Santa Barbara News-Press: April 21, 2023

Alleges DOJ thwarting criminal prosecution of Hunter Biden - A3

Review: New movie is a winner on the big screen - B1

Smuggler of illegal aliens, meth sentenced

Mexican man gets five years in prison after taking panga boat to Santa Barbara County beach

By NEIL HARTSTEIN

One of the two Mexican men convicted of smuggling drugs and illegal aliens on a panga boat that came ashore at a Santa Barbara County beach in 2021 has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, prosecutors said.

A federal jury found the defendants guilty of drug and human trafficking

charges after law enforcement caught them on the panga boat containing 45 pounds of methamphetamine and 11 illegal aliens from Mexico, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Dec. 21.

One defendant — Roel AranzubiaÁlvarez, 43, of Sinaloa, Mexico — was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer on April 10 to 60 months (five years) in federal prison, Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,

told the News-Press.

“He is appealing his conviction to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit,” Mr. McEvoy said.

The second defendant, Jorge MuñozMuñoz, 26, of Ensenada, Mexico, was also scheduled to be sentenced on April 10, but the hearing was continued to May 30 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Mr. McEvoy said.

“We’re asking Judge Fischer to

sentence Muñoz-Muñoz to 292 months (24 years and four months) in federal prison,” he said.

Jurors found the two defendants guilty on Dec. 20 of one count of conspiracy to bring non-citizens into the United States, 11 counts of alien smuggling, 11 counts of alien smuggling for private financial gain, and one count of aiding and assisting an alien convicted of an aggravated felony to enter the United States.

Mr. Muñoz-Muñoz also was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine, and one count of importation of methamphetamine. Mr. AranzubiaÁlvarez was found not guilty of the drugrelated charges.

Report: California one of the least efficient highway spenders

Please see

Suspects plead not guilty to burning pride flags

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The two men charged with the theft and burning of two pride flags last summer in the Santa Ynez Valley have pleaded not guilty to the three misdemeanor charges filed against them, prosecutors said.

Avi Stone Williams, 19, and Joshua Jerome Eligino, 20, are charged with two misdemeanor counts of petty theft and one misdemeanor count of a violation of civil rights.

They entered their not guilty pleas at their arraignment Wednesday at Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria.

“There will not be a preliminary hearing as this is not a felony case,” Supervising Deputy District Attorney Steven Li said. “The next court date is May 15 in Santa Maria.”

A progress pride flag was stolen from an unidentified family between July 18 and July 20, prosecutors said in their complaint. A second pride flag was stolen from St. Mark’s-in-theValley Episcopal Church in Los Olivos between July 27 and July 28.

By TOM JOYCE THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

Prosecutors allege Mr. Williams and Mr. Eligino destroyed the flags between July 18 and July 27 “for the purpose of intimidating and interfering with the free exercise and enjoyment of right and privilege secured by the Constitution and laws of California … because of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender, and sexual orientation and because the defendant perceived that the victim had such characteristics.”

In accordance with the Victims’ Bill of Rights, the District Attorney’s Office met with the victims and members of the community and received input on how they were impacted by these events.

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

This is a view of

as seen from the

footbridge in Santa

The Reason Foundation recently ranked California toward the bottom of a list for its efficiency in spending on highways.

State of South Coast cities

The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce presented mayors of three cities giving their State of the City address during a luncheon Thursday at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Speeches were delivered by Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse, left; Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte, bottom left; and Carpinteria Mayor Al Clark, bottom right. In addition to the mayors’ talks, each community’s city manager participated in a panel discussion covering topics such as budget, public safety, economic development, infrastructure, homelessness and housing.

UCSB’s Honer earns record sixth Player of the Week award

By ERIC BOOSE UCSB SPORTS WRITER

For the sixth time this season, UCSB’s Amelia Honer has earned The Big West Women’s Tennis Player of the Week award, the conference announced on Wednesday. She is the first Gaucho

Goleta releases video of State of City event

GOLETA — The city of Goleta is releasing a 2023 Goleta Community State of the City highlight video and a recording of the entire event held April 10 at the Santa Barbara Elks Lodge.

Approximately 200 people attended the informative night to get an update on how the city is doing, learn about plans for the future and ask questions.

To see how it went, city officials invite you to watch the short video

‘Big

SANTA BARBARA — A free screening of the new film “Big George Foreman” will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre, 2044 Alameda Padre Serra, Santa Barbara. Cinema Society members will be seated first.

A Q&A session with writer/ director George Tillman Jr. will follow the screening. “Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion” is based on the true story of

and just the second player in The Big West to receive the award six times in a single season since at least 2002, when the conference’s Player of the Week archives begin.

The sophomore from Newtown, Pennsylvania was practically unbeatable last week, winning her doubles and singles matches against both UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton, losing only eight total games over the weekend. She shut out her singles opponent against the Anteaters, 6-0, 6-0, then combined with Kira Reuter to do the same in doubles against the Titans, 6-0. The Gauchos won both duals, improving to 6-1 in Big West play, putting them second in the conference standings heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

Honer is now unbeaten in her last 13 singles contests, as well as her last seven doubles matches alongside Reuter. In this week’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, Honer and Reuter reached a new high, being recognized as the No 12 doubles partnership in Division I women’s tennis. Honer is also in the singles rankings, at No. 60 in the country.

Honer and the Gauchos will

recap at youtu.be/AqEZ1xYuJ68.

To watch the event in its entirety, go to youtu.be/iSZhPejRYdM.

The Goleta event featured a room full of information tables on city projects and programs, a keynote address by Mayor Paula Perotte, an update on the city’s finances by City Manager Robert Nisbet and a Q&A panel with department directors.

Both the highlight video and the event recording are also available to view on Goleta TV Channel 19, the city’s website (cityofgoleta.org) and social media platforms (@ cityofgoleta).

— Neil Hartstein

the famous boxer’s life. The Sony Pictures Entertainment film follows Mr. Foreman from his impoverished childhood to his success as an Olympic gold medalist and world heavyweight champion and his time at the pulpit. The movie goes on to show Mr. Foreman’s return to boxing. Mr. Tillman co-wrote the movie with Frank Baldwin. The film stars Khris Davis, Jasmine Mathews, John Magaro, Sullivan Jones, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Sonja Sohn and Forest Whitaker. It has a running time of 2 hours and 13 minutes. For more information, go to sbiffriviera.com.

— Dave Mason

round out the regular season this week, traveling to CSUN on Friday, then returning home for the season finale against Cal Poly on Saturday.

email: sports@newspress.com

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George Foreman’ to screen at Riviera Theatre

Eric Boose is assistant director of athletic communications at UCSB.

The sophomore from Newtown, Pennsylvania was practically unbeatable last week, winning her doubles and singles matches against both UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton, losing only eight total games over the weekend.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Senior IRS agent blows whistle, alleging Biden DOJ thwarting criminal prosecution of Hunter Biden

By JOHN SOLOMON JUST THE NEWS

A decorated supervisory IRS agent has reported to the Justice Department’s top watchdog that federal prosecutors appointed by President Joe Biden have engaged in “preferential treatment and politics” to block criminal tax charges against presidential son Hunter Biden, providing evidence as a whistleblower that conflicts with Attorney General Merrick Garland’s recent testimony to Congress that the decision to bring charges against President Biden was being left to the Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney for Delaware.

According to a letter from the whistleblower’s attorney Mark Lytle to Congress obtained by Just the News, the IRS agent revealed he is seeking to provide detailed disclosures about a high-profile, sensitive case to the tax-writing committees in Congress, which have special authority under federal tax privacy laws to receive such information. That could pave the way to share the details with other committees in coming weeks.

The letter does not state that the whistleblower disclosures are related to Hunter Biden. However, Just the News has independently confirmed the agent’s allegations involve the Hunter Biden probe being led by Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a Trump holdover, according to multiple interviews with people directly familiar with the matter.

In a letter Wednesday to Republicans and Democrats overseeing multiple oversight committees in Congress, Mr. Lytle wrote: “The protected disclosures: (l) contradict sworn testimony to Congress by a senior political appointee, (2) involve failure to mitigate clear conflicts of interest in the ultimate disposition of the case, and (3) detail examples of preferential treatment and politics improperly infecting decisions and protocols that would normally be followed by career law enforcement professionals in similar circumstances if the subject were not politically connected.”

Hunter Biden has acknowledged since December 2020 that he has been under criminal investigation for tax matters, and his representative disclosed last year he paid overdue tax bills totaling $2 million. He has expressed confidence he will be cleared of criminal wrongdoing.

The IRS agent has a sterling record investigating tax crimes across the globe, including work on high-profile Swiss Bank prosecutions, and has won several merit awards. The whistleblower originally approached the IRS’ internal watchdog and Congress late last year with the help of prominent Democrat lawyer Mark Zaid, who previously represented

clients whose allegations about a call with the Ukrainian president led to Donald Trump’s first impeachment in 2019.

The agent subsequently hired Lytle, a former federal prosecutor with significant experience in prosecuting complex tax matters with the Justice Department’s Tax Division. Mr. Lytle also represented former Twitter head of Trust and Safety Yoel Roth in his recent congressional testimony and is currently defending a former FBI supervisor named Timothy Thibault who has been accused of pro-Biden political bias in anonymous whistleblower disclosures to the offices of Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson, and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan.

Mr. Lytle told lawmakers in his letter that the IRS agent has also disclosed his concerns to both the Treasury Department Inspector General for Tax Administration and Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, the same watchdog who unmasked FBI abuses during the Russia collusion case.

People directly familiar with the case have described the disclosures to Just the News as focused primarily on improper politicization of the case at the Justice Department and FBI headquarters rather than at the IRS or Treasury Department.

Specifically, the agent has provided evidence that at least two Biden DOJ political appointees in U.S. attorneys’ offices have declined to seek a tax indictment against Hunter Biden despite career investigators’ recommendations to do so and the blessing of career prosecutors in the DOJ tax division.

He also alleges that Weiss told agents on the case that the Delaware U.S. Attorney asked to be named a special counsel to have more independent authority in the probe but was turned down, according to interviews.

The agent also alleged that specific DOJ employees placed strictures on questions, witnesses and tactics investigators may be allowed to pursue that could impact President Biden, according to the interviews.

The sources said the agent’s decision to blow the whistle was prompted by sworn testimony from Garland that Delaware U.S. Attorney Weiss had full authority, free from political pressure, to pursue a case against Hunter Biden in any part of the country, according to interviews.

In an interview with Just the News, Mr. Lytle said he could not yet identify the specific case his client had raised concerns about or the specific political appointees whose actions or testimony raised concerns because of tax confidentiality laws. But he confirmed that one senior DOJ official’s recent testimony played a role in the agent coming forward to blow the whistle.

“I can say that he’s been working diligently on a highprofile case,” the lawyer said during an interview on the John Solomon Reports podcast, explaining that his client “was concerned about some statements by a senior political appointee from the Department of Justice that contradicted what he knew to be the facts of the case.”

Mr. Lytle said his client is a career law enforcement official who hasn’t made any political donations and doesn’t even use social media. “He is just a guy who likes his job as a law enforcement officer, as an investigator, and he takes it seriously, and he’s dedicated,” he said. “And when he sees something that is not routine and doesn’t follow the rules, or ... something maybe is affected by politics – that’s what made him come forward.”

The agent wants both Democrats and Republicans to hear his account and be able to question him, Mr. Lytle said.

“He’s insisted that when he comes forward, this is not to talk to just one party or the other party,” the lawyer said. “He wants to make sure that when he tells his story, both sides are there, so that he can present it, and they can sort it out. He doesn’t want to be accused of picking a side, even if that might happen anyway. But he has information, it’s credible, and it’s supported by emails and documents.”

Mr. Lytle added that if his client is cleared to talk to Congress he also will be able to identify contemporaneous witnesses to corroborate his claims of political interference.

“I believe he’ll be able to talk about these meetings that he attended, that were with both agents and prosecutors,” he explained, “and how he summarized those meetings and put it in writing and distributed those to folks within the IRS and sometimes to other agents as well. And so those are all in writing, contemporaneous. And then there’s emails too, so those are important documents that will ... I think, end up corroborating his credibility.”

Mr. Horowitz’s team has conducted an extensive debriefing of the IRS agent, reviewed documents purporting to corroborate his claims, and is purportedly in the process of seeking out other law enforcement witnesses from the IRS and FBI who can back up parts of his story, according to interviews.

One of the issues key to the whistleblower’s concerns involves which U.S. attorney’s office has the authority to bring criminal tax charges and where. The whistleblower alleged that Trumpappointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss could not legally bring charges in Delaware. Because of where Hunter Biden lived at the time his tax returns were filed,

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

County Fire to check children’s car seats

GOLETA — The Santa Barbara County Fire Department will hold a free drive-up car seat installation inspection and booster check on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Santa Barbara County Fire Station 11, 6901 Frey Way, Goleta.

“Is your child’s car seat installed properly?

Chances are it is not,” tweeted Sgt. Scott Safechuck, the department’s public information officer. “Our last event proved that 32 out of 34 car seats were found incorrectly installed.

“Please register for your car set inspection/ installation at SBC Fire.com.”

A fire department news release said that up to 80% of car seats are installed incorrectly, and the department is urging parents to secure their car seats with the help of experts.

Appointments are recommended but not required.

For more information, call Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Trauma Services at 805-569-7521 or visit cottagehealth.org/seatcheck.

Vehicle, child and car seat must be present.

No citations will be issued. No driver’s license or

vehicle reregistration is required.

Mr. Weiss needed the permission of Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys in other districts to bring charges outside of Delaware. The agent alleges two such U.S. attorneys appointed by President Biden declined his requests, according to interviews.

In testimony as recently as last month, Mr. Garland told Iowa GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley that Mr. Weiss had full authority to bring charges in any district he needed. “If it’s in another district, he would have to bring the case in another district,” Mr. Garland said. “But as I said, I promise to ensure that he’s able to carry out his investigation and that he’d be able to run it. And if he needs to bring it in another jurisdiction, he will have full authority to do that.”

The IG has obtained contemporaneous government emails and memos in DOJ files documenting to IRS leadership what the agent believed was evidence of political interference and biased behavior by DOJ employees. The agent is willing to make the same evidence available to Congress, according to Mr. Lytle’s letter.

The DOJ IG has deemed the agent’s allegations to be credible and serious enough to gather and preserve the corroborating documents and seek witnesses, according to the interviews. IRS cases involving uncharged defendants are covered by extraordinary privacy protections under the law even when a person has acknowledged he is under tax investigation.

However, the tax secrecy laws explicitly authorize disclosures to the committees in Congress with jurisdiction over tax laws, such as the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees. Both committees received a letter from the whistleblower’s counsel seeking an invitation to testify to both sides of the political aisle about the controversy.

Inspectors general for the IRS and the Justice Department were copied on the letter from the whistleblowing agent’s lawyer to Capitol Hill, which offers to provide a more detailed description of the testimony with the proper legal protections afforded by tax secrecy and whistleblower protection laws.

The committees with special authority to receive the tax whistleblower allegations will likely have to decide whether and how the details could be forwarded to the panels overseeing the FBI and DOJ, including the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, officials said.

Mr. Weiss, the Justice Department and Hunter Biden’s attorney Chris Clark have not responded for comment.

Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 dias, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte. ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede mas cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recommendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remissión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso. CASE NUMBER: (Numero del Caso:) 23CV01019

The name and address of the court is:

(El nombre y dirección de la corte es):

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

1100 ANACAPA STREET SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101

The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or

la dirección, y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es):

– Neil Hartstein

Investigation continues into East Beach death

SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office was working Thursday to determine what killed the 76-year-old man whose body was found in the surf off East Beach, 1100 E. Cabrillo Blvd., on Wednesday afternoon.

Santa Barbara police received a report of a found body at 3:12 p.m. Wednesday.

A community member flagged down a nearby AMR Paramedic Unit to report the incident. The decedent was later identified as a 76-year-old male.

“The SBSO Coroner is working on notifying next of kin, and the name is being withheld for this reason,” Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale, the Santa Barbara police’s public information officer, said Thursday. “The cause of death is currently under investigation by the coroner. At this time there does not appear to be any foul play involved.”

– Neil Hartstein

House Republicans pass bill banning biological males from competing in women’s sports

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) –Republicans in the U.S. voted Thursday to pass the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act,” the latest salvo in the ongoing battle over transgender athletes. The legislation would ban schools that receive federal funding, which is nearly all schools, from allowing biological males to compete in sports

designated for women and girls.

“This is a great day for America and a great day for girls and women and for fairness in sports...” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said at a news conference outside the Capitol after the vote.

The issue has been thrust into the forefront after a string of biological males who transitioned went from mediocrity in men’s sports to dominating and breaking records in women’s sports. There

also have been several women injured by transgender athletes.

President Joe Biden has threatened to veto the bill if it passes, but it is unclear if the bill could even get a vote in the Senate.

“The left’s lunacy is robbing women and girls of equal opportunities in the name of inclusion,” Republican Whip Tom Emmer said at the news

California awards $5 million in desalination project grants

By TOM JOYCE

THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square)California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration awarded $5 million Proposition 1 desalination grants on Wednesday.

The grants will go to projects in Mendocino, Fresno, and Los Angeles counties. Additionally, six projects will get funding via a partnership with the National Alliance for Water Innovation; the partnership aims to advance desalination implementation and research.

Desalination removes salts and minerals from seawater and brackish water to produce water safe for drinking, irrigation and other uses.

California wants to expand brackish groundwater desalination production by 28,000 acre-feet per year by 2030, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

“California is taking action to adapt to the extremes in weather we’re seeing across the state, reshaping our water systems to meet these new challenges and

better protect our communities,” Gov. Newsom said in the release. “Our all-of-the-above approach includes capturing and storing more water and innovative solutions like desalination to boost supplies and prepare for a hotter, drier future.”

These are the three projects that will receive grant funding, according to the release: Water Replenishment District of Southern California Construction Project: In Los Angeles County, a project in the City of Torrance will construct a conveyance pipeline to connect an existing well to the existing Goldsworthy Desalter system and install a self-cleaning auto-strainer. The project will reduce the community’s reliance on imported water, provide a sustainable local potable water supply, and increase desalinated water production by 1,120-acre feet per year, or approximately enough water for 2,200 households.

Westlands Water District Design Pilot Project: In Fresno County, the project will desalinate brackish groundwater from the westside upper aquifer and use

salt-tolerant plants to remove salts from the brine. The project will provide cost-effective, reliable, and high-quality water to the district and the communities of Coalinga, Huron, and Avenal.

City of Fort Bragg Design Pilot Project: Near the City of Fort Bragg, the project will install an innovative, wavepowered seawater desalination iceberg buoy to provide potable water to residents. The project will diversify the city’s water supply portfolio, create a locally controlled, sustainable, and carbon-free potable water supply, produce water without grid electricity, and strengthen water resiliency during future droughts.

So far, DWR has awarded more than $82 million in Proposition 1 desalination grants to support 20 projects.

Three projects are under construction in Antioch, Camarillo, and Santa Monica. Additionally, three projects have been completed in Torrance, Santa Barbara, and the City of Avalon on Catalina Island. The completed projects produce 8,787 acre-feet of potable water

annually, serving about 18,000 households.

DWR is also working with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) to back six projects that will, “pilot breakthrough technologies to reduce energy demand and costs for desalination projects,” according to the release.

‘Enormous’: Dems reintroduce Green New Deal

Critics

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – A group of liberal Democrats reintroduced the Green New Deal Thursday, the controversial environmental legislation that experts say would spike energy costs in the U.S. and cost taxpayers tens of trillions of dollars.

Advocates, though, argue the changes are needed to prevent worsening climate change and get ahead of an inevitable renewable energy transition.

“For so long, our movement towards a sustainable future has been divided with really just this false notion that we have to choose between our planet and our economy,” U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said at a news conference Thursday.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has largely become the face of the legislation, which she called “enormous legislation, huge in scope” and emphasizing the 20 million union jobs and investments in mass transit and electrical vehicle infrastructure such as charging ports.

“We refuse to allow, for example, an economy that goes from oil barons to solar barons,” she said. “That’s what we are not going to do because what we are going to do is we are going to transition to a 100% carbon free economy that is more unionized, more just, more dignified, and guarantees more health care and housing than we ever have before.”

“That’s the goal of the Green New Deal,” she

to

added.

As Rep. Ocasio-Cortez noted, the Green New Deal is sweeping legislation that would invest trillions in a green economy. Cost estimates vary widely on the legislation, which has changed since its initial unveiling years ago.

The right-leaning American Action Forum estimated after its release that the legislation could cost between $51 trillion and $93 trillion over 10 years.

Critics have raised an array of concerns, saying the bill is too expensive, pointing to national security concerns, and arguing the renewable energy technology is not yet reliable or advanced enough to replace fossil fuels.

They also point to energy costs, which have soared since President Joe Biden took office.

“Last year Democrats hid most of their green agenda inside the so-called ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ which will add trillions to federal debt,” Daniel Turner, executive director of the energy workers advocacy group, Power the Future, told The Center Square.

“They know there’s no appetite for this radical green plan and it is why they never introduced it when they had control of both chambers.

“While Americans pay $1.70 more per gallon

of gas since Biden took office and deal with high food prices and empty shelves, we get this kind of DC political gamesmanship, and the American people are sick of it,” he added.

Critics also point to concerns over how federal spending on the green energy transition has fared so far. House Republicans this week were quick to point to a newly released analysis of the Inflation Reduction Act from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, which found that more than 90% of green energy tax subsidies went to huge corporations with more than $1 billion in sales.

Republicans also pointed out the Inflation Reduction Act favors “woke” companies with ESG investments and also expressed concerns about reliance on China, which owns the market on the production of green energy technology.

“Many of the same companies getting a green corporate welfare check have shed their American identity to do business with the Chinese Communist Party, and as a result our tax dollars are being funneled to Chinese entities that manipulate our key supply chains,” House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., said.

‘California needs its high spending to translate into better system quality’

HIGHWAYS

Continued from Page A1

condition (50th), and maintenance disbursements (44th), contributing to its overall poor performance.

Baruch Feigenbaum, the lead author of the Annual Highway Report and senior managing director of transportation policy at Reason Foundation,

said California needs to make significant changes if it wants to have a competent highway system.

“To improve in the report’s overall rankings, California needs its high spending to translate into better system quality,” Mr. Feigenbaum said in the report. “For example, the state is in the bottom 20 in all four of the spending categories yet is also in the bottom 10 in all four of the

pavement categories. It also ranks in the bottom 15 in two of the three fatality categories. Finally, the state also needs to find a way to decrease its traffic congestion somewhat.

“While it may be challenging for California to reduce its spending, it needs to improve its pavement quality, fatality rates, and urbanized area congestion,” he added. “The state has a lot of work to do. But if it is able to

improve system performance, it could move up significantly in the rankings.” Hawaii (48th), New York (49th), and Alaska (50th) were the only three states to fare worse than California in the rankings.

The top-performing states were all in the South: Virginia (first), North Carolina (second), Tennessee (third) and Georgia (fourth).

Investigation concluded that 15 people arrived on boat

SENTENCE

Continued from Page A1

According to evidence presented at their five-day trial, on the morning of Sept. 27, 2021, law enforcement sighted a panga boat adrift off the coast of Santa Barbara County. The vessel, which was having engine trouble, ultimately made landfall at Arroyo Quemada Beach, approximately 25 miles west of Santa Barbara.

The investigation in this matter revealed

that there were 15 people on the boat, including several crewmembers, and that Mr. Aranzubia-Álvarez was the boat’s captain, prosecutors said. Two black bags that contained a total of 40 vacuum-sealed and plastic wrapped bindles, totaling approximately 45 pounds, were thrown off the boat by passengers at Mr. Muñoz-Muñoz’s direction and later were recovered by law enforcement, prosecutors said.

Law enforcement also later confirmed that all occupants of the boat were illegal aliens. Based on interviews with the passengers, it

was determined that the passengers arrived at a beach in Ensenada, Mexico to board a panga boat that would smuggle them into the United States for a price of approximately $15,000 each, prosecutors said.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation provided substantial assistance.

email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com

Bill ‘reaffirms the vital protections for women’s sports guaranteed by Title IX’

SPORTS

Continued from Page A3

conference. Christiana Kiefer, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, a group that has

TORNQUIST, Peter Allen

It was with great sadness that I tell you that Peter Allen Tornquist passed away on Sunday, March 19, 2023 at age 83. He was a man of honesty and kindness and the bonds he shared with all that loved him can never be replaced. Born in Caribou Maine in 1939 to Harold Theodore Tornquist and Vella Faye Merritt. He is survived by his children (Mike, Michelle, and Heidi), his stepchildren (Chris and Rick), his nephew Kurt and sister-in-law Cynthia, his grandchildren Nicole and Candice and his great-grandchild Tennyson. A memorial will be held at El Montecito Presbyterian Church at 2pm on May 13th, 2023 in Montecito California (near Santa Barbara). We love you Pete!

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represented young girls in lawsuits on this issue, heralded the bill’s passage. She pointed out the bill affirms Title IX protections for girls, though the Biden administration has tried to reinterpret the wording of that statute, an issue that will likely be

decided in the courts.

“Girls shouldn’t be spectators in their own sports,” she said.

“The ‘Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act’ reaffirms the vital protections for women’s sports guaranteed by Title IX, ensuring that women and

girls truly have equal athletic opportunities. Women fought long and hard to remedy inequality in athletics, and allowing males to compete in girls’ sports reverses 50 years of advances secured for women under Title IX.”

COURTESY PHOTO

Gov. Gavin Newsom

say the measure could cost taxpayers up

$93 trillion over 10 years Advocates argue the changes are needed to prevent worsening climate change and get ahead of an inevitable renewable energy transition.

Life theArts

FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2023

‘Air’ is a winner on the big screen

Acting performances makes Air Jordan story a compelling one

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

It’s a slam dunk for “Air” — thanks to Viola Davis, Matt Damon and Jason Bateman.

Not only at the box office, where the movie has been among the top five most successful films, but in terms of great acting.

Writer Alex Convery’s story about Nike’s development of Air Jordan shoes is a good one, but what stands out the most is Mr. Damon, Ms. Davis and Mr. Bateman. Their honest, natural performances — along with Ben Affleck’s effective directing — make the true 1980s story of the challenge of recruiting basketball star Michael Jordan for a shoe endorsement compelling.

The film, which is graced with a soundtrack of great hits from the ’80s, is still playing at local theaters.

“Air” stars Mr. Damon as Nike’s Sonny Vaccaro, who is determined to recruit Michael Jordan to endorse a basketball shoe designed specifically for him — despite Mr. Jordan’s preference to go with Adidas.

Sonny won’t take “no” for an answer, to the irritation of Nike CEO and fitness enthusiast Phil Knight (Mr. Affleck), Nike executive Rob Strasser (Mr. Bateman) and Mr. Jordan’s agent David Falk (Chris Messina).

He even goes as far as to show up, unannounced, at the Jordan family home in North Carolina, and that bravado ultimately impresses Deloris Jordan (Ms. Davis).

Never mind Michael Jordan’s prowess on the basketball court. The true players here are Sonny vs. David, Sonny vs. Deloris and Sonny vs. Rob and Phil. Sonny, who likes to gamble at Las Vegas casinos, is betting his career on breaking all the rules to do the impossible.

The question is whether Michael will sign with Adidas, Converse or, the Beaverton, Orebased underdog, Nike. Sonny has a strategy, and it doesn’t go exactly as planned, but he’s the master of improvising and making a sales pitch. The challenge is not so much Michael Jordan, but Deloris Jordan, who’s a shrewd businesswoman.

Ultimately Sonny’s strategy works. Viewers already know the

CALENDAR

The calendar appears Mondays through Saturdays in the “Life & the Arts” section. Items are welcome. Please email them a full week before the event to Managing Editor Dave Mason at dmason@ newspress.com.

TODAY 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Storytelling: Native People Through the Lens of Edward S. Curtis” is on display through April 30 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. For more information, visit sbnature.org.

10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. “SURREAL

WOMEN: Surrealist Art by American Women” is on display through April 24 at Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, 11 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, www. sullivangoss.com.

By appointment on weekdays:

“Holly Hungett: Natural Interpretations” is on view through May 20 at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara’s gallery, 229 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and weekdays by appointment. For more information, call the foundation at 805-965-6307 or go to www.afsb.org.

Noon to 5 p.m. “Clarence Mattei: Portrait of a Community” is on view now through May at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, which is located in downtown Santa Barbara at 136 E. De la Guerra St. Admission is free. Hours are currently from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and from noon to 7 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, visit www.sbhistorical.org. to etcsb.org or call 805-965-5400.

happy ending. Sonny wins over Deloris, and the Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan’s playing in Air Jordan shoes sets the stage for a longtime boost in sales for Nike. In fact, the Jordan Brand brought in $19 billion in just the last five years.

Sometimes it pays to gamble. email: dmason@newspress.com

FYI

“Air” is screening at Paseo Nuevo Cinemas in downtown Santa Barbara and Camino Real Cinemas, 7040 Market Place, Goleta. See metrotheatres.com for times.

It’s also playing at Regal Edwards Santa Maria & RPX, 100 Town Center East, Santa Maria. See regmovies.com.

The Amazon Studios movie has a running time of one hour and 52 minutes. It’s rated R for language.

won’t take no for an answer as he breaks the rules to recruit

From James Bond to ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’

Former Montecito resident Jane Seymour talks about her award-winning career

Editor’s note: This concludes a two-part series on award-winning movie and TV star Jane Seymour.

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Jane Seymour remembers acting with a true Superman.

“That was an extraordinary experience,” Ms. Seymour said about starring with “Superman” star Christopher Reeve, whose superpowers included great acting, in “Somewhere In Time” (1980).

“First of all, it’s a beautiful movie. I loved it. I loved the script.”

And the former Montecito resident said the chemistry between her and Mr. Reeve, seen clearly in the romantic film involving time travel, continued until the day he died in 2004. “We adored each other, and that moment on the island where we made that film is one of those magic capsules in time. Everything about it was amazing.”

Ms. Seymour, 72, has had a life of amazing experiences and successes, from the James Bond movie “Live and Let Die” to the popular CBS series “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.”

She talked to the News-Press in advance of her keynote address at the Alzheimer’s Women’s Initiative Inspire Luncheon: Brain Matters, set for 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 26 at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront, 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd.

Ms. Seymour, who was born in Uxbridge, England, discussed her award-winning acting career during a Zoom call from Dublin. That’s where she’s starring as the title character of “Harry Wild,” a series. It airs in America on Acorn TV and is seen around the world, and Ms. Seymour said she was excited about filming the second and third seasons.

“I play a retired English professor who solves crimes, using her knowledge of books,” she said.

“Harry Wild” is a murder mystery series with a lot of humor, Ms. Seymour said. She noted that her character, Harry Wild, solves crimes that her son the detective, Charlie Wild (Kevin J. Ryan), can’t figure out. She said Harry’s sidekick, Fergus Reid (Rohan Nedd), is a young kid “who’s too smart to go to school.”

“It’s very fun. It’s very comedic, and people are absolutely loving it,” Ms. Seymour said. “I love playing it.”

Ms. Seymour talked about what got her started on the road to

entertainment.

“Well, when I was a kid, I had two things wrong with me that they immediately diagnosed,” she told the News-Press. “One was I had a speech impediment, and the other was I had flat feet. So my parents, who didn’t have very much money, put me in a dance class.”

Ms. Seymour ended up dancing with a ballet company.

She went on to explain that her speech impediment was difficulty in pronouncing the sound of “r.”

“I had speech therapy for it, and I ended up playing Americans rather convincingly because — I don’t know if you realize it — all you do is roll your r’s all the time (for an American accent).”

She attended ballet school and drama school.

“The next thing I knew I was dancing and singing in a movie and had one line, and I got spotted by the top agent in England,” Ms. Seymour said.

“You know, I had a lot of success very quickly, then I realized I had a lot to learn,” she said.

Her early success included playing Solitaire, a young virgin woman with psychic powers in her mastery of tarot cards, in the first movie starring Roger Moore as James Bond, “Live and Let

6 p.m. to 10 p.m.: The Isla Vista Juggling Festival takes place with open juggling at the UCSB Multi-Activity Court. The festival runs today through Sunday. For more about the festival, visit sbjuggle.org. The festival is a fundraiser for Standing Together to End Sexual Assault. For more information, see sbstesa.org.

8 p.m. Sō Percussion with Caroline Shaw will perform at UCSB Campbell Hall. Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw joins Sō Percussion as vocalist for 10 songs she co-composed with the quartet members. Tickets are $20 to $35 for the general public and $10 for UCSB students with current student ID. TO purchase, call Arts & Lectures at 805-893-3535 or go to www. artsandlecturesucsb.edu.

APRIL 22

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: The Isla Vista Juggling Festival takes place with open juggling at the UCSB Multi-Activity Court. The festival runs today through Sunday. For more about the festival, visit sbjuggle.org. The festival is a fundraiser for Standing Together to End Sexual Assault. For more information, see sbstesa.org.

10 a.m. to noon. A Rolled Paper Picture Frame workshop will take place at the Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Isla Vista Juggling Festival presents its public show at the Isla Vista Theater, 960 Embarcadero del Norte, Isla Vista.

10 p.m. to midnight. Glow toys will be juggled during the Isla Vista Juggling Festival at People’s Park on Embarcadero del Norte, Isla Vista.

APRIL 23

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: The Isla Vista Juggling Festival takes place with open juggling at the UCSB Multi-Activity Court. The festival runs today through Sunday. For more about the festival, visit sbjuggle.org. The festival is a fundraiser for Standing Together to End Sexual Assault. For more information, see sbstesa.org.

7 p.m. Artemis, an international jazz ensemble made up of six women, will perform at UCSB Campbell Hall. The ensemble consists of pianist and musical director Renee Rosnes, trumpeter Ingrid Jenson, tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, alto saxophonist and flutist Alexa Tarantino, bassist Norike Ueda and drummer Allison Miller. Artemis’ music ranges from modern compositions to jazz classics by Thelonious Monk, Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter. Audience members may arrive early at 4 p.m. for a free Q&A and behind-the-scenes open sound check. Register at thematiclearning.org/2022-2023.Elubia’s Kitchen will be serving dinner before the show from 5 to 7 P.M., outside of the event. Tickets range from $30 to $45 for the general public and are $15 for UCSB students who show a current student ID. To purchase, go to www. artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.

Please see CALENDAR on B2

Managing Editor Dave Mason dmason@newspress.com

COURTESY AMAZON STUDIOS

At left, Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis) proves to be a shrewd businesswoman in “Air.” At right, Ben Affl eck looks at a camera angle as he directs “Air.” Mr. Affl eck also starred as Nike CEO Phil Knight.

ANA CARBALLOS/AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES

Nike’s Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon)

Michael Jordan’s endorsement in “Air.”

ANA CARBALLOS/AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES

‘The Jungle Book’

Performing arts foundation announces scholarship finalists

Finalists are competing for scholarships adding up to more than $27,000 from the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation.

SANTA BARBARA — The

Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation has just announced its 2023 award finalists — a combination of vocal finalists, adult instrumentalist finalists and junior instrumentalist finalists. Each student will receive a financial award to help support their musical studies. Auditions for awards were held on April 6 and 7, and the applicants ranged from 16 to 29. They competed for scholarships adding up to more than $27,000.

The State Street Ballet will perform an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book” at 7:30 p.m. April 29 at the Lobero Theatre, 33

E. Canon Perdido St. Tickets cost $38 and $48 for general admission, $58 for VIP seats, and $22 for children and students with IDS. To purchase, go to lobero.org.

CALENDAR

Continued from Page B1

APRIL 24

7:30 p.m. The Lompoc Pops Orchestra will perform everything from Broadway hits to a “Star Trek” medley at the First United Methodist Church, 925 North F St., Lompoc. Tickets are $25 for adults, $5 for all full time students, and free for children 12 and under. To make reservations, call 805-733-1796.

7:30 p.m. Acclaimed violinist Augustin Hadelich will perform at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. Mr. Hadelich will play music by

Bach, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson and Eugene Ysaye. Tickets for the Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara concert cost $45 and $55. To purchase, go to lobero.org.

APRIL 25

7:30 p.m. The American Theatre Guild will present “Anastasia” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The new Broadway musical follows a brave young woman on a journey to discover the mystery of the past. This production transports the audiences from the twilight of the Russian empire to Paris in the 1920s. Tickets cost $54 to $129. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

APRIL 26

7:30 p.m. The American Theatre Guild will present “Anastasia” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The new Broadway musical follows a brave young woman on a journey to discover the mystery of the past. This production transports the audiences from the twilight of the Russian empire to Paris in the 1920s. Tickets cost $54 to $129. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

APRIL 27

7:30 p.m. Pico Iyer will talk with movie star Isabella Rossellini at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $35 for general admission and $10 for

ARTEMIS

UCSB students. To purchase, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at 805-893-3535 or go to artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/

APRIL 30

3:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Museum of Art presents a unique conversation between renowned poet and art critic John Yau and artist Joan Tanner. The event will take place at 3:30 p.m. April 30 at SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara. Tickets are free for SBMA members and students and cost $5, otherwise. They are available at tickets.sbma.net.

— Dave Mason

Renee Rosnes, Ingrid Jensen, Alexa Tarantino, Nicole Glover, Noriko Ueda, Allison Miller

Sun, Apr 23 / 7 PM (note special time) / UCSB Campbell Hall

“A killer line-up of players… they all converge on this extremely cosmopolitan, sleek, rhythm-forward, modern sound.” NPR

Founded in 2017 under the banner of International Women’s Day, ARTEMIS is a powerhouse ensemble of modern jazz masters, each a composer and bandleader in their own right.

Event Sponsor: Luci & Rich Janssen

Jazz Series Lead Sponsor: Manitou Fund

24th U.S. Poet Laureate

Ada Limón

Why We Need Poetry

Celebrating National Poetry Month!

Tue, Apr 25 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

Tickets start at $20 / FREE for all students (with valid ID)

“A poet whose verse exudes warmth and compassion, Limón is at the height of her creative powers.” Los Angeles Review of Books

The first woman of Mexican ancestry to be named U.S. poet laureate, Ada Limón is the author of six books of poetry. Her latest, The Hurting Kind, was named one of The New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2022.

Celebrating Mother’s Day

Laura Dern & Diane Ladd

Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life and Love

Wed, May 3 / 7:30 PM

UCSB Campbell Hall

Join acclaimed actor Laura Dern ( Big Little Lies, Twin Peaks, Jurassic Park) and her mother, Academy Award-winner Diane Ladd (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Chinatown), for a deeply personal conversation on love, art, ambition and legacy inspired by their own heart-to-hearts.

This year’s finalists for vocal performance are baritone Nathan Carlin attending Westmont College (his teacher, Bryan Lane); Lorenzo Johnson, Jr., a tenor at UCSB (teacher, Benjamin Brecher); Sibo Msibi, a tenor at Westmont College (teacher, Nichole Dechaine); and Ariana Horner Sutherland, a soprano at UCSB (teacher, Dr. Isabel Bayrakdarian).

Adult instrumentalist finalists are Cam Audras, a violist at UCSB (teacher, Jonathan Moerschel); Sofia Malvinni, a violinist studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (teacher, Simon James), and Ilana Shapiro, a flutist at Pomona College (teacher, Catherine Ransom Karoly). Junior instrumentalist finalists are Ellen Butler, a pianist attending San Marcos High School (teacher, Dr. Natasha Kislenko); Holly Hadsall, a pianist and student at San Marcos High School (teacher, Dr. Pascal Solomon); Joey Malvinni, guitarist at Dos Pueblos High School (teacher, Dr. David Malvinni), and Aidan Woodruff, cellist attending Santa Ynez High School (teacher, Sarah Koo of the Colburn School of Performing Arts). For more information about PASF, visit pasfsb.org.

— Kira Logan

Library to offer pottery to-go kits

NORTH COUNTY — The Santa Maria Public Library will be offering free DIY Talaverainspired Pottery to-go kits available for pick up starting Saturday.

The kits will be available for pick up at the libraries in Santa Maria, Orcutt, Los Alamos, Guadalupe, Cuyama and the SMPL To Go Bookmobile.

The kits are available for all ages and include all materials needed to create a painted terracotta pot. This program supports the library’s mission

SEYMOUR

Continued from Page B1

Bond movie, filmed in Jamaica and Louisiana. “It was a whole world I had never seen, and I had never been in nice hotels. And I had never traveled like that.”

Ms. Seymour went on to study acting further and starred in the romantic movie “Somewhere in Time,” in which Mr. Reeve’s character, Richard Collier, goes back in time to meet acclaimed actress Elise McKenna (Ms. Seymour). The movie features legendary actress Teresa Wright (“The Best Years of Our Lives”) as well as Christopher Plummer.

Mr. Reeve’s life and career were altered forever when he was thrown from his horse in 1995 during an equestrian competition in Virginia. He became paralyzed from the neck down.

“After he had his accident, I had this whole other relationship with him, when I really got to know what it was like to be in a wheelchair and not to be able to move when you were very independent,” Ms. Seymour said. “I learned so much from him about what life is like when you have spinal injuries, and I became very much a part of trying to help in that world.”

She added ramps throughout her entire home in Malibu so that her friends in wheelchairs could have a sense of independence when they visited her.

In addition to movies such as the one she made with Mr. Reeve, Ms. Seymour succeeded on TV with her title role as a frontier physician in CBS’ “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” (1993 to 1998). It was filmed in the Old West town at Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills.

She described Dr. Quinn as “an amazing character.”

“I think what was great about the series, apart from the brilliant writing and directing, was that every episode dealt with something we’re still dealing with today,” Ms. Seymour said. “We were dealing with poisoning

to promote lifelong learning as well as the city of Santa Maria’s efforts to offer more recreational opportunities. This project was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. Questions may be directed to the Library’s Information Desk, 805-925-0994, ext. 8562.

in the water from the Colorado River during the gold rush. We’re still dealing with the mercury poisoning from that today.”

The series also dealt with issues such as traditional medicine vs. spiritual medicine, homophobia, the burning of books, immigration and the mistreatment of indigenous people, Ms. Seymour said.

When CBS announced its decision to cancel “Dr. Quinn,” a large number of fans gathered at Paramount Ranch as well on a sidewalk on a hot day outside CBS Television City in the Fairfax District near Hollywood. This journalist was there, talked to the fans and recalled how CBS welcomed the fans’ support for the show and distributed free bottles of water to them.

Ms. Seymour also recalled the outpouring of support.

“Yes, it was unbelievable,” Ms. Seymour said.

While the fan support didn’t keep “Dr. Quinn” on the air, CBS later brought Ms. Seymour back for “Dr. Quinn” TV movies, and to this day, Ms. Seymour said, “Dr. Quinn” airs in 98 countries.

“I was filming today, and two young people from France flew over, so they could meet me on the set (of ‘Harry Wild’),” Ms. Seymour said. “They were obsessed with ‘Dr. Quinn.’

“It’s one of the best exports America has ever had because every culture loves it. It deals with the human condition. It deals with family. It deals with love.”

email: dmason@newspress.com

Santa Barbara Debut

COURTESY STATE STREET BALLET

PHOTOS COURTESY PERFORMING ARTS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION

— Kira Logan

SUDOKU

Thought for Today

“Golf is a good walk spoiled.” — Mark Twain

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Friday, April 21, 2023

ARIES — Don’t try to fit into a mold you simply don’t belong in, Aries. You may have gone through a major transformation lately in which you went from being a square peg to a round peg. Other people might still be trying to push you into the square hole. Don’t let them.

TAURUS — There may be subtle messages in people’s words today that you need to attend to, Taurus. Other people could be trying to send you hints in order to push your buttons. Confront them on this behavior. Don’t ignore the subtleties in their voices. Tender, loving messages may be laced with thorns intended to provoke you.

GEMINI — Don’t keep playing along with the games if you no longer want to repeat the same drama, Gemini. By placing yourself in a victim role, you’re opening yourself up to manipulation and control by others. To stop the repetitive pattern, it’s crucial for you to stand up and recognize that you have an important part in the healing process.

CANCER — Today is excellent for you, Cancer. You should be encouraged to take action in any artistic realm. Cook a scrumptious dinner and share it with a loved one. Give your heart a chance to speak and act on what it says. Your feminine and masculine sides are on the same page now.

LEO — Go weed the garden, Leo. If you don’t have a garden, start one. It’s important for you to get into the Earth today, so roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. Feeling a connection with the ground is an important step in manifesting your dreams. Buy some seeds, fertilizer, and a watering can.

VIRGO — There’s great opportunity for romance today, Virgo. Love the people you’re with, but don’t smother them. The more you loosen your grip on a situation, the more you will gain control of it. Cutting chains to the past is the first step in moving forward toward a goal.

LIBRA — The active and receptive natures of your being are coming together, Libra. There’s a balance between these two aspects. You’re able to attract the prosperity and love you desire by the way in which you handle yourself around others. Today is about the equilibrium between give and take.

SCORPIO — Today is a fantastic day for you. Your sensual, caring nature will be appreciated, Scorpio. Whether you actively pursue it or sit back and relax, you will receive the love and good fortune you desire. Your creativity is also at a peak during this time.

SAGITTARIUS — Being married to someone for many years takes work, Sagittarius. No one said it was going to be easy. Hollywood promotes a fantasyland that can make your life look drab and boring by comparison. Realize that your life can be good and interesting, too - reality is even better than the movie version.

CAPRICORN — Today is a great day to make your big move, Capricorn. If there’s something in the love and romance department that you feel you need to act on, this is the day to do it. It’s now or never. Approach all situations in a practical, caring manner. Plow forward with confidence and don’t look back.

AQUARIUS — Take your focus off you and concentrate on someone else for a day, Aquarius. This doesn’t mean focusing so the person will stop and pay attention to you. It doesn’t mean getting their attention so that you have someone who will listen to you talk. Get someone’s attention because you really want to hear what he or she has to say.

PISCES — It might take an extra few minutes to get out of bed today, Pisces, but it will be worth it when you do. You will find that the more honest you’ve been with people, the more payoffs you will receive. Being dependable and trustworthy are key issues to focus on. Act strong and proud with regard to who you are and the rewards will come.

DAILY BRIDGE

By FRANK STEWART

Tribune Content Agency

Friday, April 21, 2023

It’s common knowledge that opportunity knocks only once (if at all, for some of us). Even then, she may knock softly. Today’s North-South bid to a slam though West’s weak two-bid warned of possible bad breaks. When West led the king of hearts, South took the ace and cashed his A-K of trumps — and West discarded. South still had a chance. He took the queen of trumps, then started the diamonds. East ruffed the third diamond and led another heart. Declarer ruffed and tried a club finesse with dummy’s jack, but East’s queen won.

TOP TRUMPS

Opportunity knocked, could South but have heard. At Trick Two, South can ruff a heart. He then cashes his three top trumps. When he takes the A-K of diamonds next, and East plays the eight and ten, South can judge to play East for 4-3-2-4 pattern; hence, for the queen of clubs. South leads a club to dummy’s ace, ruffs the last heart and continues diamonds. When East ruffs, he must lead from the queen of clubs, conceding the slam.

Neither side vulnerable. Your partner deals and opens two hearts (weak). The next

CODEWORD PUZZLE

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3-by-3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. that means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday through Saturday.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Answers to previous CODEWORD

How to play Codeword

Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great way to test your knowledge of the English language. Every number in the codeword grid is ‘code’ for a letter of the alphabet. Thus, the number 2 may correspond to the letter L, for instance. All puzzles come with a few letters to start. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzzle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of the grid. Remember that at the end you should have a different letter of the alphabet in each of the numbered boxes 1- 26, and a word in English in each of the horizontal and vertical runs on the codeword grid.

PUZZLE

player passes. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s call is unwelcome, but you must make the

you will have a chance at various games or even at slam. Bid two spades, which most partnerships treat as forcing, and hear his next call. West