastal Hideaways did not begin as a formal business plan. It started in a home she was living in along the Ventura coast. The downstairs unit became a weekend rental, marketed as a romantic escape. Interest built quickly. Neighbors asked if she could represent their homes. Word spread. What followed was steady growth, guided more by reputation than advertising.
From the beginning, Melissa approached the work with a focus on detail. That focus remains central today. Her portfolio hovers right around 30 properties, a number she has found allows her to maintain a high standard. Each home receives direct attention. After cleaning, she walks through to
ensure everything is in order. She notices what others might miss, whether it is a fixture that needs repair or a space that could feel more inviting. Guests arrive to fresh flowers and a stocked kitchen, with thoughtful touches that reflect the tone of their stay. Melissa is also there if any needs arise during the stay.
That level of involvement defines the experience. It also builds trust. Many of her property owners have worked with her for years, if not decades. Guests return year after year, often requesting the same homes and reserving their dates far in advance. Over time, those relationships evolve. Familiar names become familiar faces. Conversations extend beyond bookings into shared updates about family and life.
In moments of crisis, Melissa Pierson’s work has extended far beyond hospitality. After the Montecito debris flow, when families were left without homes or belongings, she opened her Goleta warehouse and began distributing furniture to those in need. What started as lending quickly became giving, as she realized many would have nothing to return to. She furnished entire homes with beds, couches, lamps, and essentials, helping displaced residents rebuild a sense of normalcy during an uncertain time.
The effort grew rapidly. Within weeks, she had fully outfitted multiple homes and assisted more than a dozen families, donating an estimated $150,000 worth of furnishings. Her work also extended to connecting displaced residents with
Hideaways Page 324
Melissa in her Coast Village Road office
A LEGACY OF PROTECTION
Meet Dean Noble The First Day with SBMM’s New ED
by Sigrid Toye
On Dean Noble’s very first day as the new executive director of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM), it was my completely coincidental good fortune to be perched on the Museum’s patio with a cup of Java from Dart Coffee and in possession of pad, pencil, and laptop. Any plans I may have had remain a mystery because all was forgotten when I hit the jackpot in the Executive Suite of the museum that day. Talk about serendipitous events!
Entering the executive director’s office it appeared that I’d crashed a welcoming party between Noble and outgoing Director Greg Gorga. The conference table groaned with gift bags and museum files ready to be opened and the congenial mood in the room was overwhelming. It seemed that I’d landed in the catbird seat as a direct witness to the passing of the helm at SBMM, and the opportunity to experience firsthand Noble’s enthusiasm for the prospect of expanding the museum’s longstanding mission of innovative exhibits and educational experiences celebrating the Santa Barbara Channel and its connections with the sea.
Hardly a stranger to an ocean-oriented environment, Noble’s roots are in Honolulu where he was born and raised, the son of a teacher at the Kamehameha School for indigent children of Hawaiian descent. As Hawaii’s largest private landowner, stewarding over 363,000 acres of land across the islands, the Kamehameha schools are dedicated to preserving the indigenous culture of Hawaii along with the conservation and preservation of the surrounding agricultural lands. Noble grew up on this natural preserve where his parents lived for 40 years, honoring the land upon which the entire Noble family lived.
Moving to the Mainland for college Noble attended Pepperdine University (overlooking the Pacific coastline!) eventually earning a master’s degree in business from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. “Although I considered business to be my background I spent most of my career in storytelling working for and with independent studios and production companies. My position in feature film development eventually led to Universal Studios and its international theme parks division.” While with Universal, Dean traveled to Japan to assist in opening the Universal Theme Park in Osaka and served in marketing for Universal Studios Japan. “My experience with Universal included supervision of TV specials for the Japanese market and many other opportunities that proved helpful going forward, not the least of which was an intimate knowledge of theme park operations.” He added with a chuckle, “Plus... I met Steven Spielberg at Amblin Productions on the Universal lot in Hollywood, Meryl Streep and other super fun famous folks!”
The Director of Education at the Santa Barbara Zoo was Noble’s sisterin-law who, knowing his background in marketing, passed the word along that the zoo needed a Marketing Director. “A position at the zoo in beautiful Santa Barbara was so tempting that I applied for the position instantly and landed the job.” Despite the drive from Thousand Oaks and a cut in pay, the time Noble spent on that awesome campus was a reward in itself. “My first office was a converted kitchen and I had to move my chair if folks wanted to use the microwave,” he laughed. “Nonetheless I spent thirteen wonderful years at the zoo watching it grow into the world-renowned organization it is today.”
Meet Dean Page 364
Passing of the maritime baton between Dean Noble and Greg Gorga
WINTER CLEARANCE
Giving List Return to Freedom
by Steven Libowitz
Locally owned and operated for over 42 years 14 State Street | 962-0049 | Mon-Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5 mountainairsports.com
Return to Freedom’s Founder Neda DeMayo has had horse sense since her earliest memories.
“Horse was my first word,” DeMayo says. “I have been passionate about horses since I was born, or at least I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t.”
DeMayo first began riding when she was five years old, but it was another incident at the same time that informed what has become her passion for most of the last three decades.
“I saw wild horses being captured and chased on television back in the early ‘60s,” she recalled. “Fast forward to the ‘90s when the Associated Press was exposing what was happening with America’s wild horses and burros under the Bureau of Land Management, and I was incensed. That’s when I knew it was time to take action.”
DeMayo’s idea was to start a wild horse sanctuary that would not only serve as wide open space for the threatened free-ranging equines, but also serve as a natural preserve and a place for education and advocacy to help more than the horses she could rescue on site.
The result was Return to Freedom, a national 501(c)3 wild horse conservation organization whose mission statement says it all: “RTF is dedicated to preserving the freedom, diversity and habitat of America’s wild horses and burros through sanctuary, education, advocacy and conservation, while enriching the human spirit through direct experience with the natural world.”
RTF opened its American Wild Horse Sanctuary back in 1998 with a 300-acre ranch in Lompoc, and now runs three different locations in the Central Coast.
While herds of wild mustangs and other horses still roam free on public lands, that iconic symbol of the American West is under increasing threat as the Bureau of Land Management’s multiple use management policy calls for sharing the dwindling open public spaces with private livestock grazing and oil and natural gas extraction. To thin the herds, BLM still employs high-tech roundups that result in removal and separation from their families, which causes the horses as much anxiety as policies toward undocumented immigrants at the Mexican border. Adding to their pain, many of the horses end up in overcrowded corrals for years, or worse yet, sent off to slaughterhouses.
Return to Freedom has a different idea.
“We relocate intact family bands, which lets people who visit understand what we’re losing out there, and that horses are sentient beings who live in strongly bonded bands,” DeMayo explained. “They suffer when they are separated, just like we would. And too many end up spending their lives in overcrowded pipe corrals that are supposed to be temporary holding facilities, which is now costing the taxpayer $100 million a year.”
As a solution-focused organization, RTF advocates for minimally invasive management of wild horses and burros, and medical solutions to reduce population growth.
Meanwhile, the nonprofit maintains a total of 2,500 acres; space that not only provides safe haven for more than 450 wild horses and burros who have been removed from public lands, but also provides opportunities for education to expand awareness of the situation and foster understanding of these magnificent animals.
Giving List Page 364
Meet the one and only Spirit at the May 9th event (photo by Marla Dell)
The Spring Gardening Festival & Marketplace
For decades Ray and Peter have held court at their Rametto Road hub; salon central for beloved family gatherings, chatty martini-hoisting Montecitans, and even a rotating list of graciously hosted nonprofits. Now Kavoian summarizes his Ray – whose childhood gauntlet, later self-repair, and searching curiosity may be said to have produced a towering intellect housed in a tempered steel frame swaddled in corduroy velour.
“He was raised in abject poverty, his four brothers and himself,” Kavoian says. “They had no money for the simplest things, like a cookie, for instance. Ray would take a piece of toast, put some cinnamon and sugar on it and bake it in the oven. And so now suddenly they had a dessert.”
“I remember launching Estes rockets with him on a clear day after it snowed, and not being able to find the rockets till the next fall when we visited and the snow had melted. Also meeting him over in Europe in 1985 for 12 days – and that was a blast.”
– Kevin Winn
Ray seems to have applied this canand-will-do template to the whole of his meteoric life. “From the time he was a little kid,” Kavoian says, “Ray figured out how to look at the world, not from a perspective of deprivation, but in terms of opportunity. ‘How am I going to fix this problem?’”
Indeed, Ray would become a terrific exemplar of the timeworn saying “From hardscrabble rural poverty comes Viking Mars Lander innovation.”
“His pellicle really revolutionized the semiconductor industry, ended up selling to DuPont. Then he met Peter and they went on to their whole real estate venture in Texas. They’ve done very well. I’m still really good friends with Peter. He’s like, ‘Well, I’m your step father-inlaw!’ And I go, ‘Uh, no you’re not. You’re more like my older brother!’ We laugh about that.”
– Tony Luna
Ray’s time – his “journey” to use greeting card jargon – was a hypersonic thrill ride whose seat belts dangled almost mockingly. Semiconductor lithography innovator / nuclear submarine planner and nuclear test site overseer / real estate conqueror / night club owner / fusion researcher / record producer / Viking Mars Lander imagist / multi-instrumentalist and composer / doting father and grandfather; Ray was fuel-injected, a barrier-busting argonaut with a blazing heart. If this profile of Ray seems to skip along with something of Ray’s personal velocity, please bear with it. Any attempt to apply narrative tools to the guy’s CV would be a Tolstoyan doorstop, so details of his hair-raising and manifold accomplishments will occupy a bulleted sidebar, and forgive the artless listing. Ray Winn “accomplished” everything he put his hungry mind to, but the man lived for his kids, Lisa, Kevin, and Paul, his adored grandkids, Zachary, Nathan, and Zoey – and his raison d’être; Peter. Ray moved through life like a jet engine moves through air, drinking it in as both medium and propellant. How the guy made it to 91 without a heat shield is anybody’s guess.
Flatware Pries Open Pandora’s Box
1934. Ray was born in Price, Utah to a coal-mining father and indomitable
Beings & Doings Page 424
The Marjorie Luke Theatre Green Film Series Presents
Future conqueror pauses to flex with Oldsmobile (courtesy photo)
“One
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Notre Dame Centennial
A Milestone Celebration for the School & Alumni
by Zach Rosen
Notre Dame School will mark its 100th anniversary this spring, celebrating a century of Catholic education in Santa Barbara with a commemorative Mass and evening gala. The milestone reflects both the longevity of the Micheltorena Street campus, and its continued role in serving local families across generations. Set for May 29, the centennial event is expected to draw alumni, educators, and community members for a reflection on the school’s past and a look toward its future.
Founded in 1926, the campus that now houses Notre Dame School has been home to three Catholic institutions over the past century: Santa Barbara Catholic High School, Dolores School, and Notre Dame itself. Together, they form a continuous educational lineage that has shaped thousands of students in the region. While the names have changed, the mission has remained consistent – providing
accessible, faith-based education to Santa Barbara families.
That accessibility has long been central to the school’s identity. Notre Dame has historically served working-class families, offering one of the lowest tuition rates in the area in order to keep its doors open to a broad cross-section of the community. As Director of Advancement and Engagement Naz Madaen described, the school’s families are the people who form the backbone of Santa Barbara – parents balancing multiple jobs, committed to giving their children a strong educational foundation rooted in Catholic values.
Over the decades, students from these schools have gone on to make lasting contributions both locally and beyond. Alumni include individuals who have entered the clergy and risen to positions of leadership within the Church, including bishops, as well as those who have built businesses (think Borgatello family), served in public office (e.g. Assemblymember Gregg Hart), and remained deeply engaged in civic life.
Many maintain a lasting connection to the campus and building, even as the schools have changed.
The centennial celebration is designed in part to reconnect those threads. Organizers have reached out to alumni from all three schools, including those who attended Santa Barbara Catholic High School and Dolores School before their closures, inviting them back to a place that, for many, still represents a formative chapter in their lives. The result is expected to be a convergence of generations, united by a shared educational foundation. Madaen said that Notre Dame remains dedicated to honoring all of the alumni and maintaining ties so that the school still feels like a home.
The May 29 celebration will begin with a commemorative Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church presided over by Bishop Sławomir Szkredka, followed by a formal gala held in the Notre Dame School auditorium. The evening will feature dinner, live music, and a fundraising component aimed at sustaining the school’s mission for future students.
At the center of the gala will be a tribute to Montecitans Nick and Patty Weber, longtime supporters of Notre Dame School whose philanthropy has played a significant role in maintaining and strengthening the institution. According to Madaen, the Webers’ involvement reflects a simple but powerful motivation: a willingness to step in when support was needed.
“They didn’t have a direct connection to the school,” Madaen noted. “They just heard there was a need and chose to help.”
That spirit of giving has had a tangible impact. In a school where tuition does not fully cover the cost of educating each student, ongoing community support is essential. Events like the Centennial Gala, underwritten by Farmers & Merchants Bank, help bridge that gap, ensuring that Notre Dame can continue to serve families who might not otherwise have access to private education.
The gala, while marking 100 years, ultimately points forward, reinforcing the school’s commitment to remain a place where education, faith, and community continue to intersect for generations to come.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/NotreDameCentennial to make a reservation
Zach Rosen is the Managing Editor of the Montecito Journal. He also enjoys working with beer, art, and life.
The Notre Dame Campus Through the Ages
Your Westmont Talk Explores Changes, Opportunities With AI
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
AWestmont Downtown Lecture will explore AI’s real-world implications on Thursday, April 23, at 5:30 pm at Westmont Downtown | Keith Center, 29 W. Anapamu St. The talk, “AI and Our Shared Future: Opportunities, Challenges and What’s at Stake,” features Mike Ryu, Westmont assistant professor of mathematics and computer science, and Reed Sheard, Westmont vice president of advancement and chief information officer. The free lecture offers insights on thoughtfully engaging with technological changes while creating new opportunities. No tickets or reservations required; the limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please call (805) 565-6051.
“I’ll open with a brief introduction to AI and then examine how technologies grow exponentially,” Ryu says. “I’ll break down how much of the information surrounding AI is real and what is likely hype.”
“I’ll explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping society, education, and our daily lives – not just as a tool, but as a force that’s challenging us to rethink what it means to be human,” Sheard says.
Ryu earned both a bachelor’s degree in software engineering and a master’s degree in computer science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He worked in the software industry in the San Francisco Bay Area as a software engineer, an agile coach and an engineering manager before coming to Westmont in 2023. “My passion in computer science is empowering people with technology by teaching in a way that eliminates the high barrier to enter the computing field,” he says.
Sheard graduated from the University of Sioux Falls, earned a Master of Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary and a doctorate in higher education leadership from Seattle University. He joined Westmont in 2008 to serve as the vice president for College Advancement and CIO. During Reed’s tenure as leader of College Advancement, Westmont has conducted three capital campaigns, raising more than $500 million. eCampus named Westmont’s IT department one of the top 12 in higher education, and Computerworld/IDG has named Reed one of the top 100 IT leaders in the country. His current areas of study
include Artificial Intelligence and building outstanding, productive teams.
The Westmont Foundation sponsors the talk, part of Westmont Downtown: Conversations about Things that Matter.
Art Grads
‘Reencounter’ the Self
From April 9 to May 9 in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum, fourteen graduating art majors will present their capstone projects in an exhibition that reencounters their cultural identity, family history & patterns, and art historical traditions. There will be a free, public opening reception for Reencounter
Westmont Page 354
James Taylor
CARPINTERIA
THE CARPINTERIA THE CARPINTERIA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION PRESENTS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION PRESENTS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION PRESENTS
A special evening honoring the individuals and A the and special evening the organizations whose dedication, generosity, and service whose dedication, and organizations whose dedication, generosity, and service help shape the spirit of our community. the our help shape of community.
Saturday, April 18, 2026 18, 2026 April 18, 5:00 pm Hors d’oeuvres & Dinner / 7:00pm Program 5:00 pm Hors d’oeuvres & Dinner / 7:00pm Program 5:00 pm Hors d’oeuvres & Dinner / 7:00pm Program
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Carpinteria Girls of 5315 Foothill Road, Carpinteria CA 5315 Foothill Road, Carpinteria CA 5315 Carpinteria CA
Hosted Wine & Beer / Valet Parking Beer Valet Wine & / $135 per person $135 per person per person
Seating is limited. Kindly respond by April 10, 2026 10, Seating limited. Kindly 10, 2026 Reserve your seat(s) at carpca.org. Cocktail attire. carpca.org. attire. Reserve your seat(s) at carpca.org. Cocktail attire.
SPONSORED BY The Fansler Family The Hazen Foundation
* Special Guests * Steve Postell Miriam Dance Lois Mahalia James Raymond
Jess Bush
Céleigh Chapman
Mendeleyev
Will Breman
Omar Velasco
Mike Ryu
Reed Sheard
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Elizabeth’s Appraisals
Early Bacchanalian Bachelor Tours
by Elizabeth Stewart
sends me a large drinking vessel collected in the early 20th century: a 19th century Grand Tour object. Classical bronze works of art were collected by wealthy young men on their lively and loose bachelor tours of Europe. These decorative objects were brought back as trophies, along with the usual portrait painted of that handsome rich young traveler by an eminent Italian artist.
I believe this bronze gilded vessel is French, probably from the era of Napoleon III (1848-70), and was likely collected on the continent. There is no sculptor’s mark and no foundry mark. There is, however, a number etched into the metal of the base verso; a sign of someone cataloging this for their personal collection. Although not English, this style was covered by English blue bloods in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Notice I stated that this is a drinking vessel; inspired by the first Roman god of the vine, Greek Dionysus/Roman Bacchus. The Bacchic motifs seen on the vase are masks of Dionysus, leopard and lion pelts (Dionysus’ sacred felines), and vines, bodies covered in vines, and handles of intertwining wine branches. The rod that crosses the front between the masks is the ‘thyrsus,’ the emblem of the god, a staff topped with what appears to be a pinecone. If you look close enough you will also see the presentation of phalli, which were also found in many cities that honored the god.
Dionysus/Bacchus would have been pleased with this bronze punch bowl because Dionysus was himself a collector of drinking vessels, bringing back a silver goblet from his conquest of India. There was always something rather foreign
and exotic about this god, and certainly something feminine. However, there was nothing feminine (so they say) about the owner of the archetypal 1st century marble piece on which this bronze vase is based. The owner of that originating marble work happened to be the first Emperor to sport a beard: Roman Emperor Hadrian (100AD).
The original – and rare – marble vessel, called the Warwick Vase, is now housed in the Glasgow Museum in Scotland, a treasure almost eight feet high. The massive vessel was found in fragments by Gavin Hamilton (1723-1798) Scottish Neo-Classical painter, archeologist, and savvy dealer of Greek and Roman antiquities based in Rome. It was discovered in 1769-1770, while he was excavating in the silts of Lake Pantanello on the grounds of the Villa Tiburtina, the villa of the Roman Emperor Hadrian outside Rome. The vase was created for Hadrian (Roman Emperor from 117 to 138) as an adornment for the gardens of his palatial villa, the vessel likely created in ancient Tivoli in Italy. A monumental marble sculpture in the form of a two-handled drinking cup, it is decorated with acting masks and motifs relating to the cult of the Roman god of wine, Bacchus. It was sold to George Greville, Earl of Warwick. The vase stood in the
courtyard of Warwick Castle for almost two centuries until it was purchased for The Burrell Collection for the Scottish Museums by the Scottish Heritage Association in 1979.
From the 18th century onwards, the rediscovery of the Warwick Vase has been a major source of inspiration for the Neo-Classical school in the decorative arts in Britain, bridging the millennia between Classical Antiquity and 18th century taste and style in Britain and Europe. Look at Dionysus’ laughing face placed around the vessel, offering wine, song, dance, and debauchery.
Dionysus/Bacchus was the slightly foreign, slightly androgynous, ultrasexy god of theater, leopards/panthers, donkeys and goats, god of regeneration and vegetation, pleasure, madness, and collective ecstasy. His cult was a Mystery Cult; only the initiated could participate in the rituals, which involved days of revels, mainly carried out by females. Dionysus/Bacchus cults practiced sexual liberation, the god himself partaking of both heterosexual and homosexual relations. Dionysus’ favorite boy was Ampelos, who died riding a wild bull, after which the god transformed him into a vine, and a constellation in the sky, making him immortal. So writes Ovid, the Roman poet born in 43 BC. Examples of objects from antiquity featuring Dionysius/Bacchus were found in India, in Serbia, in Greece and Italy; the god is represented in many forms, but none more famous than the Warwick Vase, of which PP’s bronze is a late 19th century copy, not in marble, as is the original, but in cast bronze with gold overlay gilding. Sotheby’s sold one very similar at 17.5” w x 11.5” d x 10” h for $2,700 on 11/7/12: since this is an older comparable sale, I would estimate the value of the bronze at $3,000 today.
Elizabeth Stewart, PhD is a veteran appraiser of fine art, furniture, glass, and other collectibles, and a cert. member of the AAA and an accr. member of the ASA. Please send any objects to be appraised to Elizabethappraisals@ gmail.com
This bronze drinking vessel mimics its marble counterpart: the Warwick Vase
Meet the Doctor A New Series from Sutter Health
Healthcare is personal – and so are the people behind it. In this new feature, we introduce some of Sutter Health’s 270 Central Coast physicians and clinicians through brief, candid Q&As. Hear what inspires them, how they approach care, and what they value most about serving this community. We hope these conversations offer a glimpse into the heart of our organization – and the people who make it thrive.
Meet Oculoplastic Surgeon and Ophthalmologist, Dr. Mica Bergman
Dr. Mica Bergman earned her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University, then went on to complete both a Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine through the highly selective Medical Scientist Training Program. She remained at Vanderbilt for a general surgery internship before continuing her specialty training in ophthalmology at the USC Roski Eye Institute.
Dr. Bergman then completed a fellowship in oculoplastic surgery through an American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) –accredited joint program between Eyesthetica, a leading private practice in Los Angeles, and the USC Roski Eye Institute – one of fewer than 30 ASOPRS fellowships offered nationwide each year.
Dr. Bergman is board certified in ophthalmology and a Fellow of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. She brings a deep commitment to patient care, along with a strong foundation in both clinical and research excellence.
Q. What is one misconception people often have about your field?
A. People often think that the field of oculoplastic surgery is entirely cosmetic or aesthetic surgery. While oculoplastic surgeons do perform such procedures, we also perform a myriad of medical procedures. Most commonly, we address drooping upper eyelids, poorly positioned lower eyelids, reconstruction following eyelid cancer removal, and blockage of the tear drainage system. Of course, even when pursuing medically-indicated procedures, the goal is always an excellent cosmetic outcome!
What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine, and how did you select your particular specialty?
I come from a family of physicians. My grandmother was an anesthesiologist, and my father is a pediatric neurologist. I grew up understanding the rewards and challenges of a career in medicine. From a young age, I had a strong sense that it would suit my strengths and interests.
Choosing my specialty, oculoplastic surgery, came later and was less obvious. I was drawn to surgical specialties because of the opportunity to use my hands to fix a problem, and the depth of expertise required. I came to love oculoplastic surgery specifically because the procedures require combining technical rigor with artistic judgment, and deep understanding of anatomy and physiology with thoughtful, creative application of techniques. Looking back, it is hard to imagine a specialty that would be a better fit.
How has your upbringing or cultural background influenced your approach to care?
Growing up, I was taught that medicine is a “sacred duty.” Although aspects of the profession can resemble a business enterprise or a service industry, this guiding principle places medicine in a unique position. I aim for my care of patients and my sense of responsibility as a physician to reflect that ethos.
If you weren’t a physician, what is another career you could see yourself in?
If I weren’t a physician, I think I would have enjoyed and thrived in intelligence work. I love digging deeply and pursuing creative avenues to solve problems, and I am fascinated by the ways people make decisions and by what drives their behavior. Or maybe I’d be a flying trapeze artist.
A flying trapeze artist?
I say it in jest, but flying trapeze is, in fact, a passion of mine. The sport involves swinging on a trapeze bar thirty feet above ground, then releasing and completing flips and twists before being caught arm-to-arm by an individual hanging upside down on another trapeze bar. The feeling of flying through the air is pure joy, and the thrill of successfully completing a catch is incredibly rewarding. I love the combination of athleticism and finesse that trapeze demands, and I enjoy both refining my current tricks and working to expand my repertoire.
What is something on your bucket list you haven’t done yet?
I love to ski but have not yet been heli-skiing. I would gladly trade my beloved bumps to experience that level of untouched powder!
As Sansum Clinic completes the transition to Sutter Health, we remain united by a shared mission: to deliver compassionate, high-quality care to the communities we serve. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare on the Central Coast.
available rentals, responding to a growing need for temporary housing. For Melissa, it was not an extension of her business so much as a response to community – an instinct to step in, organize, and help where it was needed most.
In the Time Before Airbnb
The industry around her has changed dramatically. When she began, vacation rentals existed on the margins. There were no large platforms connecting travelers to private homes. Reservations came through direct communication, often by phone. Today, the landscape is shaped by digital marketplaces and instant booking systems. Options have multiplied. Visibility has expanded.
Looking back, she sees the
business as a convergence of everything she learned along the way. Sales, design, management, and service all come together within Coastal Hideaways.
The homes themselves reflect a range of needs. Some are designed for brief coastal visits, while others support longer stays. Visiting professors, traveling nurses, and seasonal residents all find their way into her portfolio. The rise of remote work has expanded that audience further, allowing people to spend weeks or months in Santa Barbara while continuing their professional routines.
Through all of it, the core principle remains consistent. Hospitality is built through attention. It is present in how a home is prepared, how a guest is welcomed, and how issues are handled when they arise. Melissa stays in communication throughout each stay, checking in to ensure everything meets expectations. If something needs attention, she addresses it quickly, supported by a network of trusted professionals.
Looking back, she sees the business as a convergence of everything she learned along the way. Sales, design, management, and service all come together within Coastal Hideaways. It is work that keeps her engaged. Each property presents a new challenge. Each guest brings a different perspective.
She has been approached over the years by those interested in purchasing the company. The offers have not changed her direction. She continues to run the business herself, guided by the same instincts that shaped its early growth. The variety of the work, combined with the relationships she has built, keeps her invested in its future.
Santa Barbara provides the setting for all of this, a place known for its climate, architecture, and sense of ease. Visitors arrive seeking a version of that experience. Coastal Hideaways helps translate it into something tangible. A well-prepared home becomes part of their time here, shaping how they remember it.
SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY 7:30 AM - 10:00 PM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY AM - PM 7:0010:00
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AM7:0012:00AM
Melissa has adapted to those changes while holding onto the core of her approach. Her listings appear across major platforms, meeting travelers where they search. At the same time, she continues to guide clients directly, offering a level of insight that cannot be automated. When someone reaches out, she asks questions about their plans, their preferences, and their expectations. From there, she narrows the options and helps them find a fit that aligns with their stay. Regulation has added another layer of complexity. Santa Barbara’s rules around short-term rentals have evolved over the years, shaped by housing concerns and coastal policies. Melissa has remained attentive to those shifts, ensuring that every property operates within the guidelines. Taxes are collected and reported properly. Zoning is respected. Maintaining that compliance protects both her clients and the longevity of the business.
After three decades, Melissa Pierson continues to do what she set out to do. She creates environments where people feel comfortable, cared for, and connected to their surroundings. The scale has grown. The tools have changed. The approach has stayed consistent.
A door opens. The lights are on. Everything is in its place.
Visit www.coastalhideaways.com
shirt and hot pink glasses – pure rockand-roll flair. By night’s end, the verdict was clear: this production doesn’t just tell Janis Joplin’s story – it channels her, wall to wall, soul to soul, leaving the audience breathless.
Buns and Bubbles
Santa Barbara Yacht Club shone with sun-soaked sophistication and sparkling spirits, staging a springtime soirée that was stylish yet relaxed, silly yet serene. Guests arrived in casual, cheerful ensembles – breezy pastel dresses, Hawaiian shirts, and lightly adorned hats – perfectly suited to the sunlit scene. Bright linens draped the tables, tulips tumbled temptingly in sunny vases, and towers of Easter eggs tempted taste buds at every turn.
In attendance were the ever-elegant Brenda Blalock and dapper Alan Porter Also, J.C. Gordon, former El Presidente of Old Spanish Days, attended with the
radiant Julie Gordon, the delightful D’Ann Lawson, the chic Cheryl Fisher, and the melodiously minded Canaan Triplett of the Triplett Custom Harps Company. Julie remarked, “Seeing the kids all excited to meet the Easter Bunny lit us up and made us smile to see the pure joy it brought them!”
Adding to the merriment, an announcement over the loudspeakers warned that a “strange furry creature” was hopping down the beach towards the club. When it was later announced he was taking the elevator up, one wag quipped, “He’s a few sandwiches short of a picnic.”
No celebration would be complete without culinary flair, and Executive Chef Owen Hanavan, a thinking man’s crumpet, delivered the day. Even the live Easter Bunny – “all fur coat and no knickers” –donning his Yacht Club hat, posed with the chef and scampered off to hide eggs on the beach, prompting a lively, laughter-filled hunt for the children.
It was a true Eden by the Beach morning – from the pastel-perfect scene of Santa Barbara Yacht Club to the laughter of egg-hunting children – beautifully boisterous, breezy, and buoyant, brimming with brightness, bonhomie, and just the right touch of whimsy against the sparkling backdrop of Santa Barbara Harbor. Guests departed with cheeks flushed and hearts full, carrying memories of a sun-soaked brunch magnificently merry and magically mischievous.
From there the fun was just beginning, later that day we visited the home of Mark and Andrea Alfano to continue the hunt for more food, family and friends.
The SB Yacht Club was ringing with fun, eggs, and sun (photo by Priscilla)
Easter time at the home of Mark and Andrea Alfano (photo by Priscilla)
“I found another egg!” (photo by Priscilla)
SHERIFF’S BLOTTER
Narcotics/Stolen Property / El Bosque Road
Monday, March 23, at 04:20 hours
Deputies responded to a report of prowlers on camera. Upon arrival they located and detained two suspects. They were found to be in possession of stolen property, burglary tools, narcotics for sale, and a spear gun. Being on Post-Release Community Supervision (PRCS) and Parole, they were not allowed to have any weapons let alone a spear gun. Subjects were arrested and booked on violations of 11378 HS (Possession, Controlled Substance, Intent to Sell), 647h PC (Prowling), 496 PC (Possession, Stolen Property), 29800 PC (Parole Violation, Weapon Possession), and 466 PC (Possession, Burglary Tools).
Property Theft in Vehicle / Veloz Drive
Tuesday, March 24, at 11:17 hours
On Monday, March 23, at approximately 21:00 hours, the victim left his vehicles unlocked in his driveway. The following morning at approximately 08:00 hours, the victim discovered unknown suspect(s) had stolen property from his vehicles. No camera surveillance at scene.
Verbal Dispute / 2600 block Caspia Lane
Tuesday, March 24, at 13:12 hours
Parties involved in a verbal dispute over not waving to one another while walking home. One of the reporting parties demanded a report be taken to document the incident.
Mental Health Check / Whitney Avenue
Thursday, March 26, at 10:19 hours
Deputies responded to a male subject suffering from mental health issues. The subject was throwing potted plants over a balcony onto his mother’s vehicle parked below. Reporting Party (RP) was subject’s mother, who did not want to file any charges and wanted him to be transported to the hospital. Two of subject’s friends were with him when deputies arrived on scene. The friends offered to take him to the hospital, explaining that he was calm but that he would become extremely angry if he saw the officers. This proved to be the case, and subject became highly agitated and attempted to throw another large ceramic pot in the deputies’ direction. Since the presence of deputies was escalating the situation, deputies withdrew to their vehicles so subject’s friends could calm him down and take him to the hospital. A social worker had been contacted by the RP, and arrived on scene,
telling deputies he was going to speak with subject and put him in a hold. He was advised of subject’s temperament and that subject’s friends were attempting to transport him. The social worker advised he had a long relationship with subject and wanted to go and speak with him. Concerned for the social worker’s safety, deputies positioned themselves in the residence, the better to protect the social worker. Subject brandished a broken bottle at the social worker, grabbed a meat cleaver from the kitchen and advanced on him. Deputies held subject at gunpoint until he dropped the meat cleaver and took him into custody without further incident.
Security Officer Received Threats / 2000 block Packing House Road
Thursday, March 26, at 23:13 hours
The on-duty security officer at Birnam Wood received a suspicious phone and wanted to document the incident in case there are any future episodes of a similar nature. A subject called and said the security officer had won 1.5 million dollars. When the security officer started asking questions about the money, the subject changed the subject and said there was work that needed to be done at Birnam Wood, as if he was a contractor with work to do at the property. The security officer told him that security was unaware of any jobs being worked on at that hour. These conversations featured the subject breaking into gibberish and sounding mentally disturbed, according to the security officer. The caller continually switched subjects and spoke increasing nonsense. At some point in the conversation, the subject asked to speak to the manager. When the security officer replied that he could not speak to the manager, subject threatened to bomb Birnam Wood and behead the security officer if she hung up on him. The security officer said the subject also described the gate house to her and said he had taken pictures of the property. The subject told the security officer that if she hung up, he would come full force with his guys. After hanging up on the subject, the security officers on duty reported the incident their supervisor, who told them to call law enforcement and request a report to document the incident.
Meth / East Valley Road
Thursday, March 26, at 00:31 hours
Deputy contacted a vehicle parked on the side of the road which had a gas can on the hood, possibly signaling a need for assistance. The sole occupant of the vehicle had three warrants out for his arrest. The subject told deputies he had meth under his seat. The subject was arrested on the warrants. Deputies recovered a baggie of meth and a used meth pipe under the seat as indicated by subject. The subject was booked at SBJ for the warrants and the new charges of 11377(a) HS (Possession, Controlled Substance), and 11364(a) HS (Possession, Paraphernalia). His vehicle was towed.
Check Fraud / 800 block Toro Canyon Road
Saturday, March 26, at 10:52 hours
Former employee of the elderly victim fraudulently wrote checks from the victim’s checkbook for amount totaling over $120,000. Suspect is believed to have fled to Mexico.
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on Thursday, April 9, from 4-6 pm in the museum.
“The 14 artists in the exhibition have each developed a cohesive body of work over the academic year, exploring themes of familial relationships, the fleeting nature of memory, and attentiveness to the beauty of everyday life,” says Meagan Stirling, associate professor of art and chair of the art department.
The projects span a range of media, including charcoal drawing, oil, acrylic, watercolor, ceramics, woodcut and screen printing, and multimedia installation.
The talented students include Geneva Asenjo, Katie Mayhew, Elyona Brown, Kailea Najera , Diego Castañeda , Ella Oostema, Dustin Ells, Arianna Rheault , Elena Everest , Sophie Southard, Jada Harper, Marco Valdez, Julia Lottes, and Makena Wick. Ken and Francie Jewesson sponsor the exhibition.
Choirs Showcase Global Sounds
As the academic year draws to a close, the Westmont music department is set to showcase a global repertoire in a series of final concerts and recitals. The season’s highlights include two major choral performances that celebrate Latin American traditions and serve as a formal send-off for the college’s upcoming international tour.
The choral program begins its yearend festivities with the Chamber Singers Concert on Saturday, April 11, at 7 pm in Deane Chapel. The performance
will focus exclusively on Latin American choral music, featuring the works of prominent composers such as Argentina’s Carlos Guastavino and Mexico’s Enrique Gonzalez-Medina. The program offers a linguistic journey through the Latin American world, with selections performed in Spanish, Latin, and Portuguese.
The season reaches its peak on Friday, May 1, with the Spring Choral Concert at 7 pm at the Music Academy’s Hahn Hall. This performance serves as a preview of the music the Westmont College Choir and Chamber Singers will perform during their upcoming tour to Brazil.
The May 1 program will blend the sacred and the cultural, featuring Latin American selections alongside traditional hymns and spirituals from the United States. The concert represents the culmination of a year of intensive study and rehearsal for the student performers.
“Come hear the breadth and culmination of our singers’ hard work before their tour to Brazil,” says Ruth Lin, director of orchestral activities and chair of the music department.
Curator’s Choice
These are the dragonesque jaws of a Chinese Alligator. What’s that bumpy, strikingly porous texture on the bone? Since this texture is a feature that has convergently evolved time and again – especially in snappy swamp things – its potential benefit is an area of ongoing research. Blood vessels would have passed through many of the holes, potentially helping to regulate the animal’s body temperature. The bone may protect those vessels from damage by prey during the act of feeding. And it would do this without adding a lot of weight, very helpful to floating at the water’s surface while you bask in the sun. This skull is one among over 44,000 specimens stewarded by Curator of Vertebrate Zoology Krista Fahy, PhD, at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History in the Museum’s Department of Vertebrate Zoology.
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Chinese Alligator skull in the Natural History Museum’s collections
Westmont
Reencounter artwork by Julia Lottes (‘26)
Daniel Gee conducts the Westmont Choir
Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College
The situation has become more dire in recent times, with Washington’s cutback on domestic programs, with the president’s recently proposed budget which not only slashes funds by more than 33%, but excises prohibitions against the government killing healthy wild horses and burros or selling them for slaughter.
But RTF works with an attitude of cooperation rather than confrontation.
“We’re one of the few wild horse advocacy organizations that has a respectful communication so that we can find common ground solutions to protect the freedom of America’s wild horses, both on the range and off,” DeMayo said.
RFT has also forged partnerships with local organizations, including most recently Babcock Winery, where a recently rescued herd of 55 horses will be involved in regenerative holistic grazing.
“We’re very excited about expanding on what we’re already doing in Lompoc and San Luis Obispo,” DeMayo said.
There are many ways to interact with Return to Freedom, including embarking on walking tours, photo safaris, and herd-immersive experiential programs.
“We love taking people around and sharing the history of the various horses here at the Lompoc facility because they represent a lineage that goes back to the original Spanish horses that first arrived in America,” DeMayo said.
Perhaps the perfect introduction to the nonprofit is happening next month
with the annual opening day celebration that marks the start of Return to Freedom’s 2026 program season and the 31st birthday of the sanctuary’s most famous resident: Spirit, a Kiger mustang stallion who was the muse for DreamWorks Animation’s 2002 film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. This year’s event is even more special as it comes within the Chinese calendar’s Year of the Horse.
Activities include a Chumash blessing, followed by traditional Navajo dance and song with Jones Benally and Clayson Benally (featured in the new IMAX movie Horsepower), Spanish classical guitar with Josiah Frias, wine pourings from premier local vineyards Flying Goat Cellars, Babcock Winery, and Beckmen, and eclectic locavore food catered by Full of Life Foods. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet some of the animators who worked on Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron as well as the actual animal, who was just seven at the time of the movie’s production. Raffles, vendor booths, auction items, horsemanship demonstrations, mini-sanctuary tours, gift bags, and a personalized mustang photography photo round out the May 9 afternoon celebration.
“Spirit will be here as well as a wonderful display of other horses that people can meet on site,” DeMayo said. “It’s a real casual event, just an afternoon at the ranch. But the funds we raise are vital.”
Visit https://returntofreedom.org
WENDY GRAGG
805. 453. 3371
Luxury Real Estate Specialist for Over 20 Years
What Griffith Park is to Los Angeles and Central Park is to New York, so is Elings Park to Santa Barbara. The 230acre parcel overlooking the Pacific Ocean is a venue for almost every sport, as well as special events, educational activities for young and old and, of course, lots for dogs! In 2019 Noble was hired as executive director of the Elings Park Foundation, a self-supporting nonprofit, existing solely for the benefit of the community – minus taxpayer dollars! With his marketing skills and theme park experience he elevated the profile of the park with support of an enthusiastic board, the generosity of private funding, and conservation partnerships with likeminded organizations. “Especially exciting was bringing Shakespeare to the Park with Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum and UCSB’s Naked Shakes as a summer program … A Midsummer Night’s Dream never looked better!”
Naturally curious as to how the Maritime Museum might have appeared on Noble’s radar screen, the answer came lightning fast and with gusto: “I attended a Whale Heritage presentation at the Maritime Museum by Holly Lohuis!” The excitement bundled in his response indicated that there was more to discover. “Indeed,” Noble continued, “That is true! I was so impressed by the presentation and the need for conservation and protection of whales and other sea life, plus the care and preservation of our oceans … it brought me back to my childhood in Hawaii and reminded me how much I missed the ocean and everything about it.” Interestingly, SBMM actually serves as a partner and team member in the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area, one of a network of 12 areas worldwide designated for whales and humans to live together harmoniously. Lohuis serves as the organization’s co-chair as well as a spokesperson along with the support of
other ocean related nonprofits and businesses. When the decision was made to apply for the SBMM executive director position, Noble felt that, along with so many generous foundations and donors, he’d helped to elevate Elings Park to its next level for the community’s enjoyment. “But I’m still there three days a week,” he chuckled, “enjoying our beautiful park walking my dog!”
As Noble begins his tenure at the Maritime Museum, he brings deep local nonprofit leadership experience and a strong record of community engagement. As a longtime Santa Barbara resident with his wife, Holly – a third-grade teacher at Montecito Union School and two (almost grown) children – he and his family are a part of Santa Barbara life. His enthusiasm for his new position and for the museum’s future couldn’t be overstated. “SBMM is a special place – rooted in local history, powered by education, and connected to one of the most remarkable marine environments in the world. I’m honored to join the team and excited to help lead the museum into its next chapter; advancing experiences that inspire stewardship of the Santa Barbara Channel.”
Having taken full advantage of this small but important gathering and not one to miss a party, I refused to vacate my seat in the Executive Suite until I witnessed the opening of the gifts and snapped pictures that captured the atmosphere of the day. Tell me … just how lucky can a girl be as an uninvited guest at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum?
Therapist with a PhD in Clinical Psychology, a freelance writer, and a storyteller. She loves all things creative, including her two (adult) artist children.
The new ED gets some Maritime Museum swag
Sigrid Toye is an Educational and Behavior
RTF opened its American Wild Horse Sanctuary back in 1998 with a 300-acre ranch in Lompo (courtesy photo)
Spirituality Matters
Gathering, Singing and Going ‘Underground’ in Ojai
by Steven Libowitz
Opportunities abound in Ojai, the longtime oasis for retreat, reflection, and personal growth, starting this weekend with “Be With Us,” slated for 7 pm on April 10 at Ojai Underground. The interactive evening of music, storytelling, and soulful connection is spearheaded by Ojai’s own Kathlyn “Katie” Hendricks, the bestselling author of Conscious Loving, co-lead of the Hendricks Institute, and a paradigm-shifting pioneer in the conscious loving and body intelligence fields. Hendricks appears alongside musicians Rebecca Folsom and Sandra Wong and the harmony-rich duo River & Rose (Noah Rivers and Elisa Rose), whose music collectively opens hearts and awakens a sense of possibility, invoking courage, hope and liberation. The evening will unfold as a moving and uplifting tapestry of sound, insight, and presence in a gathering that blends music, wisdom, and shared humanity. Visit https://ojaiundergroundexchangetickets.square.site/all-events
Festival of Song
Three song leader superstars come together for a weekend festival from April 24-26 at the Topa Institute in the upper Ojai Valley. MaMuse, Debbie Nargi-Brown, and Lydia Violet will trade off leading song circles with easy-to-learn songs taught in the oral tradition, including call-and-response. The idea? To invite connection, creativity, and shared presence through the simple act of singing together. Song circle singing is a practice rooted in listening and community that goes back to the roots of human history.
MaMuse is composed of singer-songwriters Sarah Nutting and Karisha Longaker, who also perform concerts and have recorded several popular albums. Fed by the folk and gospel traditions, the duo create uplifting music that has been deeply woven into the song circle community across the country. They also perform with upright bass, guitar, mandolins and flutes, interweaving brilliant and haunting harmony with lyrics evincing emotional intelligence. It’s a rare chance to participate in song circles with the pair; an experience of participatory magic.
Nargi-Brown regularly leads Community Sings circles in Santa Cruz, where the selections include her own songs created for healing, transformation, and those things that connect us as human beings. As with MaMuse, many of her songs are a regular part of the Santa Barbara song circle scene.
Violet is an Iranian-Armenian American folk multi-instrumentalist whose own heritage informs her musical approach, including Singing the Bones, a course co-created with Leah Song of Rising Appalachia to bring American artists and singers together to explore and share folk music from their ancestries.
The festival is also an opportunity to spend time in retreat at the Topa Institute, the 39-acre ridge-top sanctuary that was formerly the site of The Ojai Foundation, the much-beloved ceremonial retreat center with nearly a century of history. The singing events will largely take place outside under the Ojai sky.
Another organically “Ojai” opportunity for soul-inspiring music is a fully participatory event of community singing on April 12, when Wayne Marshall and Katherine McClelland’s Sacred Voices Ojai – which holds regular community events – have their second Singing for Peace gathering in collaboration with Democracy OJAI at 2 pm at Libbey Park. More than 80 singers showed up at last month’s launch, which took place one day after America attacked Iran in the current conflict, an event to celebrate the joy of singing as a shared human experience through simple, heartfelt songs designed to uplift your spirit, inspire connection, and soothe nervous systems. As always, all are welcome at the free event, and no singing or musical experience is necessary. Visit https://tinyurl.com/Ojai-Sing-Peace-April
KFA’s Annual Gathering
The Krishnamurti Foundation of America, founded in 1969 by the revered philosophical and spiritual figure Jiddu Krishnamurti, holds its annual gathering May 2-3 at its Ojai campus at Oak Grove School. The weekend brings together a diverse
community for a shared inquiry into questions at the heart of human life, this year focusing on the 2026 theme of Education and the Significance of Life, chosen both because education was a constant concern in Krishnamurti’s work and in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the KFA’s Oak Grove School.
The fully free gathering unfolds as an arc of inquiry, moving from fundamental questions about the human condition and education, through an exploration of conditioning, attention and the nature of learning, toward the deeper question of whether freedom and intelligence can operate in daily life and relationships. A wide variety of offerings make up the bulk of the gathering, with a dozen program facilitators and speakers, including Krishnamurti scholars and others. No reservation is necessary, and optional lunch will be available on site. The event will also be streamed online.
Visit www.kfa.org/annual-gathering-2026
Closer to Home: Montecito Meditative Musings
Montecito-based spiritual teacher Ragan Thomson hosts “The Illuminated Heart Retreat: An Evening of Energetic Clearing and Heart-Centered Expansion” designed as an immersive evening to support emotional healing and spiritual alignment. Held from 4-9:30 pm on April 18 at Unity of Santa Barbara’s Spiritual Community Center – Thomson’s home-away-from-home for her more community-based programs – the retreat invites participants into a guided experience of releasing what no longer serves, reconnecting with inner truth, and cultivating a deeper sense of clarity and presence. The evening features healing meditations by Vandana Sinha, focused on energetic clearing and heart coherence, and a restorative sound bath by Amy Bacheller, supporting nervous system regulation and integration, plus guidance from Thomson to engage in practices that support emotional release and energetic clearing, increased clarity and inner stability, nervous system restoration, and integration of spiritual insight into daily life. A livestream is also available.
Harpist Laurie Rasmussen joins fellow local pianist and Music & Meditation Santa Barbara Founder Antonio Artese in performing works by J.S. Bach, Gluck, and Debussy at Weinman Hall on April 10 at 2 pm, in the latest program in the series that opens with a guided meditation led by Carpinteria’s Jessica Kolbe. The format invites the audience into a space of stillness and attentive presence for the program that will also include traditional melodies that highlight the harp’s resonant voice as part of the series, an ongoing initiative dedicated to fostering connection, reflection, and well-being through the integration of live music and meditation. Details at https://musicandmeditationsb.com
‘Stand By’ for a Special Screening
Montecito resident Kerrilee Gore’s feature film Stand by Mother is as much a mystical, and possibly spiritual experience, as it is an educational one in service to environmentalism. Given the subject matter, the film’s use of magical realism as a children’s storytelling device is a natural fit. The film for kids – starring non-professional child actors – is filmed entirely in her intimate black box theater and based on Gore’s stage play; a future-facing eco-allegory in which a mysterious book come alive. The magical, musical journey encompasses Gore’s manifold passions for dance, song, and aerial performance to illustrate the dangers planet Earth faces. Stand By Mother premiered during SBIFF at odd hours, but now has a primetime screening at the Alcazar Theatre in Carpinteria, followed by a Q&A with Gore, at 7 pm on April 17.
Experience a rare chance to join in singing with MaMuse at the Topa Institute’s weekend festival
“ You will remember this novel–its hero and characters and scenes–for a long time. A big-hearted story of desperation and courage, crime and redemption, love and loss–it is as entertaining as it is moving. ” –Fannie Flagg Author of Fried Green Tomatoes
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Bids open at 2:00 PM on Friday, April 24, 2026 for:
SOUTH AND CENTRAL COUNTY PAVEMENT REHABILITATION IN THE 1ST, 2ND, AND 3RD SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICTS
COUNTY PROJECT No. 820812S
General project work description: Road Rehabilitation
The Plans, Specifications, and Bid Book are available at https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874
The Contractor must have either a Class A license or any combination of the following Class C licenses which constitutes a majority of the work: A, C-12, C-31, AND C-32
Submit sealed bids to the web address below. Bids will be opened available at the web address below immediately following the submittal deadline.
This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).
A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of PCC Section 4104, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code (LAB) Section 1725.5. It is not a violation of this section for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Business and Professions Code (BPC) Section 7029.1 or by PCC Section 10164 or 20103.5 provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to LAB Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded.
Prevailing wages are required on this Contract. The Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations determines the general prevailing wage rates. Obtain the wage rates at the DIR website https://www.dir.ca.gov/
Inquiries or questions based on alleged patent ambiguity of the plans, specifications, or estimate must be submitted as a bidder inquiry by 2:00PM on 04/17/2026 Submittals after this date will not be addressed. Questions pertaining to this Project prior to Award of the Contract must be submitted via PlanetBids Q&A tab.
Bidders (Plan Holders of Record) will be notified by electronic mail if addendums are issued. The addendums, if issued, will only be available on the County PlanetBids website, https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874
By order of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Barbara this project was authorized to be advertised on 05/20/2026
Christopher Sneddon, PE Director of Public Works
Montecito Journal, Published April 9, 2026
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: RECOVERY AND STRENGTH, 522 W CARRILLO ST APT 3, Santa Barbara, CA 931015450. MOORE STRATEGIC VENTURES LLC, 522 W CARRILLO ST APT 3, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-5450. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 9, 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. 2026-0000565. Published April 9, 16, 23, 30, 2026
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ROSEBOPS FLORAL, 602 LITCHFIELD LANE, Santa Barbara, CA 931091228. JESSICA M PERSHE, 602 LITCHFIELD LANE, Santa Barbara, CA 93109-1228. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 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. 2026-0000789. Published April 2, 9, 16, 23, 2026
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AMADOR PAELLA, 25 S. SALINAS ST, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. OCEAN RESTAURANTS LLC, 25 S. SALINAS ST., Santa Barbara, CA 93108. This state-
ment was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 30, 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. 2026-0000841. Published April 2, 9, 16, 23, 2026
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE GIVING LIST, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. MONTECITO JOURNAL MEDIA GROUP, LLC, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 16, 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. 2026-0000658. Published March 19, 26, April 2, 9, 2026
let’s keep Montecito friendly. And while none of the listings featured below are my listings, and are in fact represented by a variety of agents in the area, if you are not currently working with a buyer’s agent and would like to see one of these listings (or any others), or if you are considering selling a home in the area and need a property evaluation, please contact me and I’m happy to accommodate, even on short notice. Cheers and happy Spring!
202 East Mountain Drive – $2,999,000
This two-story home is in the Cold Spring School District, has been on the market for a while now, and is ready for a new owner to enjoy the space and views. I am surprised it is still on the market, as it currently holds the distinction of being the lowest-priced single-family residence in Montecito’s 93108. Newly refreshed with bright and natural wood and hypoallergenic carpeting, this serene Montecito sanctuary captures sweeping panoramic views of the ocean, islands, harbor, city lights, and mountains. Perched on 1.06+/- acres with exceptional privacy, the 4-bedroom, 3-bath residence (+ family room) offers 2,886+/- square feet of living space.
The primary suite is oriented to maximize the views and includes French doors opening to a generously sized view deck. There are three ceramic gas log fireplaces throughout the home, and an oversized two-car garage with built-in storage and a workbench. Originally built in 2003 on a terraced site with a bedrock foundation, the home was thoughtfully designed to embrace Santa Barbara’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle in a locale that is both close to town and cozily rural.
937 Arcady Road – $5,950,000
Set amid more than an acre of lush Montecito grounds in the Cold Spring School District, this refined residence evokes a quiet sense of grandeur and an elegant, effortless way of living. A soaring foyer with a sweeping staircase and chandelier welcomes you inside, where tall windows and French doors bring in natural light and create a warm, inviting ambiance. The formal living spaces capture the charm of classic Montecito. A gracious living room, anchored by a traditional fireplace, opens to terraces overlooking the pool and gardens, an ideal setting for gatherings of any size.
The adjacent dining room and library provide versatile spaces suited for both intimate hosting and peaceful moments at home. The kitchen is bright and thoughtfully designed, featuring an expansive center island, stone countertops, and a wall of windows that frame the gardens. Upstairs, each bedroom features en-suite baths and balconies that take in tranquil landscape views. The primary suite offers a sitting area, fireplace, and French doors that open to a veranda. Outdoors, the grounds embrace the best of Montecito’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle. A sparkling pool is surrounded by
mature oaks and colorful gardens and patios, and a versatile room adjacent to the pool offers added options for guests and a variety of uses.
2815 East Valley Road – $5,995,000
This newly renovated, two story, open-concept home is set on a level parcel whose expanse is just shy of 1 acre, where it nestles among the live oaks and verdant lawns of East Montecito. This lush, modern compound is fully fenced and offers a wonderful canvas for a low-key luxe lifestyle, with ample space for offices, wellness, multi-generational living, guests, an au pair, or simply having extra elbow room. Vaulted ceilings and sunny southern exposure in the main house bring a lofty sensibility, while two great rooms offer ideal spaces for media and play.
Recent upgrades include two renovated kitchens, renovated baths, an additional bedroom in the main house, and new garage. Beyond the indoor spaces, beautiful private gardens, extensive decks, open outdoor areas and patios foster an easy sense of indoor/outdoor living. The guest house / second structure is set away from the main house, offering both privacy and the potential for such multiple uses as a new owner might find suitable to their needs.
1284 Mesa Road – $19,995,000
This grand, G.W. Smith designed, Spanish Colonial Revival estate is set on approximately 1.40 (+/- ) acres in the heart of Montecito’s Middle Road area – near to Butterfly Beach and on an unfrequented lane. Originally built between 1922 and 1925 and thoughtfully restored, the residence blends historic character with modern comforts. A circular gated motor court with fountain and lush plantings sets the stage upon arrival.
The main residence offers 6 bedroom suites, including a grand, entry-level primary suite with spa-like bath & dressing areas, plus 5 additional en-suite bedrooms and an office within the home. The living room features beamed ceilings, fireplace and French doors opening to sun-filled terraces. The great room, kitchen with center island, and pantry adjoin the family room, while the formal dining room connects to the wine cellar.
Resort-style grounds feature manicured lawns, mature trees, pool, patios, mountain views, a private well and a backup generator, all in the Montecito Union School District and just blocks from the beach and Coast Village Road.
Mark and his wife, Sheela Hunt, are real estate agents. His family goes back nearly 100 years in Santa Barbara.
Mark’s grandparents – Bill and Elsie Hunt – were Santa Barbara real estate brokers for 25 years.
music of Italy presented by the UCSB Italian Culture Department; all celebrating Italy’s longstanding contributions to the American Riviera. Visitors will also be directed to festival partner restaurants, including Arnoldi’s, Aperitivo, Manifattura, Ca’ Dario, Olio, Bettina, Via Maestra 42, and more.
I Madonnari is also getting involved, bringing a daily version of the street painting festival to Towbes Plaza, where kids can check out chalk drawings on the ground. There’ll even be board games, and bookmark-making in the shape of pizzas, and lots of opportunities to enjoy the plaza while chatting with friends old and new.
“It’s all Italian culture and fostering the sense of community,” Giacopuzzi said. “We want to reach out to all ages, old people and kids, so they can experience a little bit of Italy. Anything that connects people is part of the Italian lifestyle.” Visit https://lapiazza.life
All Artese, All the Time
The Sunday “Dolce Swing” concert at La Piazza is among three already announced appearances for Antonio Artese in town over just four days in April. The pianist will also perform as part of his Music & Meditation Santa Barbara series at the Music Academy’s Weinman Hall on April 10 (see my Spirituality Matters column for more). Three days later he rejoins his West Coast Trio for his program New Horizons at SOhO on April 13. Expect an evening of sophisticated modern jazz that bridges the worlds of classical refinement and improvisational freedom through original compositions and interpretations of Great American Songbook standards.
Cornucopia of Classical Concerts
We’re stretching things to suggest Camerata Pacifica is a community organization. Though it was founded and is still based here, most of the principal players live elsewhere. But tried and true Santa Barbara-via-Ireland import Adrian Spence is still the mastermind, as evidenced by pianist Gilles Vonsattel’s presence at Hahn Hall on April 10 for a second solo recital in three weeks. Vonsattel sizes up three more of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, closing out Year 1 of “Beethoven 32.” As you may recall, that is the chamber music collective’s three-year cycle featuring Vonsattel playing all of the composer’s sonatas for the instrument. On the docket: “Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10, No. 3,” an often-overlooked gem filled with emotional exploration; “No. 24 in F-sharp Major, Op. 78, ‘à Thérèse,’” said to be one of the composer’s favorites; and “Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101,” a latter work that evokes mystery and the divine. Visit www.cameratapacifica.org
Also heading to Hahn Hall for one of their periodic performances in that acoustically superior setting is Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, the L.A.-based ensemble composed of professional musicians looking for opportunities to perform self-curated programs in smaller formats. On the docket on April 13 are Philip Glass’ “Quartet Satz” and Beethoven’s “String Quartet No. 14 in C# Minor, Op. 131” sandwiched
around Rhiannon Giddens’ “At the Purchaser’s Option” with variations, an instrumental adaptation of a song from her album Freedom Highway, and “Amrit” by Kala Ramnath, a work that reimagines the expressive depth of Hindustani music through the voice of the string quartet.
Info and tickets at www.kco.la
Coming from the Community
The Santa Barbara Music Club’s free April concert brings Mozart’s “Clarinet Quintet in A Major,” Sergei Bortkiewicz’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano,” and Mykola Lysenko’s “Second Rhapsody on Ukrainian Themes” together on a single program at 3 pm April 11 at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 4575 Auhay Drive. Violinists Myroslava Khomik, Nicole McKenzie, and Kristine Pacheco; violist Susannah Hoffman, cellist Katherine Mendenhall; clarinetist David Singer; and pianist Myroslava Kisilevitch are this month’s musicians.
Visit https://sbmusicclub.org
The Santa Barbara Chamber Players hit Hahn Hall at 7:30 pm on April 11 for their spring concert featuring Emmanuel Fratianni conducting the West Coast premiere of Tulio Cremisini’s “Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra,” featuring the composer – who is Composer in Residence and Principal Timpanist with the Miami Symphony Orchestra – as soloist. Also on the program: Debussy’s “Petite Suite” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21.”
Info at https://sbchamberplayers.org
The Santa Barbara Master Chorale activates audio for animation in its ambitious concert called “Dare to Dream: beloved Disney songs that ignite imagination and inspire every dreamer.” Children of all ages are encouraged to dress as their favorite Disney character for the family-friendly celebration of music that evokes the beloved Disney canon. From the sweeping African landscapes of The Lion King to the icy magic of Frozen, the concert visits the vibrant rhythms of Encanto and Coco, touching on both heartfelt ballads and show-stopping ensemble numbers. The songs that will be featured in the pair of performances – 7:30 pm on April 11 and 3 pm on April 12 – were pointedly chosen for their themes of courage, friendship, love, and imagination.
Details at www.sbmasterchorale.org
Assassins: A Shot to the Heart of the Matter
Out of the Box was just a young theatre company in residence at Center Stage in April 2011 when Founder-artistic Director Samantha Eve made Stephen Sondheim’s offbeat musical Assassins its third production ever. Now, OOB and Eve are closing out the 15th season with a revival of the show, the first repeat production in Out of the Box’s idiosyncratic history. Many other conversation-inducing (some might say controversial) examples of contemporary musical theater have trod the boards in the meantime through OOB. The company has premiered nearly two dozen shows in town over the years since they first mounted Sondheim’s Assassins. In that same interim, we saw the first assassination attempt on a sitting president or candidate that resulted in injury since Reagan was shot in the early 1980s. That fact, coupled with the vast changes in the world having arisen from the second Trump presidency, have made the musical worth revisiting.
Assassins posits the period of presidential murders – and the lives of nine men and women who attempted to kill or succeeded at killing the sitting President of the United States – as a surreal carnival game. Sondheim’s juxtapositions – despair and hope, humanity and hatred – seem even more apropos today than almost two decades ago. A typically diverse Sondheim score shifts through myriad styles to evoke sometimes unexpected emotions, adding to the show’s lore as a uniquely uncomfortable and ultimately rewarding experience.
Eve, who once again directs, discussed the show, which boasts a cast of 16, and runs April 10-19 at Center Stage.
Q. This is your first time repeating repertoire since starting 15 years ago. Obvious question: why now and why Assassins?
A. I’ve taken a lot of pride in doing almost exclusively new works, shows that haven’t been seen in Santa Barbara before. If we were going to repeat a show, it would have to be something I loved, and the right time to do it. The world looked a lot different back in 2011 when we did it the first time, which was also the first time I directed one of our shows on my own. It feels very different in the context of the world that we are living in today. Before I was drawn to the comedy aspect, the tongue in cheek quality of the writing that Stephen Sondheim is so good at. But now it feels much more timely and political, asking questions about a cycle of violence that our country seems to be trapped in. Theater is very much a reflection of the society that it’s being performed for, and this felt like the right time to bring the show back.
See the Santa Barbara Chamber Players at the Music Academy’s Hahn Hall at 7:30 pm on April 11
(courtesy photo)
How does it reflect our current society?
Assassins is really about the shattering of the American dream, the anger that arises when that promise of success and happiness is not fulfilled. Who is to blame? Are you to blame? Is the country to blame? Are politics to blame? Is the president to blame? The show looks at what happens when those people who feel like they are not heard and not represented and not treated fairly, or don’t like how the country is changing, turn to violence.
What makes it very theatrical is that the proprietor of the carnival talks to the assassins, manipulates them. “Hey, you want to play a game? You want to win a prize? Come on and shoot a president.” That sets the tone for the show itself, which takes place in a sort of limbo where they’re interacting together and recycling the moments of violence. That callousness is pit against the balladeer, the angel on the other shoulder, who believes in what America can be. We’re naturally drawn to that contrast of something very sweet and pure and then the dark underbelly underneath it.
How do you find the balance between the explored humanity of the assassin and the heinousness of the actual act of violence without glorifying them?
We’ve said straight away that we are not trying to make these people heroes. They’re not. Some of them are more relatable. Some of them are easier to sympathize with than others, but in the end, what connects them is that they choose violence to try to accomplish their goals. That shouldn’t be glorified. But there is an element of humanity in all of them.
The musical has often been described as disturbing and hard to digest. Do you agree? It can be. It’s not linear, which can be difficult. It’s like a series of vignettes with scenes that exist outside of time in order to explore the characters and the bigger themes. But we love to do theater that challenges us. That’s why we’re here.
Libowitz
Meet Sondheim’s Assassins at Out of the Box Theatre’s first repeat production (courtesy photo)
mother. When his father abandoned the family, the mining operation locked Ray’s mom and his six sibs out of their modest company housing, and one of Ray’s infant brothers died of exposure in the night. In time, Ray’s mom moved him and his five siblings to a pre-neon Las Vegas of some 8,200 souls. Legendary mobster Bugsy Siegel had yet to build the iconic Flamingo Las Vegas but plans were afoot. Though the erstwhile Mrs. Winn worked two jobs, the family’s privations nevertheless obliged them to live for a time in a Salvation Army tent.
“He would discuss with me different projects that he got interested in doing. At one point he was developing a way to keep a heat sink cool by making a little fan out of a piece of nylon. He also invented an illuminating walking cane that works with a photosensor. He built his own recording studio. He was a self-taught pianist...”
– Russell Lew
Unquenchably curious from day one, little Ray simply had to know how everything worked – a harbinger of Ray’s later Renaissance free-for-all. At five years old, the exploratory little guy carefully inserted a knife into an aperture that appeared designed to accept it. When the flatware entered the wall socket, Ray (per cartoon canon) presumably spent a spread-eagled instant in mid-air, skeleton aglow with voltage. In the wake of that jolt his rattled grandmother bought Ray what she thought would be a pacifying little toolbox. If the dear woman thought this corralling of his energies would direct him to a more calming adulthood, she made a terrible mistake.
Clara Bow and Bugsy Siegel
The young man’s conjoined gregarious and entrepreneurial natures evolved in parallel, the nascent desert getaway’s unique assortment of blue-chip escapees the perfect network. By age 9 Ray had a paper route in one of the tonier parts of town. Rather than pitch the daily news from his passing bike à la Dennis the
Menace, Ray would park his wheels, walk the paper up the drive and politely hand deliver. The delighted founder and CEO of Las Vegas carrier Bonanza Airlines saw something in the kid’s mannered determination and showered him with appreciation in all its forms, tipping Ray with company stock which the grown paperboy would one day redeem to buy his first house. Another charmed customer was early film goddess and desert retiree Clara Bow, if you can imagine. She introduced Ray to her immense record collection and let him have the run of it. Under the misunderstood screen siren’s euphoric canonical guidance, Ray was infused with the love and innate grasp of music’s structural and melodic beauty, an enthusiasm that would emerge rhapsodically as he matured, Ray teaching himself six instruments and composing at the piano. And yes – it was during this fruitful Winn on his Schwinn period Ray would grab takeout at the Red Rooster chicken joint in town and bike it up to Bugsy Siegel and his mob pals. It was a
“He was a very real guy and he just fell in love with me at the door to be honest with you. And it’s easy to fall in love with somebody who really loves you so completely. It really is. I don’t think it’s a given that you can find a person out there who loves you with every bit of their essence, and that was Ray.”
– Peter Kavoian
hungry enterprise, overseeing construction of Vegas’ foundational tent pole, the Flamingo.
Coal Miner’s Yachter
Success lay ahead – but first Ray sailed through high school, several teachers confessing in parental conference with his mother (and through strained smiles) that they could scarcely keep up with the guy. Following graduation, a conspiracy of helpful adults, up to and including a state Senator, believed it in Ray’s best interest to skip college entirely and work with the PhDs at Los Alamos Nat’l Laboratory in New Mexico. This was arranged through defense contractor EG&G, through whose offices and historically relevant expertise Ray, initially hired as a technician, would rise like the aforementioned rocket. He would later gain a security clearance and ascend the ranks of the cold war nuclear weapons R&D realm, ultimately directing major U.S. nuclear weapons testing operations and overseeing some 14,000 personnel. If Ray’s pacific nature seems at odds with weapons systems expertise, there is on his personal website a telling anecdote. He remembers it being a Tuesday. Exiting the underground instrumentation bunker in full hazard suit and oxygen, Ray heads up the metal stairs and out through the blast doors to
“All of us just get together and we do every Easter, every birthday, everything, 4th of July, we go to dinners and Christmas and Thanksgiving and Halloween. We love to be all together, and Peter was always there to make sure all that happened. He’s quite the organizer. My dad would say, ‘Oh, let’s do this.’ And Peter would be like, ‘Okay, it’s time to organize it all!’ But my dad – he did all the games and things to make everything extra special for people.”
– Lisa Winn-Luna
drive the 12 rutted, radioactive miles to the Control Point, where he will pick up supplies and head back. In the contaminated craterscape outside, he’s horrified to stumble upon a blinded, hideously dying coyote. With every dreg of merciful energy he can muster, Ray euthanizes the tormented animal with a length of rebar. In his unvarnished telling, the moment was one of searing heartbreak and self-reflection, as he eloquently explains in the essay.
“He could be very funny. He was very loyal to friends. He interwove his interests and his love of technology. He loved flying airplanes and sailing, and I don’t mean little lake boats, like a Sunfish or whatever. His first boat was a 56-foot ketch.”
– Mike Weber
EG&G was principally, though, Ray Winn’s long initiation into a technologically varied career as uncategorizable as the man’s profligate imagination. His forward motion fed on discovery. “Ray Winn was the smartest man I’ve ever met,” says Russell Lew , who worked alongside Ray at Advanced Semiconductor Products (ASP). “He was knowledgeable in so many areas, and he was always looking for something new.”
It was at ASP that Ray would secure a revolutionary patent in the semiconductor space. His game-changing invention (patent # 4378953) was a brilliantly optimized new means of manufacturing a pellicle – a membrane less than 0.1% as thick as a human hair – which perches above the semiconductor wafer to prevent minute specks of debris from drifting onto and fouling
Fledgling entrepreneur charms mobsters and Clara Bow (courtesy photo)
the precisely stenciled lithograph that is a printed circuit. Ray’s ASP colleague, Russell Lew, explains the significance of the invention.
“Today we’re able to see laptops, cell phones, today’s smart cars... all because Ray’s invention allowed the semiconductor industry to expand and continually shrink their geometries.” This windfall would be one of some 33 patents Ray would secure – many of them classified – over the course of an avid and fulfilling career in tech. This is to say nothing of the stunning real estate successes of Ray and Peter once they combined forces, a part of the portfolio Ray largely left to Peter, a successful and beloved designer in his own right.
And just 10 days ago at this writing, a commemorative mob of Ray’s friends
and family gathered at Birnam Wood clubhouse to see him off to that farther shore. Knowing Ray, as they were just beginning to pour the champagne around he’d probably already dropped anchor, backstroked in and made an offer on the beachfront condo.
Ray Winn was a soft-spoken, even-tempered man whose quietude was a drawn curtain behind which lay a mind like a sun-soaked, verdant canyon, and a spark-throwing heart.
Reunited
Ray had first seen Santa Barbara when his work with EG&G brought him here with his young family, who rented Fess Parker’s house in Hope Ranch. Years later, when Ray and Peter
began their relationship, they built a home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. When they decided to return to Ray’s old stomping grounds in Santa Barbara, a new chapter began.
“My dad brought his family back together, and he loved his kids and his grandkids. He loved his friends. And that was what was really cool. Peter and my dad brought so many people together. And you know…” [long pause] “...my dad had that sense of humor. Sometimes I would see that mischievous smirk at the other end of the dinner table. And I’m like, ‘What the heck are you up to Ray Winn?’”
– Lisa Winn-Luna
Restless Summiting
Here is a mildly edited rendering of Ray’s arc. There was one Ray Winn, and one was more than enough.
• 1953 – Begins his career with EG&G, a physics and energy company and U.S. government contractor. Soon he’ll have a security clearance. Ray is 19 years old.
• 1960 – Escorts JFK on a helicopter tour of the weapons test site.
• Worked across numerous advanced scientific fields including nuclear weapons testing, nuclear submarine planning, fusion research, nuclear rocket reactor operations.
• Participated in space probe sensor and imaging development including the Viking Mars Lander program.
• Worked at highly classified government sites including Area 51 and Los Alamos.
• ca. 1963 – buys a little V-tail Beechcraft Bonanza, commuting from Santa Barbara (where he lived with his wife Lorraine and three children at the time) to the nuclear test site in Nevada where he worked.
• 1974 – Meets Mike Weber who was going to graduate school and renting a room in Ray’s rooming house in Chestnut Hill near Boston College. Ray builds a recording studio in the basement of the rooming house for his enjoyment.
• 1976 – Founds Condor Coatings Company and hires Mike Weber.
• 1978 – Phillip A. Hunt Chemical acquires Condor Coatings Company. Ray and Mike stay on with the company for about a year.
• 1978 – Purchases first sailboat “The Condor,” a 56’ ketch rig, teak and brass, affectionately known as “The Taiwan Turkey”
• 1979 – Founds Advanced Semi-Conductor Products in Santa Cruz, California, developing and patenting a special type of pellicle. ASP became a primary supplier of pellicles to the early semiconductor industry.
• [Exact Year Unknown] – Founds a nightclub called Edge.
• 1988 – Meets Peter Kavoian in August, beginning a personal and professional partnership lasting nearly four decades.
• [Exact Year Unknown] – Co-founds K+A Design Group which develops, designs, and builds high-end residential real estate. Together they develop and manage approximately one million square feet of commercial real estate in Texas.
• 1989 – Founds Geronimo Restaurant in Santa Fe on Canyon Road. When dissatisfied with the restaurant’s bread quality Ray purchases a local commercial bakery.
• Early 1990s – Ray and Peter relocate to Montecito, California.
• 1994 – Purchases and restores a historic estate on Rametto Road, transforming a derelict property into a major architectural estate.
• 1995 – Sells Geronimo Restaurant to employees. The restaurant remains one of Santa Fe’s most respected dining destinations.
A CV in Short
1957-1980: Chief of Staff to President @ EG&G, Inc.
1981-2002: President and CEO @ Advanced Semiconductor Products, Inc.
2006-2010: President @ Nano Life Sciences, Inc.
1987 to passing: Real Estate investor and developer @ ‘Self-Employed’ 2011 to passing: President @ Alexandros, Inc.
Horn rims overboard: Ray Winn 2.0 (courtesy photo)
Ray and Peter, aglow in their finery (courtesy photo)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Calendar of Events
by Steven Libowitz
THURSDAY, APRIL 9
Double-ing Down on More Mesa – The area’s favorite dad (classic) rock band has become as ubiquitous as, say, sunshine in Santa Barbara; and they just keep doing more. As in More Mesa, the beneficiary of tonight’s concert at the Lobero, where the Doublewide Kings will blow out the joint with their signature blend of rock, Americana, country and blues hits from days of yore (or at least mine), aka FM radio in the 1970s. The show – DWK’s first at the theater in four years – is sponsored by the More Mesa Preservation Coalition, the folks behind the efforts to protect and preserve the treasured landscape bounded by Atascadero Creek, Orchid Drive, Hope Ranch and the blue Pacific Ocean. Contrary to some beliefs that More Mesa is already protected open space, the land remains privately owned and is currently listed for sale and attracting interest from real estate developers. Meanwhile, state environmental protections are being weakened, creating new risks for such irreplaceably pastoral parcels, and resulting in the MMPC, um, redoubling their efforts to protect this extraordinary landscape for hikers, runners, beachgoers, dog walkers, birdwatchers, cyclists, equestrians and more.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $67 & $82 ($157 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
Spring Gardening Festival – The Marjorie Luke Theatre’s Green Film Series teams up with Santa Barbara Botanic Garden for an April adventure. The theme of “Plant with Purpose and Impact!” pairs a festival and marketplace with screenings of short films that speak to horticultural purpose. The first 90 minutes is the free-range fes-
THURSDAY, APRIL 9
Jackson’s Justice Juxtaposition –
The Other Roe, the short film from Wendy Eley Jackson – the film’s producer and a lecturer at UCSB Film and Media Studies – uncovers the story of Doe v. Bolton, a historic Supreme Court case that was decided on the same day as Roe v. Wade, yet has largely been erased from public memory. The film centers on Margie Pitts Hames, a trailblazing civil rights attorney whose courage and brilliance were essential to the modern fight for bodily autonomy. As the nation revisits battles over reproductive freedom and sees a dramatic rollback in women’s rights, The Other Roe – which premiered at SBIFF in February –brings forward a missing element of the landmark moment. Jackson joins Laury Oaks of UCSB’s Feminist Studies department, for a post-screening discussion of the film and the story.
INFO: (805) 893-5903 or www.carseywolf.ucsb.edu/pollock
THURSDAY, APRIL 9-SUNDAY, JULY 26
‘Aquean’ at Museum – The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s Aquean exhibit explores time, tides, and transformation in local waters through the works of artists David Ellis and Larry Vigon. A multimedia experience featuring photographs, paintings, prints, video, and mixed media, the show invites viewers to consider the sea as both subject and metaphor reflecting on the delicate balance between permanence and loss along California’s coastlines. The exhibit encompasses two collections, including David Ellis’s Lobospheres: The Lost Souls of Point Lobos, abstract, impressionistic photographs of textures, silhouettes and mythical figures discovered in the wave-carved rock forms of famed Carmel reserve. Flotsam & Jetsam is an expansive impression of the sea that includes paintings, large-scale prints, found objects, linocuts, video and dimensional collages by Larry Vigon, whose experience includes decades of album cover design for Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and many others, as well as roadway posters, advertising campaigns, magazines, and books. The artists will talk about their work at 7 pm on April 16.
WHEN: April 9-July 26
WHERE: Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way, Ste 190 COST: free with regular admission INFO: (805) 962-8404 or https://sbmm.org
tival and marketplace, where visitors can connect with local eco-friendly businesses and nonprofit organizations wowing with brilliantly practical ways to create more sustainable landscapes. Thereafter, four short films produced by Santa Barbara Botanic Garden will be projected on the Marjorie Luke’s big screen for larger-thanlife examples of native plant transformations that have been taking place at Elings Park in recent years. After the films, former Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider will moderate a panel featuring local environmental experts to further discuss and elucidate the opportunities and benefits of going native. In addition to serving as an expanded offering in the Theatre’s Green Film Series, the event also launches the Botanic Garden celebration of Native Plant Month with a robust lineup of public programs and activities designed to spotlight the beauty and importance of California’s native plants, and amplify the Garden’s Centennial year.
WHEN: 2:30-5 pm
WHERE: Marjorie Luke Theatre, Santa Barbara Junior High, 721 East Cota St. COST: free INFO: (805) 884-4087 or https://luketheatre.org/events
Steelin’ Away – SBAcoustic steps away from its most recent domicile SOhO in favor of the intimate confines of Unitarian Parish Hall for a spring series show that boasts a spectacular double bill. The Santa Cruz-based western swing duo Poi Rogers performs original and vintage American roots music, with Gerard Egan doubling on acoustic guitar and triple neck steel and Carolyn Sills playing standup bass, their timeless harmonies gilding the embraceable songs. The multiple award-winning combo has grown, and then some – from the couple’s self-entertaining dive into
Dazzling Danish Duo Returns – Two of Denmark’s most celebrated ensembles in the Danish String Quartet and the Danish National Girls’ Choir return to Santa Barbara for an enchanting evening of music both old and new. The DSQ, which we have seen mature into one of the world’s most celebrated foursomes over their annual (and occasionally more frequent) appearances in town via UCSB Arts & Lectures, once again teams up with the choir at the city’s most elegant venue. The wide-ranging program will interweave Nordic folk songs together with shimmering contemporary works. The concert boasts the U.S. premiere of the A&L-co-commissioned in wildness by David Lang, which continues his sonic exploration of the relationship between humans and nature. Other highlights include And So by Pulitzer Prize winner and SB-fave Caroline Shaw and Þann heilaga kross by Icelandic composer Anna Þorvaldsdóttir. The rare collaboration between virtuosic strings and celestial voices produces a wondrous collision of tradition and innovation.
WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street
COST: $50-$110
INFO: (805) 899-2222/www.granadasb.org or (805) 893-3535/https:// artsandlectures.ucsb.edu
adored vintage musical idioms to an in-demand touring act with a second album on the way. Yes, it would seem the public shares Gerard and Carolyn’s charming compulsion. Opening is the homegrown folk-Americana acoustic ensemble The Elderberries, featuring lap steel guitarist Jordan Bush, playing oldies and newer Americana songs.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Unitarian Parish Hall, 1535 Santa Barbara St.
COST: $25
INFO: www.sbacoustic.com
TUESDAY, APRIL 14
WAFFF’s Up – The Wild & Free Film Festival launches its second year with expanded programming to satisfy growing audience demand as well as newly established nonprofit status. WAFFF’s 2026 season features three distinct events celebrating outdoor, adventure, and environmentally inspired storytelling, starting with tonight’s curated selection of short films from the Kendal Mountain Festival. Think ‘mini-version of the touring Best of BANFF’ from across the pond. Kendal
lies within the UK’s largest national park, the Lake District, and, not coincidentally, is the birthplace of Gareth Kelly, WAFFF founder and executive director. October brings a second Outdoor Movie Night at Elings Park with an event anchored by a large-scale screening of a family-friendly feature film, plus live music, a nonprofit adventure village and food and drink vendors. The season culminates with WAFFF’s main festival weekend in November back in Goleta, where short and feature-length documentary and narrative films about outdoors and the environment from around the world are matched with filmmaker Q&As, panels and special events. Securing official 501(c)(3) nonprofit status enables the festival to expand programming and deepen partnerships with community organizations and regional supporters, so expect bigger and better things as time goes on. WHEN: 7-9 pm
WHERE: Camino Real Cinemas, 7040 Market Pl. Dr., Goleta
COST: $15-$20
INFO: www.wildandfreefilm.org
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
Go Fly a Kite! – The gist of the annual (hopefully) wind-blown ultra family friendly event isn’t about yelling the phrase as an insult, but rather the connotation concocted by Mary Poppins as a joyful pursuit of safe, natural, family fun. Hence, the theme for the 40th anniversary event: “You and Me” – a title that neatly sums up and celebrates the almost embarrassing fun of standing at the earth end of a kite string in the presence of a similarly giddy pal. Kite-adjacent activities include competitions for “Most Beautiful” (handmade & commercial),”Highest Flying,” “Largest & Smallest Kites,” “Youngest & Oldest Kite Flyers,” “Most Unique Or Unusual Kite,” “Funniest Kite,” “Most Unflyable Kite,” and “Best of Fest,” the latter recognizing the best overall kite entry and participation at the event. But it’s fine to just fly for fun. If you need it, you can beseech the experts at hand for a little help...or forgo aerodynamics altogether and laze about SBBC’s fittingly named Great Meadow on the West Campus lawn, from which mild collegiate aerie the Pacific views are heart-slowing. As always, kids thrill at the popular tail chase where groups of children pursue and capture the tail of a kite expertly flown with increasing difficulty according to age group by Kite Master Rakesh Bahadur. As with the entire day, it’s all in good fun. Check the website for schedule and details.
WHEN: 11 am-4pm
WHERE: SB City College, 973 Cliff Drive
COST: free
INFO: https://sbkitefest.net
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.
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THE CLEARING HOUSE is hosting another spectacular Estate Sale in Montecito at beautiful Villa Arancia. 660 Buena Vista April 11and 12 from 9 – 3 Visit our website to see the gallery photos. www.theclearinghousesb.com
TRESOR
We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry. Located in the upper village of Montecito. Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation. 1470 East Valley Rd Suite V. 805-969-0888
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
ELECTRICIAN
Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections
Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575
TILE SETTING
Local tile setter of 35 years is now doing small jobs only. Services include grout cleaning and repair, caulking, sealing, replacing damaged tiles and basic plumbing needs. Call Doug Watts at 805-729-3211 for a free estimate.
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
CASA L. M.
LANDSCAPE
Landscape hedges installed. Ficus to flowering. Disease resistant. Great privacy. Certified rootstock roses and fruit trees. Professional pest control installation. State Lic. QAC79160 & insured. Call (805) 963-6909
WATERLILIES and LOTUS since 1992
WATERGARDEN CARE SBWGC 805 682 5750
INTUITIVE CONSULTANT
Helping others gain beneficial insight, clarity, and guidance for over 25 years. Confidential and Professional: In-person, Zoom, Phone (310) 463-5089
CARPET CLEANING
Carpet Cleaning Since 1978 (805) 963-5304
Rafael Mendez Cell: 689-8397 or 963-3117
PIANO LESSONS
Openings now available for Children & Adults. Piano Lessons in our Studio or your Home. Call or Text Kary Kramer (805) 453-3481
CONSTRUCTION
General Building Design & Construction Contractor William J. Dalziel Lic. B311003 – 1 (805) 698-4318 billjdalziel@gmail.com
RENTAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Local, Reliable Property Management. We care for your rentals. FoothillPM.com 805-698-4769
$10 MINIMUM TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD
It’s simple. Charge is $3 per line, each line with 31 characters. Minimum is $10 per issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email Classified Ad to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860. All ads must be finalized by Friday at 2pm the week prior to printing. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex (3% surcharge)
Friendly, reliable pet lover offering pet sitting, dog walking, & house-sitting services. I’ll treat your pets and home with care while you’re away.
Flexible schedule and reasonable rates. References available. Call or text: (312) 315-5035
CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
MACC CONSTRUCTION
Building dreams
Lic 949275 805 895 2852
Construct1.mac@gmail.com
Second Home & Vacation Property Management In-home Sitting • Walks • Visits Discreet • Insured • Excellent Local References coastalhomeandpetcare.com
Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944
Donate to the Parrot Pantry! At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds’ best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies. Volunteers Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help. (805) 969-1944
