There’s a lot of history in that dresser
All about her feathered friends Joan Easton Lentz talks about ‘Story of a Santa Barbara Birder’ - A3
Our 165th Year
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Congregating during COVID-19 The Kumai Oysters from Baja is one of the best selling items featured at the hotel, as during happy hour each oyster only costs $2.
General Manager of the Hotel Ingrid Braun is a fan of the Penn Cove Mussels made by the hotel as they are cooked in a blue eyed blond lager with a side of crisp sourdough bread.
Churches continue outdoor services in red tier
What helps set Mar Monte apart is its rotating menu options of seafood depending on what is available and fresh. The menu is picked out by executive chef Nathan Lingle.
Happy Hour at Mar Monte Hotel
By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Sets of one to three chairs, covered in violet fabric, dot Trinity Episcopal Church’s labyrinth patio Sunday afternoons. Three rounds of parishoners come to partake in Eucharist, a sacrament where bread wafers are consecrated and eaten. But before they eat the bread, there’s a few safety protocols to pass. Upon entry, church members and visitors get their temperature checked. Newly cleaned umbrellas sit beside hand sanitizer stations. This is part of the protocol Trinity set to provide a spiritual and safe experience. Although churches are able to open at 25% capacity in the red tier, many in Santa Barbara are keeping doors shut and opting for outdoor service. Many have been utilizing live streaming services while meeting outdoors and at a distance. Worshippers bring chairs or
blankets and leave masks on to sing. Other churches are purely online, without a proper outdoor space. Resources are part of the reopening discussions churches are having. Trinity’s rector, Reverend Elizabeth Molitors, said the church needs to upgrade its ventilation system before opening the 108-year-old building. “Safety is utmost in our mind, and this setup has worked pretty well,” she said. “At the time that we move inside the building, we’re gonna have to rewrite all these protocols.” Rector Molitors washes her hands during the service before handing out wafers to participants. Everyone wears masks except for a few seconds to eat the wafer. There are take-home Eucharist bags too for those who don’t feel comfortable meeting in person. Please see CHURCH on A7
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Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, the Reverend Elizabeth Molitors, leads Eucharist outdoors Sunday.
Keep Halloween fun, not scary Health department suggests safety tips during the pandemic
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Mar Monte Hotel, located at 1111 E. Cabrillo Blvd. has brought back its happy hour, which is between 5-7pm, Sundays through Thursdays. It is open to the residents and locals.
By JORGE MERCADO NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
With many people hoping to gain a little sense of normalcy with each passing day, the Mar Monte Hotel at 1111 E. Cabrillo Blvd is bringing that back something that’s familiar for any person over the age of 21: Happy Hour. The newly opened hotel brought its happy hour back a little over a week ago, open to both people staying at the location and locals trying to filter in for a nice spot. It is from Sundays through Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. “We really just want to embody this community,” Ingrid Braun, the hotel’s GM, told the News-Press. “We want to be a fun place not just for the guests, but for our locals. I’ve always been a lover of happy hours myself, and myself and the team since day one we wanted to get some local awareness through happy hour.” In the past couple of weeks, people have been loving the happy hour. According to Ms. Braun, she has received a ton of positive feedback. More importantly, the hotel is able to provide this happy hour while also making sure it keeps patrons safe. This is because the
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The hotel isn’t just serving up traditional meats with its deal, it’s actually serving some fresh seafood. This also means the menu is changed almost daily depending on what is available and what will be most appetizing to customers. outdoor space is very vast and open, allowing for people to maintain social distancing. “We do have a backup spot if we have overflow space, but it really hasn’t’ come to that. We do hope one day it comes to that, but for right now we are okay. All our employees have been following the CDC and county guidelines for months, and we are confident we can continue doing that,” Ms. Braun said. The food is also what helps set Mar Monte’s happy hour apart. The hotel isn’t just serving up traditional meats with its deal, it’s actually serving some fresh seafood. This also means the menu is changed almost daily depending on what is available and what will be most appetizing to
customers. Drinks are also changed almost daily to keep the atmosphere fresh and not give locals or residents the same experience every time. “It’s not just your run of the mill french fries and chicken wings, it’s actually quality food,” Ms. Braun said. “I feel like it’s a happy hour like no other just because the quality is great.” Executive Chef Nathan Lingle is who decides on the rotating menu, and Ms. Braun said he is always excited to have the freedom to constantly change to keep it fresh. Some of the favorites that Ms. Braun talked about included fresh oysters, mussels, and Please see HOTEL on A2
By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
While it could be argued Halloween has lasted yearround in 2020 since everyone has been wearing a mask, Oct. 31 is approaching. And that means the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is providing guidance to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and keep the season from being truly scary. As expected, trick-or-treating is one of the traditions that cannot occur as it usually would this Halloween. However, Public Health officials provided a “modified” trick-ortreating plan involving ideas such as tongs or grabbers to avoid direct contact with candy, graband-go bags, and hanging candy from streamers and six foot tables from the door to ensure physical distancing, with families “watching from the porch.”
“Traditional trick-or-treating will not be an option for kids this year,” Public Health Director Dr. Van Do-Reynoso said at the COVID-19 virtual press conference on Friday. “If you choose to pass out candy, consider a plan for social distancing and not directly touching the candy.” She said face coverings need to be worn correctly and costumes shouldn’t obstruct wearing a proper face covering. She encourages parents to decorate face coverings together with their children and to establish ground rules for social distancing. “We highly encourage everyone to celebrate creatively without gatherings,” Dr. Do-Reynoso said. “You can do this (trick-ortreat), but do it moderately, and make sure that you do it safely by restricting your movement and avoiding crowds.” In a statement released on Thursday, Dr. Henning Ansorg, Please see halloween on A8
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LOTTERY
Classified............... A7 Life.................... A3-4 Obituaries............. A8
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 5-32-38-39-43 Meganumber: 11
Sunday’s DAILY 4: 6-6-8-3
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 9-38-47-49-68 Meganumber: 25
Sunday’s FANTASY 5: 4-12-16-18
Sunday’s DAILY DERBY: 03-10-06 Time: 1:42.22
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 18-31-36-43-47 Meganumber: 20
Soduku................. A5 Weather................ A8
Sunday’s DAILY 3: 7-0-0 / Sunday’s Midday 2-2-2