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Santa Barbara News-Press: November 11, 2022

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SB COMMISSION FOR WOMEN

‘The Nutcracker’

Geordie Scully appointed as first district commissioner - A3

SB Festival Ballet to perform holiday favorite at the Arlington Theatre - B1

Our 167th Year

75¢

F R I DAY, NOV E M B E R 11, 2 0 2 2

Veteran owned

Atlas rocket era ends at Vandenberg Final launch carries satellite system

Navy vet started BrightStar Care of Santa Barbara in 2017

By DAVE MASON

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER

NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

BrightStar Care of Santa Barbara is owned by navy veteran Mike Perez, who served for four years. After retiring from the navy, he turned to franchising and entrepreneurship as his second act. Now he provides seniors, injured veterans and those in need of care services with a higher standard of homebased care. “I invested in my own BrightStar Care franchise location in 2017 and quickly became the provider of choice for hundreds of seniors and families across the Santa Barbara community,” Mr. Perez told the News-Press in an email. BrightStar Care is a leading home care and medical staffing franchise that has a network of veteran business owners running their own home care agencies. “I started BrightStar Care of Santa Barbara with my wife Sharon Perez. My wife and I both have experience being the prime caregivers for our elderly parents who live miles away from us,” said Mr. Perez. “Our experiences with our parents have taught us firsthand the tremendous hardship families face when searching for care for an aging loved one. After learning about BrightStar Care’s home care options and high standards, we decided to invest in our own BrightStar Care franchise business, with a goal to help families in our community answer the question: how do we take care of an aging loved one? “Sharon has more than 38 years of experience in the healthcare field and holds several degrees including master’s degrees in medical social work and hospital administration. Through her educational and medical background, Sharon is passionate about providing our clients with the highest standard of care. I am a seasoned sales and marketing professional who served four years in the United States Navy, and I am now a proud veteran. Our personal backgrounds have given us a deep understanding of what the families we now serve are going through. Additionally, my personal experience as the sole caregiver for a loved one gave me the passion and insight that complements Sharon’s clinical skills.” The News-Press asked Mr. Perez how BrightStar Care helps injured veterans: “Many BrightStar Care locations work with third-party organizations that help families apply for veteran resources so their loved ones can receive home care services. These services are free of charge and focus specifically on the ‘Aid and Attendance’ veteran benefit, which provides a monthly home care stipend to qualifying veterans. “As a veteran and passionate human, I enjoy providing care to seniors and those in need of home care in my community. I have started several businesses over the years, but never found one that had a positive impact on people’s lives. When I served in the Navy, it felt amazing giving back to my country, knowing that my work had an impact on people. Now in my new role as a home care business owner, I’ve made my way back to the feeling of purpose through my work with

There it rose, bringing a burst of light in the night: the last Atlas rocket to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base. As it soared, a chapter ended, one that started with the first Atlas launch from Vandenberg in 1958. On Thursday, the Atlas V rocket took off at 1:49 a.m. from Space

Team Vandenberg launches a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket Thursday from Vandenberg. It is the last Atlas rocket to soar from Vandenberg, ending a chapter that began with the first Atlas launch in 1958.

RYAN QUIJAS / U.S. SPACE FORCE

Foodbank to present Santa Barbara Empty Bowls By JARED DANIELS NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is more than halfway to its fundraising goal for Sunday’s 25th annual Santa Barbara Empty Bowls. And tickets for the beloved community event are selling out fast. The event, which raises funds for the nonprofit’s operations in South County and seeks to remind attendees of the often invisible nature of hunger in Santa Barbara, will take place at the Foodbank’s warehouse at 4554 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara. Tickets for the 11 a.m and noon entry times have sold out, but remain available for purchase for the 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. slots. The Foodbank has so far brought in $72,500 as of Thursday afternoon through ticket sales and sponsorships, with this year’s event offering attendees a variety of ways to help the Foodbank reach its goal of raising $120,000. In addition to receiving a handcrafted ceramic bowl with their choice of a curried yamp, Asian noodle, Tuscan white bean, or

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Navy veteran Mike Perez is the owner and founder of BrightStar Care of Santa Barbara.

BrightStar Care … One of the many attributes that attracted me to BrightStar Care was the $5,000 discount on the initial franchise fee that is offered to qualified military veterans. In addition, BrightStar Care also offers franchisees extensive training, franchise coaching, and marketing support to ensure the success of our locally owned and operated businesses,” said Mr. Perez. The News-Press asked Mr. Please see BRIGHTSTAR on A5

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FYI

Above is a view of BrightStar Care of Santa Barbara’s office at their new Santa Barbara location off Castillo Street on Thursday.

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Santa Barbara Empty Bowls will take place at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. at the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County warehouse, 4554 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara. To purchase tickets and learn more about Santa Barbara Empty Bowls, visit FoodbankSBC.org/SBEB22.

kale and sausage soup provided by Food from the Heart, attendees will be able to purchase oneof-a-kind items in a ceramics marketplace, succulent plants potted in handmade pots, as well as items from a special gallery section featuring artists such as Lauren Hansen and Joan Rosenberg Dent. In-person attendees will also be able to participate in raffles for experiences and local wines, among other items. Additionally, the Artisan Gallery Silent Auction featuring the works of local artists will be open virtually at FoodbankSBC.org/Gallery22 until 5 p.m. today (Friday), with live bidding continuing during the event on Sunday. Danyel Dean, the ceramics artist and educator who founded Santa Barbara Empty Bowls in 1997 and has chaired the event’s host committee since its inception, described reaching the 25th anniversary of the event as “an honor and delight.” “The way the Empty Bowls project has expanded awareness for the Foodbank and food insecurity in our community is immeasurable,” Ms. Dean said in a statement. “The experience of helping create opportunities for people to donate their time and money to the Foodbank has been a joy!” The annual fundraising event comes as the Foodbank continues to see a record need for its services that has lingered since the onset of the pandemic. Judith Smith-Meyer, the Foodbank senior communications director, pointed to what she called “stubborn” inflationary effects, high gas prices and rising Please see FOODBANK on A10

LOTTERY

insid e Classified.............. A6 Life..................... A7-8 Obituaries........... A10

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Launch Complex-3 on a mission to make weather forecasts more accurate. The objective was to put the Joint Polar Satellite System-2 into orbit for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The advanced system is designed to improve the accuracy and timeliness of weather prediction models. Surveying Earth twice a day, the JPSS2 system will obtain global Please see LAUNCH on A10

Sudoku................. A9 Weather.............. A10

Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 3-6-8-40-44 Mega: 19

Thursday’s DAILY 4: 9-1-3-3

Tueday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 5-13-29-38-59 Mega: 23

Thursday’s FANTASY 5: 1-20-23-34-39

Thursday’s DAILY DERBY: 06-09-04 Time: 1:40.60

Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 7-14-24-30-56 Meganumber: 7

Thursday’s DAILY 3: 3-2-5 / Midday 8-0-6


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