Coastal View News • February 19, 2026

CARPINTERIA

Winter storm leaves

After several days of soaking rain and strong

Kate Wilson,

with

toppling after storms. Park maintenance crews were on

RISDON’S SERVICE

THE FUEL FORWARD APP AND

ON EVERY FILL-UP

STACK AN EXTRA 25¢ OFF PER GALLON

EARN 30¢ PER GALLON on your first fill-up when you download the Fuel Forward® App and pay with your 76® Credit Card in the app now through 6/3O/2026. One-time use only, limit 3O gallons. THEN

CONTINUE EARNING 15¢ PER GALLON on every fill-up with your 76® Credit Card in the Fuel Forward ® App, now through 6/3O/2026.

FFA to host barbecue fundraiser March 14

The Carpinteria High School (CHS) Future Farmers of America (FFA) Booster Club wi host a ring rive Thru ar ecue undraiser to ene t the rogram on Saturday, March 14, 11 a.m. — 1 p.m. ea s are re sa e on y and serve four to ve eo e. ach mea inc udes barbecue chicken, sausage, salad and bread. Those interested in purchasing meals must reach out to a current mem er, to the grou s advisor mi y arcia or y emailing car ffa oosters gmai .com.

Meal pick-up will take place in the main parking lot near the CHS gym. Proceeds from the fundraiser wi direct y ene t the high schoo s students during the summer and fair season, as they raise and show their projects at the Ventura County Fair in August, according to booster club President Samantha McVee.

Any meals not picked up by 1 p.m. on March 14 will be donated to a local family in need, McVee said.

Weekend brings sunshine and warmer temps

A cool winter storm swept through Carpinteria Tuesday, bringing periods of rain, breezy conditions and scattered showers that lingered into the evening. Wet roads and intermittent downpours marked much of the day as the system moved across the South Coast.

ccording to eather.com, the unsett ed attern isn t uite nished yet.

Thursday carries the best chance for additional rainfall, with periods of rain expected in the morning before clouds gradually give way to some afternoon sun. Highs both days are forecast to stay in the upper 50s, with overnight lows dipping into the mid-40s.

Conditions begin improving Friday, with partly sunny skies and cool temperatures around 59 degrees.

Looking ahead to the weekend, forecasters expect a noticeable warmup. Saturday brings a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the mid-60s, while Sunday trends even warmer a roaching the u er s under interva s of c ouds and sun. ar y next week could see increased cloud cover and a slight chance of showers returning by Monday or Tuesday.

Howard School to host free talk on kindergarten readiness

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Advertising Sales Representative (Part-Time)

Coastal View News and Carpinteria Magazine seek a motivated, outgoing parttime Advertising Sales Representative to help local businesses connect with the Carpinteria community through print and digital advertising.

Responsibilities include:

• Selling print and digital advertising to local businesses

• Building and maintaining strong relationships with advertisers

• Identifying new advertising opportunities and following up on leads

• Assisting clients with ad placement, deadlines and basic marketing guidance

• Coordinating with the production team to ensure ads run correctly

Ideal candidate:

• Comfortable with sales, networking and community outreach

• Strong communication and customer service skills el otivated and organi ed a le to anage a e i le schedule

• Familiarity with Carpinteria and surrounding communities is a plus rior sales or edia e erience hel ul ut not re uired

Details:

art ti e e i le hours

• Commission-based compensation

• Opportunity to work with well-established, community-focused publicaitons end in uiries to ichael an tr at ne s coastalvie co

FREELANCE OPPORTUNITIES

Calling Local Writers and Photographers oastal ie e s is loo ing to e and its ool o local reelance riters and photographers to help cover the people, events and stories that make Carpinteria special.

We’re see ing contri utors ith a strong interest in co unit ne s eature stories and local events rior ournalis or hotogra h e erience is hel ul but curiosity, reliability and a love for the community matter most.

Freelancers are paid per assignment or per submission. Assignments may include event coverage ro les s ot ne s and hoto essa s

Local residents and those familiar with the Carpinteria Valley are especially encouraged to apply.

The Howard School will host a free Wellness Talk for parents on kindergarten readiness with Howard’s Head of School Joel Reed on Thursday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m., at arro ane.

The session will cover school readiness, developmental milestones, goals for kindergarten success and how to choose a program that sets children up for a strong educational start. Parents interested in registering may call (805) 745-8448 or visit thehowardschool.org.

City offers Teen CERT training

The city of Carpinteria is inviting local teens to step up and learn how to respond when emergencies strike.

The city s ommunity mergency re aredness rogram is now acce ting registrations for its ring Teen ommunity mergency es onse Team training, a free course designed for youth ages 13 to 15.

The Teen T rogram teaches artici ants asic emergency re aredness and res onse ski s, inc uding re safety, ight search and rescue, team organization and disaster medica o erations. ity o cia s said the hands on training is designed to give teens the know edge and con dence to res ond safe y and effective y during emergencies, particularly when professional responders may be delayed.

Through the program, Carpinteria aims to build youth leadership and strengthen community resilience by preparing the next generation of emergency-ready residents.

The four day training wi e he d during ar interia ni ed choo istrict s spring break, which runs from March 31, through April 2, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and on Friday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. essions wi take ace at the ar interia oys ir s u , ocated at Foothill Road.

In addition to interactive training sessions, participants will receive free food, earn community service hours and have opportunities to build new skills and friendships. nro ment is imited to students. egistration is re uired y arch , and enrollment will close once capacity is reached.

To register or learn more, visit carpinteriaca.gov/cert.

o in uire lease e ail a rie introduction relevant cli s or hoto sa les and our availa ilit to ichael an tr at ne s coastalvie co

City Council reviews 2025 pest management efforts, eyes stronger public notice and rodent prevention

BY CVN STAFF

Carpinteria City Council members took a close look at how the city manages weeds, insects and rodents in u ic s ac es during their onday, e . meeting, ultimately voting unanimously to receive and e the nnua ntegrated est anagement re ort.

The report outlines how the city works to reduce pesticide use while still protecting arks, s orts e ds, ui dings and o en s ace from damage.

What is Integrated Pest Management?

Carpinteria adopted its Integrated est anagement o icy in . The goal: reduce or eliminate toxic pesticides wherever ossi e and re y rst on “common sense a roaches such as hand u ing weeds, mu ching, im rov ing irrigation ractices and tra ing.

The policy does not ban pesticides outright. nstead, it re uires esticide free zones at park play structures and picnic areas; emphasizes observation and monitoring efore treatment re uires u ic noti cation when esticides are used

esta ishes an dvisory ommittee to review practices; and promotes public education a out reducing esticide use.

u ic orks irector ohn asin e plained that the annual report is based on the ca endar year and is rst reviewed y the dvisory ommittee efore coming to counci .

Where chemicals are — and aren t used

u ic orks anager yan yer e said the city uses a combination of mechanica remova , mu ching and imited chemical applications to control weeds and invasive ants.

m ortant y, severa arks are desig nated as est management free zones, inc uding arro ark, rank in reek ark, eath anch ark, emoria ark and onte ista ark.

n these areas, weeds are removed me chanica y and y hand, and no chemica s are used around play structures or picnic areas un ess there is an emergency.

hen her icides or esticides are a ied e sewhere such as in s orts e ds or certain andsca ed areas the city posts signs 48 hours in advance and

United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County names new CEO

BY CVN STAFF

The United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County has named Melinda a rera as its ne t chief e ecutive o cer, effective arch .

Cabrera succeeds to the role following what board leaders described as an extensive search process focused on identifying a leader aligned with the organization s mission of roviding safe, supportive environments where young eo e can thrive.

“ ver the ast year, the oard has een dee y engaged in istening, learning and evaluating what this organization needs in its next chapter of eadershi , oard hairman icho as Behrman said in an announcement to su orters. “ ith her unwavering commitment to giving back to the community, e erience and c ear a ignment with our mission and va ues, we are con dent she is the right eader to guide the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa ar ara ounty.

Cabrera has spent her entire professional career in Santa Barbara County and brings decades of nonprofit eadershi e erience. ost recent y, she served as president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa ar ara, a ongtime co ege access or ganization.

uring her tenure there, the founda tion was one of only six organizations nationwide se ected y the . . e art ment of Education to conduct initial testing of the 2024 Free Application for edera tudent id. nder her ead ershi , the organization a so e anded partnerships to provide career development opportunities for law school and graduate students and to engage students from the niversity of a ifornia, anta ar ara.

n , the foundation received more than mi ion in u ic su ort the largest annual funding total in its history and o ened a new o ce in anta aria, further e anding its regiona foot rint.

Cabrera, newly appointed CEO of the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, will assume the role March 16 following her tenure as president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.

Before leading the Scholarship Foundation, a rera he d senior management ro es at the nited ay of anta ar ara ounty. There, she oversaw rograms focused on financia em owerment, education and crisis res onse. uring the ovid andemic, she directed emergency response initiatives that provided more than $54 million in housing assistance and academic support to fami ies in need.

Board members thanked supporters for their engagement throughout the eadershi search, noting that com munity generosity helped ensure that club sites remained open and programs continued uninterru ted.

a rera s na day at the cho arshi oundation wi e arch . he wi begin her new role with the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County on arch .

Councilmember Nomura encouraged the city to focus on “non-entry” prevention strategies, such as sealing holes larger than a half-inch in city buildings and having facilities certified as rodent resistant. That he said could reduce the need for to ic baits.

closes treated areas for 24 hours after a ication.

y hosate, though considered safe y inde endent research, was not used during the re orting eriod.

Insects: Oak moths, aphids and ants

The city addressed periodic outbreaks of a ifornia oak moths, which can de foliate coast live oak trees every eight to years. n , trunk in ections of im idacloprid were used on street and park trees in imited areas. cia s said trunk in ections re uire ower doses than s ray ing and reduce exposure to surrounding soi and surfaces.

hids were treated with in ections and neem oil sprays in areas such as City a , the ar interia ommunity i rary and the eterans emoria ui ding. eem oi is a ant ased roduct used wide y in consumer goods.

or ants, the city used co ia, an organic essential oil product containing thyme and rosemary oi .

odents ma or focus of discussion

odents articu ar y go hers generated the most counci discussion.

Gophers are a persistent issue in arks and s orts fie ds, es ecia y at Viola Fields and the Veterans Memorial ui ding courtyard. Their urrows can damage irrigation systems and create tri ing hazards.

The city uses trapping and carbon dio ide gas to contro go hers. yer e said carbon dioxide gas is currently the primary method because it settles into tunne s and suffocates go hers without eaving to ic residues.

ounci mem er ade omura, who raised staff for their work, raised severa concerns about transparency and rodent contro ractices.

irst, he asked whether the city receives detailed records from contractors about what chemica s are used and where.

Ayerle confirmed that contractors su mit month y re orts isting materia s, amounts and ocations. omura suggest ed that information should also be posted at treatment sites so residents are aware of a ications es ecia y in arks fre uented y chi dren.

“ wou d ike to see on u ic aces, es ecia y in arks, that we actua y do post those 24 hours in advance of the a ication, omura said, even if not strict y re uired.

ounci mem er ark agreed, not

ing that public exposure concerns were what ed the city to ado t its o icy in the rst ace.

omura a so raised concerns a out rodenticide ait o es the ack as tic boxes sometimes seen near buildings warning that oisoned rodents can e eaten y ets or wi d ife, otentia y causing serious harm.

e encouraged the city to focus on “non entry revention strategies, such as sealing holes larger than a half-inch in city buildings and having facilities certi ed as rodent resistant. That, he said, cou d reduce the need for to ic aits.

Ayerle said the city has discussed building inspections with its pest control contractor and may move forward with sea ing entry oints.

“I’d like to see us actually take the ead on that, omura said, suggesting Carpinteria could serve as a model for other munici a ities.

omura did, however, voice su ort for the use of carbon dioxide gas for go hers.

“Carbon dioxide is the most humane way to rid ests and it a so is the ongest asting, he said, e aining that it he s prevent abandoned tunnels from being reused y new go hers.

Ongoing challenges

ayor ata ia arcon asked whether there were particular problem areas and whether the city is staying current with new strategies.

Ayerle said gophers remain a recurring cha enge citywide, though io a ie ds and the Veterans Memorial Building stand out. ontractors regu ar y meet with staff to discuss new and reventive a roaches. The dvisory ommittee meets on an as needed asis, articu ar y when new chemical products or tactics are considered.

The bottom line

The 2025 report shows the city continues to emphasize mechanical weed remova , mu ching, targeted treatments and pesticide-free zones while limiting roader chemica use.

hi e no ma or o icy changes were made onday night, counci discussion signaled interest in stronger public noti cation and more aggressive ui ding revention measures articu ar y around rodent contro . The council voted unanimously to receive and e the re ort, kee ing ar in teria s ong standing o icy on track for another year.

BIG CHANGES COMING in 2026

We are here to help you find

chool oard votes to o ciall close a il school effective June 30

The ar interia ni ed choo istrict oard of Trustees voted unanimous y to o cia y c ose ar interia ami y choo on une , , at the board’s Feb. 10 meeting.

“This has been a long road, painful and drawn out,” said board member Jaime iamond. “The magic of fami y schoo is not lost on us…There’s no good way of doing this.”

The board had been signaling that this decision was impending over the past year. At the beginning of the 2024-25 schoo year, arents were noti ed that the kindergarten and rst grade c ass would no longer be available. Shortly after, the trustees approved the district’s 2025-26 budget, which recommended not replacing one of family school’s three

NEW LISTING

Fabulous Ocean/City views from this 2 bd / 2 bath condo in Ventura. Private balcony and easy access to downtown. $775,000 FOR

SALE

Beautiful, light filled condo, designed by the esteemed Barry Berkus in Franciscan Village.

SALE PENDING

Large 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bath, corner unit, with attached 2 car garage. New vinyl flooring $995,000

Large lot with existing house. Both CPD and residential zoning. Room for a house and ADU. Stunning estuary views. $1,250,000

Buildable lot on golf course on the 12th hole of the Mission Club Golf Course in Lompoc, .47 acre. Sight plans, lot & house plans included. Price reduction NOW $299,000 Owner will carry financing, for qualified buyer.

LONG TERM RENTALS AVAILABLE NOW

Loft Apartment with cathedral ceilings, 1 bd/1 bath newly remodeled upstairs unit with private patio and beautiful Mountain Views. Washer/ dryer hookups. No Pets! $2600 monthly.

Debbie Murphy, Broker

Kim Fly, Broker Associate Leah Wagner, Realtor

Stacie Zubiate - Realtor

Heidi & Jim Michener, Vacation Hosts 805-684-4101 murphykingrealestate.com

teachers.

Several parents spoke up at meetings throughout 2025, but at the board’s June meeting, oard mem ers con rmed that the district did not have the budget to keep the school open.

Jessica Petrillo, a CFS parent who has spoken at several previous board meetings about the future of the school, addressed the board once again at Tuesday’s meeting.

“Between that period of February to June someone spoke in support of family school at every single board meeting. Over 40 public comments were made, and that’s not even counting the many students who boldly stepped up to the podium as well,” Petrillo said. “Family school is a really special place, and I’m deeply grateful that one of my kids got to be a part of it.”

Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the remaining CFS instructor Lori Lee o ins, who teaches the fourth and fth grade combination class, will be moved to ana ino ementary choo to teach fth grade. According to the board’s Feb. 10 agenda, this will allow the district to add an additional Transitional Kindergarten classroom to the campus without hiring an additional teacher.

Board approves 2024-25 audit report

The ar interia ni ed choo istrict oard of Trustees unanimous y approved the district’s 2024-25 audit at its Feb. 10 meeting, which stated that “administrative oversight” has led to the district not allocating enough funds for teacher salaries.

The audit was presented by Jesus Cardenas, an auditor with the district’s referred accounting rm, hristy hite Associates.

The audit provided opinions on the district’s compliance across three areas: nancia statements, federa com iance and state compliance. According to the audit presented to the board, the district was in compliance across all three areas.

However, the audit also noted that the

district did not meet the standard when it came to classroom teacher salaries.

California education code requires that districts spend a minimum of 55% of its expenses on classroom teacher salaries. ccording to the audit, the district allocated 48.54% of its expenditures towards teacher salaries. The audit noted that the mistake was caused by “administrative oversight,” and that it was a re eat nding.

According to the audit report: “The district’s current expense of education for the year ended June 30, 2025, was $39,430,602 and the total salaries and benefits for classroom teachers was $19,140,106. The district was below the minimum required percentage of 55% by

. , which ca cu ates out to a de ciency of $2,547,217.”

“This is something that is not just going on in the district here, this is something that’s going on for many districts in the state of California,” Cardenas told board members.

The audit report further suggested that monitor its e enses to ensure it reaches for teacher sa aries and e an exemption with the Santa Barbara County Office of Education. Superintendent iana ig y e ained during the meeting that es a waiver for hardship to the county, due to the district’s reserves not being at the state average of 24%

––Jun Starkey

School Board approves new policy regarding i igration

The oard of Trustees a roved the rst reading of a new oard o icy regarding immigration, which details the district’s responsibilities and limitations regarding immigration enforcement, at the board’s Feb. 10 meeting.

According to Board Policy and Administrative egu ation , em oyees of the district may not solicit information regarding a student or their family’s immigration status; seek or require any documentation regarding a student or their family’s immigration status; disclose the personnel records of any district employee, or any information about a student or a student’s family or household to an immigration enforcement o cer or grant ermission to immigration o -

cers to enter any kind of transportation rovided y , a non u ic area of any ro erty or a non u ic area where any rograms take ace.

The policy stipulates that employees may not do any of this “unless required by state or federal law, required to administer a state or federally supported educational program, or presented with a valid judicial subpoena, judicial warrant, or court order.”

The policy goes on to state that district employees are not permitted to interfere

or o struct o cers conducting “ awfu immigration enforcement activities.” u erintendent iana ig y reiterated that immigration enforcement o cers are not ermitted to enter cam uses, and that all school sites are locked during the day, aside from Carpinteria High School.

Those interested in learning more about Board Policy and Administrative egu ation may visit the district s website at cusd.net/board.

––Jun Starkey

grants nal a roval to hotel at ia eal

The 72-room hotel has undergone nine public reviews since it was initially proposed in 2013

BY JUN STARKEY

Hotel Harmony, a two-story, 72-room hotel proposed for 4110 Via Real, received na a rova on its design at the ar interia Architectural Review Board’s (ARB) e . meeting, after years of review y ar interia s governing odies.

The project includes demolition of the , s uare foot church ui ding that still resides on the property, as well as severa storage sheds, a ayground, a arking ot and a garden. fter c earing the 2.6-acre property, the developers would proceed with the construction of the hotel, which will include a business center, a tness room, a reakfast area, an outdoor atio and a s ace arking ot. The height of the hote wou d range from 21 to 25 feet tall.

The project also includes the restoration of wet ands a ong the west side of the ro erty. The tota s uare footage of the ro ect, inc uding the ui ding and andsca ing, wou d e a out , s uare feet, according to ity anner Bret McNulty, who presented the project to the board.

The ro ect s a icant throughout these years has een ote s, a hote management and deve o ment com any ased out of o um us, a.

The project previously included a pool, but the developers have since decided against inc uding it, according to the roect’s architect Nikhil Kamat, who spoke at the oard s e . meeting. amat told board members that the developers decided against inc uding a oo due to feasibility, cost and other factors.

The ro ect was rst rought efore the ack in , initia y ro osed as a air e d nn and uites y arriott hote . uring the Thursday meeting, member Richard Little questioned the change to ote armony.

ro ect anager evin ohan with ote s said the change was due to ar interia s moratorium on formu a businesses ordinance, which was passed y the ar interia ity ounci in . The ordinance prohibits the construction of new formula businesses, which is de ned as any retai , food service or hotel/motel business which has more than seven ocations in the nited tates.

The hote s owner, ina ate with RAM Hotels, said Hotel Harmony will be a outi ue hote , with a different conce t than the origina air e d nn and uites by Marriott hotel.

ince its initia review, the ro ect has gone through nine review meetings and severa transformations. n , the roect inc uded rooms and arking s aces, with si foot wa s surrounding the property. By 2019, the project had been reduced to 72 rooms to accommodate a foot creek uffer re uired for the property. The project received approval from the ar interia anning ommission in ri , and a time e tension from the commission in December 2024.

uring oard comments, itt e took issue with the co or scheme of the ui ding. “To me it s kind of an industria ooking ui ding, itt e said. “ ... ut we come more of an upscale hotel, if it in fact is an u sca e hote .

oard mem er atrick onnor voiced his support for the project, while a so making a few suggestions for the a icant. ne suggestion was changing the co or of the hote s signage from red to a muted color, to match the theme of other ui dings in town.

“ therwise, good uck, and thanks for im roving the ro erty, onnor said.

The board voted 4-0 to approve the project, with board member Amy Blakemore absent and member Lisa Woolf voting remote y.

Since its initial review, the project has gone through nine re iew eetin s and se era trans or ations e pro e t re ei ed appro a ro t e Carpinteria annin Co ission in pri 2 2

After clearing the 2.6-acre property, the developers would proceed with the construction of the hotel, which will in ude a usiness enter a fitness roo a rea ast area an outdoor patio and a spa e par in ot e project also includes the restoration of wetlands along the west side of the property.

Patricia Marie Arellanes 08/09/1945 – 02/11/2026

Patricia Marie Arellanes, beloved mother, grandmother, sister and friend, passed away peacefully on Feb. 11, 2026, surrounded by love. She was born on Aug. 9, 1945, in Boston, Mass., to Lillian Carroll and Michael Carroll. Patricia was known for her kindness, generosity and steady presence. She had a gift for bringing people together and was someone others could always rely on. For over 20 years, she worked as a kindergarten teacher aide at Canalino School alongside her friend Maggie Conway, helping and encouraging gen-

erations of children. She also dedicated her time to volunteering with the elderly in her community. Loved by people of all ages, she was truly a superstar to those who knew her.

Following the passing of her husband, Hank, Patricia was deeply supported by Sean Carroll and his family, as well as her best friend, Pat Wheatley, whose friendship and care meant so much to her.

Patricia is survived by her brothers, Michael Carroll and Lawrence Carroll; her grandchildren, Amanda, Daniel and Sierra Koga; and many loving cousins and extended family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Lillian and Michael Carroll; her sister, Joanne Carroll (Jodie); her daughter, Julie Koga; her adopted son, Gary Arellanes; and her grandson, Jonathan Koga.

Patricia will be remembered for her compassion, her dedication to others and the love she shared so freely. Though she will be deeply missed, her legacy lives on through the many lives she touched.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, March 4 at 11 a.m. at Calvary Memorial Cemetery, 199 N. Hope Ave., Santa Barbara, CA 93110.

Previously published obituaries may be read online at coastalview.com

MONTECITO LAW GROUP

Montecito Law Group and its whole team are absolutely wonderful to work with! Stefanie breaks down the whole estate planning process in an easy to understand manner and is very receptive to individual concerns and questions. The staff is lovely to interact with and extremely attentive, both in person and over the phone/ email. Quick turnaround, and overall amazing experience and legal services!

559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108

(805) 293-6363

WWW.MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM

STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY

- Bannie Bajwa

STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY

he ’s o ental Health: Part 2 (Revisited)

CVN VICKIE GONZALEZ

MY WELLNESS NOW

Last month, I revisited a framework I first shared a few years ago — the Four M’s of mental health. In January, I focused on movement and meaningful connection as ways to strengthen our foundation during times of prolonged stress and support our nervous systems. This month, I will conclude with mastery and mindfulness.

Mastery

Mastery is about acquiring a new skill or improving at something. It can be job-related or personal, including fun and creative endeavors. Many discovered how transformative this could be during the pandemic. People started rock painting, gardening and re nishing furniture. All these activities allowed the person to work towards improvement that they cou d re ate ack to the effort ut in.

There are many reasons why mastery helps our mental health. Mastery helps us gain se f con dence, se f re iance and self-trust. It can improve focus and sustained attention. With certain pursuits/ hobbies, we also gain connection and belonging in a community (meaningful connections).

Mastery reinforces a sense of agency, which is the belief that our actions matter. A sense of agency is deeply regulating for our nervous system and protective for our mental health. Rather than scrolling and refreshing our social media feed, focusing on other things through mastery feeds the self-determination our brains are wired for and crave. It doesn’t require perfection or productivity; rather, it invites us to be curious and open. Research in Self-Determination Theory consistently shows that experiences of growth are associated with greater well-being and resilience.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness doesn’t require special techniques or hours of meditation. One simple practice is what’s called an intentional sensory check-in.

include: walking/driving to get to where you are going without paying attention to what you are experiencing along the way, feeling like you are running on autopilot — without much awareness of what you are doing, eating without being aware what it even tastes like, rushing through activities without being really attentive to them, experiencing an emotion and not being conscious of it until later, breaking/ spilling things because of not paying attention/thinking of something else.

Mindfulness doesn’t require special techniques or hours of meditation. One simple practice is what’s called an intentional sensory check-in. This gentle way of reorienting helps anchor attention to the present moment and can calm a stressed nervous system. For me, one simple activity, along with breathwork, that I encourage clients to try is “sit and sip.” Take ve to minutes in the morning to just sit and sip your beverage. Do not scroll on the phone, watch TV or listen to music. Just sit and sip. Engage as many of your ve senses as you can during that time. (What do you see, hear, taste, smell, touch?) You can also use the same type of check-in during a neighborhood walk; practice this activity to see how much more present and engaged you feel.

final note

Mental Health, like our physical health, is not a one-time goal. It is shaped through daily attention, small choices and kindness to ourselves over time. The Four M’s are not a checklist but rather a framework for noticing what best supports connection and centeredness in our lives.

As always, may this topic inspire curiosity, compassion and conversation.

“Each and every one of us has the capacity to be our own best healer.” — Laverne Cox

STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY

559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363

STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY

559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363

559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363

559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108

stefanie@montecitolawgroup.com

MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM

stefanie@montecitolawgroup.com MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM

(805) 293-6363

stefanie@montecitolawgroup.com

MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM

stefanie@montecitolawgroup.com

MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM

The na for menta hea th is indfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of bringing attention into the present moment with openness and without judgment. When we are mindful, we notice the present moment and the emotions that are within, without placing a “good” or “bad” value on them. Mindfulness research is plentiful, and examples of its ene ts inc ude reduced stress, an iety and depression; improved concentration and focus; reduced fatigue in those with certain chronic illnesses; and boosted overall immune function.

How do we know if we are “forgetting” to be mindful? A few examples of what happens when we are not mindful

Vickie Gonzalez has been licensed for almost 20 years as an LMFT and currently provides counseling, coaching and consulting services. Her private practice is currently online only. She specializes in private practice, including grief loss, addiction/codependency and anxiety disorders. She works with people around themes of identity and purpose as well, primarily with individuals and couples. Coaching services focus on collaborating with clients on setting and reaching their wellness goals, whether those goals are career relational financial or personal in nature. On a personal note, she has lived in Carpinteria all her life and became a therapist to give back to the community.

LETTERS

“Relocating (the community garden) to the other side of the railroad tracks means not only undoing all the work that so many of us have devoted to tending our plots and years of enhancing the vegetation at the garden, but we’ll also lose the setting that is one of the garden’s unique features.”

—Teda Pilcher

Potential loss of community garden

I have been a community gardener since it opened almost 10 years ago. Our garden is one of the many things that makes Carpinteria special. When family and friends come to visit, they are always impressed by the garden and its gorgeous view of the mountains. It really is an exceptional place for us gardeners, a peaceful city park for residents, a community event venue and meeting place and a draw for visitors. The garden is an example of the best of our small beachside town.

Upon reviewing the draft Environmenta m act e ort for the urfliner nn, was dismayed to nd “ . . ternative 3 Extended City Parking Lot #3 and Relocated Community Garden.” It appears that if ternative is rea ized, we not on y have a hote that many of us don t want on city property, but we will lose our current garden. Relocating it to the other side of the railroad tracks means not only undoing all the work that so many of us have devoted to tending our plots and years of enhancing the vegetation at the garden, ut we a so ose the setting that is one of the garden s uni ue features. nstead, we e ooking u at a two story hotel that blocks our once scenic view. nd what a out the ocked sun ight That is not to mention the disruption during an extended transition period.

I urge my fellow community gardeners to o ose this a ternative. et s ho e that our city council members, who will have the na say a out the ans for the urfliner nn ro ect, wi e istening and take our voices in serious consideration.

Teda Pilcher Carpinteria

Make your own choice on assessment districts

I support the City Council and the city of Carpinteria current assessment. They have shown transparency. Mayor arcon, ice ayor o orzano, counci members Nomura, Clark and Meyer have all explained to their districts the city s assessment a ot. ity anager ichae amirez and staff have c ear y provided information and the need for the passing of the assessment. It has not been increased in decades and costs have increased . You have the option of approving the assessment or not. Please select an o tion don t et others decide for you. have mai ed my a ot a roving it. s a family we agreed on it. Storm drains and landscaping services need to continue. Sidewalk repairs are included. The passing of the assessment is urgently needed by our government. If not, funds will be taken out of the General Fund to cover e enses. t wi affect the city s

budget which would reduce personnel and some services would be reduced in Park Services and Public Safety. I highly recommend approving the assessment for the ene t of the city s udget and our own ene t.

f you have uestions, ca the city for answers. If you did not get your ballot, call our city. Your vote counts and will make a difference. ai it efore the dead ine of March 9. Our city council and city government have done an e ce ent o . have evaluated their performance with a so id for a ways coming u with the est solutions and initiatives for we the people.

Rogelio Delgado Carpinteria

Resist converting to electric

a ifornia s enate i wou d let utilities shut down sections of neighborhood gas systems and replace them with “zero emission a ternatives in pilot areas, moving communities toward an eventual phaseout of gas. It does not explicitly ban all gas appliances after , ut it is c ear y structured to re duce and eventually eliminate gas use in many neighborhoods over time. The aw authorizes uti ities and regu ators to begin these pilots over the next few years, using wi ing cities and “ riority neighborhoods” as test beds.

ar interia offers a cautionary e am e. n , the ity ounci introduced rdinance to rohi it fue gas infra structure in most new construction and remode s. t assed on rst reading ri , , ut encountered strong oca o osition efore the second reading. fter a Ninth Circuit ruling against a similar erke ey gas an, the counci deferred na ado tion for further review.

The state is now seeking local partners for i ots, which wou d shut off natural gas service in selected areas and re uire homes and usinesses to convert to an all-electric option. Parts of the City of anta ar ara a ready a ear on the state s ma ing too s as otentia i ot territory. Residents should let their City Council members know they do not want their community volunteered for this experiment.

Do not accept assurances that you will pay less under this plan. Gas costs about . er therm rough y . er ki owatt hour e uiva ent and e ectric ity ranges from a out . to . er kilowatt-hour, your cost for heating and cooking could easily double. In our mild Central Coast climate, where heating needs are modest, romised e ciency gains from heat pumps and induction ranges wi not offset those higher rates. If you care about energy costs, reliability and fuel choice, tell your city council to resist oca y.

Mike Modugno Carpinteria

Where Carpinteria applauds its own: Community Awards Banquet set for April 18

BY CVN STAFF

For nearly seven decades, the Carpinteria Community Awards Banquet has served as a night when neighbors pause to applaud one another — a uniquely small-town celebration of volunteers, students, businesses and quiet leaders who help shape the Carpinteria Valley.

Now in its 67th year, the tradition continues to thrive under the stewardship of the Carpinteria Community Association , a non ro t formed in to ensure the beloved event remained distinctly local.

“This event has been a great way for community members to be honored and recognized for their part in making Carpinteria a better place,” said Karen Graf, CCA board chair and banquet chairperson. “There is no other event that brings locals together to socialize and to celebrate Carpinteria in such a unique way.”

Looking back: a banquet comes home

Few people understand the history of the banquet better than Donna Lemere, who has been involved with the event for years.

The ce e ration egan in as the Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting, originally called “Man of the Year.” Over time, its popularity grew as residents embraced what Lemere describes as a “wonderful and heartwarming event.”

When Lemere served as president of the Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce in , she asked her oard what they hoped to accomplish that year. The answer was clear: Bring the Chamber Banquet back to Carpinteria.

For decades, many of the events had been held out of town, at venues such as the Miramar and Montecito Country Club. Lemere and her team decided to do something bold — bring the banquet home and host it under a tent at Carpinteria State Beach.

The rst year, a , s uare foot tent was erected in the beach parking lot, complete with a makeshift kitchen, stage, lighting and sound. Local volunteers stepped up. Desmond Warren handled sound and lighting. The Fire District stationed a truck near the restrooms and helped keep a plank walkway clear of rainwater. City maintenance crews even built a bridge to navigate parkways inside the tent.

Despite February rain — and sometimes because of it — the beach banquets

“My greatest joy is to see our community members being recognized. We have so many folks and students doing great things in our town — and providing an event to showcase that, well, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

–– Event Chairperson Karen Graf

became legendary. Attendance swelled to near y guests at its eak. “ o many volunteers were needed,” Lemere recalled. “And so many wonderful after-comments.”

fter ve years att ing the e ements, the event moved indoors to the Boys & Girls Club and later to the Girls Inc. campus, where it has continued to draw a out guests annua y.

Creating a community association

A few years ago, longtime organizers recognized that if the Community Awards Banquet was going to remain

true to its roots, it needed dedicated local stewardship. That realization led to the formation of the Carpinteria Community ssociation, a non ro t created s ecically to carry on the banquet tradition and preserve its local character. A core group of volunteers stepped forward to ensure it would continue — independently and intentionally — as a celebration by Carpinterians, for Carpinterians.

“We felt that the banquet should be organized by a local organization,” Graf said. “We thought it should be us.”

Today, the CCA board includes Bob Berkenmeier, Lori Bowles, Mary Ann Colson, Beth Cox, Gary Dobbins, Clyde

Freeman, Curtis Lopez, Graf and Lemere — many of them former Carpinterians of the Year themselves. Lemere, Colson and Graf have long served as lead planners, but Graf emphasized that the entire board is deeply involved, from early fundraising and logistics to setup, hosting duties and teardown on banquet night.

“This event cannot be accomplished without the help from the entire CCA board,” she said.

Honoring the best of Carpinteria

The banquet recognizes a range of community members and organizations. The Carpinterian of the Year is selected through community nominations. Anyone may nominate a resident or former resident of the valley. Nominees are typically recognized for outstanding volunteer service and contributions beyond their profession. Nomination packets, often including letters of endorsement, are reviewed by a selection committee, and the winner remains a closely guarded secret until the evening of the event.

“We are looking for local individuals who participate in something and are outstanding to others,” Lemere said. “Someone who helps others, helps an organization — something that stands out.”

The Junior Carpinterian of the Year recognizes high school seniors who reside in the valley. Applicants submit materials and are interviewed by a community pane . Three na ists are se ected, with the winner revealed at the banquet — often in front of cheering family and friends.

“It is quite exciting,” Graf said. “Each na ist has fami y and friends resent that night for the big reveal.” erit wards a ow oca non ro ts and organizations to recognize outstanding vo unteers. ast year, erit wards were presented. Business Awards, selected by the CCA board, honor companies for their contributions to the community. Two “Spotlight on Business” recognitions highlight longevity in the valley.

Sponsorships help make the evening possible

While the Community Awards Banquet is powered by volunteers, it is sustained by the generosity of local sponsors.

“Sponsorship is vital to the event’s

success,” said Graf. “It allows us to keep ticket rices reasona e whi e offering a wonderfu dinner and meaningfu ro gram for the entire community.

ccording to the we site, s on sorshi generates heightened visi i ity for usinesses whi e encouraging and romoting service e ce ence in the oca usiness community. “ hat etter way to romote your usiness, organizers note, “than y nancia y su orting our most restigious oca event, which ce e rates those who make our community great onsors not on y receive recognition efore and during the an uet, ut a so help ensure the continuation of Junior ar interian of the ear scho arshi s and the recognition of dozens of vo unteers and organizations each year.

“ our su ort he s make this event ossi e and a ows us to continue hon oring the individua s and organizations who strengthen our community, raf said.

s of this rinting, s onsors inc ude the event s Tit e onsor The iss ami y, a ong with gi ent Techno o gies, rownstein yatt ar er chreck, hevron, ynda air y ichard in k ey, ar interia ions u , yde iana reeman, The urfliner nn, The a at ami y, niston res in, ar inte ria a ey um er, ar interia a ey Ta rofessiona s, . . arrison ons, nc. and ontecito ank Trust.

Sponsorship opportunities remain avai a e at mu ti e eve s, and organizers are sti we coming donations to the r. ar interian of the ear cho arshi und, with detai s osted on the we site.

An Evening of Celebration

This year s an uet wi e he d atur day, ri , at ir s nc. of ar interia. oors o en at .m., with everages and ight ites served during a ive y socia hour. uffet dinner catered y vents y incon fo ows, with the awards ro gram eginning around .m. Tickets are er erson and inc ude hosted beer and wine.

Community Awards Banquet 2026

Important Dates

Full details online at carpca.org

Friday, March 6, 2026

Junior Carpinterian of the Year Application Deadline igh schoo seniors residing in the ar interia a ey must submit completed applications y this date.

Friday, March 27, 2026

Carpinterian of the Year Nomination Deadline ommunity nomination ackets, inc uding su orting etters and documentation, must e su mit ted for consideration.

Friday, April 3, 2026

Merit Award Submission Deadline oca non rofits and organizations must su mit the names of their se ect ed Merit Award recipients.

Saturday, April 18, 2026

Community Awards Banquet

.m. oors o en, socia hour .m. wards rogram egins ocation ir s nc. of ar interia Tickets er erson inc udes dinner, hosted beer and wine)

Ongoing

Sponsorship opportunities remain avai a e at mu ti e eve s. roceeds he su ort event costs and the unior ar interian scho arshi fund. For tickets, nomination forms and s onsorshi information, visit the ar interia ommunity ssociation we site, car ca.org.

The theme, “ onoring the ast e e rating the resent, reflects oth the an uet s dee roots and the vi rant community it continues to recognize. ar interia s rich history wi e high ighted during the evening, inc uding a s ecia feature on the ar interia a ey useum of istory and its e ecutive director, ayme ahr a tting tri ute in a town fortunate to see its story re served at oca andmarks and within the museum s wa s.

ead ines are a roaching unior ar interian a ications are due arch ar interian of the ear nominations are due arch and erit su missions are due ri .

“ e are a ways o en to anyone or any business that would like to contribute,” Graf said.

anning egins months in advance, with fundraising for scho arshi s starting in ecem er. Though the work is e ten sive, oth women say the reward comes on an uet night.

“ or me ersona y, take easure in watching the guests interact with each other from the moment they arrive, raf said. “ y greatest oy is to see our com munity mem ers eing recognized. e have so many fo ks and students doing great things in our town and roviding an event to showcase that, we , it doesn t get any etter than that.

emere agrees.

“This is de nite y a sma town event and tota y vo unteer driven, she said. “ n the end, it is a fee good, oca event. atching it ha en shows how dee y connected ar interians are.

fter years, count ess vo unteers, rain soaked tents, standing ovations and sur rise revea s, the ommunity wards an uet remains one of ar interia s most de ning traditions. n a town where so much good work ha ens uiet y and without fanfare, this one night ensures it does not go unnoticed. t is a reminder that ar interia s greatest strength has never een a ui ding or a usiness ut its eo e. nd on ri , the communi ty wi once again gather not ust to hand out awards, but to celebrate the spirit that kee s this sma town dee y connected and unmistaka y roud.

Do you have a photo from Carpinteria’s past? Contact

news@coastalview.com to share it with other readers!

Local shop owners discuss lay of the land a id store ront shu e

BY PETER DUGRÉ

Rincon Designs closed in 2025 but will reopen in late spring 2026. The Palms is dormant. Ojai Rotie is showing signs of ife as it re ares the high ro e corner of Carpinteria and Linden avenues for opening. Last year, Linden Square resurrected a downtown block that had been on mothballs for 17 years. The Food Liaison announced this week that it is closing its popular lunch counter after 13 years. Robitailles is closed.

CVN asks the question: with so much

father, Matt Moore, retired and closed the doors of the surf shop last year. Ryan and Ashley said pre-Memorial Day is the target date for the opening of Rincon Designs 2.0.

“We focus on doing what we can do well,” Ryan said of what works at their many Carpinteria storefronts. “At Lucky ama, eo e ask if we do frozen coffee drinks. We don’t, and if we started doing frozen drinks, Starbucks would still be better at it. We like to pick something that can add to what’s available in Carpinteria, and to do it well.”

A similar analogy applies to Rincon Designs in its new era, now with the Channel Islands Surfboards retail shop practically across the street at Linden uare. The sho a flagshi ocation for the largest surfboard manufacturer on arth is very different from incon Designs, which also serves the beach crowd looking for a rental or souvenir. “Rincon Designs and CI are like apples and oranges,” Ryan said.

In a small town, it plays out again and again. hen rass ird offee itchen opened on Carpinteria Avenue in 2022, it was an immediate hit, and Lucky Llama felt a pinch in its traffic. When Third indow rst o ened in inden uare, offering its trendy smash urger, ang Burger — operating within Sunburst Wine Bar — took a hit.

When new shops in similar categories open, “we feel it for about six months, but then things level out again,” Ryan said.

TFL serving final Crack Bowl

Nirasha and Jason Rodriguez opened

The Food Liaison (TFL) to great fanfare in Shepard Place Shops 13 years ago. Nirasha said they are now scaling back — closing the lunch counter operation — at the end of this week. While there’s now more competition in Carpinteria’s lunchscape, TFL was a pioneer in identifying how to raise the bar on quality while maintaining an atmosphere that’s inviting to a laidback Carpinteria clientele.

with supporting downtown business, when there were noise complaints about live music downtown, and she wanted to dig into the issue. The DTBAB collects an assessment from all businesses within the Downtown “T” and guides how the city spends the money to support downtown business vitality. The group is behind business maps distributed downtown and other romotiona efforts ike events and parades.

“I want to promote local business,” Jackson said, speaking as an individual business owner and not for DTBAB. “Also, it’s hard to strike a balance. I have customers who have lived in Carpinteria their whole lives who don’t want to see any change. We are in an interesting phase, where people are considering whether what we are seeing is simply change or growth.”

Moore family to add business number four

Ryan and Ashley Moore are serial mom-and-pop shop entrepreneurs. They own and operate Lucky Llama, Heritage Goods and Supply (with partners) and Sunburst Wine Bar, and are behind the reopening of Rincon Designs, since Ryan’s

Nirasha said that a key to TFL catching on was being part of the community. To any new restaurant or shop owners, Nirasha said that to do business in Carpinteria, you have to be part of the community.

Of all the new businesses opening and the changing landscape, Nirasha said, “I think of Carpinteria almost as this snow globe. It’s so beautiful, but we have to

CAR • PET • ERIA

Meet Mav, the big-hearted best friend

Looking for a loyal companion who is equal parts goofy and loving? Meet Mav, a 2-year-old pitbull mix with a big heart and an even bigger love for playtime.

Mav’s favorite pastime is proudly carrying stuffed toys around ike rized tro hies e cause, in his world, every adventure is better with a plush pal in tow. When he’s not showing off his toy co ection, he can e found zooming around the yard with joyful energy and a tail that rarely stops wagging.

This energetic pup would thrive in an active home where he has space to run and play, fo owed y we earned cudd e time. taff say av rings aughter, affection and enty of personality wherever he goes.

Interested in fostering or adopting Mav? He is available at Santa Barbara County Animal Services, 5473 Overpass Road in Goleta. The shelter is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, email sbcassouthfostercoordinator@gmail.com.

embrace change in order to build the culture and keep it special for future generations.”

Small town, small population

Andre Jackson, owner of Corktree Cellars, said the squeeze caused by Linden Square’s opening has been real. The Nugget also re-opened last year with a full bar a few doors from Corktree. “There has been a lot of dilution with the new options,” Jackson said.

The trickiest part of Carpinteria’s restaurant and retail sector is establishing a local following from a population of about 15,000 people. Ryan said as a rule of thumb in local business, he and Ashley cut the population in half in order to think about who locally on any given day is likely to shop or dine in town. It’s a low number to distribute. “For a town of this size, it’s still pretty vibrant,” Ryan said.

In addition to owning Corktree, Jackson is president of the city of Carpinteria’s Downtown “T” Business Advisory Board (DTAB). She joined the group, tasked

Jackson said she is exploring creative ways to ada t and nd her restaurant crowd. She has been staying open later, booking more live music and emphasizing that Corktree carries sports on its screens. This marks a different a roach and vibe than when Corktree originally opened as the unique gathering spot for wine, dinner and conversation. Now, with the shinier new options, she sees more family and entertainment focus needed.

Lorraine McIntyre, also a member of the DTBAB, said more can be done to support local businesses throughout the year. “I would like to see our community embrace more opportunities for tourism. The prices of rents are not sustainable for small businesses to succeed in the long-term without attracting money from outside the community.”

Ryan said costs are up for businesses and residents, a double whammy of thinner business margins and less spending power for locals. “There needs to be a few more people around to keep business flowing year round. m not afraid of tourism whatsoever. It’s what put food on the table my whole life during those three months of summer.” Rincon Designs was the family business when Ryan was growing up.

for the 37th annual Westmont College Mathematics Field Day on Feb.

Cate School earns honors in annual mathematics competition

Several southern California high schools, including Cate School, competed in the 37th annual Westmont College Mathematics Field Day on Feb. 7, taking home top honors in the 11th and 12th grade written team problem-solving category. Other schools that competed in the annual mathematics competition included Thacher School, Western Center Academy, Dos Pueblos High School, Oaks Christian High School, Santa Barbara High School and San Marcos High School.

The competition also included group problem-solving, individual math presentations, constructing 3D models and the College Bowl. The event concluded with an awards banquet and a few words from guest speaker Judith Canner, a professor of statistics at Cal State Monterey Bay.

The Food Liaison closes café chapter, embraces community kitchen future

CARPINTERIA BIZ BUZZ

THE BIZZY BEE

Carpinteria is preparing to say goodbye to its last “Daily Addition.”

After more than a decade in business, The Food Liaison announced on social media that it will close its café, most likely on Friday, Feb. 20, marking the end of an era for the Shepard Place Shops staple known for its o d flavors, oya fo owing and the now-legendary Crack Bowl.

But owners Jason and Chef Nirasha Rodriguez insist this is less a farewell and more a ivot.

“ e have successfu y owned and o erated a business that has allowed us to be incredibly present with our daughter through her rst years of ife, irasha Rodriguez said. “We structured our entire business around one principle, to be home with her every night and weekend, and we did it.”

With their daughter entering a new phase, Rodriguez said the timing felt right for The ood iaison to evo ve as we . “The universe has a funny way of telling us when it’s time to pursue the ne t adventure, she said. “Timing has to do with everything, and we cou dn t e more grateful that for us the time is now.”

When The Food Liaison opened, its globally inspired menu nudged Carpinteria diners outside their comfort zone. Rodriguez acknowledges that locals can be “hesitant” about change — but once they fa in ove, they commit.

Case in point: the Crack Bowl. Originally just another menu item, customers renamed it and couldn’t get enough. “ omething they never had efore uick y ecame a must have sta e.

“We helped crack the door open to a menu that Carp wasn’t used to,” Rodriguez said. “The restaurants before TFL a owed us to deve o into who we are today, and the ones we are eaving the food scene to now enter through that door we cracked open. We all help forge each other’s paths.”

n ace of dai y caf service, The ood Liaison will now fully embrace its identity as a community commissary kitchen — a shift Rodriguez says feels like a natural e tension of what they ve a ways done.

“Our kitchen is one of the most beautifu faci ities have ever seen, she said. “We created it that way so the community can embrace its beauty and be educated

on how to eat well. It makes perfect sense to share it with others.”

The commissary model will welcome cottage bakers, food truck operators, specialty product makers and pop-up restaurateurs to use the fully equipped commercial kitchens, dining room and covered outdoor seating. The ui ding s landlord, The Towbes Group, also sees opportunity in the concept, Rodriguez said.

“There are a ton of ideas being tossed around right now,” she added. “We’ll see what sticks.”

Mentorship will be central to the next chapter. Nirasha and Jason credit their own start to eo e who e ieved in them. ow, they want to rovide that same boost to others.

“Just because the restaurant door is closing doesn’t mean we can’t use this s ace we have ui t over a this time as a launching pad for others,” she said.

ommunity service has ong een part of The Food Liaison’s DNA — from non ro t fundraisers and feeding the unhoused to internship programs and partnerships with farmers, ranchers and artisans. Nirasha said those relationships

are how she hopes the business will be remembered.

“Anytime anyone needed anything, they could count on us to answer the call,” she said. “We would not do a single thing different y.

The café’s closing also marks the end of a workplace that employed hundreds over the years. unning a usiness in

“Just because the restaurant door is closing doesn’t mean we can’t use this space we have built over all this time as a launching pad for others.”

— Chef Nirasha Rodriguez

California, Rodriguez said, comes with “a lot of headaches, a lot of the time, blood, sweat and tears.” But what sustained them were the customers.

“The reason we stayed in business all of these years — who we did it for — we have had a mi ion of those, she said. “Our customers.”

As for whether locals will taste Nirasha s cooking again, she offers reassur ance.

“I was born a chef and will die a chef,” she said. “I will cherish my superpower of enjoying food together with friends.” Catering, collaborations and special events remain ossi i ities.

Looking ahead, the Rodriguezes are also exploring what Nirasha calls “a really special opportunity” with an experienced, Carpinteria-friendly restaurateur who she says will carry forward the couple’s legacy of game-changing customer service.

“They are local and pure, they care about quality and knowledge, and they enjoy food as much as we do,” she said.

And the Crack Bowl?

“Well,” Nirasha said with a laugh, “may e the rack ow ives forever. For now, Carpinteria has a few more chances to order one more bowl — and to toast a business that cracked open more than just a door.

AgeWell hosts Aloha Friday

PHOTOS BY ROBIN KARLSSON

Carpinteria’s AgeWell program hosted an Aloha Friday Luau on Friday, Feb. 13, which included food, tropical music and hula dancing at the Carpinteria Veterans Memorial Building. The hula dancing was done y e ers of the gro p la nyone, a nonprofit that offers polynesian dance classes and performs throughout Santa Barbara.

Santa

ia believes her stolen by Polo deputies.

ehic e about Sandtagged and vehicle

Halos& Pitchforks

reader sends a halo to Ryan Moore for bringing dirt back to Carpinteria.

reader sends a halo to everyone who supported the Playa Del Sur 4-H this year. he e ers are looking forward to another s ccessf l year

reader sends a halo to Valerie, the new ol nteer at the riends of the i rary Bookstore, for cleaning and reorganizing the self-help section.

reader sends a halo to Burlene for making the Carpinteria Lumberyard Nursery area a joy to visit. “Her outgoing personality (Southern style), friendly conversation and plant knowledge make it a pleasure to visit and shop.”

A reader sends a halo to Katie at the Carpinteria Library for her enthusiasm just before closing time and her willingness to go the e tra mi e to he the reader nd “ ast of den y ohn tein eck. “ t turns out we are oth fans of the o e aureate.

reader sends a halo to the generous person for paying for the reader’s gas when she forgot her ATM card at the gas station. “I’m sorry I chose the most expensive oil, I’d love to reimburse you, and thank you. I’m deeply moved by your generosity.”

A reader sends a halo to The Food Liaison for again providing an outstanding meal for the less fortunate in town. Also, to regular givers Fon Ha, Brass Bird and Carol Nichols

reader sends a halo to Sean and Dayna for being wonderful neighbors and helping the reader through another frazzled mom situation.

reader sends a halo to the 93013 Fund, Uncle Chen Restaurant and Marybeth Carty for the surprise delivery of a delicious dinner complete with a fortune cookie, candy bar and painted rock. “Wonderful kindness and quite a thrill!”

reader sends a halo to the anonymous person who left a $100 donation in the of arpinteria office ail slot this past week hank yo for yo r kindness

reader sends a halo to the staff of Jack’s Bistro for staying open during Covid-19. “Always a smile no matter how busy. great way to start the day.”

A reader sends a halo to the editor of Halos & Pitchforks for adjusting the verbiage of the reader’s pitchfork to stay within the bounds of liabilities. “It lost some meat but got the point across. Keep your pencil sharp, more to come.”

reader sends a halo to the Daykas for always being there to help with anything and never complaining. “Many thanks to the best neighbors ever. We love you all dearly.”

reader sends a halo to Mayor Wade Nomura for the city’s ea tif l ower wreath at the Carpinteria Cemetery for the Memorial Day program.

A reader sends a halo to ex-Starbucks barista Brie. “From all your early morning atrons ood uck in your new endeavors from The rew

reader sends a halo to Tami and John at Robitaille’s for their constant smiles and o er the top c sto er ser ice he wedding fa ors were lo ed y all and ro ght a bit of Carpinteria to the Seattle wedding!”

A reader sends a halo to Cate School teacher Beth Caylor and her Marine Biology students for the terri c introductions to the creatures iving in the ar interia tide pools. “Patient, knowledgeable and excited to share their knowledge, especially Ian and Ashwin.”

reader sends a halo to those who acknowledge people with disabilities. “When you encounter a person in a wheelchair or walking with a walker, please smile and say hello to that person.”

reader sends a halo to Lance Lawhon at the Carpinteria Sanitation District for helping Kim’s Market.

reader sends a halo to the Carpinteria Beautiful lady picking up trash in a neighborhood near the beach. “Thank you! We need all the help we can get keeping trash picked up in the neighborhoods on the beach-side of the tracks.”

reader sends a halo to Kassandra Quintero at he pot hen the roof top ag was twisted and lodged in the rain gutter, Quintero jumped into action and climbed up to the roof and untangled it so that it could wave freely. Way to show patriotism!”

A reader sends a halo to Jena at AgeWelland her crew for the lovely Aloha Evening and especially the hula dancers on Friday, Feb. 13. “Well done!”

reader sends a halo to Desiree, the new asse se at he y e t oor he could have coasted through it, but she worked really hard to relieve my back pain. I never experienced such a great massage.”

reader sends a halo to whoever left a sign telling people to pick up their dog-waste bags and stop leaving them on Casitas Pass Road.

reader sends a pitchfork to whoever has been leaving bags of dog waste on the ground along Casitas Pass Road. “Yes, it’s frustrating that the trash cans are gone, but is that really your best way of handling the situation?”

What’s ne at the harbor seal rookery?

reader sends a pitchfork to the person who hit the reader’s pickup in front of the reader’s house and didn’t stop. “Shame on you, and I hope you have karma insurance.”

reader sends a pitchfork to the bicycle events on oothill Road rposely host ing h ge rides that take p the whole road is irresponsi le here are co ntless ike lanes that were put in with our tax dollars to avoid this problem.”

This report covers Feb. 9 – 15, 2026

CVN’s Seal Watch weekly report, written by Seal Watch volunteers, covers activities at the Harbor Seal Rookery. The group can be reached at carpsealwatch@ gmail.com or (805) 364-3194. The rookery is located immediately east of Casitas ier, etween ar interia uffs ature reserve and ar interia tate each. There is no vehicle access from Dump Road.

reader sends a pitchfork to the lifeguards braiding hair while swimmers are in the pool. “Not professional!”

The 00 lot not was possearch located, meth. violations. contacted as by a probashowed container felon pepper in the wanted ownership 00 vehicle reported to Department. was stolen, by the on the only a actual pulled the car, motel they, cited for and investigation will obtained a regisviolation at his License displayrecords was suspended. The man was cited, and his vehicle was released to a licensed driver.

A reader sends a pitchfork to the motorcyclist who was lane splitting through the ontecito construction, going m h through tra c. “Endangering their lives and others, so not cool.”

reader sends a pitchfork to the employees of the newer businesses on the Carpinteria Bl ffs earn to share the ike walking path with locals here will e fo r to fi e of yo walking together and not a single one will scoot o er st a tad to let a local pass through?”

reader sends a halo to Emma and Justin. “It was a wonderful wedding, great food, spectacular location and great people! It was moving and wonderful.”

reader sends a halo to Carpinterians who put out boxes in front of their homes full of surplus oranges, avocados, etc. from their trees. “Thank you for sharing your abundance.”

reader sends a pitchfork to the Linden planters. “All the mushrooms growing there indicate too much water. Nice weed farm.”

NATURAL HISTORY NOTES

A reader sends a pitchfork to the teenage e-bikers in the Salt Marsh. “It’s a sensitive habitat, and they’re not allowed for a reason.”

reader sends a halo to all the beach community residents. “Thank you for parking in front of your home with your permit.”

reader sends a halo to Nikki at linary went to y first class this week end with my sister, who has been to four so far. I had the best time! Someone get this girl a V show, she sho ld e on the ood etwork already

A reader sends a pitchfork to people who don’t know how to drive

reader sends a halo to Diana, a caregiver at Carpinteria Senior Lodge for nearly three years.

reader sends a pitchfork to a restaurant owner for parking his vehicle in the spots right out front of his establishment. “Shouldn’t he leave those parking spots available for his paying customers?”

A reader sends a pitchfork to the garage owner who yelled after the reader calmly expressed a preference to be asked before the reader’s entire car was searched for a part the garage didn’t have. “Truly unfortunate. Didn’t feel safe — forget feeling res ected. ever again.

reader sends a halo to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the local vet for working diligently to save the Rincon Beach bear. “It’s a terrible shame to lose one of these agnificent creat res howe er, wo ldn’t want it to s ffer to a miserable death.”

reader sends a halo to Tom Sweeney for going out on Elm Avenue by the beach to clean up plastic bottles, bags, dirty gloves and masks.

reader sends a pitchfork to the new parking zones. “All the “no parking/two hour” signs just made people park in my neighborhood. Seventh and the neighboring streets are a packed parking lot.”

reader sends a halo to Bill and Rosana Swing for spending their Saturday taking photos for nior arriors oot all e appreciate all yo do for o r fa ilies, play ers and program. You rock!”

A reader sends a pitchfork to whomever live streams the Rincon Classic. “Friends in anta ar ara and a onchita cou d on y get the , oth days. or hours oth morning and afternoon — extremely frustrating, ruined our weekend.”

reader sends a pitchfork to those who lied on their FAFSA and took scholarships away from kids who need it.

A reader sends a pitchfork to the people trying to make a BMX bike track out of the trai s at the uffs o en s ace. “ ui ding ram s and um s makes it di cu t and dangerous for trail walkers.”

reader sends a halo to DJ Hecktic for coming out early Saturday morning to support the Junior Warriors. “It made the kids so happy to hear you say their names—you’re a local celebrity to them!”

Submit Halos & Pitchforks online at coastalview.com. All submissions are subject to editing.

reader sends a halo to Diana Rigby, Superintendent of schools, and Debra Herrick , director of Boys irls l , for re o ing the to ic phor ia fire sticks fro the pots and landscape.

Submit Halos & Pitchforks online at coastalview.com. Submissions subject to editing.

a. . ub ic Into ication ai ard Avenue

ON THE ROAD

Two men were contacted in a parked truck and both were extremely intoxicated with open containers of alcohol observed in the vehicle. One man was not being the most cooperative, but once he was convinced to exit the vehicle, a pat down search of his person was conducted. Deputies located a collapsible baton in the man’s front waistband. He was cited and both were released to a sober friend.

Friday, May 22

a. . he t 5500 b ock a e Arena

he found a small baggie containing a white powdery substance underneath the driver’s seat of his recently purchased vehicle. The man stated he purchased the ehicle three weeks ago t didn’t find the small baggie until he’d removed the dri er’s seat to fi the reclining echa nism. The incident was documented, and the baggie was booked into Santa Barbara heriff’s ffice property for destr ction

ported her residence was burglarized the prior night. The woman stated a cartoon of almond milk and tools were taken from her garage. She told the reporting deputy that the tools belonged to her daughter’s boyfriend. The deputy attempted to contact the man via telephone multiple times with no response. The woman stated her garage door was unlocked during the night and is in the process of getting a new lock. She did not have any suspect information at the time. The incident was documented, and patrol will follow-up for further details of the stolen items.

Deputies responded to a motel on Via Real for a report of a domestic violence incident. Upon arrival, a deputy contacted a man and woman in the parking lot. After contacting both subjects, there were visible injuries on both parties. Due to con icting state ents regarding their mutual altercation and obvious injuries, both parties were arrested for corporal

0 a. . it and un a eo and asitas ass roads

CVN watches the championship in Arizona ar interian te hen oyce rought his co y of Coastal View News along while he attended the or d ham ionshi oo ance event in hoeni , riz. “ te hen re orted that out of dancers, his favorite had an amazing erformance, earning him the cham ionshi for the third straight year, ynda ershey to d Coastal View News. “Tri es from a over orth merica artici ated with dancers from age 2 to 72, held at the Heard Museum in Phoenix.”

Deputies responded to a report a of a black sedan crashing into a parked water truck. While en route, it was also reported the ale s ect dri ing the sedan ed the scene on foot. Upon arrival, deputies observed the sedan abandoned in the middle Cameo Road with major damage to the front right passenger wheel

GOING ON THE ROAD?

0 p. . ound rugs 000 b ock acaranda a man was contacted after reporting

Snap a photo with your Coastal View News in hand and email it to news@coastalview.com. Tell us about your trip!

reader sends a pitchfork to the City of Carpinteria for letting the bluffs turn into an e er increasing dirt parking lot hat is not what the l ffs were p rchased for Post No Parking signs immediately!”

Most pups are born from mid-February to mid-March. A very few may arrive in ecem er, and others as ate as ay. u s have egun to arrive, with the rst born, Feb. 11! By Sunday, there were four more. Mother usually has one pup which she will nurse for six to 10 weeks. The pups grow quickly on the very protein rich milk. Some seem to get as large as the mother, and are still nursing. The mothers help them to swim and will teach them how to search for their own food in the local kelp beds. Once the mother weans the pup, it is on its own. Many call “maa maa ho ing to nd mom and get nursed again. owever, mom is usy re ing herself knowing mating season is next.

reader sends a pitchfork to the sheriff’s deputy using his radar gun the other morning in front of city hall. “Why don’t you go by one of the schools and catch all the speeders there in morning, and keep our children safe while walking to school.”

VISITORS

t was a usy week the rst u s, many visitors and interesting weather. There were visitors from China, England, Spain, Taiwan, Canada, Korea, Italy, e ico, ndia, the ether ands, a ifornia, ew ersey, Te as, inois, orth ar o ina, o orado, ew ork, entucky, irginia, rizona, regon, ew e ico, assachusetts, ansas, aine, issouri, hio, owa, evada, eorgia, ichigan, Minnesota, Washington, Indiana, Wisconsin, Montana, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Idaho and Wyoming.

Submit Halos and Pitchforks online at coastalview.com

DISTURBANCES

A helicopter, pier noise, dogs and walkers disturbed the rookery this week. Please remember to observe the closure of the beach during pupping season.

MORE INFORMATION

Please consider honoring the Marine Mammal Protection Act by not walking the sanctuary beach all year. Do not bring dogs, bicycles or loud voices to view the sea s. ar or sea s, when distur ed, may flee and ecome se arated from their u s. o unteers ask that dogs a ways remain outside the ro e area.

Carpinteria Seal Watch volunteers monitor our local seal rookery. More volunteers are always needed. Contact Seal Watch at carpsealwatch@gmail.com or a 5 i ou’d i e to e p

CVN

CALENDAR

Thursday, Feb. 19

AgeWell Senior Program: Pickleball Free Play Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, 5315 Foothill Road. 8-10 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

English Language Conversation Group/Grupo de Conversación en Inglés Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 8:30-10 a.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

One-on-One Tech Help Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Carpinteria Open Space Management Advisory Board Meeting City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. 3 p.m. (805) 684-5405

Dungeons Dragons Club Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 3:30–5:15 p.m. Ages 12-17 carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Transitional Kindergarten Kindergarten Information Meeting Canalino School, 1480 Linden Ave., 5:30 p.m. in English, 6 p.m. in Spanish, canalino.cusd. net, (805) 684-4141

Carpinteria Birdwatchers Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 6:30-7:30 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Friday, Feb. 20

Friday Fun Day Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10-11:30 a.m. For ages 3-11ish. carpinterialibrary. org, (805) 684-4314

Free Senior Arts Crafts Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave. 10 a.m. noonn. carpinteriaartscenter.org, (805) 684-7789

AgeWell Senior Program: Free Lunch Program Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 12:15-1 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Free Music by Friendship Center Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave. 2-3 p.m. carpinteriaartscenter.org, (805) 684-7789

“Selma” The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. 7 p.m. $10 general admission, Seniors/students $7. thealcazar. org, (805) 684-6380

Saturday, Feb. 21

Cate School’s Winter Showcase The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. 7–9 p.m. $20 general admission. thealcazar.org, (805) 684-6380

Abraza Milonga Thario’s Kitchen, 3807 Santa Claus Lane 8-11 p.m. $10 cover charge (805) 684-2209

Sunday, Feb. 22

Live Music: Mike Guitar Witt Island Brewing Company, 5049 6th St. 2-5 p.m. (805) 745-8272

Lions Park Open House Lions Park, 6197 Casitas Pass Road, 3-6 p.m. RSVP lionsparkevents@gmail.com

Firefighter Foundation: Second Annual Disco Inferno The Hangar at Bella Vista Ranch, 2800 Via Real, Summerland, 4-10 p.m. sbsouthcoastff.com (805) 745-9819

Monday, Feb. 23

AgeWell Senior Program: Tai Chi Together Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 9-10 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Preschool Story Time Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10-10:30 a.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

AgeWell Senior Program: Line Dancing Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 10:3011:30 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

AgeWell Senior Program: Creative Art Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 10:30 a.m. noon.

agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

AgeWell Senior Program: Free Lunch Program Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 12:15-1 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Monday Mahjong All levels of play. 1 p.m. (805) 729-1310

AgeWell Senior Program: Mind Games Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 1:302:30 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

AgeWell Senior Program: Death Cafe Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 3-4:15 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

City Council Meeting City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. 5:30 p.m. (805) 6845405

Introducción a las computadoras Clase Bilingüe Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 6-8:15 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Tuesday, Feb. 24

AgeWell Senior Program: Walking Club Meet at Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 9 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

Carpinteria Writers’ Group Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10 a.m. noon. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

AgeWell Senior Program: Mind Body Balance Exercise Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 11 a.m. noon. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

AgeWell Senior Program: Free Lunch Program Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 12:15-1 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

AgeWell Senior Program: Bridge Group Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 1-4 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Spanish Conversation Group Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 2-3 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Carpinteria Songwriters Circle Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 4-5:30 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Al-Anon meeting Faith Lutheran Church, 1335 Vallecito Place. 6:30 p.m. Carpinteria Improv Classes The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. 7-9 p.m. $10 at the door. thealcazar.org, (805) 684-6380

Meeting: CUSD School Board City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave., 5:30 p.m. cusd.net (805) 684-4511

Wednesday, Feb. 25

AgeWell Senior Program: Pickleball for Beginners Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, 5315 Foothill Road. 8-10 a.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

AgeWell Senior Program: Carpinteria Men’s Coffee Club Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 8:30-9:30 a.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Babies Are The Best Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 9-10 a.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Free Senior Arts Crafts Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave. 9-10 a.m. carpinteriaartscenter.org, (805) 684-7789

Science for Teens Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For ages 11- to 13-yearsold. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

AgeWell Senior Program: Free Lunch Program Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 12:15-1 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

Carpinteria Knitters Group Carpinte-

Arts center accepting submissions for “Natural Beauty”

The Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center is calling on local artists to submit their artwork for the arts center’s upcoming exhibition “Natural Beauty,” which will be juried by local artists Susie Clothier and Cynthia Connolly.

Those interested in submitting their work online must do so by Thursday, Feb. at .m. Those interested in dro ing their work off in erson may do so on Monday, March 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Those with uestions may ca or emai christy@carpinteriaartscen ter.org.

Alcazar to screen “Selma”

The cazar Theatre wi host a s ecia screening of the m “ e ma in ce e ration of ack istory onth, on riday, e . , .m. The m is rated .

The m stars avid ye owo as r. artin uther ing r. and te s the story of the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., which was considered a key moment in the ght for e ua voting rights. The events de icted in “ e ma eventua y ed resident yndon . ohnson to sign the oting ights ct of .

“The event aims to ring the community together to reflect on the ongoing strugg e for civi rights and the enduring egacy of those who have sha ed the nation s ourney toward ustice, said onnie eston with the theatre.

Tickets for the m are for genera admission and for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased online at thealcazar.org. The Alcazar Theatre is located at ar interia ve.

brewLAB hosts open mic night on Feb. 19

oca musicians, oets, ra ers or other erformance artists are invited to oin rew s o en mic night, hosted y oca musician eau ames i ding, on Thurs day, e . , .m.

ignu s for the event egin at .m., and the ast erformance wi go on at .m., i ding said. The rew is ocated at ar interia ve .

ria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 1-3 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

AgeWell Senior Program: Meditation Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut

by Margie E. Burke

THROWBACK

THURSDAY

Sunday, Feb. 8

rs n ident 5 o Carpinteria enue

ly 1945 hours, the subject returned to his arked vehic e and noticed minor damage to his front um er. o sus ect information is avai a e.

2 2 rs 5 o Carpinteria enue

Deputies made contact with a subject who was located in the driver’s seat of her vehic e for a we fare check. The su ect was ultimately determined to have been operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a coho . The su ect was ater arrested, and later submitted to a breath test. The su ect s vehic e was eft ega y arked and ocked at the scene.

Friday, Feb. 13

Editor’s note: Longtime Carpinterian Lou Panizzon recently discovered a copy of a 1940 Directory of Carpinteria Valley and Summerland online and forwarded it to Coastal View News. Published by the Carpinteria Herald, Coastal View News’ predecessor, the 30-page book includes addresses—no phone numbers—for every family listed. Also included is a “Historical sketch” of Carpinteria Valley that will be reprinted here in sections over the next few weeks. The first portion, published in the July 13 CVN, can be found at coastalview.com.

CARPINTERIA VALLEY MUSEUM OF HISTORY

In the 50’s, Linden Avenue was the spot to get gas street side.

Linden Avenue flashback

The victim was riding his bicycle on Carpinteria Avenue with a Palestinian flag on the ack. The unknown sus ect started yelling racial slurs and grabbed the victim’s phone that was mounted on his icyc e. The sus ect egan running westbound on Carpinteria Avenue and then north ound on inden venue. The suspect then turned around and ran southbound on Linden Avenue and eastbound on Carpinteria Avenue until he reached Walnut Avenue and continued southbound when the victim stopped fo owing him. The victim was to d y a witness that the suspect had thrown the victim’s phone into one of the trashcans on ar interia venue. The victim was a e to retrieve his hone. The victim believed the suspect was still in possession of his phone until he was told by the witness it was in the trashcan. o ow u to e conducted y atro .

Standing in just the right spot on Linden Avenue, equidistant are both of Carpinteria’s unchangeable natural treasures—the mountains and the sea.

Monday, Feb. 9

1940 Directory of Carpinteria Valley and Summerland: Historical Sketch

222 rs n ident ia ea and a es ane

Chaplin’s chapel

But in the general surroundings of inden venue, Carpinteria’s lifeline connecting those two famous residents of the valley, not much else has remained the same over the years in the street’s business district.

Various products have been experimented with, each constituting an agricultural phase of the valley. It has seen that the almond could be grown here, but the ranchers eca e disco raged when the woodpeckers took away all of the profits and the product was abandoned.

2 rs n ident and and oad and s enue de uty conducted a tra c enforce ment sto on a us. The driver was in possession of a class C California driver’s icense. The driver admitted that the us was not registered and that he had taken the red sticker from his other vehic e to ut on the us icense ate. The driver a so advised that the us was a ro imately 40 feet in length and weighed a ro imate y , ounds.

inden, dusty and unpaved, was once home in the 19 th Century to a saloon, horse hitching post, blacksmith and, towards the end of the 1800s, a brand new train depot. By the early to mid-1900s, the structure of the downtown’s business district blossomed into what it resembles today, with some differences.

A Carpinteria resident was stopped for traffic violations and found to be un icensed. e was cited and re eased at the scene.

Saturday, Feb. 14

252 rs n ident 5 o Carpinteria enue

Wednesday, Feb. 11

The climate was suitable for the raising of olives, so that soon, where there had een giant li e oaks, there were oli e trees he diffic lty enco ntered in arketing the prod ct ade it nprofita le

Most notable was the 900 block of inden, near the intersection Carpinteria venue, where a practical service then would seem a novelty today.

ong before it became the quilters’ paradise it is today, the inconspicuous house at 919 Maple ve. surprisingly served as a celebrity wedding venue. n June 16, 1943, Charlie Chaplin, 54, quietly married Oona O’N eill, 18, under the roof of what’s now Ro anne’s ish and rea haplin’s fo rth and final wedding at the ho e of Justice of the eace Clinton Moore landed sleepy Carpinteria in the national spotlight.

t the Dick Daly car dealership, as seen in the photo above, motorists could drive away in their brand spanking new Chevy with a full tank of gas, courtesy of a pump situated right on the sidewalk.

rs n ident o o enue

Mr. McAllister brought to the valley some beans which he had purchased in Lima en route from New York here by the way of the Straits. He gave a sack of them to Henry Lewis who planted them and started the bean industry in the valley, the name eing taken fro the city in which they first were p rchased enry ish followed p y propagation and sec red the ordhook y crossing the B rpee sh with the Dreer bush.

“I think it was part of the dealership,” remembers yson Willson, a Carpinteria resident who, upon moving here in 1955, bought a Chevy in that year’s model.

What was the car dealership is the current home to obitaille’s Candies. he confectionary opened its doors in the late 1980s.

Deputies responded to a suspect having pushed the victim twice while the victim was wa king away from him during an argument. The sus ect eft the area but was found and arrested in a near y arking ot.

A traffic stop was conducted on a vehic e. hort y after the vehic e driver yielded, the passenger attempted to step out of the vehic e ut was too into icated to the point where he ended up getting arrested. The driver was un icensed and was issued a citation. The vehic e was towed.

“T he showroom where the new cars were parked is where our store is,” said Carmen Robitaille.

2 rs n ident o

The cultivation of walnuts was started a short time afterwards and thirty years ago, the valley was a great forest of walnut trees. At that time a few of the ranchers, of who were a es atlin, the late oel Re ington ithian, ohn enry and Simeon Shepard, were the pioneers who planted lemon trees. The lemon industry is the greatest and the most prosperous one the ranchers have yet undertaken.

nd though that cluster of merchants which comprised that section of Linden— Ralph’s Market, Bastian’s, the Valley Market and the local post office—is now gone, replaced with a newer generation of businesses, it was partially responsible for fostering Carpinteria’s tight-knit downtown community that sustains to this day.

To learn more about Carpinteria’s unique and interesting past, visit the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 956 Maple Ave.

Con a o a ri e su ect eft his vehic e ega y arked on the north side of the street at the above ocation at hours. t a ro imate

“In those days, most people who lived here worked here,” obitaille said. You knew everybody; the people in all the stores were your neighbors. It was that kind of town.”

This article by Paul Sisolak was originally published in Coastal View News on Oct. 4, 2007. To learn more about Carpinteria’s unique and interesting past, visit the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 956 Maple Ave.

Los Angeles resident arrested in connection with cannabis burglary

ryant a eged y threw from a window.

Detectives and LAPD later served an additiona search warrant in awthorne, where they recovered a ro imate y pounds of processed cannabis, additional rearms and thousands in cash. The re arms and cash were seized by the LAPD as part of their investigation and on-view charges.

A Los Angeles resident has been arrested in connection with the an. ro ery of a Carpinteria cannabis grow on the ock of oothi oad, which resu t ed in hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of canna is eing sto en. anta ar ara ounty heriff s e u ties responded to a report of a burglary at around a.m. on an. . The sus ects had fled efore de uties arrived. etec tives are currently searching for potential inks etween the an. urg ary and other simi ar urg aries, inc uding a e . urg ary at the same ocation.

After a follow-up investigation, deputies were able to identify 22-year-old varyae ryant of os nge es as a sus ect. nvestigators coordinated with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), which was conducting a parallel investigation invo ving ryant. n e . , ryant was arrested on a warrant at his residence. uring the arrest, detectives recovered a short arre assau t rifle that

ryant was ooked at the an uys ai for oca charges. o owing his court roceedings in os nge es, ryant wi e e tradited to anta ar ara ounty on a no-bail felony warrant for burglary, conspiracy, grand theft and a gang enhancement.

The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact detectives at . nonymous ti s may a so e su mitted on ine at s sheriff.org home anonymous ti or y ca ing .

Carpinteria

Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu

Who’s treating? Decoding the lunch invitation

THE SEAWITCH SAYS CVN

AMY OROZCO

Dear Amy O,

A friend of mine invited me to lunch. What is the proper etiquette? Does my friend pay? Do we split the bill? Please advise and thank you.

Signed,

Should I Offer to Leave the Tip?

Dear Should I Offer to Leave the Tip?,

Well, one thing is for sure, there’s no need to feel obligated to pay for your friend’s portion of the check.

You raise a very good question. Nowadays, etiquette is all over the board. For example, just how much does one tip when it’s 100% counter service, from ordering, retrieving utensils, pouring your own water, picking up the food tray to heeding the highly visible signs instructing how to bus your table and sort the remains of the meal? Certainly, a 20% cannot be expected after requiring the customer to do the work that used to be done to earn said tip.

The heart of your question, “Does my friend ay , is de endent on different factors. Let’s look at some of those.

First, what is the relationship status with your friend? Are you:

Longtime besties since elementary school? If yes, you should be able to answer your own damn question, and

if you can’t, you don’t deserve a friend inviting you to lunch. Hint: Of course you pay for yourself.

Possible romantic partners? If that’s the case and you’d like to consummate the relationship, then be the kind of partner you’d like to have. In my book, that’s not some cheapskate mooching a meal.

Professional colleagues who have met a few times after work to discuss a project? If so, expect to split the tab or if your colleague is your senior, maybe they’ll pay and get reimbursed by the company. Either way, make motions to go for your wallet.

Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun. 6:30am-3pm Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu

5050 Carpinteria Avenue • 805.566.1558 ext. 1

Second, how was the invitation worded? If it was:

“Would love to take you to the new place at Carp and Linden. It’s really good. My treat.” Then you can sit on your hands when the bill arrives, no problem. Pretending to get your wallet would be a nice gesture, though.

A co-worker suggests “Hey wanna grab a bite before our 2 o’clock?” Expect to pay for your own sandwich. Don’t forget to put your tip in the jar next to the cash register.

Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun. 6:30am-3pm Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu

5050 Carpinteria Avenue • 805.566.1558 ext. 1

“Thanks for noticing the water rushing under our front door and turning off the main water valve. I don’t even know where that is. If you’re free Thursday, let’s check out happy hour.” Expect to be treated, you’re the do-gooder who revented the flooding otioning for your wallet when the bill arrives is always in good taste. Caveat: If your friend takes your money, rethink the friendship. If, however, you continue drinking well past happy hour prices, absolutely insist on covering the bar tab. Make a scene if necessary.

Lastly, life always throws curveballs. What if:

Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun. 6:30am-3pm Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu

It used to be clear cut — the inviter was the host and paid. Today, not so much, however, graciousness never will go out of style.

Said friend chooses a restaurant with sauces and prices too rich for your blood? Unless it has been clearly established beforehand your friend is treating, you need to s eak u . “ y cash flow is more of a trickle recently, how about the trattoria across the street.”

A side salad is all you ordered, and your dining com anion, who nished their three-course meal with a pricey digestif, suggests splitting the tab in half? Say no. Something along the lines of “that’s OK. I’m happy to pay for what I ordered” should do the trick.

You are invited to a birthday celebration, and when the bill arrives your friend thanks you for the treat and sticks you the check on t et the irthday erson off the hook. Graciously pay for your share

and speak up. Then, either give yournow-former friend a hard copy of this article or text the link.

It used to be clear cut — the inviter was the host and paid. Today, not so much, however, graciousness never will go out of style. “Speaking up” doesn’t mean raising one’s voice. Awkwardness can be avoided and/or remedied with genuine concern and kindness.

And should one be fortunate enough to be treated to lunch, the kindness needs to be paid forward.

Former CVN editor Amy Marie Orozco loves living in Carpinteria, including all the sometimes socially sticky situations happening in our seaside setting. Have a question for her? Email it to news@coastalview.com.

Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun. 6:30am-3pm Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu

Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun. 6:30am-3pm Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu

THROWBACK

Stubborn facts of Punta Gorda

BY STEPHEN BATES

For more than a century, Punta Gorda bedeviled everyone who tried to pass. The area around what’s now La Conchita confronted the traveler with “two great stubborn facts,” the Santa Barbara Weekly Press said in 1876: the mountain and the sea. iffs ran down to a narrow each. rough hillside path could accommodate those on foot or horseback, but wagons and stagecoaches had to take their chances on the sand. Subduing Punta Gorda ultimately took 1,000 men with dynamite.

When Pedro Fages, the military governor of ain s ta a ifornia, assed Punta Gorda in 1772 on his way to San Diego, he was moving through Chumash territory. In a report, he complained that “the Indians took advantage of an opportunity to surprise me and my escort when we were occu ied in effecting a di cu t passage.” The Chumash threw rocks and darts. The Spanish killed at least one of them. Fages said the Chumash grew wary of soldiers thereafter but continued to attack unarmed travelers at Punta Gorda. uring the e ican merican ar in 1847, U.S. Major John C. Frémont and his men rode south from Santa Barbara. gunshi , the u ia, waited offshore at unta orda, ready to re on anyone who might try to am ush them from the c iffs. The precaution worked: Frémont later reported that they “passed the maritime defile of the Rincon, or Punta Gorda, without resistance.”

In 1848, Rincon Point and Punta Gorda — already the subject of travelers’ tales — inspired a poem by journalist Bayard Taylor, though he had never set foot there and gave the place a pseudonym. In “The Fight of Paso del Mar,” two horsemen meet head-on in wind and fog. They’re on a c iff ath too narrow to ass each other, and neither will back up. They grapple and spar from their saddles. Finally, both plunge into the sea. The following year, sailing past Rincon while covering the Gold Rush for the New York Tribune, Taylor was de ighted to nd that the rea ace “its crags of black rock, its breakers and reaches of spray-wet sand” — matched his imagination. (Del Mar, Calif., takes its name from Taylor’s poem.)

People posed only the occasional threat to travelers at Punta Gorda; nature posed a frequent one. Drivers of wagons and stagecoaches often found the beach submerged at high tide and littered with ou ders and ogs at ow tide. The aci c itse f cou d e ca ricious. ccording to “ do e ays, a memoir y arah i y Smith, one family left Santa Barbara on a wagon loaded with all of their belongings. s they assed unta orda, “an unexpected great wave came up out of the sea and stole a chest containing jewels and heirlooms.” though the each assage cou d be a nightmare for stagecoach drivers, some passengers loved it. Thomas R. Bard wrote in 1866, “I am sure you could not wish for a more exhilarating ride.” few years ater, . . immons said he never e ected to navigate the aci c in a six-horse stagecoach, but he found it “perfectly delightful” and felt sad when they returned to dry land.

The unforgiving geography of Punta Gorda did more than jostle stagecoaches. It also helped redraw the political map. In 1872, a California senate committee reported that residents of San Buenaventura, as Ventura was then known, “often nd it ne t to im ossi e to get to the county seat” of Santa Barbara because of the beach road. The solution was drastic: The legislature split Santa Barbara County at Rincon Creek. West of the creek remained Santa Barbara County; east became the new Ventura County, with San Buenaventura as its county seat. No one had to cross Punta Gorda to reach the county seat again.

Legislative solutions could do only so much, though. For years, officials and engineers had been dreaming of a sturdy, afforda e, dry road for wagons and stagecoaches at Punta Gorda. In the 1850s and 1860s, they discussed a wooden causeway above the sea and may even have started building one, but whatever they constructed was probably demol ished by winter storms in 1861-1862, according to R. G. Percy. The famous Rincon Causeway for automobiles was still 50 years in the future.

In the interim came another mode of trans ortation. hen the outhern aci c Railroad chose a coastal route between Ventura and Santa Barbara, everyone

knew Punta Gorda would present the greatest obstacle.

n ri , a Santa Barbara Independent reporter joined a group of sightseers visiting “Point Rincon” to inspect the rai road construction. fter a three hour trip from Santa Barbara and a picnic beneath sycamores at Rincon Creek, they surveyed the scene. mong the visitors were pioneer photographers Edwin J. Hayward and Henry W. Muzzall, whose images capture the scale of the project.

Some 1,100 workers lived in tents in three separate camps: 800 Chinese laborers on the western part of Rincon Point, 300 white workers to the east, and a smaller group of engineers up Rincon Creek. To

fue cooking res, workers had stri ed the dry branches from trees for a mile in every direction. “Heavy charged blasts were frequently fired off,” the paper reported, “throwing boulders high into air in a manner heretofore unheard of.” ithin weeks, the outhern aci c s 1,100 men had carved a roadbed across the c iffs that had ocked trave ers for more than a century. The sea remained a stubborn fact, but the mountain had na y yie ded.

Stephen Bates is coauthor (with Vince Burns) of a pictorial history of Rincon Point, which is available at the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History and elsewhere.

Do you have a photo from Carpinteria’s past? Contact news@coastalview.com to share it with other readers!

FEBRUARY 19 , 2026

Carpinteria girls basketball rides playoff rollercoaster

The Warriors win big in first round matchup before suffering loss in second round.

BY RYAN P. CRUZ

PHOTOS BY ROSANA SWING

Carpinteria girls basketball earned the top seed in the ivision ayoffs, setting u the chance for homecourt advantage in the rst and second rounds of the postseason.

n the rst round of the ayoffs, the arriors hosted a home game against an a rie cademy on Thursday, e . .

an a rie came out with a s ark in the rst uarter, forcing severa uick turnovers and taking an ear y advantage efore the arriors were a e to sett e in for the game. y the time the rst uarter ended, an a rie he d onto a ead.

ar interia found its rhythm in the second uarter, ocking in on the defensive end and contro ing the re ounding game in the aint. s the arriors icked u the ace on oth ends of the court, ar interia went on a run to head into the ha f with a comforta e ead.

The arriors carried that momentum into the second ha f, going on an offensive tear with oints in the third uarter, whi e ho ding an a rie to ust oints in the eriod. eading into the fourth uarter the arriors ui t the ead to .

ar interia nished the game in contro , securing the win in front of the home fans y a margin of oints,

.

The arriors were ed to victory y its trio of to scorers, seniors har otte ooney and amaica ook, and freshman ma ia astaneda. astaneda nished the game with a team high oints, whi e ooney contri uted oints and ve assists, and ook added eight oints and re ounds.

ar interia s entire starting ineu contri uted to the win over an a rie . o homore ia harma was a force on oth ends of the court with nine oints and re ounds and unior eona c e an ed the defense with four stea s a ong with eight oints.

“ t was a good team victory and gives us momentum going into the ne t round, said ar interia coach enry Gonzales.

o owing the rst round ayoff win, ar interia re ared to host a second round matchu against an acinto two days ater on aturday, e . .

n the second round game, The arriors att ed with

an acinto in the rst ha f, with oth teams trading the lead.

ar interia he d on to the advantage in the rst uarter, with ook eading the way scoring eight ear y oints to give the arriors a ead.

The second uarter went to the an acinto Tigers, who turned u the ressure on defense to force ar interia to commit turnovers. fter two uarters, an acinto was u .

ar interia ran out of steam in the third uarter as an acinto continued to take contro . The arriors defense remained com etitive, ut ar interia s offense turned co d in the second ha f and strugg ed to kee u on the score oard.

y the na uzzer, an acinto was rm y in contro and took the win , advancing to the ne t round and

ending ar interia s ayoff run in the second round.

The arriors had strong showings from its tri of to scores in their na game together on the court. ook nished with oints, whi e ooney contri uted and astaneda nished with oints.

oach onza es credited the team for att ing through adversity this season and making a run into the ayoffs.

“Though the season ended tonight, am e treme y roud of our gir s and their accom ishments this season, he said. “This was a team that gave everything they had no matter the situation. am fortunate to have had the o ortunity to coach this grou and tru y en oyed every moment.

ar interia ended the year with a record overa , and a record in the itrus oast eague.

SHORT STOPS

BY RYAN P. CRUZ

ir s so er ade a run into t e se ond round o t e C i ision 5 a o s

Carpinteria ir s so er season ends in se ond round

ar interia gir s soccer icked u a road win over ur ank in the rst round of the ivision ayoffs efore the arriors were knocked out in a hard fought match at home against Coachella Valley in the second round.

The arriors had won seven games in a row heading into the ayoffs, securing the Citrus Coast League championship and clinching a spot in the CIF postseason. ar interia e tended its win streak to eight games in a row after the arriors u ed out a shutout victory on the road against ur ank on e . .

The arriors got on the score oard ear y in the match, with freshmen ose yn ara and aro ine ooney teaming u for a goa in the th minute, with ara on the assist and Cooney scoring the goal.

unior aydance ardner added to the ead in the nd minute, converting a ena ty kick to give the arriors a advantage.

n the c osing minutes, ara added her second goa of the game to give the ar riors the win.

Carpinteria head coach Fredy Martinez said he was impressed by the team’s younger ayers, who have ste ed u to contri ute to ig wins at the varsity eve . “ ith the num er of freshmen and other underc assmen we had, was e ecting a it of nerves from some of our young ath etes, artinez said. “ ut was easant y sur rised y how com osed and comforta e they ooked out there today.

The arriors had a tougher cha enge in the second round matchu on ar inte ria s home e d against oache a a ey.

This match was a defensive att e for oth teams, with ust a few scoring o or tunities for each side.

ar interia had a near goa in the rst minutes of ay, on a ay where it a eared that the a crossed the ine, sending the home fans into a frenzy. The o cia s ru ed that the goa was no good, and the game continued tied at . ust a few minutes ater, it was oache a a ey that struck rst with a counterattack that ed to a goa in the th minute.

That goa wou d rove to e the on y score of the game, giving oache a a ey a narrow victory to end a interia s win streak and the arriors ayoff run. “Coachella Valley was a quality team that demonstrated why they had such a great run in the ostseason ast year, coach artinez said. “ y gir s gave it a they had and eft everything on the itch today and am so very roud of them. ho e that in a cou e of days they wi e a e to reflect on the who e season and rea y acknow edge ust how we they did this season. The seniors wi e missed, ut fee their mentorshi over the years wi generate other great seasons and consistent ostseason a earances for years to come.

artinez thanked the ar interia gir s soccer community and arents who “con sistent y attended our home games and created such a great atmos here for the arriors varsity and unior varsity teams this season

“ e ook forward to giving ar interia ots more e citing matches in the coming seasons, he said.

ON DECK

Thursday, Feb. 19

Carpinteria Baseball at Del Sol (Oxnard CC), 3 p.m.

Carpinteria Boys Tennis at Thousand Oaks, 3 p.m.

Carpinteria Boys Volleyball at Orcutt Academy, 5 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 20

*Carpinteria Softball vs Village Christian, 3 p.m.

*Carpinteria Boys Volleyball vs Pioneer Valley, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 21

*Carpinteria Track Field host Rincon Races, 10 a.m. Carpinteria Baseball at Santa Clara, 11 a.m.

arriors o s so er drops p a o at to anta au a

ar interia oys soccer won four of its ast ve matches in the regu ar season, inc uding a overtime victory over eague riva anta au a in the na game of the regu ar season on e . . t was the second time that ar interia defeated anta Paula this season.

oth ar interia and anta au a advanced to the ivision ayoffs, setting u a chance for a third rematch etween the eague riva s this time in the rst round of the ayoffs on e . where the winner wou d advance to the ne t round and the oser wou d e done for the season.

es ite ar interia taking the advantage in the rst two matchu s of the year, anta au a s team came out with renewed energy in the ayoffs, taking a advantage and ho ding on to take the win and end the arriors season.

ith the oss, ar interia nished the year with a record of , and against league opponents.

inter sports a e wa or sprin seasons

s the arriors winter s orts seasons came to an o cia c ose this week with a four ayoff e igi e teams suffering season ending osses the ar interia s orts wor d now shifts to we come a who e new s ate of ath etics for the s ring schedu e.

This s ring, the arriors wi re are to com ete in ase a , oys tennis, oys vo ey a , soft a , swimming and track and e d. oys tennis wi continue with a road match at Thousand aks, whi e ase a and oys vo ey a wi oth start their seasons with away games on Thursday, e . .

The s ring ath etics action wi continue into the weekend, with oys vo ey a aying at home against ioneer a ey and soft a hosting i age hristian at home on riday, e . . n aturday, e . , ase a wi hit the road to face anta ara whi e the Track and Field program prepares to host the annual Rincon Races.

Cate senior aptain eor e arin was one o t e tea ’s eadin s orers

Cate a s oundup

ate oys soccer ended a magica season, in which the ams won straight games efore eing knocked out of the second round of the ivision ayoffs y iew oint on e . .

ate s on y other oss the entire season came ack in the rst game of the year, when the ams ost to aci ca of nard y a score of . ince then, the ams have een on a tear, winning every sing e game for the rest of the season, outscoring o onents during the win streak.

n the rst round of the ivision ayoffs, ate ke t the winning momentum going with a win on the road at o ton of an ernardino.

fter o ton scored the rst goa of the game, ate came ack and scored three unanswered goa s to take a comforta e ead at ha ftime.

ate took contro in the second ha f, scoring two more goa s and ho ding o ton to one goa to sea the win at .

Game

CATE ROUNDUP:

Continued from page 22

our different ate ayers scored in the win. o an ontoya, eorge arin and i es Thom son each scored one goa , and Teke eise nished with a air of goa s in the win.

ate s season came to an end two days ater, as the ams trave ed to ay against iew oint in the second round of the ayoffs.

The ams ut u a strong effort, creating severa o ortunities to score, though iew oint s defense he d strong and on y a owed one goa . arin scored the ams on y goa of the game. iew oint scored a trio of goa s to take the win y a na score of , giving ate its rst oss since ec. , and ending the ams ayoff run.

ate oys soccer nished the season with an overa record of , and a erfect record against Tri a ey eague o onents.

ver on the hardwood, ate gir s asket a suffered a heart wrenching defeat in a home ayoff game against a ierra.

ate and a ierra were ocked in a att e in the rst two uarters. a ierra gained a ead in the second uarter, ut ate res onded with a offensive run to take a one oint ead into the ha ftime reak.

The ams he d onto the ead through much of the third uarter, ho ding a ierra s offense score ess for much of the eriod and carrying a ead into the fourth. n the fourth uarter, ate got into fou trou e and a ierra came ack to tie the game at . oth teams traded the ead as time ran down, with a ierra scoring the na oints from the free throw ine to secure the win . ate head coach aura oore said she was roud of the grou , es ecia y the team s three seniors merson vans, aia o mes and as er he merdine for taking a eadershi ro e on a roster fu of younger ayers.

CLUB SCENE

Rotary Noon hears from former city college trustee

FREE SERVICES

The otary u of ar interia oon recent y heard from r. eter as und, who discussed his work at anta ar ara ity o ege , where he worked for over years. as und worked as a rofessor at for more than years, and he served for years on the co ege s oard of Trustees. as und s oke to c u mem ers a out his work initiating rograms such as the tudy road rogram and the nternationa and o a tudies rogram.

Planning and Development Department. The development requested by this application is subject to appeal to the California Coastal Commission following fi nal action by Santa Barbara County and therefore a public hearing on the application is normally required prior to any action to approve, conditionally approve or deny the application. However, in compliance with California Coastal Act Section 30624.9, the Director has determined that this project qualifies as minor development and therefore intends to waive the public hearing requirement unless a written request for such hearing is submitted by an interested party to the Planning and Development Department within the 15 working days following the Date of Notice

provide comments on the project, please contact Kevin De Los Santos at Planning and Development, 123 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara 93101 2058, or by email at santosk@countyofsb.org, or by phone at (805) 884 8051.

PROPOSAL: DEXTER POOL DEMMOLITION PROJECT ADDRESS: 5256 JAMES RD, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93111 2nd SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT

THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED IN THE COASTAL ZONE

DATE OF NOTICE: 2/19/2026 REQUEST FOR HEARING EXPIRATION DATE: 3/12/2026 PERMIT NUMBER: 25CDH 00042

APPLICATION FILED: 11/4/2025

ASSESSOR’S PARCEL NO.: 065 270 006

ZONING: 20 R 1 PROJECT AREA: 0.33

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Applicant: John Dexter Proposed Project: The project is a request for a Coastal Development Permit to allow removal and backfill of an approximately 23 ft by 40 ft swimming pool.

APPEALS: The decision of the Director of the Planning and Development Department to approve, conditionally approve, or deny this Coastal Development Permit 25CDH 00042 may be appealed to the County Planning Commission by the applicant or an aggrieved person. The appeal must be filed within the 10 calendar days following the date that the Director takes action on this Coastal Development Permit. To qualify as an “aggrieved person” the appellant must have, in person or through a representative, informed the Planning and Development Department by appropriate means prior to the decision on the Coastal Development Permit of the nature of their concerns, or, for good cause, was unable to do so.

Appeals must be filed with the Planning and Development Department online at https://aca prod.accela.com/sbco/ Default.aspx, by 5:00 p.m. within the timeframe

This Coastal Development Permit may

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

To satisfy the owner’s storage lien, PS Retail Sales, LLC will sell at public lien sale on February 27, 2026, the personal property in the below-listed units. The public sale of these items will begin at 08:00 AM and continue until all units are sold. The lien sale is to be held at the online auction website, www.storagetreasures.com, where indicated. For online lien sales, bids will be accepted until 2 hours after the time of the sale specified. PUBLIC STORAGE # 25714, 7246 Hollister Ave, Goleta, CA 93117, (805) 324-6770 Sale to be held at www. storagetreasures.com. 4230 - Ruiz, Luz; 6322 - Vandervoort, Thomas; 6425 - Prado, Christian; A024 - Wilcox, Ashley; A359 - Fleming, Devern; A398 - Campos, Gabriel; A488 - Hassanpour, Babak; A6-A - Abbott, Brooke PUBLIC STORAGE # 75078, 7246 Hollister Ave, Goleta, CA 93117, (805) 961-8198 Sale to be held at www. storagetreasures.com. 081 - Bradley, Rosa; 094 - Angeles, Gabriel; 238Love, Larissa; 246 - Love, Larissa; 330 - Ohayon, Adam PUBLIC STORAGE # 75079, 5425 Overpass Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93111, (805) 284-9002 Sale to be held at www. storagetreasures.com. 124 - Blair, Jeannette; 319 - Burian, Susan Public sale terms, rules, and regulations will be made available prior to the sale. All sales are subject to cancellation. We reserve the right to refuse any bid. Payment must be in cash or credit cardno checks. Buyers must secure the units with their own personal locks. To claim tax-exempt status, original RESALE certificates for each space purchased is required. By PS Retail Sales, LLC, 701 Western Avenue, Glendale, CA 91201. (818) 244-8080.

Publish: February 19, 2026

“ r. as und a so shared his ersona e eriences as a young chi d in enmark during the azi regime, said c u mem er aren raf.

If you or anyone you know is feeling alone, desperate or in need of emotional support, please know that there is FREE help available! The numbers below provide 24/7 FREE services to everyone.

Morning Rotary accepting applications for nonprofit rants

Openings now available for children and adults. Contact Kary Kramer @ 805-453-3481

FREE SERVICES

1-888-867-1649

24/7 ACCESS LINE is AVAILABLE for CHILDREN, FAMILIES and ADULTS

The otary u of ar interia orning is acce ting a ications for the c u s annua grant rogram from oca non ro t organizations that serve ar interia. ications must e su mitted y ri , and those interested may a y at car morningrotary.org . ndividua grants range from , to , , with a tota of , in funding avai a e. The grant reci ients wi e honored at the c u s annua award event on ay .

1-800-273-8255

NATIONAL SUICIDE

LIFELINE

If you or anyone you know is feeling alone, desperate or in need of emotional support, please know that there is FREE help available! The numbers below provide 24/7 FREE services to everyone.

1-888-867-1649

CRISIS TEXT LINE: TEXT 988

24/7 ACCESS LINE is AVAILABLE for CHILDREN, FAMILIES and ADULTS

1-800-273-8255 NATIONAL SUICIDE LIFELINE CRISIS TEXT LINE: TEXT 988

COASTAL VIEW NEWS DOES

COASTAL VIEW NEWS DOES NOT KNOWINGLY ACCEPT advertising which is deceptive, fraudulent, or which might otherwise violate the law or accepted standards of taste. However, this publication does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of any advertisement, nor the quality of the goods and services advertised. Readers are cautioned to thoroughly investigate all claims made in any advertisements, and to use good judgment and reasonable care, particularly when dealing with the persons unknown to you who ask for money in advance of delivery of the goods or services advertised.

recently toured Seek Health and Cowork Carpinteria, both owned by Dr. Mckenzie Cervini, pictured in the center.

Rotary Morning tours Seek Health, Cowork Carpinteria

The otary u of ar interia orning recent y toured eek ea th, a chiro ractic c inic that a so offers massage thera y, acu uncture and ersona training, as we as owork ar interia, a rofessiona works ace, oth ocated at ugenia ace and owned y r. ckenzie ervini. ervini s oke to c u mem ers a out her commitment to care that focuses on the who e erson.

“ t is ins iring to see young rofessiona s fo ow their dreams and e citing to su ort their ourney, said the c u s vocationa chair ristina a kins. “ r. ervini saw a need in the ar interia community and is offering a so ution.

advertising which is deceptive, fraudulent, or which might otherwise violate the law or accepted standards of taste. However, this publication does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of any advertisement, nor the quality of the goods and services advertised. Readers are cautioned to thoroughly investigate all claims made in any advertisements, and to use good judgment and reasonable care, particularly when dealing with the persons unknown to you who ask for money

COASTAL VIEW NEWS DOES NOT KNOWINGLY ACCEPT advertising which is deceptive, fraudulent, or which might otherwise violate the law or accepted standards of taste. However, this publication does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of any advertisement, nor the quality of the goods and services advertised. Readers are cautioned to thoroughly investigate all claims made in any advertisements, and to use good judgment and reasonable care, particularly when dealing with the persons unknown to you who ask for money in advance of delivery of the goods or services advertised.

Locals protest immigration enforcement on overpass

Carpinteria joined nine other communities on Feb. 14 in a coordinated “bridge brigade” demonstration at the Linden Avenue Overpass, with residents displaying signs protesting the recent actions of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department.

More than 30 participants gathered on the overpass Saturday, according to Carpinterian Diane Wondolowski, and organizers reported strong support from local walkers and drivers, with many offering encouragement, waves and honks from the freeway.

“We were energized by the level of positive engagement from the community,” organizers said. “The turnout reflects a shared commitment among residents to come together and be visible.”

The next event will be a nationwide No Kings action on March 28, Wondolowski said.

Seascape Realty

mixed-use property on the 'T' in downtown Carpinteria-fantastic location! Parcel currently configured as 5 residential rental units and 1 commercial rental. Commercial building is a florist, but past uses include a salon, art gallery/gift shop, bike shop, and was once the location of the Carpinteria Herald newspaper! All but one residential unit currently rented. Some tenant parking onsite, W/D hookups in storage area. PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB TENANTS.

OFFERED AT $2,500,000

Please call Terry Stain at 805-705-1310