Santa Barbara Independent 4/23/26

Jumping into Regenerative Wine

ChATSBa

I want to take my mom to the very best brunch this Mother’s Day! Where should I take her to celebrate?

Without a doubt, the very best brunch is served at the Stonehouse Restaurant at San Ysidro Ranch. Not only will they serve a fabulous three course brunch with champagne, they will also have a fresh flower cart and custom scent bar to blend your own fragrance as sweet and special as mom! She will really feel loved!

Great idea! How do I make a reservation?

Just give them a call at 805-504-1964 to make a reservation between 10am and 1:30pm on Sunday, May 10!

Suggested: CALL 805-504-1964

Sustainable Heart

Sustainable Heart ~ Transformational Life Counseling ~

Sustainable Heart ~ Transformational Life Counseling ~

Sustainable Heart ~ Transformational Life Counseling ~

Sustainable Heart ~ Transformational Life Counseling ~

Sustainable Heart ~ Transformational Life Counseling ~

~ Transformational Life Counseling ~

Relationships • Occupation and Career • Meditation

Relationships • Occupation and Career • Meditation

Relationships

Relationships • Occupation and Career • Meditation

Relationships • Occupation and Career

• Occupation and Career • Meditation

Grief and Loss

• Major Life Transitions • Anxiety

• Meditation

Grief and Loss • Major Life Transitions • Anxiety

Grief and Loss

Relationships Grief and Loss

Grief and Loss • Major Life Transitions • Anxiety

Grief and Loss • Major Life Transitions • Anxiety

Spiritual Issues • Communication • Conflict

• Major Life Transitions • Anxiety

Spiritual Issues Communication Meditation Anxiety Conflict

Grief and Loss • Major Life Transitions • Anxiety

Spiritual Issues • Communication • Conflict

Spiritual Issues • Communication • Conflict

Occupation and Career Major Life Transitions Dream Work

Spiritual Issues • Communication • Conflict

Spiritual Issues • Communication • Conflict

Michael H Kreitsek, MA

Michael H Kreitsek, MA

Michael H Kreitsek, MA

Michael H Kreitsek, MA

Michael H Kreitsek, MA

Transpersonal Counseling Psychology

Michael H Kreitsek, MA

Transpersonal Counseling Psychology

Transpersonal Counseling Psychology

Transpersonal Counseling Psychology

Transpersonal Counseling Psychology www.sustainableheart.com

Transpersonal Counseling Psychology

Counseling From a Buddhist Perspective 805 698-0286

Counseling From a Buddhist Perspective 805 698-0286

Counseling with Wisdom and Compassion 805 698-0286

Counseling with Wisdom and Compassion 805 698-0286

Counseling From a Buddhist Perspective 805 698-0286

Counseling From a Buddhist Perspective 805 698-0286

Mindful Support for Uncertain Times 805-698-0286

Social Justice Advocate and National Book Award-winning Poet

An Evening with Martín Espada

Wed, Apr 29 (new date) / 7:30 PM

UCSB Campbell Hall

FREE

(registration recommended)

Martín Espada, winner of the 2021 National Book Award and a defining voice in American poetry, confronts injustice with lyrical power, celebrating the dignity of working people and illuminating issues of inequality, labor and immigration.

Writer, Naturalist and Activist Terry Tempest Williams in Conversation wit h Pico Iyer

Wed, May 13 / 7:30 PM

UCSB Campbell Hall

A fearless voice for ecological awareness and positive social change, author and activist Terry Tempest Williams joins Pico Iyer to explore the role of imagination in seeking justice and stewarding the future of the planet.

Thoughtful Living, Beautifully Designed

In the heart of Santa Barbara, Vista Del Monte offers a setting as thoughtful as your plans: a beautifully landscaped campus, ocean air and a community designed for connection. As a continuing care retirement community, it’s a place to enjoy today fully, with the confidence of knowing tomorrow is already considered, so life continues with ease, purpose and possibility.

Editor

Executive Editor Nick Welsh

News Editor Jackson Friedman Opinions Editor Jean Yamamura

Arts and Culture Editor Leslie Dinaberg

Calendar Editor Terry Ortega Calendar Assistant Isabella Venegas

Kettmann

News Reporters Ryan P. Cruz, Callie Fausey, Ella Heydenfeldt, Elaine Sanders

Senior Arts Writer Josef Woodard

Mickey Flacks Fund Fellow Christina McDermott Assistant Editor Tiana Molony

Copy Chief Tessa Reeg Copy Editor Nathan Vived Sports Editor Victor Bryant

Web Content Manager Don Brubaker Social Media Manager Maya Johnson

Food Writer George Yatchisin Travel Writers Macduff Everton, Mary Heebner

Art Director Xavier Pereyra Associate Production Manager Bianca Castro

Graphic Designers Leah Brewer, Diego Melgoza, Haley Snyder

Columnists Dennis Allen, Gail Arnold, Sara Caputo, Christine S. Cowles, Laura Gransberry, Betsy J. Green, Shannon Kelley, Austin Lampson, Melinda Palacio, Cheri Rae, Hugh Ranson, Amy Ramos, Starshine Roshell

Contributors Ingrid Bostrom, Rob Brezsny, Jim Buckley, Cynthia Carbone Ward, Ben Ciccati, Cheryl Crabtree, John Dickson, Roger Durling, Chuck Graham, Keith Hamm, Rebecca Horrigan, Gareth Kelly, Kevin McKiernan, Carl Perry, David Starkey, Ethan Stewart, Brian Tanguay, Tom Tomorrow, Kevin Tran, Jatila Van der Veen, Isabelle Walker, Maggie Yates, John Zant

Director of Advertising Sarah Sinclair Marketing and Events Manager Richelle Boyd

Advertising Representatives Suzanne Cloutier, Bryce Eller, Ariana Hugo, Tonea Songer, Scott Maio

Digital Marketing Specialist Graham Brown Business Operations and Accounting Manager Erin Lynch

Office Manager/Legal Advertising Tanya Spears Guiliacci Distribution Gregory Hall Interns Alice Dehghanzadeh, Andrew Migliaccio, Evan Ragland, Madeline Slogoff, Lauren Solway, Emily Vesper

Columnist Emeritus Barney Brantingham Photography Editor Emeritus Paul Wellman

Founding Staff Emeriti George Delmerico, Richard Evans, Camille Cimini Fruin, Laszlo Hodosy, Scott Kaufman Honorary Consigliere Gary J. Hill

IndyKids Bella and Max Brown; Elijah Lee, Amaya Nicole, and William Gene Bryant; Henry and John Poett Campbell; Emilia Imojean Friedman; Rowan Gould; Finley James Hayden; Ivy Danielle Ireland; Madeline Rose and Mason Carrington Kettmann

Print subscriptions are available, paid in advance, for $120 per year. Send subscription requests with name and address to subscriptions@independent.com. The contents of the Independent are copyrighted 2026 by the Santa Barbara Independent, Inc. No part may be reproduced without permission from the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must accompany all submissions expected to be returned. The Independent is available on the internet at independent.com. Press run of the Independent is 25,000 copies. Audited certification of circulation is available on request. The Independent is a legal adjudicated newspaper court decree no. 157386. ISSN 2834-3174 (Print) ISSN 2834-3204 (Online) Contact information: 223 E. De la Guerra St., Suite B, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 PHONE (805) 965-5205; FAX (805) 965-5518

EMAIL news@independent.com,letters@independent.com,advertising@independent.com Staff email addresses can be found at independent.com/about-us

The Independent staff would like to extend a warm thank-you to everyone who attended Backyard Brunch this past Saturday, April 18. The community and Independent staff spent a beautiful spring day in the sun with family and friends in tow at the Rancho La Patera and Stow House. The day was filled with lawn games, grabbing prints at the photobooth, making masks and art, trying our luck at giveaways, devouring delicious local sips and bites, and enjoying the live music of Dom Lawarence and Miles Julian, closed out by the Brasscals! Thank you for coming to mix, mingle, have a bite, and support our journalism. Head to independent.com/about-the-indy to read a full recap of the event and see photos by Ingrid Bostrom.

®

NEWS of the WEEK

by RYAN P. CRUZ, CALLIE FAUSEY, JACKSON FRIEDMAN, TYLER HAYDEN, ELLA HEYDENFELDT,

ENVIRONMENT

Environmental Stewards Recognized

“Sustainable.” “Green.” “Environmentally friendly.” The words get used a lot. At Explore Ecology’s Environmental Stewardship Awards on Thursday at Cabrillo Pavilion, the focus was on what those words actually mean in action. The awards part of a program dating back to 2016 recognized 15 students, teachers, and school programs across Santa Barbara County.

First were the event’s smallest but mighty awardees: a K-1 group from Carpinteria’s Canalino Elementary known as the Planet Protectors, who clean up their campus each week. They even arrived early to the venue to do a beach cleanup. Asked how that went: “A lot of trash, cool fish things,” said student Enzo. His favorite part: “picking up trash.” Reese, another student who could not quite reach the microphone, put it simply as “helping the ‘erf’. ”

At the Cabrillo High School Aquarium in Lompoc, it’s the same philosophy, just taller students. What began as a single tank is now a 5,000-square-foot, student-run aquarium with more than 25 exhibits, roughly 200 students involved, and about 10,000 annual visitors, according to aquarium director Greg Eisen.

Also in Lompoc, at Just for Kids Preschool, teachers Juana Zarate, Silvia Hernandez, and Rosa Herrera have built garden-based learning into their classrooms, getting students to care for plants and engage with nature early. Jacob Pepper of Santa Barbara’s Anacapa School is working with students to cut campus waste by 30 percent, which translates to “what a family of four would have on a consistent basis.”

At Brandon Elementary School in Goleta, 5th-grade teacher Lisa Lisle’s goal was to keep plastic utensils out of the trash cans entirely by

COURTS &

replacing them with reusable sporks. Brandon Elementary’s principal dubbed the campaign “May the Sporks Stay with You.”

Dr. Bree Valla, who could not make it, is principal of Vista del Mar Union School District in Gaviota and is guiding the district’s transition to the Vista Institute of Environmental Studies.

At Midland School, teacher Isabella Marill has set up an environmental club, conducted an environmental audit, and is formalizing an environmental stewardship plan. Marill also shares the award with her students, both figuratively and literally, as one of her own, Midland senior River Peace, also earned an award for transitioning the school farm to climate-resilient, perennial native plant species.

At Santa Barbara High, student Jade Garcia organized the “Make Polluters Pay” walkout. “I hold onto the comfort that we are making a change for my future and the generations to come,” she said.

Sophie and Hunter Costa a brothersister duo described as “school garden dynamos” were also recognized. “I like to mulch and weed and also pick vegetables,” said Hunter of Santa Barbara’s La Colina Junior High. “I think it’s nice to know I am making a change,” said his sister Sophie of Monte Vista Elementary.

Then there was 4th grader West Lang, who handled a swarm of bees after recess at Santa Ynez Valley Charter School, safely relocating them with the help of his father, Jason.

CITY

The S.B. City Council voted 6-1 in favor of a resolution that promotes protection of immigrants and outlines city policies in response to federal immigration enforcement. The updated resolution reflected additions regarding the sharing of private data, federal enforcement at city facilities, election interference, and a potential city council notification system to share information about ICE activity. The sole vote against the resolution, described by City Attorney John Doimas as a “mostly symbolic gesture,” came from Mayor Randy Rowse, who said he felt that the resolution was divisive in nature and could damage trust in local law enforcement.

EDUCATION

Goleta’s Octobots Robotics placed second at the FIRST Robotics Southern California State Championship in Anaheim, earning the student-led team a spot at the FIRST Robotics World Championship, set for 4/28-5/2 in Houston. Octobots entered the competition seeded 13th after qualifying rounds, then upset higher-ranked alliances to reach the finals. They ultimately fell to a top-ranked alliance led by a team ranked third out of 3,725 worldwide. Now, the team is working to raise about $50,000 to cover travel and competition costs. See givebutter.com/help-us-get-to-championships.

PUBLIC SAFETY

On 4/14, County Fire responded to a house fire on the 5000 block of Amberly Place in Goleta Valley, which claimed the life of Carolee Martin, 89, a dog, and a cat. According to a GoFundMe posted by the great-grandson of the deceased, the house “exploded,”displacing five family members and their pets. Firefighters were alerted to the fire just after 2 p.m. and notified that someone may be in the house during the blaze. According to Captain Michael Gray, it took about 10 minutes to extinguish the flames and that the fire was contained to just the house. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Sable’s Federal Defense Falls Flat in S.B. Court

On Friday, Santa Barbara Superior Court

Judge Donna Geck refused to lift the injunction blocking Sable Offshore Corp. from restarting its pipeline system even as oil continues to flow.

That alone might sound like just procedural sparring, but this time, the ruling did something new: It rejected, for the first time, Sable’s argument that a federal order issued under the Defense Production Act allows it to sidestep state law and the court’s prior orders.

The Environmental Defense Center (EDC) and a coalition of environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, filed lawsuits in April 2025 against state fire regulators, alleging Sable was illegally issued waivers to operate its pipelines without corrosion protection. Sable, which purchased the Santa Ynez Unit in 2024 and was named

as a real party in interest in the suits, had been trying to resume operations after the system shut down because of the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill, which was caused by a badly corroded pipeline. A preliminary injunction issued last July required the company to secure all necessary state approvals and give the court 10 days’ notice before restarting.

Instead, Sable began moving oil again in March, pointing to a federal directive ordering it to “prioritize and allocate pipeline transportation services” under the Defense Production Act. In court, Sable argued that the federal order effectively overrides those state requirements that it cannot comply with both. Geck disagreed.

“The most important thing is the judge denied Sable’s request … the injunction is still in place,” said Linda Krop, chief counsel from

Leise Thomason, a science specialist at Santa Barbara Charter School, has taken action in a multitude of ways: gardens, composting, and a mini reuse station inspired by Art from Scrap. Her advice to the audience: “Have gratitude … love the planet, and love what you do. The environmental movement has many needs, and we all have our own strengths.”

—Ella Heydenfeldt

LABOR

the EDC. “She flat-out said, ‘You still have to comply’. ”

The distinction is a technical one, but with broad consequences. Federal law can preempt state law but only when the two are in direct conflict. Here, the court found no such conflict. Sable can comply with the federal directive while still obtaining state permits and following the court’s order.

“Every day that oil’s flowing through these pipelines means that Sable is in violation of the court’s preliminary injunction order,” CBD attorney Talia Nimmer said.

That violation now moves to the foreground. Judge Geck set a May 22 hearing to consider whether Sable should be held in contempt of court a step that could carry financial penalties or additional enforcement orders.

A union representing roughly 42,000 service and patient care workers across the UC system has announced plans for an open-ended strike beginning 5/14 — a move that could disrupt campus operations at UCSB and mark the first indefinite work stoppage of its kind in UC history. The workers, represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 (AFSCME), have been without a ratified contract since 2024 and are currently in negotiations with the university over wages, healthcare costs, staffing, and housing support. The UC said it is “disappointed” by the strike announcement.

COURTS & CRIME

County Fire announced on 4/20 that a 12/5/24 fire at the former Sear Steakhouse on Solvang’s Fourth Street was intentionally set. Investigators say three individuals — believed to be juveniles or young adults from the Santa Ynez Valley — were seen leaving the building roughly 15 minutes before the fire was first reported. Security footage places the same trio across the street soon after, lingering in a parking lot as the building went up in flames. Crews were able to contain the fire within minutes and prevent it from spreading. To leave a tip, call (805) 6865074 or email at fireinfo@sbcfire.com. n

CANDIDATE FORUMS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 AT 6 PM

CANDIDATES FOR 37 TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

A virtual forum to be livestreamed

THURSDAY, MAY 7 AT 6 PM

CANDIDATES FOR COUNTY SUPERVISOR

2 ND DISTRICT

Goleta Union School District Board Room In-person and livestreamed

Both forums will be recorded by TVSB and can be watched on YouTube (on the League’s website) and on our Facebook page. Simultaneous interpretation in Spanish will be provided on May 7. Recordings of both forums in English and Spanish will be available for later viewing.

For information about the June 2 California election, go to cavotes.org for the English and Spanish Easy Voter guides.

New State St. Plans Released

The newest version of the State Street Master Plan has been released to the public for review and comments ahead of an upcoming Santa Barbara City Council hearing scheduled for April 28, where the plan will be presented to the council for the next round of discussion and deliberation about the long-term future of downtown Santa Barbara.

The 153-page plan with another 171 pages of related documents was drafted in collaboration with the city’s latest consultant for the State Street Master Plan, urbanist Stefanos Polyzoides of the renowned architectural firm Moule & Polyzoides. The documents include historical context, analysis of previous downtown updates, and details of the planning process leading up to the current draft.

The current design spans nearly a mile across the downtown core, from the Arlington Theatre near Sola Street down to the State Street undercrossing at Gutierrez Street. Details of the plan show the 11-block stretch divided into three main sub-districts, labeled the Entertainment District (from the 300

CITY

S.B.

SSanta Barbara

block of State Street through the 600 block), the Civic and Commercial District (from the 700 block through the 900 block), and the Arts District (from the 1000 block through the 1300 block).

On April 28, the City Council will review the updated plan and give guidance on key elements of the finalized design, including a proposed modular street layout in which the city would use retractable bollards to dictate when vehicle traffic would be allowed on portions of State Street. Potentially, the city could restrict traffic during business hours (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and open up the street to public traffic from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. The city released the documents to encourage community members to weigh in on the master plan, inviting the public to write letters or participate in the April 28 meeting through public comment.

—RyanP.Cruz

View the entire plan and appendices at statestreet. santabarbaraca.gov. Written comments can be emailed to the city at statestreetmasterplan@ santasarbaraca.gov.

Begins Budget Season

anta Barbara’s budget planning season is underway. On Tuesday, April 21, the City Council received an overview of the 2027 fiscal year operating budget. Structured to reduce the projected deficit, originally estimated at $14 million, the budget is now projected a more palatable target of $3.4 million.

City Finance Director Keith DeMartini and Budget Manager Natalija Glusac said the plan was to avoid major cuts, instead relying on revenue increases and expenditure savings totaling about $3.6 million and another $1.5 million saved by delaying the hiring of vacant positions. Further savings would come from reallocating $2 million each from the fleet replacement and streets maintenance funds, $1 million originally intended for the city’s housing fund, and a little more than $1 million in other recommended options.

All told, the city budget would come in “technically balanced,” DeMartini said, with a surplus of about $200,000. But the city would have to factor in a required $3.6 million contribution to the reserve fund necessary to keep the fund at viable levels bringing the final deficit to $3.4 million.

The city has operated with a deficit ever since 2023, partly due to the disparity between incoming revenues and everincreasing expenditures.

The City Council unanimously approved the timeline of budget hearings, which will continue with a Finance Committee review on May 12, followed by City Council budget hearings for individual departments on May 12 and May 19. A final city council budget hearing will be scheduled for June 9, allowing the city to meet the target adoption date by June 16.

The entire budget book and associated documents are available online to the public through the city’s website.

Supes Stand for ‘Law and Order’ Against ICE

What Can County Government Do to Prevent Chaos and Violence?

by Nick Welsh

The term “law and order” got tossed around a fair amount during the county supervisors’ special hearing this Tuesday. Under discussion was how to best stand up to ICE enforcement actions now taking place throughout Santa Barbara County. Acknowledging the lack of clarity as to what legal authority their actions would actually carry, or even how their resolutions could be enforced, the supervisors nevertheless agreed that ICE’s conduct in the county bore little resemblance to “law and order.” ICE agents have reportedly arrested 1,897 suspected unlawful immigrants in the 805 area code this year.

Supervisor Roy Lee, an immigrant who moved here from Taiwan with his parents, co-authored the three-part measure along with Supervisor Laura Capps. “My mom and dad walk down the street with their U.S. papers all the time now,” he stated. “They are terrified that ICE will pick them up and I won’t know where they are. I support law and order, but with ICE, what we see is not law and order. It’s chaos. Pure chaos.”

On paper, the supervisors voted 4-1 to ban ICE agents from using county public spaces to launch unauthorized enforcement actions. They voted unanimously to have county election officers craft a plan of response should ICE agents seek to disrupt the upcoming elections this June and November. And they voted 4-1 to instruct county planning staff to explore all available avenues to prevent ICE from opening new detention facilities on property under county jurisdiction. Supervisor Bob Nelson cast the sole dissenting votes.

Supervisor Steve Lavagnino cautioned against passing measures worded in ways that would give at-risk county residents a false sense of security. When he and other supervisors pressed County Counsel Rachel Van Mullem for legal clarification, Van Mullem said that it would depend on the specific facts of a situation. For example, did the ICE agents have a warrant for their enforcement actions? And if so, did that warrant need to be signed by a judge, or would a simple administrative warrant signed by their home office suffice? If a detention facility was proposed, was it on federally owned land or in a privately owned warehouse?

The more critical question was what enforcement actions could the county take in any situation. For instance: What if ICE agents congregated at the Tucker’s Grove county park to launch a raid for which they lacked adequate warrants? Would the county sheriff roll out deputies to stop them?

Not likely, according to Sheriff Bill Brown, who cautioned the supervisors that ICE is constitutionally authorized to enforce U.S. immigration laws no matter what various state and county elected officials might think about it. The supervisors were unequivocally

told that federal agents were barred by law from encroaching within 100 feet of a polling place. No guns, they were also told, were allowed at polling places.

Among the 27 public speakers was an immigration attorney representing a young girl detained in ICE’s detention facility in Santa Maria, who related how the girl described the ICE agents’ threats. The girl said that the agents wanted to know where her parents were, and if she didn’t tell them, they would call Child Protective Services. She told her lawyer that they said: “You do know we can go hunt [your father] down at his house.’”

“It’s not about the law,” the lawyer told the supervisors. “It’s about the violence.”

Before the comment portion of the meeting, Supervisor Lavagnino had seemed skeptical about supporting the proposals to restrain ICE, but after hearing from the public, he appeared to flip.

He recounted how Trump had publicly threatened to federalize elections in 15 states, even though the Constitution explicitly gives states sole discretion over how elections are conducted. And as for ICE and how ICE agents have conducted themselves, he was openly appalled. “I’m a law-and-order guy, too,” he said, “but what I’ve seen from ICE in the past year is unconscionable snatching people off the street, separating families.” He added he didn’t want to be explain to his grandkids how he couldn’t support the proposal because of some hairsplitting differences he might have about judicial versus administrative warrants. “So, I’ll be supporting the proposals,” he said.

Capps, who spent considerable effort incubating this measure, noted that the sheriff of Riverside County, Chad Bianco also a Republican candidate for governor had seized more than 650,000 ballots from the county elections office on the grounds that they might reveal voter fraud. They did not. Voters in Santa Barbara need to know their rights, she said. They needed to know they are safe. “We have the power of communication in our office,” she stated. “We need to use it.”

On May 5, county elections officials are scheduled to appear before the board to discuss their plans to make that happen. n

Learn. Share. Contribute.

Make a difference. Become a docent at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

If you have a passion for art and are interested in serving the community, the SBMA Docent Program is a rewarding and supportive environment to learn and have fun. Volunteer docents engage with visitors of all ages through guided tours to make works of art accessible to everyone. An art background is not required.

Attend a recruitment reception on Thursday, May 7, 3:30 – 5 PM at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

For more information, contact education@sbma.net or visit www.sbma.net/docent.

WHAT’S ON VIEW

Magical Realism: Latin American Photographers in Dialogue RANDOM-ACCESS MEMORY: Internet Art

As if in a Dream: History, Fantasy, Future

SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART

WWW.SBMA.NET @sbmuseart

Billionaire Gov. Hopeful Stops in S.B.

At a town hall in Santa Barbara on Wednesday, billionaire candidate for governor Tom Steyer laid out his vision for an affordable California free from the influence of corporate special interests. The hedge-fund-manager-turnedclimate-activist received a warm welcome along with a few pointed questions from a packed auditorium of hundreds of Central Coast residents, who cheered at Steyer’s promises to build affordable housing, protect the environment, and crack down on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

tory, stretched

“Californians can’t afford to live in California anymore. That is the number-one issue for the vast bulk of people in this state that can’t afford to put together rent, healthcare, gas costs, electricity costs, and food costs every month,” said Steyer. “That’s really what this campaign is about, at its heart.”

With Eric Swalwell’s departure from the race following sexual misconduct and assault allegations, this June’s crowded gubernatorial primary has become a tense scramble. Momentum is building for Steyer. He’s secured endorsements from a number of elected officials, labor unions, and environmental groups, including the influential California Teachers Association. But many are questioning his lack of traditional political experience and, what’s more, struggling to square his decidedly progressive platform with his exorbitant wealth.

The line to enter the event, held at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural His-

ELECTION 2026

In a decidedly fraught exchange late last week, it became painfully clear just how exasperated all five county supervisors have become with Joe Holland, the county’s 24-year incumbent clerk-recorder, assessor, and elections czar and how all five came to endorse Holland’s challenger in this June’s election, Melinda Greene, a department stalwart with 30 years’ experience.

Holland, suffering from chronic health issues, was the only department head out of 23 not to show up in person for last week’s three-day budget preview marathon. Supervisors Bob Nelson and Joan Hartmann both expressed disappointment that Holland was not present in the flesh but only via Zoom; Nelson, the board chair, lamented the lack of advance notice.

Holland, who started working for the critically important but unsung department back in 1984 and was first elected as its chief in 2002, has not been seen at his office for so long that his absence has become almost a meme in the Current, a conservative blog that bird-dogs local government. When asked directly how long it had been since he worked in the county elections office, Holland replied 18 months.

Before taking the stage inside the roughly 300-capacity Fleischmann Auditorium, Steyer stood on a bench to address an overflow crowd of roughly 100 people, apologizing for not booking a larger venue. Shortly after, the town hall commenced, with Steyer introducing his campaign goals and speaking briefly about his controversial background in finance. Early on, Steyer declared that he would answer any question. He was confident and assured as he tackled a range of topics, though he often emphasized broad objectives, leaving the specific policy actions he planned on taking to achieve those goals unspecified. Things got slightly thorny when it came to foreign policy, which figured in multiple audience questions despite it being a state-level election.

—Emily Vesper

Read the full story at independent.com/tomsteyer.

Supes Back Greene to Unseat Holland

“Believe me, if I could be in the office, I would be,” Holland said.

Holland told the supervisors he worked remotely from home. When pressed for details on how he engaged with divisional managers within the department, Holland replied, “I’m available by phone. All my division managers are able to get ahold of me instantaneously. They can call me, and I’m on it in a heartbeat.”

When the supervisors asked if he initiated any calls or actions, Holland said he did.

As an elected official, Holland is paid $247,000 a year whether he shows up or not. As a retired county employee, he also collects a $37,000 pension.

According to an email Holland sent, he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and is making good progress in his physical therapy. The email stated that his work office is currently being modified to accommodate his physical challenges.

Privately, many supervisors have wondered why Holland is running for reelection given how he’s reached retirement age. But back when his candidacy was still in doubt, Holland vowed in an interview, “If I can walk, I’ll run.”

—Nick

DA Shocked by Sentence for Fatal DUI

“Profoundly shocking” and “appallingly lenient” is how District Attorney John T. Savrnoch described the nine-month jail sentence given to a Santa Barbara woman who was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine when she caused a fatal collision on Highway 154 last May. The sentence was delivered April 14 by visiting Judge Brian Aronson from Sutter County.

Katelyn Fultz, 29, was driving eastbound on San Marcos Pass at around 6:50 a.m. on May 1 when she crossed the double yellow line and slammed head-on into a car driven by Carly Howard, who was on her way to work. Toxicology results showed Fultz had a blood alcohol content of 0.167 percent more than twice the legal limit and detected the presence of cocaethylene, a compound formed when cocaine and alcohol are used together. Fultz was also driving without a valid license, which she’d previously been cited for in November 2022 and February 2023.

Howard had to be extricated from her car and was transported unconscious to Cottage Hospital, where it was determined she had suffered a traumatic brain injury and multiple bone fractures. Three weeks later, with no hope of recovery, Howard was taken off life support and died shortly after. She was 24.

Last month, Fultz pleaded no contest to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, among other charges. At Tuesday’s

ENVIRONMENT

sentencing hearing, Judge Aronson heard what Savrnoch described as “powerful victim impact statements” from Howard’s family and friends and arguments from prosecutors that Fultz should be sentenced to 10 years and eight months in state prison. The Probation Department recommended seven years and eight months.

The sentence that Aronson ultimately handed down nine months in county jail, five years of probation, and a suspended sixyear prison term “does not come close to reflecting the magnitude of the loss suffered by Carly Howard’s family,” Savrnoch said. “A young woman lost her life because of a series of reckless, illegal, and dangerous decisions by the defendant.”

Fultz will be back in court on April 28, this time in front of Judge Von Deroian, to formalize the terms of her probation. Calls to the DA’s Office and Fultz’s defense attorney for further comment were not returned by press time.

‘Everything’s Getting Pinched’ “D

o you feel squeezed?” At UCSB, that question is posted directly onto a fence now set back from the bluff in front of Anacapa Residence Hall a fence that, until recently, sat closer to the edge. The relocation is part of the university’s SeaLevel Rise Adaptation Strategy and its public outreach effort a way of making visible what is otherwise incremental and easy to ignore: The coastline is moving.

The plan itself was adopted in June 2024 and later certified by the California Coastal Commission, which regulates development along the state’s 1,100-mile coastline. The strategy lays out a long-term approach to erosion, flooding, and sea-level rise through the end of the century, using projections of up to 6.6 feet of rise. It divides the campus into shoreline segments, assesses vulnerabilities, and outlines phased responses from monitoring and temporary protections to the eventual relocation or removal of infrastructure.

As the plan states, there is an “immediate need to address erosion threats to the road at a ‘pinch point’ near the Anacapa Residence Hall.”

“If you look at how much space is available along that stretch [of Lagoon Road], it’s variable,” said Charles Lester, director of UCSB’s Ocean and Coastal Policy Center.

A sign near Anacapa Residence Hall marks UCSB’s “pinch point,” where erosion is tightening the space between the bluff and campus infrastructure.

“But if you come toward Anacapa, it starts to get narrow … everything’s getting pinched.” The issue is not just the bluff. It is everything on top of it the road, utilities, bike paths, pedestrian access, and nearby buildings all competing for space that is, over time, disappearing. “The erosion trend is not expected to change,” Lester said. “That’s going to continue for decades.”

—Ella Heydenfeldt

Read the full story at independent.com/ everythings-getting-pinched

Creative Workshop

Sharon Frances Coloring Resistance

Have fun coloring and building community at Chaucer's Books! Take a break in your week to recharge and be with folks in a cozy atmosphere. All ages welcome.

Author/illustrator Sharon Frances will facilitate a workshop based on her new coloring book, Coloring Resistance: A Creative Recharge to Power Your Voice Activists need rest and inspiration to keep going and do the necessary work. In this book you can enjoy 50 coloring pages to recharge and keep moving.

As part of this special event, 10% of all sales from 5:30 - 7:30pm will be donated to Children's Creative Project.

Thu,

COMMUNITY

Jugglers Catch Fire in I.V.

Friday night kicked off a weekend of juggling in the 50th annual Isla Vista Jugglers’ Festival. Open to all, the event was co-hosted by Santa Barbara Jugglers Association and UCSB’s Juggling Club and raised funds for the nonprofit Standing Together to End Sexual Assault (STESA).

The event drew jugglers from Los Angeles and the Central Coast, many of whom know each other from the juggling festival circuit. But the crowd of around 60 on Friday was also dotted with folks learning to juggle for the first time, passersby of Little Acorn Park who were drawn in by the colorful clubs and glowing balls.

Once the sun had left the sky, the torches were lit. After having a safety briefing where folks learned how to smother flames with fire blankets and signing liability waivers, folks had the opportunity to juggle with fire. For a few, it was their first time catching fire, and many a torch was dropped. Thankfully, the emergency responders who were standing by did not have to extinguish any flames or treat any burns that night.

Saturday and Sunday saw two full days of juggling at the park, the main event being a ticketed professional juggling show at the I.V. Theater on Saturday night.

County Aims for Locals-First Housing

On Tuesday, the County Board of Supervisors took steps to implement a housing marketing program aimed at people who work and live on the South Coast and Santa Ynez region. They also gave preliminary approval for updating the county’s inclusionary housing code, allowing housing projects to split their market-rate and affordable housing units onto two nearby properties.

As initially presented to the board, the county’s marketing program would have required developers of market-rate projects on the South Coast to create a plan for marketing to locals and submit it to the county. Developers would have to market to local people for 21 days before opening up to general audiences.

The county said the program focused on the South Coast because of the job-housing imbalance in the region; county staff estimates the area has approximately 28,000 daily commuters.

Second District Supervisor Laura Capps said she thought the marketing period needed to be at least 12 weeks long and that a standard marketing plan is six to 18 months.

“This is about giving people a chance to live where they work, and this is the whole reason why we are fighting so hard, and we all share this value,” she said.

The supervisors unanimously approved the first reading of the marketing plan but with significant changes. Those changes included extending the 21-day period of local-targeted marketing to a 12-week period and allowing developers to give

price ranges to account for changes in the market over that time. They also voted to include the Santa Ynez Valley in the program.

Updating the county’s inclusionary housing law was a separate item on the supervisors’ agenda, although 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann said they came “hand-in-glove.”

The changes allow developers with projects that include affordable housing to place affordable units on a separate site, within one mile of the market-rate units. Housing program specialist Andrew Kish said the change would ensure the county is aligned with state laws, and allow developers to apply for tax credit financing for the affordable housing sites.

A separate change would update the list of who should receive priority for newly built affordable units in South County, such that a person renting the affordable units should either live or work in South County.

Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County, an affordable housing builder and provider, requested that county staff work with them on several points, which the county agreed to do over the course of the next six months.

County supervisors unanimously approved the initial reading of the proposed updates.

Both the market-rate housing program and the inclusionary housing updates will be on the administrative agenda on May 5, when county supervisors will vote on whether to formally adopt them.

—Christina McDermott

Montecito Stock Fraud Couple on the Run

Andrew and Helen Waters Operated a Multimillion-Dollar Scheme and Are Now Hiding in Australia

by Tyler Hayden

Andrew and Helen Waters exuded wealth and success. They lived in a $7 million home along a leafy Montecito cul-de-sac. They drove Range Rovers and rode horses and hosted posh dinner parties. Their most frequent guests were the parents of their children’s friends.

Andrew, a high-flying investment banker, had an easygoing attitude but a sharp sense of humor. Helen, a socialite from Hong Kong, was six feet tall, loud, and an excellent cook. They made a formidable pair.

“They played it brilliantly,” said Michael Cox, who worked briefly with Andrew before uncovering what the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has called the couple’s “fraudulent stock scheme.”

After multi-course meals and over expensive bottles of wine, Andrew would dangle a tempting business opportunity. He would offer his guests shares of his e-commerce company, ECom Products Group Corporation, for $0.21 with the promise of an “imminent public offering” that would raise the price to between $0.75 and $1, “a near-instant 300 percent to 400 percent profit.”

Andrew needed to quickly unload the stock at a discount, he’d say, because he was not a U.S. citizen and had overstayed his visa. Or because regulations required that he own less than 50 percent of the company. The reasons varied.

Between 2018, when they moved into the white stucco home on School House Road, and 2022, when they fled the United States, Andrew and Helen convinced nearly 20 of their guests to buy in. None, however, were ever paid out.

“Everyone who lost money to them had dinner at their house,” said Cox. “Every single one.”

This November, after a lengthy investigation, the SEC entered a final judgement against the Waterses for selling “virtually worthless” stocks to “community members whom they believed were wealthy or well-connected” in order to maintain their own “lavish lifestyle.” The agency also cited victims in Aspen, Colorado.

Andrew made false and misleading statements to his targets and “knew that he was diverting a significant portion of investor funds for personal use,” the SEC said. “[He] acted knowingly, or with extreme recklessness, in engaging in fraudulent conduct.”

The agency ordered the Waterses to pay back their victims, plus interest and penalties. Combined with other state and federal judgements against them, the couple now owes a cumulative $6 million to dozens of individuals.

“These are real people who never thought this would happen to them,” said Cox, referencing one man who lost $50,000 “that he really, really needed.”

But whether that money ever materializes is an unanswered question. Shortly after the SEC deposed Andrew, he and Helen packed up their family in the middle of the night and flew to Bali. They are now living in hiding somewhere in his home country of Australia.

TRADE SECRETS

Michael Cox met Andrew Wyles Waters through their children who were in the same elementary school class. Cox declined Waters’s overtures to invest, but his interest was piqued by an opportunity to serve as finance director of the e-commerce company.

This was not Cox’s first rodeo. He graduated from Stanford business school and had worked for Goldman Sachs. Waters, he said, was “messy and disorganized” but

“well-connected.” He had made a fortune as chair of a Hong Kong investment bank and was currently courting Hearst Corporation for what promised to be a lucrative deal.

Cox agreed to the gig. “I was his perfect local foil,” he lamented. But just weeks into the job, as Cox did his due diligence to untangle the company’s “financial puzzle,” he made a heart-stopping discovery. He found a lawsuit filed in Santa Barbara Superior Court in which Waters owed a former business partner, Hong Kong lawyer Mark Schaub, $2 million for “theft, fraud, and concealment.”

Cox confronted Waters, who claimed innocence and said the funds had been frozen by authorities but would soon thaw out. Again, Cox did his homework and found that Waters had in fact drained the $2 million and closed the associated account.

“I knew it was BS,” said Cox. “I quit then and there.”

Cox filed a report with the SEC and was quickly contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In retaliation, Waters sued Cox for breach of contract and fiduciary duty, alleging he had no right to turn over the company’s business records. Waters ultimately lost the case and still owes Cox $250,000 in attorney fees.

“The only trade secret the company had was that it was a fraud,” Cox said.

Both the FBI and its law enforcement counterpart in Australia, the Australian Federal Police, declined the Independent’s request for additional information about the case. The SEC did not respond. In his own conversations with U.S. authorities, Cox said he was simultaneously encouraged and demoralized by the agencies’ statements about bringing the Waterses to justice..

‘DEAD TO RIGHTS’

The FBI told Cox there is no doubt of the couple’s criminal culpability, that investigators have the pair “dead to rights.” (Thus far, all of the legal decisions against them have taken place in civil court.)

Cox. The agency simply doesn’t have the resources and struggles to police its own backyard. The agent said he could throw a baseball and hit another con artist who ought to be arrested. Going overseas was unlikely.

The SEC, on the other hand, assured Cox it had one of the strongest collections units in the world and would do all in its power to identify and seize the Waterses’ assets to pay back victims. Cox predicted Waters had another trick up his sleeve to pay for the boat trips and luxury home rentals his family posts on social media. “His demonstrable skill is craftiness,” Cox said.

In fact, according to the SEC, Waters is actively soliciting investors for an electric scooter business that claims to be “expanding rapidly in North America.” “We are constantly looking for the right partners in major cities,” its website states. Consumer reviews are scathing, with 18 complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau since 2023. “The scooter does not work,” reads one review. “It never has worked. They took my money and sent a worthless object.”

Over the last few years, Cox has spoken with dozens of people from all over the world who have been caught in the Waterses’ wake, including “investors who lost their money, friends who lost their faith, employees who lost their livelihood, and partners who lost their businesses.” More locally, he heard the couple skipped out on rent for their horse stalls and stiffed organizers of a regional wine festival.

Throughout the saga, which put significant strain on Cox’s mental health and marriage, he learned one important lesson: “People are under the illusion that law enforcement is out there, on top of it, and knows what’s going on,” he said. “That’s not always the case.”

Instead of relying on the government for protection from white-collar crime, Cox said people should exercise healthy skepticism when investing. “Maybe don’t take that great deal now and save yourself a lot of trouble and money on the back end,” he said.

“There are sharks out there, looking for you,” Cox went on, hoping that by speaking out he’ll help stop the couple’s next con. “I feel so affronted by it all that I just want it to

But tracking them down in Australia is another story, an agent at the FBI’s Los Angeles field office explained to

I Sing The Dog Electric

READ IT AND WEEP: There’s a line I find myself stumbling over these days: “I contain multitudes.” I like it. Naturally, I figured it came from the Bible. It has all the Bible’s murky poetic grandeur. It turns out, it was Walt Whitman one of America’s first dazzlingly epic poets. (And by the way, yes, he was gay.) The complete line Whitman wrote is: “I am large. I contain multitudes.” And that’s preceded by “Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself.”

I’ve been feeling especially contradictory and multitudinous these last few weeks. Maybe that’s because I’ve spent the better part of four days watching the county supervisors and all the county’s 23 department heads come to terms with how many widows and orphans they’ll have to throw overboard when they pass their budget this June. The answer? A whole lot. We’re talking about cutting $70 million and eliminating more than 400 full-time positions. (Spoiler alert: Yes, it’s all Trump’s fault. But it’s the California legislature’s, too.)

Against this grim backdrop, the supes simultaneously found themselves going toeto-toe with Sheriff Bill Brown over pretty much everything.

First: the size of the new North County Jail that needs to be built. The talk is about “housing pods.” Brown insists nothing fewer than two new ones will do. Translated into English, that’s 512 new beds, bringing the total number of beds under lock and key to 1,008. All that will cost $212 million to build. (And yes, I do have a bridge to sell you.) Amortized over time, that will add $15 million to the county’s financial obligations

Initially, a majority of the supervisors and the county’s powers-that-be thought they could get by with just one new pod, limiting the total jail system capacity to 752, which when population safety formulas are factored in translates to 639.

Ultimately, the supervisors indicated a willingness to cut the baby in half at 1.5 new pods. But in actuality, Brown got the much bigger half, though not before about 37 mental health and criminal justice reform advocates many wearing their signature red scarves, which I never really understood showed up and made what, in the moment, I thought was an utterly convincing case for more mental health beds, not new jail cells.

Full disclosure I pretend no dispassionate neutrality here. I got good and humid when the mother of a 41-year-old schizophrenic testified how her son has showed up to court 160 times for 20 separate cases, mostly involving petty theft, for which he’s served more than 300 days and nights behind bars at the county jail. It’s a zero-sum game, she argued. The more jail cells you build, she argued, the less money’s left over for mental health care

Most every family in America can tell some variant of this same story. I had a mentally ill uncle back when they still called bipolar disorder manic depression who got violent when jazz guitar player Charlie Byrd refused to play his hit song “The Girl from Ipanema” one more time. My uncle, a

bowling ball of a man, wasn’t that big but was a handful and got arrested. When he would visit the family, us kids found him hilarious. The older relatives had a decidedly different experience. Not long after his arrest, my uncle threw himself over a bridge. Nobody was laughing when he died. But there was a guilty, unstated sense of relief.

Over the years, I’ve sat across too many tables from too many parents of too many mentally ill adult children. They were drowning on dry land. So, when Sheriff Bill Brown argued, as he did during this newest jail sizing debate, that jails were places where people could hit bottom safely and start to turn their lives around, I bristled. That nostrum may well be true for alcoholics and drug addicts and alcohol certainly made my uncle more jolly but it’s totally irrelevant when considering the neurochemical shit shows that afflict the mentally ill and consume their families.

So no, I don’t wear a red scarf. But I may as well.

Beds, not cells.

Of course, it’s never quite that simple. Yes, 33 people in the county jail now have court orders decreeing they should be placed in treatment. Guess what? No room at the inn So, they wait. Yes, about 45 percent of the people in county jail are taking serious psychotropic drugs, suggesting how prevalent serious mental illness is in there. That number could well be an exaggeration; the medications prescribed for medically assisted addiction treatment with which the jail is making great strides is also a psychotropic medication.

I must highlight that 32 new treatment beds are slated to be built on the north

county jail campus sometime in 2029. This is not a lockdown facility for people with 5150 designations. These are voluntary beds They are not long-term beds, more like longish up to 30 days. Still, they’re new beds.

Part of the problem here is that Bill Brown has limited credibility when he talks dollars and cents. Off the record, every county supervisor will tell you what a great human being Brown actually is, but in the same breath, they will also tell you what a terrible administrator he is

Last year, his department’s overtime costoverruns exceeded $20 million. This year, it’s already hit the $9 million mark. His budget consumes one-third of the county’s general fund. Every other grand jury report seems to be about overspending at the county jail. Or how the jail’s private medical service provider probably charged the county $3.5 million for work not done or how Brown never blew the whistle about this or even issued one sanction.

Supervisors like Joan Hartmann can quote these issues chapter and verse. What about the meal carts the department purchased that were too wide to be wheeled down the halls. The list goes on. Little wonder Hartmann proposed the creation of an inspector general’s department just to birddog the sheriff’s spending. As proposed, it would be given the power to subpoena documents and staff.

Hartmann’s idea belly-flopped this week. Such a costly initiative in the face of draconian budget cuts was a deal killer. But the supervisors did vote 3-2 to endorse a proposed state bill giving county governments the option to appoint someone other than the sheriff to run their county

jails. Clearly, this bill was aimed at Brown The bill’s author, Assemblymember Gregg Hart, served two terms on the board of supervisors.

None of the supervisors believe Brown is lying about costs; they just don’t believe he knows. Brown moves through the world with genuine graciousness coupled with the unshakable certainty of someone who’s always right. And he’s been elected five times. That’s a record. He’s never faced a credible challenge. He got the new North County Jail built, a genuine accomplishment that stymied his predecessors. Along the way, he’s served as head of both state and sheriffs’ associations. It’s hard to argue with that history of success.

Here’s the bad news. The top two county administrators Mona Miyasato and Tanja Heitman  and Tracy Macuga, head of the Public Defender’s office, are all soon to retire. They have all focused 90 percent of their considerable cranial capacity trying to keep the mentally ill, the addicted, and the lowlevel offenders out of county jail. That’s a massive brain drain

Here’s the good news. Brown’s new undersheriff, Brad Welch, is smart, competent, and seems genuinely intent in solving problems that, in the past, seemed to not be taken seriously. In just four months at his post, Welch has wowed supervisors with his directness and openness.

Hey, it’s a start.

And no, I’m not particularly large, but yes thank you, Walt Whitman I too contain multitudes. At times, I wish some of them would just shut the hell up

In Search of a Solution

My neighbors and I have been attending meetings, pleading with the Goleta City Council, writing letters, and waiting for years for the city to address a growing problem right outside our kitchen windows and front doors.

On April 17, I counted 20 vehicles with people sleeping in them on Phelps Road at 7 a.m. Some of the same vehicles have been here for years.

Needless to say, we are exasperated with the city’s policies of zero enforcement and new study after new study. One can hardly take a walk and feel safe in our neighborhood. The trash collects, human refuse abounds, and, sadly, the vehicular unhoused population grows.

One can’t help but wonder if there needs to be a new approach to remedying this situation that Goleta is unable to address.

—Bob Craig, Goleta

Homeless Industrial Complex

The temporary solutions to homelessness are easier to fund, easier to count, and easier to expand than permanent affordable housing. But the cycles of interim housing paired with enforcement-based rules take away a person’s self-preservation.

Every return to the streets deepens trauma when time is up for a stay in interim housing. It disrupts medical care, employment efforts, mental stability, trust, and hope. People are asked to start over again. They must sleep fearful, without protection. Dependency on a program makes it harder to readapt to living on the streets.

For me, this is not an abstract policy debate. My son lived for a year in a condo provided through Good Samaritan Housing. As that year drew to a close, fear began to creep into our every conversation. No permanent housing was waiting on the other side. He tried; he jumped through so many hoops; he became exhausted by the block walls he rammed into.

Like so many families, we did what we could. I purchased him a motorhome so he would at least have a roof, a bed, and some measure of safety.

The cruel irony is that cities are increasingly considering new ordinances to make it illegal for people to live in a vehicle, their last shelter. The self-made survival solution becomes criminalized.

This is the deep wound of the homeless industrial complex. A family creates an alternative

outside the expensive interim housing cycle; the system responds with prohibition.

Millions are spent, yet residents continue to see the same men and women pushed from one temporary arrangement to another. The human cost keeps rising.

—Nancy McCradie, Secretary, Committee for Social Justice

Ocean’s 101st

The 101st Airborne loved the idea of kidnapping the Pope from the Vatican. This would be even easier than grabbing the President of Venezuela. The operational plan was so simple and clever that they could pull it off in less than 10 minutes.

Step one was to amass the extradition crew at the McDonald’s directly across the street from St. Peter’s. Located on Borgo Pio and Via del Mascherano, the area had no suspicion of the group of Americans assembled there. More importantly, it was less than two minutes away from where the Pope and the Popemobile were parked.

Getting past the Italian police escort and the Pope’s small army of Swiss Guards had been easy. The soldiers had control of the vehicle before anyone realized what was going on. A short ride to a private airbase and the papamobile was driven onto a waiting Lockheed C-130 Hercules and flown directly to Washington.

Before world leaders could react, the Pope was taken to a special “holding cell” secretly built in the construction site of the new ballroom. It is rumored that he’s resting there comfortably.

It is expected that the President will, sometime tonight, issue a statement from the Pontiff, in which the Pope will apologize for his harsh criticism of our “supreme leader.”

In addition to the Pope, it has also been reported that the 101st Airborne brought home two large bags of food from the Roman McDonald’s for the President and received a generous tip.

—David Obst, S.B.

For the Record

¶ Last week’s letter “Prevent Sexual Assault” incorrectly stated Donald Trump was convicted of “felony sexual assault”; he was found liable for sexual abuse in a civil lawsuit.

Frank J. Frost Jr. 1929–2026

Renaissance Man

BY VICTORIA FROST AND ALEX FROST

Frank J. Frost Jr., patriarch of the Frost family, scholar, university professor, underwater archeologist, musician, veteran, and public servant, died on January 9, 2026. He was born on December 3, 1929, in Washington, D.C., to Frank J. Frost Sr. and Eugenia Reynaud Frost (née Morris).

His early childhood was marked by frequent moves as the family headed west, in search of clear, dry air for health reasons. He and his siblings were often homeschooled and found to be far ahead in their studies by the time they started elementary school. Education and books, books in multiple languages, were pushed by Eugenia, the absolute matriarch of the family. This influenced Frank for the rest of his years.

The family ultimately settled in Palo Alto, where Frank entered the 3rd grade at the age of 6. By the time he was admitted to Oberlin College, he was just 16. Unfocused and somewhat nerdy, by his own account, the two-year difference made a socially awkward gap. Close to flunking out, when he turned 18, Frank joined the army. The military doctor mentioned during his physical that the TB lesions on his lungs exempted him from having to join; Frank told him he was “volunteering.”

Frank had attended a military academy during high school and found boot camp “easy.” Throughout his tour of duty, Eugenia bestowed lavish care packages of books, food, and booze, which made him popular on the front lines in Korea. What set his trajectory for his future as a Greek scholar and archeologist was a book on Alexander the Great. Frank never failed another class when he resumed the university.

Ancient sausage-making techniques were among Frank Frost’s repertoire. His kids were less fond of the phallic items and the way sausages would show up drying and curing around the house or in the laundry room for weeks.

During his military service, Frank performed a wide range of duties, but he was later assigned to atomic testing in the desert experiences that profoundly shaped his worldview. He was honorably discharged in 1953.

That same year, Frank married Cadidad “Violet” Nuñez, and together, they returned to Santa Barbara, where his family had settled. Frank supported his young family through the one skill he had fully mastered at that point in his life: jazz piano. Music was not merely a means of survival; it became a lifelong vocation. He continued to perform professionally in clubs and venues throughout Santa Barbara for decades, playing regularly until just months before his death.

Deeply inspired by books and by the moral urgency born of wartime experience, Frank went on to earn a doctorate from UCLA, mastering Ancient Greek, Latin, German, and French along the way. A gifted athlete and water polo player, he started underwater archeology during its infant stages. He joined trailblazing pioneers such as George Bass, who excavated the Bronze Age shipwrecks such as Cape Gelidonya in Turkey circa 1960. He mapped submerged ruins at sites like ancient Halieis in Greece’s Argolid Peninsula and Phoukari.

In later years, Frank would invite his graduate students to join in summer digs, most notably at Falasarna, dirty hard work under the hot Grecian sun. He found it enormously humorous that his students would fall victim to the charms of the local taverna owners at the end of a hard day. After pouring copious amounts of ouzo and wine during dinner, they would then offer the traditional after-dinner tsikoudia, also known as raki The young grad students would slam it, only to have it

refilled by the host. The sound of vomiting would interrupt the otherwise quiet night in the remote location. At six o’clock in the morning, the students sheepishly tried to disguise painful hangovers as they marched back to the dig site. Frank never did warn them.

In the 1970s, deeply concerned about unchecked growth and development in Santa Barbara County, Frank entered public life. Running on a groundbreaking environmental and managed-growth platform the first of its kind in the county he was elected county supervisor. His election marked a turning point in local politics and permanently altered the trajectory of landuse and environmental policy in the region.

In 1978, Frank married the great love of his life, Amanda “Mandy” Clark. The two had first met a decade earlier when Mandy was a graduate student, and they were reacquainted in the early 1970s. Grounded in shared intellectual, cultural, and artistic interests, together they built a rich and expansive life. In the 1990s, they purchased a home in Murs, France, in the Provence region, and spent half the year there until COVID hit.

Frank held a deep love of sailing, and he and Mandy would sail around the Mediterranean during their time in Europe. He even founded his own sailboat company largely, as he would jokingly admit, for tax write-offs promising to deliver sailboats anywhere in the world. He had greater success teaching courses on ancient mariners and maritime history.

Frank is the father of three children: Frank J. Frost III; Esmé Eugenia Frost, who predeceased him in 1972; and Victoria Rufina Frost (Robert Blanchard). He is also survived by three generations of grandchildren.

—Victoria Frost

Remembering Gramps

My grandfather, Frank Frost, had five grandkids and five great-grandkids, plus three great-greats. Somewhere along the way he started signing his emails “Gramps.” With that much lineage, you might imagine a man softened by time.

His hugs were big. He kissed us on the cheek. He loved fiercely. But he was never cuddly. The word implies frailty. Implies softness. And he was never that. Not even at 96.

Instead, he gave us something else. His comfort was storytelling. His therapy was curiosity. His intimacy was knowledge. That is how he loved, not by shrinking himself down to us, but by inviting us up into a larger world.

When I was about 12, I wanted to visit him and Mandy in France. He told me I could come, but only if I learned French first. So, I took private lessons for a couple of months. Unfortunately, I am not him. He spoke five languages. I learned how to ask where the bathroom was.

I flew to France anyway. Alone.

When he picked me up, the first thing he did was take me to a restaurant and make me order for him and Mandy. I did my best. We survived. Later on that trip, he drove me to Aix-enProvence, to a large French mall. He handed me some cash and said, “I will meet you back here in two hours.”

No cell phone. Definitely no French. Just a 12-year-old’s desire to shop.

That was his version of care. He believed you did not become capable by being protected. You became capable by being trusted. He did not wait for me to be ready. He sent me out, and trusted I would become so.

Another time, he and Mandy drove all the way up to Northern California to pick me up from summer camp, way up in the Trinity Alps, where you can see Mount Shasta in the distance. I had not packed. He was in a rush. So, he helped me pack by crumpling my clothes and shoving them into my bag, insisting this was the superior method. He was a veteran. He knew better. But his watch had other things in mind.

We rushed and rushed and rushed, driving for hours to what he called his favorite pit stop along the way. I half expected a glitzy restaurant with farm-to-table roasted rabbit. Instead, we arrived at a hole-in-the-wall truck stop diner in King City with early hours, at the time the only place without a drive-through for miles around.

He liked that the locals gathered there; he liked that it was rusty; he liked that it probably held lots of stories.

This was a man who flew first class, drank the best wines, ate the finest meats, and drove the cheapest Toyota on the lot. Everything was manual, including the windows.

Grandpa lived at the highest levels and spent freely where it mattered. But he was never precious about the parts that did not matter. Luxury, to him, was a tool, never the point. Living was the point.

And then there was the bookstore.

There was a difficult moment for my family when we were children, and he came to pick up my brother and me. He did not explain much. He did not ask questions. He took us straight to Chaucer’s Books. He placed us in the children’s section and walked away.

After a while, I went looking for him, half expecting him to be nearby, watching over us. Instead, I found him

sitting on the floor in the aisles, paging through books.

It took me years to understand that he had not taken us there for us. He took us there for him.

That was how he regulated. That was how he stayed upright in the world. And that was what he shared with us, not answers, but a way through.

Cuddles? Nah. Stretching the binding of a fresh, new book? Therapy.

And yet. For all the ways he resisted softness, there were moments when his tenderness surfaced, quietly, unmistakably.

When my daughter was born, I called my grandpa to tell him the news. He asked how I was. He asked if she was healthy. And then he asked her name. I asked if we could use his late daughter’s name, Esmé.

There was a long pause.

And then he said, very simply, “This is the first time I have heard that name and cried happy tears.”

That moment mattered to me not because it was sentimental, but because it showed me something essential. That even a man who was not cuddly held his family at the very center of his life. Love did not always look like softness with him, it looked like steadiness, lineage, and the adventure of always moving forward.

He did not hold us close to keep us safe; he sent us out so we could live. He believed that knowledge was care, and that stories were love. And that the greatest inheritance he gave us was the courage to step out into the world, and the curiosity to make sense of it ourselves.

That was his gift to us.

—Alex Frost

obituaries

J. Magenheimer 06/24/1934-04/13/2026

Joan Ellen Magenheimer passed away on April 13, in Santa Barbara, CA. Born in Milwaukee to Jack and Edith (BURKE) Peterman on June 24, 1934, Joan always kept her “Midwest Values.”

As a child, Joan was active in the performing arts, dancing with her sister, Barbara, twirling baton, and playing accordion at community venues. This led to a lifelong passion for music and live performances--especially Broadway musicals--which she passed on to the next generation.

Joan identified herself as a Navy Wife, having been married to Captain Richard Magenheimer for nearly 25 years and living all over the US, including Illinois, Washington, Maine and South Carolina. They settled in Santa Barbara in 1970, and it became a base for yearly family trips throughout the country.

Joan “caught the travel bug,” and after several years of teaching elementary and high school, she became a licensed Cruise Travel Agent, making lots of acquaintances. Many voyages were taken with her treasured “significant other,” Stan Roth, and he remained her lifelong friend, traveling companion and advocate.  Joan organized dozens of large group trips around the world, collecting a huge following of Cruise lovers from within the community. Known for her sense of humor (which she referred to joyfully as “the Peterman Wit”), she kept everyone laughing on those long trips. At last count, Joan had visited 70 countries and 5 continents!

Patriotism was quite important to Joan. She loved her country, and—especially from the 1980’s on— supported military-adjacent organizations, such as MOWW, USO, and several veterans’ groups such as the DAV. She enjoyed nothing better than sharing stories and trivia about WWII, talking to veterans and thanking them for their service. Almost every day, Joan could be found wearing red, white and blue clothing and jewelry.

Additional organizations in Santa Barbara included AAUW, Right to Life, St. Vincent de Paul, National Charity League, several bridge clubs, and a Formal Dining Group where members rotated hosting gourmet dinners.

As “the kids” moved away from Santa Barbara, Stan continued to be a major part of Joan’s life, traveling with her, helping her with household tasks, and being her companion/advocate. The entire family is grateful to Stan for everything, as he was instrumental in making Joan’s last years comfortable.

She is survived by her three chil-

dren: Mary Jo Woods (Richard), of Spokane, WA, Dan Magenheimer (Lisa McGee) of Broomfield, CO, and the “bonus baby,” Jen Arevalo (Pablo) of Lompoc, CA; three grandchildren, Jess Magenheimer (Joseph Brooks) of Cela, Portugal, Peter Magenheimer (Courtney Gosset) of Berlin, Germany, and Chris Apfelstadt (Becca) of Columbus, Ohio; and great-grandkids, Chris’s three children, Bennett, Rowe and Henry. Joan is also survived by her niece, Kathy Lichter-Farley (Pat) and several cousins in WI, Michael Bolles (Alison Cote) in CO, and her “favorite brother” (in-law), Art Magenheimer (Ann), plus nephews Jeff, Joe, & Jason in Oregon. She is preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Edith, her sister, Barbara Burke, Richard Magenheimer, and Daisy Magenheimer.

A celebration of Joan’s life will be held at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church on April 21 at 10 AM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St Vincent de Paul  https:// www.stvincents-sb.org/, OR any Veterans  group of your choice.  God  Be With You  and GOD BLESS AMERICA

09/03/1940-04/09/2026

Jim Worthen, a long-time resident of Santa Barbara and Goleta passed away on April 9, 2026, at the age of 85. Born Jimmie Bruce Worthen on September 3, 1940, in Effingham, Illinois, Jim grew up in San Francisco and Hayward, California before eventually making Santa Barbara his home. He built a lifelong career in real estate and remained a committed Republican throughout his life. He cared deeply for his country.

Jim is survived by his daughter and son, Lorri Rollins and Joshua Worthen; Lorri’s husband, Scott Rollins; and their children — Matthew Rollins, his wife Masami Rollins, and their son James; Rebecca Stout and her husband John Stout; Daniel Rollins, and his son Zephyrus; and David Rollins.

Jim loved his family with everything he had and was loved in return. In his later years, he returned to the Presbyterian Church, renewing his devotion to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Continued on page 18

obituaries

Joshua Christian Camberlan

Joshua Christian Camberlan, a long-time resident of Santa Barbara, passed away into The Lord’s eternal light and peace on February 1, 2025.  A Celebration of his life will be held on April 25, 2026 at 1:00pm at Westwood Presbyterian Church on 10822 Wilshire Blvd, LA. 90924 -telephone (310) 474 4535.

Rutledge Alexander "Putty" Mills

1923-2025

Rutledge Alexander "Putty" Mills, the absolute best Husband, Dad, Brother, Uncle, Grandfather, Great Grandfather and great friend to many, passed away peacefully in his sleep the morning of September 10th , 2025. Putty, as he was, and always will be known as, moved to Santa Barbara with his family when he was 5 years old. He grew up the oldest of four boys that I'm sure, kept his poor Northern Ireland immigrant parents on their toes. He would regale us with many stories about growing up in Santa Barbara, racing motorcycles up & down State Street, trying to outrun the cops, who all knew him & his friends. He and his brothers were early members of the Santa Barbara Motorcycle Club and he quickly became known for his skills on two wheels.

At eighteen, he joined the Army and served in Europe during World War II. He fought with General Patton's Third Army, landed after the Normandy invasion and endured the Battle of the Bulge. He was in Bavaria at the close if the war in Europe before being sent to the Pacific, where he was stationed in the Philippines.

After the war, he married Mary Galera with whom he had two daughters, Andrea and Denice. He later went on to marry Carol Fraser Davison, who had two daughters, Terri and Joanne. They moved to Flagstaff, AZ around that time, where Putty went to work for the U.S Geological Survey. He joined the Center of Astrogeology and from there, he became part of the

Apollo space program, designing & building lunar rover prototypes for astronaut training on the meteor craters, which simulated the moon surface, around the Northern AZ area. He earned national recognition for his work, including the astronauts own "Silver Snoopy" award for his dedication and ingenuity.

He never gave up on motorcycles; they were a constant in his life. In his late forties, he won the Arizona State Motocross Championship. After moving to Denver, he transitioned to Speedway racing, racing against riders' decades younger. He was still able to ride a bike around a track well into his nineties, when he went up North with my sister Denice, to visit his friends, Malcom & Cheri, who had their own track & regularly hosted riders to get together, reminisce and "tear it up!"

I could go on & on, telling you about all his accomplishments, his willing to help out anyone that asked, his kindness, knowledge, compassion, but it would end up being a novel. He lived a century with courage and curiosity. To his family and friends, he will always be remembered. Not just for the history he lived through, but for the kindness and generosity he displayed throughout his lifetime.

A Celebration of Life will be held at his residence (shop) on June 27th, 2026, 1662 N. Refugio Rd., Santa Ynez, starting at l :00 PM. Light refreshments will be available. Parking limited, carpooling is encouraged.

T. Menna 03/09/1927– 04/14/2026

T.

April 14,

A devoted mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, Barbara lived a life defined by kindness, faithfulness, love and quiet strength. Born on March 9, 1927, in Providence Rhode Island, Barbara was the eldest of four children. Her faith and spirituality started at a young age. As a young girl, Barbara and her sister Dorothy walked to Mass daily. She developed a lifelong love of

sewing also at an early age, which led her to pursue a degree from Rhode Island School of Design. At the age of 18, she was a young entrepreneur, opening up her own business, a tailoring shop, in Downtown Providence. In later years she sewed and sold at a local Santa Barbara store her own baby gowns under the label of BabyLove. A consummate seamstress, she never stopped sewing and altering clothes the entire course of her life.

Barbara married her sweetheart, Torquato (Tom) Menna, in 1948, and together they built a warm and welcoming home filled with religion, dancing, music, and great Italian food. She was known for her great cooking and baking, her love of china painting, her love of gardening and the way she loved to serve others. Upon joining St. Raphael Church in 1967, she actively sewed altar cloths, made vestments for the priests, and cleaned the church. Bible Studies played an integral role in her religious life. She loved Mother Mary, was a rosary maker for Our Lady of Sorrow Ministry with her daughter, Debbie, and prayed the rosary for family and friends three times a day. She was her family’s mighty prayer warrior.

Being a mother defined Barbara, as well. She was happiest when she was feeding and spending time with family and friends. As she became a grandmother and great-grandmother, she enjoyed working on projects with the young ones, and delighted in attending their sporting events and school activities. We called her our “Energizer Bunny!” Her famous quote was, “I just cannot sit still!”

Barbara is survived by her three children: Thomas Menna (Linda), Louis Menna (Paula), and Debbie Bertran (Rick); her seven grandchildren: Jennifer Conlon (Michael), Rebecca Conrad (Ben), Daniel Menna, Matthew Menna (Jaime), Anthony Bertan (Chloe), John Bertran, and Elijah Bertran; and her great grandchildren: Brayden, Hailey, Justin, Landon, Jackson, Colton, Ryan, Liam, Gracelyn, and Ethan, all who will carry forward her legacy of compassion and love. She is also survived by her sister, Dorothy Nardollilo of Cranston, Rhode Island, her brother, Robert Ferranti of Las Vegas, Nevada, her brother-in-law, Louis Menna of Cranston, Rhode Island, and her sister-in-law Jeannie Menna of Johnston, Rhode Island.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Nicholas and Theresa Ferranti, her husband, Torquato (Tom) Menna, and her brother Nicholas Ferranti Jr. of Cranston, Rhode Island.

The Visitation/Viewing will be held at Welch-Ryce Haider Mortuary, 450 Ward Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93111, on May 2 from 5:00 pm-7:00pm, followed by the recitation of the Rosary at 7 pm. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on May 4,2026 at St. Raphael Catholic Church, 5444 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93111 at 10 AM. Following the Mass the Internment will be held at

Calvary Cemetery at 199 N Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93110. A reception will follow immediately at the Rancho Embarcadero Community Center at 224 Vereda Leyenda, Goleta, CA 93117.

The family asks that donations be made to Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, 4200 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA 93110 in Barbara’s honor.

The family would like to thank the medical team at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for the care they gave to Barbara. They would also like to thank Emily, Gladys, Rachel, Sydney and Melody from Assisted Home Care were greatly helpful with Barbara’s home care. We appreciate their love and compassion.

Barbara will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew her, and her legacy of love will be forever in our hearts.

Tim Brophy 1953-2026

Tim Brophy passed peacefully on January 21, 2026, at Serenity House in Santa Barbara. A formal obituary appeared in the January 29 print edition of the Independent and is available at Independent.com.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 27, at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Cross Church on Cliff Drive in Santa Barbara. Interment at Calvary Cemetery will immediately follow the Mass. The Mass and interment are open to all who would like to attend.

An intimate lunch will follow. Due to limited space, the family kindly asks those interested in attending to RSVP by May 23 with party size to tim.brophy. memorial@gmail.com. Details will be shared directly.

Aileen Lois Castillo 06/16/1931-03/26/2026

Aileen Castillo (Koppleman), loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away peacefully on 03/26/2026. Aileen was a 4 th generation Santa Barbara native born at Cottage Hospital to Alvera Bonilla Koppleman and Samuel Koppleman.

She graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1949 later marrying Robert Castillo with

whom she spent the next 70 years together until her passing. While mom’s primary job was a homemaker, she spent many years doing childcare for close friends. Living across the street from the elementary school allowed her to volunteer much of her free time assisting the teachers and working on the playground becoming the favorite yard duty to many children, often being presented with lizards as gifts. Mom was later recognized for all her volunteer work by receiving the PTA’s Honorary Service Award.

The Castillo home was the place for kids to hang out, with many friends referring to her as “mom”. She welcomed all who came and spent many a time making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for everyone. She eagerly traveled throughout the West Coast on family camping and fishing trips, often with fishing pole in hand.

Once her children were grown and no longer required her constant attention, she went to Santa Barbara Business College to study accounting and later learning other activities to keep her busy like cake decorating, bowling and working as an election worker. Later, she would become a cashier at Sav-On where she was the friendly lady behind the counter always smiling and chatting up the customers.

The same dedication she spent with her own children was also spent on her grandchildren. She never missed a birthday party, baseball game, class play, graduation or any activity they participated in. Nonnie, as she was known to her grandchildren, was always there when she was needed.

Aileen is survived by her husband, Robert and children Bob Jr, Sharon (Jeff) Gill, Marilyn Otis, and grandchildren Aleksi, Thomas James, Danise, Scotty (Katie), Jennifer (Matt), Jared and her great grandchildren Brayden, Kayden and Lily together with many nieces, nephews and brothers in law. Sadly, she will not be meeting her newest great grandson due in June, but he will grow up hearing Nonnie stories. Preceding her in death were her sons Bill and Jim Lowe, Michael Castillo, and sister Doris Caswell. Our hearts are broken and will never be the same, but we are comforted knowing she is at peace and with her loved ones. We hope you are somewhere enjoying your heavenly Happy Meals.

Private family graveside services will be held on Friday, May 1st with a celebration of life to follow with family and friends at Mulligan’s Café from noon-3pm.

The Santa Barbara Literary Festival

May 2-3 Downtown Santa Barbara

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Bestselling Authors

Romance – Fantasy Authors

The Fight for Voting Rights

NAACP Continues Its Civil Rights Work as the Midterm Elections Approach

BY LAWANDA LYONS-PRUITT AND CONNIE ALEXANDER BOAITEY

One hundred and seventeen years ago, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded in response to the horrific lynchings of African Americans taking place all across the United States and to address existing racial and ethnic disparities. The NAACP and its all-volunteer forces changed American history, playing a critical role in the nation’s civil rights movement and in advancing policies to expand human rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate education and economic security for Black people and all persons of color.

These efforts came to affect one of the authors, Lawanda Lyons-Pruitt, personally. The Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas was argued before the justices by a team of attorneys led by Thurgood Marshall, who later became the first African American to sit on the Supreme Court. The year before Lawanda was born, the court agreed in 1954 that segregation in public education violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

By the time she began her freshman year of high school in 1970, Lawanda’s school was desegregated. She didn’t have to be bused to the school for Black students, which was 15 to 20 miles from her hometown in Mississippi. Instead, she attended the “white” school in town that had existed for years. For the first time, the Black teens’ books were new, not hand-me-downs. But aside from not being bused and receiving new books, nothing else changed as the school remained largely segregated with white students and Black students congregating separately.

The Brown decision was the second of Marshall’s notable wins for the NAACP. The first concluded in a Supreme Court ruling in 1950 that forced state universities to provide equal facilities for all students.

These fights for equal education were followed by tumultuous but peaceful efforts at least by the NAACP members to achieve civil rights: Rosa Parks, a member of NAACP, was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama; nonviolent sit-ins by members of the NAACP Youth Council from 1958 to 1960 led to the desegregation of lunch counters in 26 Southern cities. In 1964, Congress approved the Civil Rights Act, which eliminated discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The NAACP played a major role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act, which paved the way for future anti-discrimination legislation.

The NAACP’s next focus was on voting rights. After President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act (VRA) into law in 1965, the NAACP persuaded more than 80,000 African Americans in Mississippi to register to vote. The VRA is considered one of the most effective pieces of civil rights legislation ever enacted, as it enforces the right of every citizen to vote as guaranteed in the 14th and 15th amendments. Congress has amended the VRA numerous times to expand its protections, opening political opportunities to all to participate in all aspects of the political system, on an equal basis.

More than 60 years after the right to vote was declared fundamental, this right has come under attack daily.

Many voters have heard of the SAVE Act, which was reintroduced in 2026 after it was defeated by the voice of the people in 2025. It remains stalled in Congress today. Purportedly, the bill is in response to election integrity and noncitizen voting issues. As

a reminder, noncitizen voting has been a federal crime since 1968, and every person who registers to vote must swear under penalty of perjury that they are a U.S. citizen. Some say that they are okay with providing proof of citizenship. But according to a report by the Brennan Center, “more than 21 million citizens do not have a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization papers readily available.” Among that group, people of color are disproportionately affected, as are women who are married and have a different name than their birth certificate; they would be required to establish their identity. Also, more than 210,000 transgender Americans lack identification that reflects their name and gender.

Just recently, President Trump signed an Executive Order that seeks to create lists of U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote in each state and instruct the U.S. Postal

Service to send mail ballots only to verified voters. Many states have already filed lawsuits; elections experts believe the Executive Order is “an overreach” by the federal government and an attempt at election subversion. Approximately one year ago, a previous Executive Order on elections that President Trump signed was blocked by federal judges. They cited the president’s lack of constitutional authority to set voting policies, which is clearly established by our Constitution to belong to the states and Congress.

One major provision of the Voting Rights Act has been weakened, making it harder for Black and Brown communities to participate in the political process. The attack began with the Shelby County v. Holder decision in 2013, in which the Supreme Court ruled that the Voting Rights Act formula to determine which jurisdictions it covered was outdated. The VRA had required places with a history of discriminatory voting rules to have any new rules vetted by the courts first; Shelby removed that requirement.

The NAACP, and a coalition of like-minded groups, continue to fight restrictive voting laws in places such as Georgia, Florida, Arizona, and Mississippi. Among them are attempts to limit ballot drop boxes, make it a crime to give free food or water to people waiting in line, make it more difficult to vote by mail, and restrict when mail-in ballots can be counted.

Leading up to the midterm elections this November, the NAACP remains a trusted messenger in the Black community, one of the largest, oldest, and boldest civil rights organizations in the nation. Through the courts, the legislative process, and the voices of the masses, we will continue our fight for voters’ rights and voters’ integrity and against voter suppression and intimidation, and the weaponization of our election system, as we continue to safeguard every U.S. citizen’s guaranteed right to vote.

Wellness Weight + Introducing

Evolutions Medical & Day Spa - the area’s most trusted name in aesthetics for over 20 years, is pleased to introduce our Weight + Wellness program. Healthy, sustainable weight loss isn’t just about willpower. Hormones, appetite signaling, stress, sleep, insulin resistance, and inflamation all play a role. If used correctly, compounded prescription GLP-1 receptor agonists can be a highly effective tool for long-term metabolic health and weight optimization.

Medical Weight Loss Done Right - Right Here in Santa Barbara Program

Personalized GLP-1 treatment program

Local medical oversight & support

Monthly InBody body composition scans and semi-annual biomarker testing to track true progress (beyond the scale) Complimentary monthly B-12 injection Pre-filled

and training for easy injections. Little to no pain

Jumping into Regenerative Wine

Santa Barbara Vintners Join Global Effort to Fix Farming

by Matt Kettmann and photos by Macduff Everton

It’s an unseasonably sunny and warm February morning in the Santa Ynez Valley, where about 50 winemakers and farmers are standing in a circle under the shade of a giant peppercorn tree. They’ve gathered at the deLanda Vineyard on the edge of Los Olivos to learn more about the One Block Challenge, a global effort to encourage vintners to adopt regenerative agriculture techniques in their vineyards.

“Everybody is listening,” explains vineyard consultant Jordan Lonborg about how much the world is excited about the hope of regenerative ag, which seeks to farm more in tune with rather than against nature, specifically by focusing on the health of the soil and surrounding ecosystem. “Everybody is paying attention.”

Few industries so far pay as much attention as viticulture. It’s where I first heard the phrase “regenerative farming” uttered more than a decade ago at this very vineyard, in fact, when I was writing about its owners David and Anna deLaski, of Solminer Wine Company. In recent years, it’s become almost ubiquitous in talks about any kind of farming, and it’s hard to go to any vineyard now without seeing evidence of livestock, cover crops, and composting all three of which are critical parts of regenerative farming.

The One Block Challenge run by the United Kingdom–based nonprofit Regenerative Viticultural Foundation began last year just up the coast in Paso Robles, where Lonborg was in charge of the vines at Tablas Creek Vineyard when it became the country’s first to be Regen-

erative Organic Certified. Then, the 1BC, as it is known for short, quickly expanded into Napa, Texas, South Africa, and New Zealand, with Sonoma and Temecula in the current crosshairs. The underlying goal is to have 10 percent of all vineyards across the world be regeneratively farmed by 2035.

Lonborg is now part of the team at Coastal Vineyard Care Associates, which for decades has managed the most estates in Santa Barbara County, and his new job includes spreading the regen gospel further and wider. “Regenerative farming is continual improvement,” he told the crowd. “You’re never done.”

Unlike organic and biodynamic farming, which each feature rather strict rules, regenerative strategies can be adjusted and adapted to each individual vineyard based on what works and what doesn’t. You don’t have to immediately bring sheep in to graze your vineyard, for instance, and even the guiding principle of not tilling the land is more flexible than rigid.

“The only thing you need to be dogmatic about is not being dogmatic,” said Lonborg, reflecting the flexibility that’s making this approach so popular so quickly.

The “challenge” is for vintners to select one part of their vineyard it can be just a row of vines, or an acre, or 10 acres, or everything and then farm it according to the three fundamental regenerative principles, plus one additional technique from a list of seven in the toolkit. The additional step is conducting simple tests at regular intervals to evaluate how it’s going. About half of the February morning meeting was dedicated to demonstrating these field tests,

which track soil compaction, water infiltration, and biodiversity amounts.

“If you aren’t collecting data, you have no basis for making decisions,” emphasized Jennifer Becker, a wine marketing veteran who volunteers as communications director in the United States for the RVF. Tracking results through scientific observation is a key tenet of the 1BC, and another reason why many bottom line-minded vintners are interested in regenerative’s results-based strategy.

Receiving those results was one of the only hangups with the first 1BC in Paso Robles, where plenty of vineyards signed up but not as many turned in the data. “It doesn’t mean anything without it,” said Lonborg during the testing demo, encouraging Santa Barbara’s incoming 1BC class to follow through on that front.

Of the 50 or so people who gathered in late February, more than 15 vineyards signed up for the 1BC by the midMarch deadline and a few vineyard management companies are also involved. Though some of the baseline test deadlines have already passed, there is still a chance for more vintners to sign up if interested.

To give a sense of what these vintners are going through, here’s a look at three 1BC participants with very distinct histories, challenges, and solutions. I plan to revisit some of these projects throughout the year and profile some others as well in the months to come.

For more information on the One Block Challenge or the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation, see regenerative viticulture.org

•

YOUR WORK MATTERS HERE.

County of Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

California Coastal Commission

Conditional Certification of the Local Coastal Program Amendment for SB 35/SB 423

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

County Administration Building Board Hearing Room

105 East Anapamu Street, Fourth Floor, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Hearing begins at 9:00 A.M

On May 5, 2026, the County Board of Supervisors (Board) will conduct a public hearing to consider the California Coastal Commission’s Conditional Certification of the Local Coastal Program Amendment for SB 35/SB 423 (Coastal Commission Case No. LCP-4-STB-24-0064-2 (SB 35/423). The Local Coastal Program Amendment is necessary to bring the County’s Coastal Zoning Ordinance into alignment with state law. This amendment was adopted by the Board on December 3, 2024 (Case No. 24ORD-00010). The amendment:

• Applies in certain areas of the Coastal Zone within the unincorporated area of the County of Santa Barbara;

• Dictates that qualifying housing development projects be reviewed in compliance with objective design standards and processed under streamlined provisions; and

• Is only in effect if the County is making insufficient progress toward meeting its regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) as recorded in the Annual Progress Report

• The Board will now decide whether to adopt those suggested modifications.

TELEDYNE FLIR IS HIRING

Teledyne FLIR OEM is growing, and we’re looking for talented individuals to join our team in Goleta, California.

Our teams develop advanced thermal imaging and sensing technologies that help people make critical decisions in defense, public safety,

Work

The California Coastal Commission reviewed the amendment, and at a hearing on March 11, 2026, conditionally certified the amendment with suggested modifications.

• County staff find that the suggested modifications do not alter the implementation of existing state law nor the overall intent of the amendment and recommend that the Board adopt the suggested modifications.

• The Board will also decide whether the adoption of the amendment with suggested modifications is statutorily exempt from CEQA.

For additional information, please see the staff report at the link below or contact Lila Spring at springl@countyofsb.org

This item will appear on the Administrative Agenda. The Administrative Agenda commences shortly after 9:00 A.M. following the Board’s approval of the minutes of its previous meeting. Members of the public may address the Board on this item. The Board approves items on the Administrative Agenda by one majority vote unless a Supervisor or member of the public makes a request for discussion or a separate roll call vote of a specific item.

For current methods of public participation for the meeting of May 5, 2026, please see https://casantabarbaracounty.civicplus.pro/2836/Board-of-Supervisors-Methods-of-Particip or page two (2) of the posted agenda

Staff reports and the posted agenda are available on the Thursday prior to the meeting at https://santabarbara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx under the hearing date or contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 5682240 for alternative options.

Attendance and participation by the public is invited and encouraged. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, American Sign Language interpreters, sound enhancement equipment, and/or another request for disability accommodation may be arranged by contacting the Clerk of the Board by 4:00 P.M. on the Friday before the Board meeting. For information about these services, please contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240 or at sbcob@countyofsb.org

If you challenge the project in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence to the Board of Supervisors at, or prior to, the public hearing

When Solminer’s David and Anna deLaski bought their three-acre Los Olivos vineyard in 2012, the dominant style of farming in Santa Barbara County and pretty much everywhere else in California was tight and tidy, with the ground regularly disced and the weeds shaved nearly bald.

“At that time, everything was tilled, and rows were clean,” said David, who came to wine after a career as an electronic music producer. They remembered thinking, “Okay, I guess that’s how it’s done.”

But they wanted to farm more organically, and they pushed their vineyard managers in that direction. “They were scared,” said David, citing fears over lower yields, potential vine disease, and potentially harder work. “We were willing to take that risk,” said Anna, who is originally from Austria. “That’s why I came to California: People were open to change.”

That change came fast, and the deLaskis applied their organic, biodynamic, and regenerative desires to an additional two acres that they planted on the adjacent property, becoming Santa Barbara County’s first Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) vineyard in 2021. Though they ditched the official ROC designation two years later, their deLanda Vineyard is still farmed in that manner and remains certified organic.

Using a team of babydoll sheep to graze, a pair of miniature donkeys to make compost, and hedgerows and flowers as a pol-

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE: TESTING EXTREME TERROIR

There are many reasons why “conventional” farming took over after World War II. But a basic one is that the development of earthmanipulating machines and pest-fighting chemicals made growing more crops in more places much easier. And in the case of wine where planting vineyards in extreme conditions is believed to produce more interesting fruit this technological progress made planting in such locations actually possible.

Take Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLG), a 133acre vineyard clinging to the crumbly hills that overlook the city of Lompoc. The property which is owned by David Phinney, who started and sold successful NorCal-based brands such as The Prisoner and Orin Swift straddles the western boundary of the already very cool and windy Sta. Rita Hills. Planted on chalky, diatomaceous earth–laden soils, the vines compete directly for water with the weeds, which, if left unabated, also cause both short-term and longterm trouble for the grape clusters and plants, such as mildew and trunk disease.

The vineyard was developed by vineyard manager Amy Warnock, who graduated from UCSB in 1998 before falling deep into the wine business. “Sustainability is driving our decisions, but it’s also about wine quality and making sure that we are economically feasible,” explained Warnock, whose degree is in environmental studies. “We can’t just pick one of those buckets. You have to pay attention to all three branches of

linator garden, the deLaskis are considered the region’s regenerative viticulture pioneers. They’ve seen how much changes when the earth is not ripped apart each year they had no erosion from the recent storms, for instance and continue to learn with the vintages.

The first year of no-till was a little disturbing, as the weeds grew taller than their son, Linus. “But that changes there’s a succession,” said Anna, describing how the groundcover morphed to be more manageable. “We are working with the ecology again. We are working with nature. Conventional farming looks at everything else growing near your vines as bad, but that’s not true. Not everything is your enemy.”

That mentality became pervasive across

Santa Barbara’s leading vineyard managers. “There’s been a total change in mindset,” said David. “Now, ground cover is good.”

The deLaskis are savvy at getting help with grants for pollinator plantings and more from the Community Environmental Council, and they encourage others to do the same. “Real change comes when you give farmers money to do positive things,” said Anna.

They’re also tweaking the right balance of everything, such as their fluffy sheep. They thought they needed 40 at first, but now have 18, and believe even just 10 would be fine. “More is not better,” said Anna, referring specifically to the sheep, but really reflecting their understanding of how regenerative farming really just removes barriers to letting nature and vines do what they’ve always done.

“You tickle the system,” she said, “and the system does its own thing.”

sustainability social, economic, and environmental for them all to work.”

Warnock already employs many organic practices at OLG, and hardly tills at all because she doesn’t want those powdery soils to blow away in the wind. The real challenge for going full regenerative here is a matter of size and slope.

Their one mechanical weed cultivator simply cannot cut down all the ground cover across 133 acres fast enough. Even if it could, there are certain slopes that the machine cannot safely approach. That leaves herbicide as the most effective tool to keep those weeds at bay.

This year, when one of their grape customers they sell about half of the fruit to other wineries asked if they could farm a block without any herbicide at all, Warnock saw an opportunity. “The One Block Challenge is what gave us the push,” she said.

She picked a nearly three-acre section one of 54 blocks across the property entered it into the challenge, and started farming according to the regenerative toolkit, including grazing sheep. They’ve already run the required tests, which only took an afternoon.

“We’re excited to track the progress and see if there is any difference in soil microbiology or of different grasses that grow voluntarily,” said Warnock, who’d like to enlist more blocks if everything pencils out. “In the ultimate scenarios, we’d do all 133 acres without herbicides. But even if it ended up narrowing herbicides down to the five blocks that give us so much trouble, that’s a pretty good improvement.”

THE REGENERATIVE TOOL KIT

Vintners participating in the One Block Challenge must adopt the three core regenerative farming principles on their test block, and then select one additional practice. Many of these techniques can also be used in your home garden.

THE CORE PRINCIPLES ARE:

BABCOCK VINEYARDS: THE EXPERIMENTAL LAB

Sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, goats, cattle, and even alpaca are animals that have been used in vineyards across the world to munch the weeds, eat bad bugs, and aerate and fertilize the soil with their steps and shits. Could horses do the same thing?

That’s what veteran vintner Bryan Babcock and the team from Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation (RTF) are pondering on his Sta. Rita Hills property, where his family started growing vines in 1978. There are now 40 wild horses saved from their pending slaughter by RTF after they were captured on federal land in Arizona frolicking in the meadows above his winery on the northside of Highway 246.

Rather than grazing amid the vines, the horses pasture on parts of the property where vines have already been ripped out. The estate was ravaged by pests over the decades, long ago by phylloxera and more recently by Pierce’s disease, a sharpshooterspread bacterial scourge that remains a significant worry for the region.

“The reality going forward is that more and more people are giving up,” said Babcock, pointing to other struggling examples on the slopes nearby. His remaining vineyard acreage is just a couple acres, down from a peak of about 80. He once made 25,000 cases of wine a year, and that’s dropped to

just 5,000, mostly from purchased fruit.

The hope is that the horses’ heavy hoof prints create effective water-catching pockets in the earth and that their steady fertilizing enhances the microbiology of the soil.

That’s what is happening at a once-desolate property near San Luis Obispo’s Perfumo Canyon, where RTF-introduced wild horses rejuvenated the landscape, according to RTF founder Neda DeMayo.

“The ecosystem and biodiversity exploded,” said DeMayo. “The insects are so loud.” Her longtime ranch manager Aaron Thayne agreed, explaining, “Springs that used to go out during June and July are now year-round.”

The Babcock connection was fostered and in part funded by Duke Richardson, who has long ties to the region, and equestrian Annalee Knutson, who works with RTF. Thayne started mapping out the management plan across 95 acres last fall, and the horses were brought to the property earlier this year. Based on his years of landscape management experience, Thayne doesn’t see why horses wouldn’t be as effective as any other hoofed animal in restoring this landscape.

“It’s not about the number of animals or which species,” he explained. “It’s the amount of time that they spend in one place.”

MINDSET REGENERATION & RESILIENCE SYMPOSIUM: JUNE 8-10

This three-day symposium at Cambria Vineyard in Santa Maria is bringing together leading voices in regenerative agriculture from across California and beyond to push the movement forward across the Central Coast. Though aimed at wine industry professionals, Mindset is open to anyone who’s interested in hearing informative and inspirational conversations about this increasingly popular style of farming. Included among the 25 speakers are John

WANT TO SIGN UP?

Kempf of Advancing Eco Agriculture, Kelly Mulville of Paicines Ranch, Mimi Casteel of Hope Well Wine, author Obi Kaufmann of The California Field Atlas, and Mindset founder Anna Brittain, who formerly ran Napa Green. Tickets for the event are $349 if purchased before May 1 and $399 onward, which includes all classes, workshops, and a final wine tasting afternoon. For more details and tickets, see agmind set.com.

Vintners who are interested in signing up for the One Block Challenge can do so at any time. Sign up at regenerativeviticulture.org/resources/rvf-initiatives/one-block-challenge, and to view or register for future events, see regenerativeviticulture.org/events

He’s installing fencing across the property to move the horses around throughout the year as he expected, they aren’t showing any interest in actually eating the vines that they have open access to and there are periods when they will be much closer to the tasting room itself.

That may be an auxiliary benefit. “Many customers just don’t want a great wine,” said Babcock. “They want an experience.”

He believes there is a chance that, with the horses creating healthier soils, his property’s natural immune system could improve enough over time that it would overcome the pressures of Pierce’s and other vine diseases in the future. Maybe he’d even replant if all went well and the soils were laced with strong mycorrhizal networks.

“We might have a vineyard that we don’t have to irrigate, where the soil is healthy and we are more resilient to disease,” he said. “The potential is mind-boggling.”

After years of developing concepts and techniques of his own under such names as “integrated nature” and “agresthetics” (which casts farming as a work of art), Babcock’s vision for his estate’s potential role in a regenerative future doesn’t stop at horses. “We are trying to turn our entire property into a regenerative farming laboratory,” he said. n

The additional list of practices to choose from is:

Apply compost/compostbiochar blend for soil and plant health

Synthetic-free agrochemical program for pest and disease

Integrate animals (e.g. sheep, cattle, chickens, geese, pigs)

Include pollinator species in your cover crop mix

Leave alternate rows seeded with pollinator mix standing all season

Plant a hedgerow adjacent to the vineyard block

Install songbird/raptor/ owl/bat boxes

WANNA PLAY ALONG?

Here are some other ways to incorporate regenerative farming at home.

Woodchip/hay mulch to cover soil

Using compost tubes (buried buckets with holes that are filled with food scraps)

Pitchforks rather than rototiller to loosen soils

Burying weeds and clippings right back into the garden

TO LEARN MORE MORE ABOUT REGENERATIVE VITICULTURE

2026 MUSIC NOTE GALA

Music Academy of the West presents AUDRA MCDONALD and her trio led by Andy Einhorn for an unforgettable night in support of music education.

Honoring CHERYL GOLDBERG, founding contributor to the Music Academy’s Music Education Center, for her visionary leadership and philanthropic support.

janis joplin

I NDEPENDENT C ALENDAR

THURSDAY 4/23

4/23-4/26: S.B. Fair & Expo Presents Your Beach Town Fair Fairgoers can celebrate the vibrant coastal spirit with fun-in-the-sun festivities for all ages with carnival rides (including kiddie rides), carnival games, farm animals and agricultural showcases, artisan exhibits, live music and entertainment, and classic fair food with free offsite parking and transportation to/from the fair. Seniors ages 65+ can enjoy free entry on Saturday, 11am-4pm. The fair also runs May 1-3. Thu.: 4-9pm (carnival 10pm); Fri.: 4-10pm (carnival: midnight); Sat.: 11am-10pm (carnival: midnight); Sun.: 11am-9pm (carnival: 10pm). Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real. Pre-sale admissions: $6-$10; unlimited rides wristband: $30 (Fast Pass add-on: $10). Call (805) 687-0766. earlwarren.com

4/23: City of Goleta Fourth Annual Senior Expo Older adults, caregivers, and family are invited to this free event that will offer information about essential resources for the senior community such as health care, wellness, housing, recreation, transportation, and more to support physical, mental, and social well-being. 10am-1pm. Goleta Community Ctr., 5679 Hollister Ave., Goleta. Free. Call (805) 961-7558 x7558. tinyurl.com/Goleta-SeniorExpo

4/23-4/26: Ensemble Theatre Company Presents A Night with Janis Joplin Mary Bridget Davies, Tony Award nominee for her lead role in the Broadway production of this show, will reprise her critically acclaimed role as rock legend Janis Joplin in this music-driven and immersive experience that will include songs such as “Piece of My Heart,”“Me and Bobby McGee,” and more. Thu.: 7:30pm; Fri.: 8pm; Sat.: 3pm; Sun.: 2pm. The New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St. $25-$119. Call (805) 965-5400. etcsb.org

FRIDAY 4/24

4/24-4/29: Exhibit Opening: The Collectors: A Life in Lepidoptera The antique engravings of butterflies and moths on display date from the 18th century to modern day. These works published in early entomological literature display the wonderful diversity and physical forms of lepidopteran species and are on display through September 7. 10am-5pm. S.B. Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol. Free-$20. Call (805) 682-4711. sbnature.org/calendar

THURSDAY

Carpinteria: 800 block of Linden Ave., 2:30-6:30pm

FRIDAY

Montecito: 1100 and 1200 blocks of Coast Village Rd., 8-11:15am

SATURDAY

Downtown S.B.: Corner of State and Carillo sts., 8am-1pm

SUNDAY

Goleta: Camino Real Marketplace, 10am-2pm

TUESDAY

Old Town S.B.: 500-600 blocks of State St., 3-6:30pm

WEDNESDAY

Solvang: Copenhagen Dr. and 1st St., 2:30-6:00pm

FISHERMAN’S MARKET

SATURDAY

Rain or shine, meet local fishermen on the Harbor’s commercial pier, and buy fresh fish (filleted or whole), live crab, abalone, sea urchins, and more. 117 Harbor Wy., 6-11am. Call (805) 259-7476. cfsb.info/sat

4/24: Beth Amine’s Wildcat Lounge Dance Variety Show Join for a fun and passionate evening of area dancers who will perform salsa, Latin, Brazilian, belly dance, and more. 7:30-9:30pm. Wildcat Lounge, 15 W. Ortega St. $20. Ages 21+. Email bethamine@ cox.net tinyurl.com/Beth-Amine

4/24: The Pearl Chase Society Fourth Annual Kellam de Forest Speaker Series: Dwight Murphy: A Most Influential Man of Santa Barbara Dylan Peterson, president of the Carriage and Western Art Museum, will talk about the visionary work and generosity of Dwight Murphy, who helped shape S.B. from East Beach, the Breakwater, and Old Spanish Days. 6pm. S.B. Carriage and Western Art Museum, 129 Castillo St. Free-donations accepted. Make reservations at (805) 961-3938. pearlchasesociety.org/events

SATURDAY 4/25

4/25: Tecolote Book Signing: Ann Shepphird Author of travel mysteries and comedic romance novels Ann Shepphird will sign copies of her latest travel mystery set in S.B., Destination New York City, the fourth book in the Destination Murder Mystery series, a behind-the-scenes look at the travel industry with the twists and turns of a good mystery. 3-4pm. Tecolote Book Shop, 1470 E. Valley Rd., #52. Free. Call (805) 969-4977. tinyurl.com/Destination-NYC

4/23, 4/25-4/26, 4/29: SOhO Restaurant & Music Club Thu.: The Mother Hips with Paul McDonald & The Mourning Doves, 8pm. $20-25. Ages 21+. Sat.: Hot Club of Los Angeles, 6:30pm. $24-$29. Banda Night: Los Bitaches Album Release Party, 9:30pm. $25-$30. Ages 21+. Sun.: S.B. Acoustic Presents: KoMaGa, 7:30pm. $27.50-$30. Tue.: I.V. Unplugged, hosted by Matt Wagner, 7pm. $10-$20. 1221 State St. Call (805) 962-7776. sohosb.com

4/24: Carr Winery Barrel Room Sessions: The MacCubbin Project, 7-9pm. 414 N. Salsipuedes St. Free Call (805) 965-7985. Ages 21+. carrwinery.com/events

4/25: Fifth Annual Music in Anisq’Oyo Park I.V. Earth Day: The Sweeps, Frogs, Looking West, Monkfish. Anisq’Oyo Park, 950 Embarcadero Del Mar, Isla Vista. Noon-4pm. Free. Email oramirez@ivparks.org tinyurl.com/IV-EarthDay

4/24-4/25: Maverick Saloon Fri.: The Molly Ringwald Project. Sat.: Flannel 101. 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez. 9pm-12am. Call (805) 686-4785. Ages 21+. mavericksaloon.com/ event-calendar

4/25-4/26: M.Special Brewing Co. (S.B.) Sat.: Outside Voices, 8pm. Sun.: DJ Sparx, 2pm. 634 State St. Free. Call (805) 3080050. mspecialbrewco.com

4/25-4/26: Cold Spring Tavern Sat.: Cuyama Mama and the Hot Flashes. Sun.: The Nombres. 5995 Stagecoach Rd. 1:30-4:30pm. Free. Call (805) 967-0066. coldspringtavern.com

4/25: Eos Lounge Sandala Presents: Tim Green, 4pm. 500 Anacapa St. $12.36. Ages 21+. Call (805) 564-2410. eoslounge.com

4/25-4/26: Hook’d Bar and Grill Sat.: Stacked, 4pm. Sun.: Xangie, 1pm. 116 Lakeview Dr., Cachuma Lake. Free. Call (805) 350-8351. hookdbarandgrill.com/ music-on-the-water

4/25: M.Special Brewing Co. (Goleta) SB1200, 7pm. 6860 Cortona Dr., Ste. C, Goleta. Free. Call (805) 968-6500. mspecialbrewco.com

4/26: Longoria Wines Live music, 3-5pm. 732 State St. Free Email info@longoriawine.com longoriawines.com/events

4/27: The Red Piano Church on Monday: Vince Lee & Sophie Lord, featuring Debbie Davies, 7:30pm. 519 State St. $5. Call (805) 358-1439. theredpiano.com

SATURDAY 4/25

4/25: The Fourth Annual Natural Coast Wine Festival This festival will feature 50-60 wineries and more than 150 wines from wineries and winegrowers who promote environmentally beneficial viticulture, low-impact winemaking, and socially conscientious business practices throughout California’s Central Coast. Noon-5pm. The Factory, 616 E. Haley St. $65. Email drew@satellitesb.com naturalcoastwinefest.com

4/25: Tomato Theatre Co. Fundraiser See performances from both the youth who participate in the program and the teens who run it. Enjoy refreshments, games, and a silent auction with proceeds going toward the Tomato Theatre Co. summer camp. 4:30-6:30pm. Trinity Episcopal Church, 1500 State St. Donations accepted. Email sbtomatotheatre@gmail.com tinyurl.com/Tomato-Theatre

4/25: Free Youth Learn-to-Row Event New rowers will practice basic rowing technique on rowing machines before rowing in boats on the water. Email to reserve your spot. 9am-11:30am. Cachuma Lake, 2225-CA 154. Free. Grades 6-9. Email coach@ rowsbc.org tinyurl.com/Learn-2-Row

4/25: Second Annual Fly to Success Community Event

4/25: A Lecture by Artist Sabrina Gschwandtner: Film, Fabric, and the Feminist Imagination Artist Sabrina Gschwandtner, who examines the intersections of film, textiles, and feminist histories in her moving-image practice, recovers marginalized histories from pioneering directors and museums and reanimates them through sewing, hand-painting, and quilting film. 2:30pm. S.B. Museum of Art, 1130 State St. Free-$10. Email info@sbma.net. sbma.net/events

MONDAY 4/27

4/27: Draughtsmen Aleworks Yoga on Tap All levels are invited to bring your mat to rejuvenate and restart with one hour of yoga taught by a rotating group of area yogis. 6-7pm. Draughtsmen Aleworks, 53 Santa Felicia Dr., Goleta $20. Call (805) 387-2577 draughtsmenaleworks.com/events

TUESDAY 4/28

California least tern

This family-friendly community kite festival will bring together schools, trade programs, employers, and community organizations to provide hands-on activities, interactive booths to connect youth with career pathways, educational opportunities, and local resources for future possibilities. Bring your kite and enjoy live music, food trucks, raffles, and activities for all ages. 11am-3pm. Lompoc High School, 515 W. College Ave., Lompoc. Free. Email jbmera21@gmail.com tinyurl.com/Fly-2-Success-Event

4/28: The Audubon Society and the S.B. Museum of Natural History Present: Observing & Conserving CA Coastal Seabirds Coastal program biologist Dan Robinette will discuss the many seabird species that are dependent on California’s coastal and nearshore habitats, discuss the threats they face, and highlight some of the conservation victories giving these birds hope in honor of the 10th annual World Seabird day and the date of the last known sighting of the great auk. 7-8:30pm. Fleischmann Auditorium, S.B. Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol. $5. Email kperry@sbnature2.org. sbnature.org/calendar

A Comedy by Paul Slade Smith Directed by Sara Rademacher presents

17-MAY 2, 2026 PREVIEWS APRIL 15 & 16

4/25: AFSB Art Gallery Artist Talk: Camera Obscura Explained: The Art of Pinhole Artist Lindsay Skutch, whose striking black-and-white photographs of familiar sights in Southern California are taken with pinhole cameras a form of camera obscura (Latin for “dark chamber”), a room or box with a small opening that allows light to pass through a tiny pinhole. 2-3pm. Architecture Foundation of S.B., 229 E. Victoria St. Free. Call (805) 965-6307.

afsb.org/programs/art-gallery

4/25-4/26: Carole Eglash-Kosoff Presents I’ve Seen

This Sh*t Before Carole Eglash-Kosoff, 92-year-old author, playwright, and history buff who has traveled to more than 90 countries, learned to fly a plane, and managed to get old, will deliver an evening of memories, music, and laughs. Sat.: 8pm; Sun.: 2pm. Center Stage Theater, 751 Paseo Nuevo. $38-$44. Call (805) 9630408. centerstagetheater.org

SUNDAY 4/26

4/26: Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series: Duo Giacopuzzi in Concert The final concert of the season will feature brother and sister Jacopo and Maddalena Giacopuzzi, the sensational piano four-hand Duo Giacopuzzi, in a program to feature works by Dvořák, Borodin, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, and Liszt. 4-6pm. St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, 2901 Nojoqui Ave., Los Olivos. Free-$45. Call (805) 705-0938. smitv.org/ syv-concert-series

4/28: Connectivity: Storming Caesars Palace See a screening of 2022’s Storming Caesars Palace (2022), a chronicle of the life of Ruby Duncan, who in the late 1960s to the early ’70s rose from hotel maid to prominent protester, movement organizer, and White House advisor while fighting to defend and expand welfare rights in Las Vegas. Director Hazel Gurland-Pooler will join moderator Chelsea Kai Roesch (Film and Media Studies, UCSB) for a post-screening discussion. 7-9:15pm. Pollock Theater, UCSB. Free. Call (805) 893-4637. carseywolf.ucsb.edu

and Maddalena

WEDNESDAY 4/29

4/29: Rotary Club of S.B. Sunrise Presents Rotary Royale: A 007-Inspired Game Night Join the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise for an evening of fun, games, and community connection. Dress to impress and enjoy a lively night of bingo with a twist featuring two cards, four games, and 008 chances to win. Enjoy drinks, light bites, a deejay, and a raffle to support the Rotary Club of S.B. Sunrise Charitable Foundation. 5pm. Palm Park Beach House, 236 E. Cabrillo Blvd, $100. Call (805) 450-4321. facebook.com/rotarysbsunrise

4/29: UCSB A&L Presents Social Justice Advocate and National Book Award–Winning Poet Martín Espada Join for readings and commentary by Martín Espada, one of America’s most vital literary voices and the winner of the 2021 National Book Award for Poetry, whose words transform resistance and compassion into unforgettable art. 7:30pm. Campbell Hall, UCSB. Free. Call (805) 893-3535. artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/events

It’s High School

Musical Time!

SBHS Theater Presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream

4/24-4/26: SBHS Theater Presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream Shakespeare’s original text will be brought to new life with songs from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, dances, and an almost full gender reversal of all roles in this story of the chaos that ensues from elopements, the death penalty, secret loves, a magic plant, spells and enchantments, fairies, and more. Additional shows on May 1-3. Fri.-Sat.: 7pm; Sun.: 4pm. S.B. High School Theater, 700 E. Anapamu St. GA: $10-$15; priority: $25. Call (805) 966-9101 or email rrodarte@sbunified.org. tinyurl.com/SBHS-Midsummer

4/30-5/3: San Marcos High School Theater Presents Sweeney Todd Follow the tale of Sweeney Todd, Fleet Street barber; Mrs. Lovett, baker of meat pies; and Anthony, a sailor who must save his true love, Johanna, who is held prisoner by the renowned Judge Turpin in this dark, witty, and Tony Award–winning tale of love, murder, and revenge set against the backdrop of 19th-century London. Additional shows on May 7-9. Fri.-Sat.: 7pm; Sun.: 2pm. Marquis Performing Arts Center, San Marcos High School, 4750 Hollister Ave, GA: $9-$15; VIP: $25. Email ssaleh@sbunified.org tinyurl.com/SMHS-Sweeney

Earth Day Happenings

4/25-4/26: S.B. Earth Day Festival 2025 Celebrate the 56th Earth Day with festival zones such as a plant-forward food court and beer garden, eco-friendly vendors, live music and performances, and the largest green car show on the West Coast! Visit the website for the full schedule. Sat.: 11am-8pm; Sun.: 11am-7pm. Alameda Park, 1400 Santa Barbara St. Free. Email info@sbearthday.org. sbearthday.org

4/23: Westmont Earth Day Celebrate the Earth, enjoy inspired appetizers and refreshing beverages, learn about sustainability, receive a plant souvenir, and enjoy fun and fellowship. Please RSVP. 3:15-4pm. Westmont of S.B. Retirement Living, 190 Via Jero, Goleta. Free. Call (805) 265-4327 or email ldsantabarbara@westmontliving.com. tinyurl.com/Westmont-EarthDay

4/23: Ojai Community Farmers’ Market Earth Day Celebration In collaboration with Ojai Valley Green Coalition and Kiddy Cat Closet, join for a clothing swap by bringing 10 clean, laundered items to swap. There will be an opening ceremony with Chumash Elder Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, community speakers, live music, a flash mob, live music, Earth-friendly artisans, and the opportunity to build a fairy house. 3-7pm. 414 E. Ojai Ave. Free tinyurl.com/Ojai-EarthDay

4/25: Earth Day Celebration at Buena Onda Enjoy the Earth Day celebration with Argentinian cuisine and the traditional West African rhythms from Ewe Drumming Group of S.B., followed by the funk, afrobeat, soul, and reggae sound of The Rhythm Industrial Complex and a chance to experience a reading with Earth Mama Tarot. Reserve a table online. 6pm. Buena Onda, 724 E. Haley St. $20. Call (805) 679-3320. tinyurl.com/EarthDay-BuenaOnda

RÉGULO CARO

MAY 2 / $40+

GERARDO ORTIZ

MAY 8 / $65+

THE MIDTOWN MEN

STARS FROM THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST OF JERSEY BOYS

MAY 29 / $35+

Not A Performance Of, Not Affliated With the Show Jersey Boys.

THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER

JUNE 5 / $35+

THE O’JAYS

JUNE 19 / $70+

MITCHELL TENPENNY

AUGUST 14 / $55+

SANTA BARBARA LITERARY FESTIVAL WRITES A NEW CHAPTER FOR DOWNTOWN’S HISTORIC SPACES

STORIED VENUES, INCLUDING THE ALHECAMA AND LOBERO THEATERS, PLAY HOST MAY 2-3

The upcoming Santa Barbara Literary Festival will transport attendees into written worlds, all while their feet are firmly planted in the city’s most iconic spaces.

Workshops, panels, keynote speakers, and pop-ups will fill venues with mystery, fantasy, and romance.

Being no strangers to drama, two of the festival’s most historic venues, the Lobero and Alhecama theaters, are primed to stitch new prose into their performing arts past.

“Theater and literature are very close cousins,” said Marianne Clark, executive director of the Lobero Theatre Foundation.

She noted playwrights Shakespeare, for one whose words often resonate through the Lobero, as well as books that have been adapted for the stage, such as A Christmas Carol

“And then there have been theater companies whose whole mission has been to present literary works,” she said.

That includes theater company Speaking of Stories, created by Steven Gilbar in 1994, where actors read stories aloud with flair.

Another, called Boxtales which acted out textbook folk tales and myths for children launched in 1994 with the support of the Lobero’s then–Executive Director Nancy Lynn and Boardmember Marlyn Bernstein. It still tours today.

“The Lobero is super connected to the literary world, so it’s a perfect place for a literary festival to be launched,” Clark said.

It’s a theater with stories itself, dating back to its founding in 1873 as the Lobero Opera House. The original structure had to be torn down and rebuilt in 1924, but its current digs at the corner of Canon Perdido and Anacapa streets have persisted for a century.

During the same weekend of the literary festival, coincidentally, the Lobero is also hosting Opera Santa Barbara’s production of Elmer Gantry, a contemporary opera based on a 1927 novel by Sinclair Lewis.

Opera singers need a day to rest their voices between performances, which opened up a “dark day” to host the festival on Saturday. The lineup includes a pop-up

about crime stories, screenwriter Bob Gale on Back to the Future, and a keynote by American novelist Walter Mosley.

Clark hopes people interested in the literary festival may also want to attend the literary opera on Friday or Sunday.

“I’ve always felt like the Lobero is Santa Barbara’s community stage,” Clark said. “We try to be the place where a new dream can be born…. It feels very Lobero that everything was able to just fall into place.”

Right down the block, the Alhecama Theatre was built in 1925 for the Santa Barbara School for the Arts, where residents could take classes at little or no cost. “It was a real hub for the arts in Santa Barbara in the early ’20s,” said Anne Peterson, executive director of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. “It’s got this really long, continuous history of artistic uses.”

The Alhecama was purchased by the State of California in 1982, becoming a part of El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park.

The Trust, which operates El Presidio, began restoring the theater in the 2000s. After restoration was completed, the city designated it as a historic landmark in 2015.

It’s not much to look at from the outside, Peterson acknowledged. But the inside is beautiful, with original oak floors, a stage, and a mural by American artist Ross Dickenson. Never judge a book by its cover, right?

“We really had to advocate for it to be designated as a landmark,” Peterson explained. “A landmark is usually designated based on its exterior. But it can also be tied to its significance to the local community and the history of the building and that’s why [the theater] got listed.”

After restoring the old theater, the Trust reopened it as a community space. It’s used for everything from rehearsals, to lectures, film screenings, dance performances, and now the literary festival.

The festival fits in with the theater’s legacy of community use and supporting the arts in general, Peterson added. “Historic preservation can really create a lot of positive change it’s not just about trying to prevent things from changing.”

Alhecama will be hosting festival events on both Saturday and Sunday, including a forum on “Women Climbing to the Top of their Profession,” a keynote by American writer Kim Michele Richardson, a crime panel, and a middle-grade author panel.

Other notable venues include La Arcada Plaza, the Kimpton Canary Hotel, Karpeles Manuscript Library, and the Community Environmental Council Hub weaving the festival into the fabric of downtown Santa Barbara.

At a time when Santa Barbara’s downtown identity has been in question, the hope is that the festival will embrace its cultural roots as it writes its future.

—Callie Fausey

The Santa Barbara Literary Festival takes place from May 2 to 3 throughout downtown Santa Barbara. Several of the events (including children’s programming) are free, and the entire event is free for first responders. See santabarbaraliteraryfestival.org/workshops for additional details and to purchase tickets.

HERSHEY FELDER GIVES HIS MOST PERSONAL PERFORMANCE YET

Writer, actor, and pianist Hershey Felder returns to the New Vic Theatre with a brand-new work called Hershey Felder: The Piano and Me. This Southern California premiere, presented by Ensemble Theater Company, recently ran at Theatre Works in Northern California to an enthusiastic reception. “I’m telling the story of how I got to what people know me for,” says Felder. “But it’s a story that no one knows For the first time, the audience gets to see me, and who I am as a person.”

While Felder’s previous productions at Ensemble have been historical explorations of famous composers, The Piano and Me is a more personal story of the author’s musical journey. The Piano and Me replaces the previously scheduled Monsieur Chopin, which has been in Felder’s repertoire for 20 years. “We can do Monsieur Chopin anytime,” says Felder. “People are saying [of The Piano and Me] that this is really timely, something I need to do now.”

Felder has been creating shows about musicians for three decades and is excited to introduce himself to the audience as himself, rather than as Gershwin or Rachmaninoff or Chopin. “This one is the most me,” he says. “It’s largely about what happened to me, but in the context of the world. It’s about how music can save us in the most difficult times.”

In the show, Felder plays 16 characters, all of whom had an impact on his life. “I can’t act this show,” he says. “I need to just let the story come out because I’m so close to it. It’s about how you deal with tragedy. That’s what people are finding so intimate and universal about it.”

—Maggie Yates

See the Southern California premiere of this show, which features music by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Bach, Mozart, and others, at the New Vic Theatre (33 W. Victoria St.) April 30–May 10. See etcsb.org.

West Coast Premiere

Kronos Quartet

Three Bones

Sat, May 2 / 6 PM (note special time) / UCSB Campbell Hall

“The foremost ambassador of contemporary chamber music.” Polar Music Prize Citation

Santa Barbara Debut | A Juilliard-born Collaboration Isidore String Quartet

with Sterling Elliott, cello Thu, May 14 / 7 PM / Hahn Hall

A powerhouse collaboration between the boundary-pushing Isidore Quartet and charismatic cellist Sterling Elliott, featuring Schubert’s transcendent Cello Quintet.

MacArthur Award-winning Choreographer A.I.M by Kyle Abraham

Tue, May 12 / 7:30 PM / Granada Theatre

“Lush movement, infectious music, and magnetic dancers.” The New York Times

Philip Glass and The Poets

Featuring Music by Philip Glass (not present)

Performed by Timo Andres, piano and Taylor Mac, spoken word with special guest appearances by Lucinda Childs and San Francisco Girls Chorus

Sun, May 17 / 7 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

A TASTE OF THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH VIGON AND ELLIS

NEW AQUEAN EXHIBITION AT MARITIME MUSEUM BRINGS OTHERWORLDLY ASPECTS OF THE OCEAN TO ARTFUL LIFE

Amesmerizing look at the many artful aspects of the sea, Aquean: Photographs, Paintings, and Prints by David Ellis and Larry Vigon is certainly worth a visit to the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM). Currently on view in the upstairs galleries, this multimedia experience begins with an animated exploration of elements of Vigon’s paintings (think fish skeletons and other surreal oceanic imagery) swimming around to music for an effect that’s quite otherworldly and bewitching.

“I’m really happy with the way everything’s turned out,” said Vigon in an interview before the show’s opening last week. “I don’t know if I can explain it. It’s obviously related to the ocean and the shore, but it’s a whole different take on it. And also the animation that I had done just blew my mind when I got it back. It’s quite mesmerizing, I would say. Is that the right word?”

It is indeed the right word for a show that pairs Vigon’s Flotsam & Jetsam an expansive impression of the sea that includes found objects, paintings, linocuts, large-scale prints, video, and dimensional collages with Ellis’s Lobospheres: The Lost Souls of Point Lobos a 20-year exploration that consists of abstract, impressionistic photographs of textures, silhouettes, and mythical figures discovered in the wave-carved rock forms of Point Lobos, California.

As graphic designer and photographer, respectively, the two artists ran a thriving business together years ago, so it was particularly meaningful for them to be back together at the museum. Vigon’s good friend, artist Thomas Van Stein (whose work has been shown at SBMM), got the

JUST ANNOUNCED - ON SALE FRI. 10 AM

ball rolling when he saw a show of Ellis’s in Culver City a couple of years ago and showed photos of it to curator Emily Falke.

“Then, unbeknownst to me, Thomas showed her my work. And Emily said, ‘Well, what if we do a show with two of these guys.’ So that’s how it started,” said Vigon.

The show’s name, Aquean, is a madeup word that sounds like aqua or aquatic, with just a little twist, not unlike the exhibition itself. Vigon who built his career at the center of rock history, designing more than 200 iconic album covers for artists including Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Counting Crows, Bonnie Raitt, and Eric Clapton, earning induction into the Album Cover Hall of Fame in 2020 also designed a special logo for the show.

Ellis also has his roots in the music business, starting as a studio session musician, before a career in photojournalism, eventually moving into environmental and fine art photography.

The two friends bring their art together to invite the viewer to think of the sea as both a metaphor and subject, reflecting on the delicate balance between permanence and loss along California’s coastlines.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Cowboy Junkies will be performing a career-spanning show from The Trinity Session to their recent album, Such Ferocious Beauty!

“One of the most unique and enduring bands in alternative rock” - All Music

“A smooth, dark alto possessed of qualities you might associate with barrel-aged bourbon or buttersoft leather.” – The New York Times

THURS MAY 14 AN EVENING WITH COWBOY JUNKIES CELEBRATING 40 YEARS AND BEYOND

“Aquean is a collaboration that captures the constant movement of the sea as it recreates itself and everything it touches,” said Ellis in a statement about the show. “It expresses the tension between the found beauty and powerful uncertainty of a relentless ecosystem.”

—Leslie Dinaberg

Aquean: Photographs, Paintings, and Prints by David Ellis and Larry Vigon is on view at Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (113 Harbor Wy., Ste. 190) through July 26. See sbmm.org for more details.

Rooted in her Southern upbringing, Wright’s sound is anchored by acoustic textures, rich harmonies, and emotional honesty. Audiences can expect an evening of profound musical storytelling that honors tradition while embracing reflection, healing, and connection.

COVERING 40 YEARS

Nature

Point Conception Institute: The ‘Living Laboratory’

Just after the 24,000-acre Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve was established by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in 2017, dozens of conservation-savvy scientists convened to discuss its highest and best use. Mark Reynolds a UC Berkeley-trained biologist and cofounder, in 1997, of the Sedgwick Reserve in the Santa Barbara backcountry was among that meeting of the minds.

“Part of the concept,” Reynolds remembers, “was to protect it as a place of learning a living laboratory.” The establishment of the Point Conception Institute (PCI), the preserve’s research division, emerged from the process. Reynolds oversaw the PCI in the interim before becoming director in 2021.

For more on the preserve as “a unique merger of conservation, academia, and technology,” Reynolds sat down for a Q&A. He speaks to the lay of the land and some of the research happening across the vast and untrammeled property stretching from the ocean’s edge at Point Conception to the oak woodlands high along the Santa Ynez mountains.

Director Mark Reynolds Talks Conservation, Collaboration, and a ‘Digital Twin’

by Keith Hamm

What does the PCI do? We develop research initiatives for conservation and facilitate collaborations, data collection and management, and information systems to help address pressing conservation issues. The preserve’s intact coastal ecosystems and exceptional geography create an ideal setting for a “living laboratory” and enables PCI to work with partners to demonstrate how science, technology, and data systems can foster collaboration, accelerate learning, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of conservation management.

The preserve is home to a diversity of land- and seascapes. What’s the range of research happening out there? The Dangermond Preserve and Point Conception region are located at the ecological crossroads between Northern and Southern California, both on land and in nearshore and marine ecosystems. It’s a global biodiversity hotspot and comprises one of the last and best conserved wild coasts in Southern California. The diversity and intactness of seascapes and landscapes support an unusually broad and integrated range of research.

Let’s go through some of them. The preserve sits adjacent to protected offshore waters, including the 14,400-acre Point Conception State Marine Reserve, and conserves more than eight miles of largely undisturbed coastline. Scientists examine intertidal ecology, including rocky shores and sandy beaches, marine–terrestrial food webs, and coastal wildlife. These systems also provide opportunities to study migratory species, land–sea connectivity across local and global scales, and better understand habitat protection.

For example, working with Peter Raimondi’s lab at UC Santa Cruz and Channel Islands National Park and many other partners, we were able to translocate black abalone to the preserve, where they had been largely absent for 30 years.

UCSB’s Jenny Dugan has been monitoring marine protected areas, revealing healthy populations of surf perch in the protected waters.

And our inaugural Anthony LaFetra Point Conception Institute Research Fellow, Dr. Erica Nielsen, leads our work to restore rockweed, a foundational species of intertidal algae that provides habitat, protection from desiccation, and is key to coastal resilience.

And the bluff and dune systems? Those offer important platforms for dune ecology, plant community dynamics, and responses to restoration efforts, like the removal of invasive ice plant. Fog influences vegetation well inland, making this an ideal location to study climate buffering and ecohydrological processes in coastal grasslands and bluff habitats. For example, Gretchen LeBuhn of San Francisco State University is studying the effect of small-scale climate variation on flowering patterns in California poppies.

Moving inland? Inland, we have extensive grasslands, oak woodlands, and forests supporting research on biodiversity, wildlife movement, fire ecology, and climate-driven

range shifts. The preserve’s location at a major biogeographic transition zone gives scientists a rare opportunity to track changes in species distributions and ecological interactions along a climatic and evolutionary boundary. The scale and intactness of these habitats also make the site ideal for long-term wildlife monitoring and connectivity studies, particularly for wide-ranging species like coyotes and other carnivores.

What else? The preserve’s freshwater and groundwater systems including more than 50 miles of streams, wetlands, and multiple coastal drainages enable research on hydrology, groundwater–surface water interactions, and species that move between freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments. Groundwater research at the preserve is helping us understand the role of atmospheric rivers in groundwater recharge and, in turn, the role of groundwater in stream health and biodiversity.

Species such as steelhead [trout] which were found in Jalama Creek until the mid-1990s and tidewater goby illustrate how these systems connect mountains to the sea, offering a natural laboratory for studying watershed-scale ecological processes and restoration potential such as bringing back steelhead.

Connected to technology from Jack Dangermond’s company, Esri, what is a “digital twin” of the preserve? The digital twin is a dynamic, virtual representation of a real-world system in this case, a protected landscape and seascape. It brings together data from land and sea from sensors, satellites, weather stations, wildlife cameras, field studies, and ecological models, allowing scientists and land managers to visualize current conditions, track change over time, and test whatif scenarios to support more informed, adaptive decisionmaking.

Recent progress includes the development of our publicfacing Dangermond Geospatial Hub that makes data and insights more accessible to researchers, managers, and the public.

Big picture, what are you learning? Any surprises? We’re learning a lot! Some things we expected, like that the scientific community would be excited to work on the preserve, and that we could leverage research to accelerate conservation impact and opportunities for collaboration.

It’s been surprising how investigations keep revealing how precious and important this region of the coast is. It’s also been gratifying how it’s enhanced TNC’s leadership on the importance of living laboratories places of learning and innovation embedded in conservation landscapes and intact ecosystems. n

Get Involved

The Dangermond is a nature preserve. It’s not a campground or a trail network or a recreational beach park. Public access is limited. There are, however, several inroads for adventurous volunteers to sign up for habitat restoration, coastal cleanups, and “bioblitzing” alongside ecologists to photograph and document flora, fauna, and fungi. Docent-led tours are also popular; the next one is on May 16. For more information, visit dangermondpreserve.org.

Outdoors

Into the Gray

While gazing northwest from Fraser Point across the daunting, roughly eight-milewide Santa Cruz Passage toward Santa Rosa Island, I heard the distinct pop of a nearby whale spout.

Watching Whales, from Baja California to the Channel Islands

by Chuck Graham

It’s always been a little intimidating paddling across the passage. From my kayak, it feels like a gauntlet of sorts. At some point, fog, wind, current, and swell can all come into play, but for migrating Eastern North Pacific gray whales, it’s just another blip on their annual 10,00012,000-mile round-trip migration.

I was keen on seeing gray whales feasting inside Bechers Bay. The massive natural anchorage has become a reliable pit stop for some northbound grays heading to their distant Arctic feeding grounds before turning around and travelling back to the warmwater lagoons of Baja California to give birth and mate.

Southerly Sanctuary

As a flotilla of pangas gently idled inside San Ignacio Lagoon, in Baja California, the passengers anticipated where the next whale might resurface. From our panga, Holly Lohuis, naturalist and co-director of the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage, and I had counted about 15 grays spouting and frolicking around the boats. It was

the first week of March 2026, and it had already been a decent year for spotting cow/calf pairs. Suddenly, a mom with her rambunctious calf surfaced just a few feet off our stern. The calf bounced around in the water next to us, repeatedly breaching into choppy, uneven seas. It played around all the pangas as its mother kept a watchful eye while she rubbed up against our bow. They were an animated pair for all onlookers to enjoy, and it was easily the closest I’d ever been to a gray whale. It was encouraging to see, considering the winter and spring of 2025 saw zero calves inside San Ignacio Lagoon. There were also lots of skinny whales. In 2026, the script flipped. The ebb and flow of food sources and survival weigh heavily on a species that peaked at about 27,000 individuals in 2015-2016. Since that high mark, their numbers have declined to less than half at around 13,000, the lowest total since the 1970s.

Holly and I had the pleasure of staying with Pachico Tours, the longtime family-run whalewatching outfit started by Pachico Mayoral, the first person at San Ignacio to encounter a “friendly” gray whale in 1972. Back then, gray whales were known as “devilfish,” but Pachico’s infamous encounter turned the tide of public perception.

Most of Mayoral’s six children participate in their eco-operation. One of the sons, Pancho Mayoral, doubles as a captain for Ventura-based Island Packers, where he has worked since 2011. He travels to San Ignacio each winter to help run the family business that is dear to him and his siblings. San Ignacio has been a Biosphere Preserve since 1988.

“After my dad had the famous first encounter, he provided boat service to anyone showing up on their own, and they set up their tents along the beach,” said Pan-

cho. “I started boat driving with whales at the age of 15.”

As word got out, several camps were established within San Ignacio Lagoon, while others spread to nearby Magdelana Bay and Guerrero Negro. It wasn’t until 2002 that Pachico and his family built their own camp.

As time went on, documentaries and magazine articles described Pachico as a “whale whisperer,” “grandfather of whales,” and “whale tamer.” He passed away on in 2013 at the age of 72.

“I give him credit for being brave. When everyone was afraid of whales, he was able to overcome fear and recognize that their behavior wasn’t aggressive and he was willing to reach out and make that first contact,” continued Pancho. “We sure are proud of what our father did, what our father taught us, and what he represents in the community and Baja. We feel that responsibility, and an honor to carry on with his legacy.”

After a week of enjoying the whales, their numbers were dwindling by mid-March as that innate tug pulled them back to their Arctic feeding grounds.

I couldn’t help but wonder if some of these same whales would stopover at Bechers Bay on Santa Rosa Island?

Channel Islands Pit Stop

With spring on the immediate horizon, every time I was around any of the Island Packers crew, I asked, “Have you seen any gray whales at Bechers?” The answers varied, but sightings were frequent. Once again, groupings of gray whales were utilizing the sandy bottom at the bay to feed.

The scenic bay isn’t very deep, where gray whales scrape the bottom, consuming some of the 90 different species of their preferred prey. This behavior is known as benthic feeding. While lying on their sides, they churn up the seafloor, consuming crustaceans and filtering out sediment through their baleen.

“Pacific gray whales are best known as bottom-feeders unique among baleen whales yet they reveal a remarkable versatility, sometimes surface-feeding during their epic migration when every meal matters,” said Lohuis. “In recent years, more are lingering in Bechers Bay in late winter to early spring. It leaves us wondering: Are these the same individuals making this nourishing stop in the Channel Islands National Park?” n

A ‘Food Forest’ on the Mesa

Take a tour of Mesa Harmony Garden as all new volunteers begin by doing and you will immediately lose sight of the fact that the humble plot, located on the corner of Meigs Road and Dolores Drive, occupies just two-thirds of an acre. Packed to the brim with orange trees, chayote plants, and blooming calendula, the community garden feels much larger.

A nursery and a tool shed are located against one fence, next to a patch of onions, artichokes, and a gargantuan passionfruit vine. There’s one section for native plants that thrive in the shade and another for those that thrive in the sun. Several banana trees dot the southwest corner, offering up hefty bunches of pups. At the top of the plot’s gentle slope, there’s a circle of benches where volunteers gather. And throughout the whole garden, plants are flowering, lining the narrow footpaths, covering the gaps between trees.

The garden’s density is by design. It’s a “food forest,” a permaculture concept where gardeners try to re-create the dynamics of a natural ecosystem. Hence, the blankets of vibrant calendula, which have taken on “a life of their own,” in treasurer Pam Lombardo’s words. The orange flowers may not be edible, but they benefit the garden nonetheless by attracting pollinators. Other plants contribute to soil health by fixing nitrogen or offering shade or fertilizer, and still others provide a windbreak against the constant ocean breezes.

“It’s not just an orchard where you grow trees and kill everything else. It’s trying to think about the different roles that different plants can play,” said Hugh Kelly, vice president and former president of the garden. “There’s all sorts of ways plants can contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem.”

The food forest, now headed into its 16th year of operation, is massively productive. “Our average, over the last six or seven years, is about 1,200 pounds a year,” said Lombardo.

But Mesa Harmony Garden’s community of volunteers, who turn up Saturday after Saturday to plant, weed, graft, prune, and ultimately harvest, are not the recipients of that bounty. Every single pound of produce is donated to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.

It’s a relationship that dates back to the garden’s founding. The project began in 2010 when Santa Barbara City College environmental science professor Adam Green reached out to Father Ludo DeClippel of the Mesa’s Holy Cross Parish about a barren plot of land beneath the church’s parking lot, which had lain vacant for more than 40 years. Green wanted to use the space for a permaculture project; DeClippel enthusiastically agreed.

Larry Saltzman, who led the initial design process, ended up in contact with a representative from the Foodbank. “This guy says, ‘Oh, I’ve just got a big grant for fruit trees. You can have the fruit trees if we can have the fruit,’ ” recalled Kelly. With the Foodbank’s grant, the gardeners purchased 87 fruit trees and got to planting. From the first harvest to the latest, they’ve given all that fruit back.

“Permaculture is all about working with nature rather than against it,” said Kelly. Of course, that’s no short task. Transforming a deserted patch of dirt and dry grass into a flourishing, diverse ecosystem takes great physical labor, not to mention the planning and problem-solving required to design a food forest in accordance with the Mesa’s specific environmental advantages and disadvantages.

The volunteers’ first project was to dig a network of swales shallow, contoured trenches designed to collect

and direct water. Mesa Harmony Garden’s swales are a remarkably effective irrigation method. After the first late-autumn or winter rainstorm hits Santa Barbara, the gardeners turn off their manual watering system until just about June.

“All the rain that falls in the garden stays in the garden,” said Kelly.

“I think our water bill in January was something like $1.63,” said Lombardo.

The garden continues to evolve. Many plants mature, settling into position as fixtures of the food forest; others struggle, leading volunteers to troubleshoot. Garden President Russ Baldocchi pointed out a healthy avocado tree that was the result of grafting two weaker plants together.

“I’m kind of a scientist by training, so there’s a natural inclination to just study stuff, to see what works and what doesn’t work, how the plant responds,” said Baldocchi. “It brings out this empathy in you. You start thinking about other people’s or plants’ ways of thinking and communicating and responding to things. I just really got into that whole interplay between humans and plants.”

As the garden has grown, so has its community. Kelly estimates they’ve had several hundred volunteers over the past decade and half. In addition to their weekly work parties Saturday mornings from nine to noon Mesa Harmony Garden offers frequent trainings and teach-ins about a range of gardening topics, sometimes in collaboration with Master Gardeners of Santa Barbara County or the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Volunteers take the skills they learn at Mesa Harmony Garden back to their own home projects.

All are welcome to join no gardening experience necessary.

FOOD& DRINK

Deals

Four Fantastic Meals from Santa Barbara Restaurant Week

With tumultuous global affairs keeping our economy on the constantly stressful brink of disaster, who doesn’t want a deal right now?

For the next 10 days, your dollar-saving savior should be Santa Barbara Restaurant Week (SBRW), in which 15 restaurants are offering specially priced dinner menus from April 24 to May 3. The threecourse (appetizer-entrée-dessert) prix-fixe menus start at $50, and there are also some wineries participating with specially priced flights. See all the details at sbrestaurantweeks.com

We sent our team to try three of the menus. Here’s what they enjoyed.

Charcoal Avo & Roast Chicken @ Convivo ($50)

For this Restaurant Week, Chef Peter McNee curated a three-course menu of Convivo staples for just $50, catering to folks who may be first-time guests, while also giving regulars their favorites at a good price. Infusing Spanish, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and even some of his Midwestern sensibilities to his “nomad Italian” dishes, Minnesota-grown McNee’s creations do not disappoint.

The three starter options give an excellent variety of

flavor. On the lighter side, the charcoal avocado salad is bursting with citrusy zing. Half an avocado blackened from a charcoal grill gives the salad a uniquely savory depth. If you’re in the mood for something more hearty, McNee’s lamb meatballs served on a spread of pureed chickpeas complete with a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds is sure to satisfy. Or, guests can opt for a Chioggia beet and burrata deconstructed salad, which mixes earthy beet, rich butternut squash, and crisp apple, harmoniously checking all the flavor and texture boxes.

Entrées include a spit-roasted half chicken, which, McNee explained, “People in the know go crazy for.” The tender meat is complemented by a harissa and a charmoula sauce, which is rubbed on the chicken before cooking and served on the side. Complemented by golden raisins, olives, toasted almonds, and cauliflower, the dish is a well-rounded crowd-pleaser.

The stinco far exceeded expectations and it is a special feature, since the dish is not normally on the menu. Two days of preparation go into this braised pork osso bucco, leaving it so tender the meat falls right off the bone no knife needed. Paired with a pine-nut salsa rustica and broccolini, this buttery pork really is the star of the show.

McNee says the seaweed mafaldine pasta dish is “definitely the nomad of nomad Italian.” Seaweed-infused homemade noodles are caressed in a sesame seed and miso butter, then tossed with flavor-packed mushrooms, al dente broccolini, and pickled then sauteed shallots whose bright acidity provides a pleasing contrast to the deep umami flavors.

Save room for dessert. McNee’s take on an affogato uses espresso from Santa Monica’s Caffe Luxxe and complimentary vanilla gelato topped with candied hazelnuts, a truly delightful depth of flavors and textures. Also on offer is a light panna cotta topped with a shortbread

crumble and strawberry and kaffir lime sauce, or a perfectly balanced lemon tart with a flame-licked meringue.

Truffles & Tiramisu @ Tre Lune ($85)

“Like a trip to Italy without the airfare,” goes the usual line. Not exactly. At Tre Lune, the veal chop alone runs $61, and most pastas hover between $30 and $40. But during Santa Barbara Restaurant Week, that price point softens to an $85 three-course menu a greatest-hits lineup of the restaurant’s most indulgent appetizers, entrées, and desserts.

Inside the Montecito dining room, it’s all white tablecloths, dark wood, and black-and-white photographs homey with a hint of old-school Italian bravado, promising rich food layered with butter, cheese, truffles, and wine.

The meal begins with choices that cover Tre Lune’s menu highlights. The carpaccio di manzo thinly sliced filet mignon topped with arugula, shaved parmesan, and mustard dressing is bright and clean, the olive oil flavorful. For those leaning toward the sea, the fritto calamari comes lightly crisped, paired with marinara and aioli, more delicate than greasy.

Then there are the main events. The fettuccine al tartufo is simple and decadent pasta glossy with butter and loaded with shaved black truffle. This, thank the heavens, they do not skimp on. The battutine al Marsala e funghi, a sautéed veal with mushrooms in a rich wine sauce, lands heavier savory, silky, and again, wonderfully buttery.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR JOURNALISM AT

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

THANK YOU TO OUR FOOD, DRINK, AND INTERACTIVE VENDORS

Another option is the branzino, a mild and flaky white fish, with a lemon and caper sauce.

“The menu does not change often,” said General Manager Leslee Russell, who is also the chair of SBRW. “We stick to the popular dishes.”

It’s a sensible philosophy. Why fix what most definitely ain’t broke?

Case in point: the house staple, tiramisu. Airy and light, a perfect level of espresso against a touch of sweet mascarpone. Another option are the profiteroles pastry puffs filled with cream with melted dark Belgian chocolate.

Beyond the $85 menu, diners can opt for house-labeled Margerum wines a crisp pinot grigio or a fuller-bodied pinot noir rounding out a meal that feels cohesive, branded down to the plateware.

For those who’ve long eyed Tre Lune from a distance, Restaurant Week offers a way in. Not cheap, but closer. And very much worth the seat.

—Ella

Heydenfeldt

1151 Coast Village Rd., Montecito; (805) 969-2646; trelunesb.com

Souvlaki & Loukoumades @ Lulio ($75)

One moment you’re enjoying a simple lunch, and the next, you’re transported to a sun-drenched Mediterranean island, with no memory of how you got there. The Ritz-Carlton Bacara’s Lulio will do that to you.

That sense of transport is exactly what chefs Roberto Riveros Leyton and Fernando Godinez Chavez had in mind when creating the Greekand Mediterranean-inspired menu: that guests leave not only satiated, but changed.

“It doesn’t matter if you came here for vacation … maybe you just came out for the weekend,” said Leyton. “But we want that weekend to be memorable for you.”

This Restaurant Week, for $75 per person, excluding tax and gratuity, Lulio guests choose between a starter, main course, and dessert. Luckily for me, I got to try a little bit of everything.

For starters, the fattoush salad was a showstopper crunchy cucumbers, tomatoes, and perfectly whipped feta. The Ionian Garden offered a lighter option with a touch of protein, while the Seafarer reminded me why broccolini is such an elite vegetable.

Next came the main course: a choice between the chicken souvlaki wrap with yogurt marinade, tomato, cucumber, mint, and a side of fries or tabouli salad; the ouzo rigatoni with tomato, chile, and kefalotyri cheese; or the California seabass with green harissa, charred tomato, olive, and cauliflower cooked to perfection.

I washed it all down with the Seaside Spritz, which tasted like what I imagine sunshine tastes like, and the Ambrosia Fizz, which looked more like a work of art than a drink.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, dessert arrived: loukoumades Greek donuts with rose water and lychee, served with strained yogurt and an olive oil cake made with Goleta citrus and crème fraîche. Sitting back in my chair, both hands on my stomach, having poured my whole heart into every bite, I understood what Chef Leyton meant when he said that food is not only “connection” but also that “food is love.”

—Tiana Molony

Hollister Ave., in the Ritz-Carlton Bacara; (805) 968-0100; ritzcarlton.com

Where to Enjoy Restaurant Week

Here is the list of participating restaurants as of April 20. The updated list is at sbrestaurantweeks.com.

Arnoldi’s

FOOD & DRINK

SPECIAL EVENT

FOOD & DRINK

Sip the Scene

“An extraordinary culinary and artistic adventure through the heart of downtown.” That’s how Christy Jacobs, events and communications manager at the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association, describes the LIVE Art & Wine Tour, set to take place this year on April 30.

component painting, sculpture, music, dance, and more featuring artists such as Jeff Shelton, Eric Saint Georges, Derek Harrison, Kate Maddaloni, Typewriter Poets, Carey Caulfield, and Danielle Renée Art.

Now in its 24th year, the annual event brings together food, wine, art, and community in a single, roving evening. This year, six venues will participate, each paired with a winery: the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Jeff Shelton Architect Studio, Drift, Ocaso, Silver Wines, Thrifty Beaches, and SuperMoss.

The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, at 136 East De la Guerra Street, where guests receive a commemorative wine glass, a specially designed plate with a stem holder a nifty device that allows for the simultaneous balancing of food and drink and a map of the tour’s stops. From there, the experience unfolds on foot to a series of pop-up tasting rooms.

At each stop, guests are offered sample bites and wine pours, with culinary offerings from local participants such as Opal Restaurant + Bar, Dusk, Colombini Bakery, Fresco at the Market, and Crepería El Chisme, alongside wines from regional producers including Alma Rosa Winery, Carr Winery, Buttonwood Winery, and many others.

What distinguishes the tour, though, is its emphasis on art in the making. Each venue hosts a live creative

“The live art is really what makes the event special, in my opinion,” Jacobs says, noting that visitors aren’t simply viewing finished works on walls; they’re witnessing the creative process unfold in real time as they move from place to place. The tour lasts roughly two and a half hours, during which guests chart their own course, lingering where they feel most drawn. “Not everybody will make it to every single venue,” Jacobs says, “just because they might be captivated by the live art at one space.”

At 7:30 p.m., the evening culminates back at the Historical Museum with a “final party,” continuing through 9:30 p.m. and featuring additional food and wine tastings, other beverages including nonalcoholic options live music, more art in action, and a silent auction, along with access to the museum’s main gallery.

Beyond offering a lively night out, the event also serves as a fundraiser for downtown initiatives. Proceeds support programs such as the 1st Thursday Art Walk, window beautification, public art installations, and the cleaning, maintenance, and security efforts that shape the downtown environment.

Jacobs describes the event as an invitation to rediscover Santa Barbara: an opportunity to encounter new venues, artists, and flavors in a single evening. “I think it expands everyone’s experience downtown.”

The event is open to guests 21 and older, with all food and beverage included in the ticket price. Tickets are $85, excluding taxes and fees, and can be purchased at bit.ly/4u7xM8b.

South Coast Deli Opens Fourth Location

outh Coast Deli

Sadded another outpost in Santa Barbara, with a new location that opened this week in the Funk Zone in the former home of Rincon Brewery. The expansion marks the deli’s fourth shop in the area as it enters its 35th year in business.

Founded in 1991 by Jim and Darlene St. John, South Coast Deli began as a small operation in Carpinteria. Over time, it has grown into a familiar name in the local lunch rotation, known for sandwiches, house-made dressings, and a steady customer base across its existing locations.

The Funk Zone site places the deli in one of the city’s busiest visitor corridors, where wine tasting rooms, breweries, and restaurants have reshaped the former industrial district over the past decade. The area has seen a steady flow of new food concepts alongside established operators expanding into the neighborhood.

“It’s amazing to see how lively the Funk Zone has become over the years,” said cofounder Jim St. John. “It’s taken a lot of hard work from many people before us, and we’re excited to contribute and add our own flare.”

South Coast Deli has long emphasized consistency and speed, positioning itself as a casual option for lunch and takeout. The company also points to its focus on environmental practices, which have been part of its operations as the brand has grown.

With the opening, the deli joins a crowded field of quick-service and casual dining spots competing for both local and tourist traffic in the Funk Zone. Whether the location will draw the same weekday lunch crowd seen at its other shops remains to be seen, particularly in a neighborhood where foot traffic tends to peak on weekends and evenings.

SUBWAY ON THE MESA CLOSES: This just in from reader Gary R.: “Thanks for keeping us all up to date on restaurant news…. Looks like Subway on the Mesa has closed permanently.” Yelp says the closure is temporary. Subway’s corporate website says it is closed but it is unclear about whether it is temporary or permanent.

PETRA CAFÉ UPDATE: Reader Annie was passing by Petra Café at 14 East Cota Street and noticed a for-rent sign out front. I contacted owner Falah Maayah and asked for an update and here is his response: “Hi John, Thanks for reaching out. There’s been some activity around the space, but nothing final at the moment. I’m currently exploring a few options, including potential transitions and new concepts. I’ve been in this location for about nine years, and about two years ago, I transitioned the concept from Foxtail Kitchen to Petra Café. Petra is still operating through this period, and I’ll have a clearer update soon.”

CHEF 81 OPENS IN ISLA VISTA: Reader Brendan says that a restaurant called “Chef 81” has opened in the former Chop Chinese Food location in Isla Vista at 966 Embarcadero del Mar. It’s Asian food. You get a free egg roll and free soup with your meal. I stopped by and confirmed that they are up and running. The business is run by Chef Johnson Ping Zhu.

SPEAKING OF ISLA VISTA: Reader Brendan also tells me that a frozen yogurt place is coming to 6520 Pardall Road (formerly Wells Fargo Bank) next to Lao Wang: “There is a sign in the space next to Lao Wang in Isla Vista saying that “Swirla Vista Froyo” will be coming soon. I don’t think this space was previously a restaurant space.” The interior still has some Wells Fargo furniture so I don’t expect an opening anytime soon. Visit swirlavista.com.

TRADITION...

La P rimavera! A FIESTA

Please join El Presidente 2026 Colin Hayward, and the entire Fiesta family, for an unforgettable evening kicking off the Fiesta season.

As we welcome spring, there’s no better time to celebrate than at Old Spanish Days La Primavera on May 2 at the historic El Paseo Restaurant. The evening will feature authentic cuisine, mariachi music, and live flamenco dancing.

The traditional highlight will be the first performances of our newly-crowned Spirit and Junior Spirit of Fiesta.

This year’s official Fiesta poster, created by renowned local artist Pedro De La Cruz, will headline a collection of exceptional fundraising auction items.

This special event supports all of the free public events during Fiesta 2026—making it a night of celebration with a meaningful purpose.

Tickets are $150 for General Admission, $800 for Booth for 4 People and $1,750 for VIP Table for 8 People. All are available via TicketSauce at the link below and include a special opportunity to support our youth dance programs and other beloved Fiesta traditions.

Scan for tickets!

Viva la Fiesta!

MAY 2, 2026 at 5:30 PM TICKETS $150 • sbfiesta.org

Join Us for Cocktails, Dinner, Auctions and Dancing at the Historic El Paseo!

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY by

Rob Breszny

WEEK OF APRIL 23

ARIES

(Mar. 21-Apr. 19): The visible lightning bolt we see is actually the return stroke. It’s electricity racing back up from the ground to the cloud after an invisible leader stroke has created a path. So the spectacular display is actually the earth talking back to the sky. I’d love to see you adopt this phenomenon as your power symbol, Aries. In every way you can imagine, be like the earth conversing with the sky. When a hopeful sign crackles overhead, send out a bold message that you’re ready to act on it. If your ideals are vague and wispy, flying high above you, take a brave practical step to anchor them in reality. Proclaim your bright intentions to the clouds and the stars.

TAURUS

(Apr. 20-May 20): You’re finished with energy-draining indulgences. No more seductive perils or cute ailments, either. Once you wriggle free from the tangles that have been hobbling your style, I suspect you will also renounce anything that resembles joyless restraint, naïve certainties, pointless cravings, numbing comforts, or misplaced bravery. May it be so! Abracadabra! The emancipations that materialize after these escapes will likely stoke your holy appetite to shine more fiercely than it has in ages.

GEMINI

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You Libras sometimes get accused of indecision, as if your careful weighing of possibilities were a weakness. But I see a different truth: You aspire to be fair-minded as you honor all the legitimate claims on your attention. So, the problem isn’t your capacity for considering multiple sides of each story. Rather, I find fault with the culture you live in, which is obsessed with one-dimensional certainty. If I were your coach or therapist, I would give you permission to take your time and resist the rush to resolution. The most honest thing you can say may be, “I’m still deciding,” or “Both of these feel true.”

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Is it possible there’s something you really need but you don’t know what it is? Sometimes the soul sends up subtle hints long before it sends clear demands: a vague restlessness, a mysterious sadness, or a boredom that doesn’t match your circumstances. These are often clues that an unnamed or unacknowledged need is summoning your attention. My advice to you: PAY ATTENTION! Ask your deep, sweet, sensitive self to provide unambiguous clues. To expedite the process, say the following sentence out loud, filling in the blank at the end: “I suspect I might be starving for ___.”

SAGITTARIUS

(May 21-June 20): In music theory, the tritone is an interval exactly halfway between octaves. In old church music, it was considered diabolical because of its unstable, unresolved quality. But this “devil interval” is now essential to blues, jazz, and rock. The precariousness that once made it seem outrageous became the source of its potency. What was taboo became foundational. I believe you’re entering into a metaphorical tritone phase, Gemini. Lots of interesting and valuable stuff may be a bit wobbly, irregular, hectic, or ruffled.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): A treasure you have long yearned for has morphed since the day you first set out to claim it. Either it has genuinely altered its shape and flavor, or it has remained exactly what it always was while you have changed. In either case, the relationship between you and this prize is no longer the same. Its meaning and value have shifted. The strategies you’ve been using to pursue it aren’t entirely relevant. So, I suggest you pause and reconsider. Decide whether you need to formulate a revised approach or identify a different version of the treasure altogether.

LEO

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You have arrived at the Glorious Grunting Season, my dear Sagittarius. I hope you’re poised to sweat freely and trust the intelligence of strenuous physical effort. Your wise body, more than your fine mind, can best align you with cosmic rhythms. Whenever you throw yourself into work or play that makes you grunt — hauling, scrubbing, digging, lifting, dancing, running, making love — you will harmonize with the deeper pulse of life. I predict that you will invigorate your instinctual vitality as you clear emotional sediment and ground your energy in the earth’s rich rhythms. You will metabolize frustration into focus, inertia into momentum, and abstraction into embodiment.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What might motivate you to become an extraordinary lover? I’m not suggesting that your romantic and erotic talents are lacking, only that there is delightful room to grow. And the coming weeks will be prime time for you to have fun with this noble experiment. I suggest you follow the clues that life and intuition will drop in your path. Keep this in mind, too: What makes a person a superb lover has a little to do with sheer technique, but is mostly due to emotional intelligence, imaginative responsiveness, and tender ingenuity.

AQUARIUS

(July 23-Aug. 22): My radical predictions: You will soon discern truths that have been hidden and unravel mysteries that have resisted your understanding. A limiting belief that has dulled your mind will fade away, and a so-called ally who has confused your sense of self will drift out of your orbit. And that’s just part of the renewal ahead. I foresee that you will emerge from a weird emotional haze, regaining access to feelings you’ve needed to highlight. And with that awakening, you will be blessed with beautiful realizations that until now have lingered just beyond definition.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In theater, “blocking” refers to the carefully choreographed movement of actors on stage. Every step is intentional, designed to create meaning and flow. But if an actor forgets the blocking and moves spontaneously in response to what’s happening, sometimes the scene becomes more alive. Let’s apply this idea to your life, Virgo. It may be that you have been following the blocking carefully. You know your role well. But now you’ve been authorized to forget the blocking. You can respond to what’s really happening instead of what’s scripted. I invite you to speak from your heart rather than parroting what’s expected of you. Yes, you might mess up the scene. But on the other hand, you might make it extra real and vibrant.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): This horoscope isn’t composed by me. It’s coming from you. I’m channeling it straight out of your own deep mind. Why now? Because your conscious ego has been so swept up in the constant swirl of tasks and distractions that it has been tuning out crucial communications from your still, small voice. And now that precious Spirit Whisperer has conscripted me as its messenger. Here’s what it wants to say: “Hey you! Remember me? Your inner guide? Also known as your higher self and the voice of your soul? You urgently need to turn your attention back in my direction. I have a backlog of messages for you, starting with how we can and should intensify our devotion to creative self-care.”

PISCES

(Feb. 19-Mar. 20): In 1967, Piscean biologist Lynn Margulis proposed a revolutionary idea about life’s evolution: that many of its great leaps occurred through symbiosis. She theorized that distinct organisms have sometimes merged their identities to form entirely new beings. One example is the mitochondrion, the powerhouse within our cells. It began its existence as a free-living bacterium that later entered into partnership with the ancestral cell. Margulis’s formerly controversial idea is now mainstream science. (She was called “science’s unruly earth mother.”) With this as our guide, Pisces, let’s contemplate what separate elements of your life might merge into unprecedented blends. I invite you to consider bold experiments in merging and mixing. Hybrids might be more beautiful and valuable than the sum of their parts.

SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT

CLASSIFIEDS

EMPLOYMENT

HEALTH & FITNESS

SAFE STEP. North

America’s #1 Walk‑In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top‑of‑the‑line installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1‑888‑989‑5749 (Cal‑SCAN).

HELP WANTED

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER II

(Multiple Openings) ‑ Under supvn, create, doc & present architectural, interior dsgn & planning content; research, explore & generate dsgn solutions, & balance multiple simultaneous projects w/ short deadlines. Salary $78k/ yr. Position req Bach’s deg in Architecture or rel & 12 mos exp incl ArchiCAD, Bluebeam, Adobe Suite & Microsoft Office 365. Job w/ AB Design Studio in Santa Barbara, CA. Email cvr ltr & resume to employment@ abdesignstudioinc.com.

PROFESSIONAL

HYPERION BUSINESS

Systems Analyst w/ Deckers America, LLC 100% remote reporting to: Goleta, CA. Pay $144,976/yr. Salary reflects min & max target for new hire salaries for role in Goleta, CA location. Individual pay determined by location & add’l factors, including job related skills, exp & relevant ed or training. To apply: www. deckers.com/careers (20410).

EOE

ARTS & LECTURES

Under general direction of the Production Manager, the Production Associate provides professional‑level event production management for Arts & Lectures programming. The core purpose of the role is to own and manage the operational infrastructure of production while independently executing assigned events and implementing the strategic direction established by the Production Manager. While the Production Manager leads and advances all Arts & Lectures events and sets production standards, oversees budgets, contracts, technical riders, and venue coordination, the Production Associate independently manages operational logistics, event documentation systems, financial tracking, student staff supervision, and execution for small‑ to mid‑scale programs as advanced by Production Manager. Applying professional event

management concepts, the Production Associate exercises independent judgment and is outcome‑driven rather than task‑driven. The Production Associate uses independent logistical decision‑making within approved budget parameters; has real‑time operational authority during assigned events; exercises discretion and independent judgment; manages fiscal implementation and tracking; has ownership of systems development and maintenance; offers vendor selection recommendations within established frameworks; and oversees functional supervision of student staff. Due to the nature of the live performing arts environment, the schedule includes evenings and weekends and requires schedule fluidity tied to touring artists and programming cycles; real‑time decision‑making authority; and independent problem‑solving during productions. Expected performance outcomes include: events execute smoothly and on schedule; production documentation is accurate and audit‑ready; vendors and campus partners receive clear communication; financial tracking is precise and timely; production systems are standardized and scalable. Reqs: Bachelor’s degree in related area and/ or equivalent experience/ training; 1‑3 yrs experience in event production or live performing arts operations, including hands‑on coordination of logistics such as equipment rentals, catering, transportation, and vendor management for small‑ to mid‑scale events or productions; 1‑3 yrs Administrative and/ or financial tracking and reconciliation experience; Willingness and ability to work evenings and weekends; Basic knowledge of campus mission, vision, goals, and objectives, with the ability to apply this understanding in supporting live event production operations. Notes: Satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check; Mandated Child Abuse Reporter; Required to hold a valid driver’s license, have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies/procedures, and/ or enroll in the California Pull Notice Program. Hiring/ Budgeted Salary Range: $71,600 to $88,550/year. Full Salary Range: $71,600 to $127,400/year. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Application Review begins 5/1/26. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb. edu Job #85627

INTERLIBRARY LOAN UNIT HEAD LIBRARY

Under the direction of the Director of Access Services is responsible for the operations of the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Unit including planning, organizing and supervising the work related to the lending and borrowing of materials within the University of California, the United States, and international locations. Explores, evaluates, and recommends systems and partnerships in resource sharing. Develops and implements new procedures directly impacting UCSB ILL operations in response to evolving technologies, policies, and needs. Manages ILL accounting and compliance. Participates in collaborative policy development and technical systems implementation among various library departments and across the UC system. Recommends new policies to the Director of Access Services and leads special projects as needed. Reqs: Bachelor’s degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training; 1‑3 yrs experience working in library or comparable setting; 1‑3 yrs Management & Supervisory experience; Progressively responsible library or resource sharing experience. Notes: Satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check; Understanding of U.S. copyright law; Mandated Child Abuse Reporter. Hiring/ Budgeted Salary Range:

$65,700 ‑ $90,400/yr. Full Salary Range: $65,700 to $115,100 /yr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Application Review begins 5/5/26. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb. edu Job #85679

COOK

CAMPUS DINING

The Cook performs culinary duties such as preparing soups and casseroles, grilling, roasting or barbecuing foods, working a sauté station, and preparing and assembling made‑to‑order entrees serving up to 1,500 meals per shift. Ensures that assigned responsibilities are accomplished and that high standards of food

Reaching 68,000 Readers Each Week

quality, service, sanitation and safety are met at all times. Assists with student training, food production and sanitation. Reqs: High School or Equivalent combination of education and experience. Work Experience; 1‑3 years culinary experience in a high‑volume culinary environment; 1‑3 years knowledge of and experience with culinary techniques, including but not inclusive of sauteing, grilling, frying, steaming, preparing sauces and stocks; Equivalent combination of education and experience. Notes: Satisfactory criminal history background check; Visa sponsorship is not available for this position; UCSB is a Tobacco‑Free environment; Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and work standing for up to 8 hours per day; Work hours/days may vary. Hiring/Budgeted Hourly Range: $25.00 /hr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Open Until Filled. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb. edu, Job # 85534.

FINANCIAL & AD MINISTRATIVE AN ALYST CAMPUS DINING

Under the general direction of the Director, Retail Operations and Business Management, manages and reports on income and expenses for Campus Dining’s Retail Operations. Reviews and verifies reconciliation of expense ledgers and ensures that expenses are properly identified, classified, and balanced to the monthly P&L statement. Reports on operational statistics and creates projections on historical data, current demographics, and planned capital expenditures. Provides liaison leadership to departmental units as well as to UCen Accounting and ARIT departments with recommendations and analysis in the areas of labor, accounting, purchasing, and technical equipment. Works closely with Campus Dining’s Retail managers/asst. Assists in budget development, recommends cost cutting strategies, provides data on sales history per day or month, assists managers with measuring labor vs. sales per hour to attain or exceed budgeted goals. Researches technical equipment (hardware/software, printers, POS) and makes decisions

on selection and purchasing. Oversees 30 computerized and 4 non‑computerized registers and administers 4 different operating platforms. Knowledgeable on each system’s hardware and software and is able to troubleshoot when problems occur. Works with a high level of proficiency in Excel, CBORD menu, inventory; and all other software utilized by Campus Dining Retail Operations. Trains employees in the use of all software and hardware. Performs analysis on bids for all food, non‑food, and leased tenant operations that are part of an RFQ or RFP process. Reqs: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance or Accounting; Equivalent combination of education and experience; At least 3‑5 yrs of experience in a finance/ accounting/retail role; Advanced proficiency in Excel, foodservice menu software, and inventory; Able to perform analysis on bids for all food and non‑food; Strong analytical and organizational skills and the ability to multitask. Strong oral and written communication skills; Excellent interpersonal skills and the demonstrated ability to connect and communicate effectively with individuals at all levels; Equivalent combination of education and experience. Notes: Satisfactory criminal history background check; Visa sponsorship is not available for this position; UCSB is a Tobacco‑Free environment. Hiring/Budgeted Salary Range: $71,600/yr ‑$80,000/ yr. Full Salary Range: $71,600/yr ‑$85,000/yr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/

Affirmative Action Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Open Until Filled. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb. edu, Job # 85437.

PRINCIPAL COOK CAMPUS DINING

The Principal Cook plans and oversees the food production of a specific platform according to Dining Services, University and Federal guidelines. Serves as Platform Lead, hiring, training and managing a staff of career and student cooks serving up to 1,500 meals per shift. Provides quality assurance for all menu items. Performs advanced culinary duties. Determines daily food preparation methods, coordinates portion control and organizes and designates work assignments to staff, reviews and updates menus and recipes. Reqs: High School Required or Equivalent combination of education and experience; 5 years of progressively more responsible culinary experience, in a high‑volume culinary environment, with one year in a supervisory capacity; Knowledge of and experience with advanced culinary techniques, including but not inclusive of sautéing, grilling, frying,

steaming, preparing sauces and stocks; Ability to perform and teach standard and advanced quantity culinary techniques. Ability to read and write English for the purpose of preparing food from recipe guidelines and producing reports; Ability to analyze recipes, recognize problems and make corrections as needed. Ability to perform basic mathematical calculations including addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication needed for recipe development and other required functions; Communication skills sufficient to direct the work of others and interact successfully within a large staff; Equivalent combination of education and experience. Notes; Satisfactory criminal history background check; Visa sponsorship is not available for this position; UCSB is a Tobacco‑Free environment; Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and work standing for up to 8 hours per day; Work hours/ days may vary. Budgeted Hourly Range: $24.53/ hr‑$27.55/hr. Full Salary Range: $24.53/hr‑$32.52 /hr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Open Until Filled. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb. edu, Job # 85456.

Continued on p. 50

SENIOR STRATEGIC SOURCING BUYER

FINANCIAL

BUSINESS AND

SERVICES

With a high degree of autonomy develops strategies that result in best‑in‑class strategic sourcing practices and supplier relationships.

Identifies projects to apply sourcing and purchasing / procurement methodology to leverage annual purchase volume and rationalize supplier base to ensure benefits / savings to University. Partners with internal clients and stakeholders to identify sourcing needs; conduct buyer / market profiles; share marketplace trends; develop sourcing strategies; share best practices and define acceptable service levels.

Performs duties with a high degree of independence, analyzing complex spend data, marketplace intelligence, and long range strategic plans to develop supplier partnerships that reduce total cost of ownership, mitigate supply chain risks, and increase revenue generation.

Delegated authority to act on behalf of the Regents of the University of California in negotiations between UCSB and private/industrial/ governmental agencies and companies. Requires expert knowledge of University policies regarding materiel and risk management, as well as Public Contract Codes, Federal procurement regulations, and the Uniform Commercial Code. Utilizes a flexible approach to purchasing and negotiation services without sacrificing required controls, and ensures that all commitments and promises are fulfilled. Strives to continually improve services and find new and innovative ways to exceed customer requirements. Maintains quality assurance function for the purchasing group. Reqs: Bachelor’s degree in related area and /or equivalent experience/ training. Must have extensive working knowledge of all procurement policies, procedures and regulations. Advanced listening and communication skills, including the ability to present information in a clear and concise manner verbally and in writing.

Notes: Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employee sponsorship. Satisfactory criminal history background check. Salary or Hourly Range: The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $88,000 to $106,400/yr. Full Salary Range: $88,000 to $161,600/yr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Application review begins 4/24/26. Apply online at https://jobs. ucsb.edu, Job # 85480

PRINCIPAL ELEC TRONICS TECHNI CIAN

RESIDENTIAL HOUSING

Designs, maintains, tests, repairs and troubleshoots Fire Alarm /Security / Access Control, and Closed Circuit Television Systems and related work. Works with a great degree of independence, assuring that work meets established technical requirements outlined in manufacturers’ handbooks or established by the National Fire Protection Association or the National Electric Code. Provides advice and recommendations to supervisors and managers about fire‑related issues and/or equipment and works with the Campus Fire Marshal on Housing related fire equipment issues. In compliance with HDAE goals and objectives, affirms and implements the department’s Educational Equity Plan comprised of short and long‑term objectives that reflect a systematic approach to preparing both students and staff for success in a multi‑cultural society. Works in an environment that is ethnically diverse and culturally pluralistic. Works effectively in a team environment. Reqs: High School Graduate or GED; Minimum 5 years’ experience working with fire alarm and access control systems; Minimum five years’ experience maintaining, testing, and troubleshooting commercial fire alarm systems; Knowledge of ADA, Title 19, NFPA standards, NEC, and fire protection systems; Demonstrated work experience with security and access control equipment; Must have a good working knowledge of PCs, laptops, and MS Office Suite. These skills will be utilized for sending and receiving e‑mails, drafting test reports, online research, training, testing, troubleshooting, repairing, and reprogramming fire alarm/security systems; Ability to read and interpret blueprints; Effective oral and written communication skills. Notes: Ability to respond to emergency calls after duty hours. May be required to carry an after‑hours duty phone and/ or change work shifts to meet the operational needs of the department; Required to hold a valid driver’s license, have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies and procedures, and/or enroll in the California Employer Pull Notice Program; Satisfactory criminal history background check; UCSB is a Tobacco‑Free environment.

Hiring/Budgeted Hourly Range: $50.76 ‑ $53.21/hr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Open Until Filled. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb. edu, Job # 85663.

SR. BAKER CAMPUS DINING

Responsible for the daily Production of all bakery items that are delivered to various retail units for customer sale. Trains and supervises all bakery staff and must be knowledgeable in all areas of bakery production. Ensures that high standards of food quality, service, sanitation and safety are met according to Dining Services. Reqs: High School Diploma or equivalent combination of education and experience. Three yrs of progressively more responsible baking experience in a high‑volume cooking environment. Knowledge and experience with basic and advanced cooking/baking techniques. Supervisory skills and leadership to coordinate, train, oversee and review the work of others in English. Ability to read and write English for the purpose of preparing food from recipe guidelines and producing reports. Ability to perform basic mathematical calculations. Knowledge of food safety and sanitation regulations to ensure proper food handling. Or Equivalent combination of education and experience. Notes: Satisfactory criminal history background check. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Ability to lift up to 50 pounds. Ability to stand for up to 8 hrs per day. Hiring/Budgeted Hourly Range: $25/hr ‑$26.27/hr. Full Hourly Range: $25/hr ‑ $27.31/hr The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Open until filled. Apply online at https: // jobs.ucsb.edu Job # 84753

PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHER

UCSB POLICE DEPARTMENT

Monitors/operates all equipment and accesses all resources within the Dispatch Center. The majority of each shift is at the dispatch console monitoring radios and alarms, radio dispatching personnel, answering phones, computer input/retrieval using specialized software, including CLETS, alarm and 911/telephone software in addition to common Microsoft Windows‑based programs. Reqs: High School Diploma or equivalent education and experience; 1‑3 yrs of law enforcement agency experience or equivalent education and experience; Read, write, speak and understand English fluently; Proficient typing data/entry, familiarity with computer operations, excellent communication and Customer Service skills, ability to deal well with stress and stressful situations; Strong multitasking abilities, and ability to type 35 wpm; Be at least 18 years of age at the time of appointment;

Have the legal right to work in the United States on a permanent basis; Meet all other requirements for public safety dispatcher as established by the law and the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Notes: Ability to use vehicles, computer systems and other technologies and tools utilized by police agencies; Mandated reporting requirements of Child Abuse; Mandated reporting req of Dependent Adult Abuse; Satisfactory criminal history background check; Ability to work in a confined work environment until relieved; Successful completion of a pre‑employment psychological evaluation; Successful completion of a six month in‑house training program; Ability to work rotating shifts on days, nights, weekends and holidays; Successful completion of the POST Dispatcher test. Budgeted Pay Rate/Range: $36.85/ hr.‑$47.04/hr. $10,000 sign‑on bonus for eligible full‑time Public Safety Dispatchers. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Open Until Filled. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb. edu Job # 40952

SR. CUSTODIAN RESIDENTIAL HOUSING

Under the general supervision of the Custodial Supervisor or Residence Hall Manager, performs duties in accordance with established standards and instruction, for university owned Residence Halls, Apartments, Dining Facilities, & Auxiliary units. May be required to work schedules other than Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm to meet the operational needs of the unit. May be required to perform other duties as assigned to meet the operational needs of the department. The Sr. Custodian promotes a customer service environment to residents and clients. Assists with the development and maintenance of a work environment which is conducive to meeting the mission of the organization and supports the EEP. Responsible for completing job duties that demonstrate support for the Operations Team. Initiates communication directly with co‑workers and or supervisor to improve and clarify working relationships, identifying problems and concerns, and seeking resolutions to work‑related conflicts. Reqs: Working Knowledge and experience utilizing the following equipment: vacuums, conventional and high‑speed buffers, extractors, and related custodial equipment desired. Will train on all equipment and chemicals used; Demonstrated ability to work effectively with others as a team. Must have effective communication skills; Ability to interact as a team member with sensitivity towards a multi‑cultural work

environment. Notes: May be required to work schedules other than the assigned schedule to meet the operational needs of the unit; May be required to perform other duties as assigned to meet the operational needs of the department; Required to hold a valid driver’s license, have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies and procedures, and/ or enroll in the California Employer Pull Notice Program; Satisfactory criminal history background check; UCSB is a Tobacco‑Free environment. Hiring/Budgeted Hourly Range: $25.74/hr. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. OPen Until Filled. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb. edu, Job # 85510.

STUDENT GOVERN MENT LEGISLATIVE LIAISON ASSOCIATED STUDENTS

Updates Associated Student Legal Code based on legislation passed at weekly meetings and maintains the historical records of changes. Serves as advisor for the Advocacy Committee, High Impact Projects, and the Offices of Senate Leadership. Serves as the secondary advisor for the Office of the Internal Vice President. Supervises student staff minute takers and A.S. Main Office Front Desk student staff. Reports to the Assistant Director of Governmental Affairs and supports the administrative and programmatic needs of the Student Government entities. Reqs: Bachelor’s Degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training; 1‑3 yrs Experience in political science, public policy, or law; 1‑3 yrs Experience in an institution of higher education working with college students in an academic advising or counseling capacity, or other field that is directly related to the function s of the position or equivalency as determined by the hiring authority; 1‑3 yrs Experience in working with diverse communities and across multiple identities and respect and consideration for all identities, perspectives, and differences; Knowledge of student development theories and practice; counseling and crisis intervention, conflict mediation, and assessment measurement and design; Ability to research and educate students and staff respecting applicable state and federal laws; Thorough knowledge of Student Affairs / Student Life specialization; Skills in judgment and decision‑making, problem solving, identifying measures of system performance and the actions to improve performance. Notes: Some evenings and weekends are required; UCSB Campus Security Authority under Clery Act; Satisfactory criminal history background check. Hiring/Budgeted

Salary Range: $66,840 /yr to $74,688/year. Full Salary Range: $58,600/year to $100,800/year. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Open until filled. Apply online at https://jobs.ucsb. edu, Job # 85478.

UNDERGRADUATE ADVISOR GEOGRAPHY

This position is responsible for providing comprehensive academic advising to prospective, new and continuing Geography majors on all facets of four degree programs (BA, BA w/GIS, BS in Physical Geography, and BS with Ocean Science). Provides academic advice and assistance on topics such as: academic planning, course requirements, grades, units, transfer work, academic difficulties, student distress, leaves, petition processing, financial assistance, housing, and degree progress checks. Maintains knowledge of and interprets campus policies and procedures for students, faculty, and staff. Coordinates application and evaluation process for students requesting to participate in independent research projects and department honors courses. Conducts year‑round orientations for prospective and new students. Coordinates year‑round recruitment and outreach efforts. Assists with the development and implementation strategies to increase enrollment of applicants accepted into Geography programs. Manages an internship and career resources program. Conducts program and statistical research and data analysis. Assists in the annual development and preparation of the Geography curriculum plan. Creates and maintains all undergraduate

publications and written correspondence such as brochures, recruitment and orientation materials, major information handouts, faculty profiles, website content, surveys, etc. Manages all aspects of course scheduling. Coordinates quarterly faculty and TA evaluations, textbook ordering, faculty and TA office hours, IRAL reports, and e‑grading. Assists with departmental events as necessary. Serves as back‑up advisor for the graduate program. Maintains the department library check‑in/check‑out system. Coordinates various award programs within the department, including the Dangermond Travel Fellowship Program as well as departmental awards for undergraduate students.

Reqs: Bachelor’s Degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/ training; 1‑3 yrs administrative experience; 1‑3 Yrs advising/ counseling experience; Ability to maintain strict confidentiality in the course of performing the position’s duties, while maintaining a high degree of sensitivity and professionalism. Notes: Satisfactory criminal history background check. Hiring/ Budgeted Salary Range: $25.77‑$32/hr. Full Salary Range: $25.77‑$3.58/hr. University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Application Review begins 4/29/26. Apply online at https://jobs. ucsb. edu Job #85562

MARKETPLACE

ADMINISTER OF ESTATE

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

GERTRUDE B. JOHNSON

No.: 26PR00157

To all heirs, beneficia ries, creditors, contin gent creditors, and per sons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both of:

GERTRUDE B. JOHNSON

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by: THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara.

THE PETITION requests that (name): THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY be appointed as personal representa tive to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admit ted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. THE PETITION requests authority to adminis ter the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal rep resentative to take many actions without obtain ing court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The Independent admin istration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 5/28/2026 AT 9:00 a.m. Dept: 5 SUPERIOR COURT OF

CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA, located at 1100 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Santa Barbara‑Anacapa Division.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file writ ten objections with the court before the hear ing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of let ters to a general per sonal representative, as defined in section 58 (b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mail ing or personal deliv ery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attor ney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE‑154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code Section 1250. A Request for Special notice form is available from the court clerk. Darrel E. Parker, Executive Officer 3/30/2026 by Monica Buentostro, Deputy. Attorney for Petitioner: Ian M. Fisher; PRICE POSTEL & PARMA LLP 200 E. Carrillo St. Ste 400, Santa Barbara, CA 93101; 805‑962‑0011

Published: Apr 9, 16, 23 2026.

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: DIANNE LYNN SMYTH

No.: 26PR00058

To all heirs, beneficia ries, creditors, contin gent creditors, and per sons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both of: DIANNE LYNN SMYTH

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by: GREGORY W. CANNADAY in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara. THE PETITION requests that (name): GREGORY W. CANNADAY be appointed as personal representa tive to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to adminis ter the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal rep resentative to take many actions without obtain ing court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The Independent admin istration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the peti tion will be held in this court as follows:

5/28/2026 AT 9:00 a.m.

Dept: 5 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA, located at 1100 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Anacapa Division.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your

objections or file writ ten objections with the court before the hear ing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of let ters to a general per sonal representative, as defined in section 58 (b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mail ing or personal deliv ery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attor ney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE‑154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code Section 1250. A Request for Special notice form is available from the court clerk. Darrel E. Parker, Executive Officer 4/02/2026 by Monica Buentostro, Deputy. Attorney for Petitioner: Charles M. Oxton; 1220 State Street, 2nd Floor, Santa Barbara, CA 93101; 805‑963‑2011 Published: Apr 9, 16, 23 2026.

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: PHILIP JOHN ERO FRANCHINI

Continued on p. 52

crosswordpuzzle

ByMattJones

Across

1. “Jeopardy!” creator Griffin

5. A-list notable 10. Cellar, in apt. ads

14. Summer camp setting

15. Grande’s costar in 2024 and 2025 films

16. “Fine by me”

17. Dow Jones Industrial Average, e.g.

19. 2007 NBA MVP Nowitzki

20. ___ contendere (no contest plea)

21. Half of the green Trivial Pursuit category

23. Hot green paste

26. Forever ___ day

27. Dramatic division

28. Puts under a spell

32. Ballpark figure?

35. Rage ___ (2025’s Oxford Word of the Year)

37. Suffix dropped from 22. Down’s full name

38. Add up to

40. Ghana’s capital

42. “Family” found in the four long theme answers

43. “America” singer in “West Side Story”

44. “Oliver Twist” burglar Bill

45. Short opening letter?

47. Distant lead-in

48. “Bali ___” (“South Pacific” tune)

49. Turntable part 52. Coffee dispenser

53. First-time gamer

55. They run the show

57. Dryer by the sink 60. “The Grapes of Wrath” itinerant

61. Follow

62. Japanese cat figurine with one paw raised

67. “That’s pretty cool” 68. Solo

69. Dually packaged candy bar

Ultrafast fliers, once

Really enjoy

Provocative

Portland Timbers’ org.

Get takeout, perhaps

“Citizen Kane” film studio

D&D villain, or a “Stranger Things” antagonist

LEGALS (CONT.)

CASE NO. 26PR00156

To all heirs, beneficia ries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of PHILIP JOHN ERO FRANCHINI.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by JEFFREY ANDREWS in the Superior Court of California, County of SANTA BARBARA.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that JEFFREY ANDREWS be appointed as personal representative to admin ister the estate of the dece dent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and cod icils, if any, be admitted to probate.

The WILL and any codi cils are available for examina tion in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions with out obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, how ever, the personal representa tive will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the pro posed action.) The independent

administration authority will be granted unless an inter ested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the peti tion will be held in this court as follows: 05/28/26 at 9:00AM in Dept. SB 5 located at STREET ADDRESS: 1100 ANACAPA STREET; MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 21107, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93121‑1107

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general per sonal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mail ing or personal delivery to you of a

NOTICE INVITING BIDS

Santa Barbara Unified School District

720 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Request for Bid FS-2627-14 Food Service Produce

notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE‑154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner

MARTIN P. AVANESIAN, ESQ. ‑ SBN 348994

LAW OFFICE OF RODNEY GOULD 15233 VENTURA BLVD., STE. 1020

SHERMAN OAKS CA 91403

Telephone (818) 981‑1760

BSC 228275

4/9, 4/16, 4/23/26

CNS‑4029366#

SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF ORION KEITH RAY Case No. 26PR00168

To all heirs, beneficia ries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of ORION KEITH RAY A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed

Notice is hereby given by the Santa Barbara Unified School District acting by and through its Board of Education, hereinafter referred to as the “District”, will receive sealed bids up to but not later than 2:00pm PT, May 13, 2026 for: FS-2627-14 Food Service Produce. This solicitation is conducted in support of the District’s federally approved child nutrition program.

Sealed bid responses should be submitted to the District’s Food Services office to the attention of Laszlo Horvath, Purchasing Tech located at Santa Barbara Unified School District, Food Services Department, 720 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101 with the corresponding bid response CLEARLY LABELED on the outside of the bid response and will be opened at or after the time and date set for the bid opening. Bids will be opened at the bid submission deadline of 2:00pm PT, May 13, 2026, at this location, and results will be posted on the District website.

Bid documents are available from the Food Services Department or by contacting Matt Dittman at mdittman@sbunified.org or at 805-963-4338 x6387

All bids shall be submitted on the forms provided in the bid document and must conform to all bid instructions and any addenda issued.

No Bidder may withdraw their bid for a period of sixty (60) days after the date set for the bid opening.

The District reserves the right to reject any, all, or any part of the proposal. The District may waive any irregularities or informalities, or may sit and act as sole judge of the merit and qualifications of the products and services offered in any proposal, or in the bidding process, based on the criteria set forth in Section 15, Award of Bid and Formation of Contract.

By order of the BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE SANTA BARBARA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.

By: Laszlo Horvath Purchasing Tech

by Charlene Ann Ray in the Superior Court of California, County of SANTA BARBARA.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Charlene Ann Ray be appointed as personal representative to admin ister the estate of the dece dent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act.

(This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions with out obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, how ever, the personal representa tive will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the pro posed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an inter ested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on May 19, 2026 at 9:00 AM in Dept. No. SM2 located at 312 E COOK ST BLDG E, Santa Maria CA 93456‑5369.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under sec tion 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a credi tor. You may want to consult with

an attorney knowledgeable in California law. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE‑154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for petitioner:

TROY WERNER ESQ SBN 265907

GRACE LIM‑AYRES ESQ SBN 321004

THE WERNER LAW FIRM 27433 TOURNEY RD STE 200 SANTA CLARITA CA 91355 CN126333 RAY Apr 16,23,30, 2026

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: GARY MICHAEL SEBASTIAN PAQUET No.: 26PR00147

To all heirs, beneficia ries, creditors, con tingent creditors, and persons who may oth erwise be interested in the will or estate, or both of: GARY MICHAEL SEBASTIAN PAQUET

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by: BRIAN MONTGOMERY PAQUE in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara. THE PETITION requests that (name): BRIAN MONTGOMERY PAQUET be appointed as personal representative to admin ister the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to adminis ter the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal rep resentative to take many actions without obtain ing court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The Independent admin istration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 5/11/2026 AT 8:30 a.m. Dept: SM4 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA, located at 312 East Cook Street Building E Santa Maria, CA 93454. Santa Maria Cook Division. IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file writ ten objections with the court before the hear ing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent,

you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal rep resentative, as defined in section 58 (b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or per sonal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal author ity may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE‑154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code Section 1250. A Request for Special notice form is available from the court clerk. Darrel E. Parker, Executive Officer 3/18/2026 by Brianna Mandujano, Deputy. Attorney for Petitioner: Eric D Ridley; 567 W. Channel Islands Blvd. Ste. 210, Port Hueneme, CA 93041; 805‑244‑5291

Published: Apr 16, 23, 30 2026.

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: SCOTT REID No.: 26PR00198

To all heirs, beneficia ries, creditors, contin gent creditors, and per sons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both of: SCOTT REID A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by: SETH REID in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara.

THE PETITION requests that (name): SETH REID be appointed as personal representative to admin ister the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admit ted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to adminis ter the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal rep resentative to take many actions without obtain ing court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The Independent admin istration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the peti tion will be held in this court as follows: 6/11/2026 AT 9:00 a.m.

Dept: 5 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA, locat

ed at 1100 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Santa Barbara‑Anacapa Division.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file writ ten objections with the court before the hear ing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal rep resentative, as defined in section 58 (b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or per sonal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal author ity may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE‑154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code Section 1250. A Request for Special notice form is available from the court clerk. Darrel E. Parker, Executive Officer 4/20/2026 by Monica Buentostro, Deputy. Attorney for Petitioner: Kristen M. R. Blabey; PRICE POSTEL & PARMA LLP 200 E. Carrillo St. Ste 400, Santa Barbara, CA 93101; 805‑962‑0011 Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7 2026.

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: JOHN PETER KRISTENSEN: CASE NUMBER: 26PR00152 To all heirs, beneficia ries, creditors, contin gent creditors, and per sons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both of: JOHN PETER KRISTEN; JOHN KRISTENSEN A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by: TENLEY HARDIN in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara THE PETITION requests that (name): TENLEY HARDIN be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests authority to adminis ter the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal rep resentative to take many actions without obtain ing court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The Independent admin istration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an

LEGALS (CONT.)

objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the peti tion will be held in this court as follows: 05/28 / 2026 AT 9:00 a.m. Dept: 5 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA, located at 1100 Anacapa Street PO Box 21107 Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

ANACAPA DIVISION

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file writ ten objections with the court before the hear ing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal rep resentative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal rep resentative, as defined in section 58 (b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or per sonal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal author ity may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE‑154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code Section 1250. A Request for Special notice form is available from the court clerk. Darrel E. Parker, Executive Officer 4/06/2026 by Nicole Barnard, Deputy. Attorney for Petitioner: Timothy R. Deakyne, Esq., Allen & Kimbell, LLP; 317 E. Carrillo Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101; 805‑963‑8611 Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FBN ABANDONMENT

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME The following Fictitious Business Name is being abandoned: MISSION ROOFING: 130 N. Calle Cesar Chavez Suite 2 Santa Barbara, CA 93103 The original statement for use of this Fictitious Business Name was filed 1/22/2021 in the County of Santa Barbara. Original File no. FBN 2021‑0000188. The persons or entities aban doning use of this name are as follows: Santa Barbara Mission Roofing 1515 Monarch Drive Santa Ynez, CA 93460 The business was conduct ed by an A Corporation. Registrant commenced to tranact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on May 15, 1996

Signed by: SUZANNE

USHER/PRESIDENT

Filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 3/13/26, FBN

23 2026.

2026‑0000632 E73. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in the Office of the County Clerk, Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026. STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME The following Fictitious Business Name is being abandoned: CARO WINES: 2121 Alisos Road Santa Barbara, CA 93460 The original statement for use of this Fictitious Business Name was filed 2/17/2026 in the County of Santa Barbara. Original File no. FBN 2026‑0000440. The persons or entities abandoning use of this name are as follows: Caroline L Sommers (same address) The business was conduct ed by an A Corporation. Registrant commenced to tranact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Feb 16, 2026

Signed by: CAROLINE SOMMERS/OWNER

Filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 4/16/26, FBN 2026‑0000985 E30. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in the Office of the County Clerk, Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: CAPITAL PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP, CAPITAL PACIFIC HOMES: 209 W. Alamar Ave, Ste A Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Center Point Development Group, Inc. (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on Jan 26, 2009. Filed by: MICHAEL O’FLYNN/CFO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 06, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000556. Published: Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: SUNRISE MASSAGE & SKINCARE: 300 Mellifont Ave Santa Barbara, CA 93103; Tawnya S Love (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: TAWNYA LOVE with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 19, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2026‑0000723. Published: Apr 2, 9, 16,

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: DIRTY FOLK: 208 Price Ranch Rd Los Alamos, CA 93440; Lauren Schad (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on Feb 07, 2026. Filed by: LAUREN SCHAD/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Feb 25, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E78. FBN

Number: 2026‑0000487. Published: Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: CAPITAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT: 1411 Pacific Avenue Santa Barbara, CA 93109; Christopher Gregoire (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fic titious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: CHRIS GREGOIRE/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 16, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it

was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E35. FBN Number: 2026‑0000652. Published: Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: LEXUS OF SANTA BARBARA: 350 Hitchcock Way Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Gl Lox, LLC 111 E. Broadway, Suite 900 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 This business is conduct ed by A Limited Liability Company Registrant com menced to transact busi ness under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Dec 15, 2020. Filed by: JOHN K. GARFF/PRESIDENT

with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 09, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2026‑0000571. Published: Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: RAW GARDEN, CALIFORNIA LOVE: 240 E. Hwy 246 #210 Buellton, CA 93427; Central Coast Agriculture, Inc. 85 W. Highway 246 #233 Buellton, CA 93427 This business is con ducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under

the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jan 31, 2016. Filed by: MISTY MACIAS/ AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 23, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000780. Published: Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HAPPY PETS DOG TRAINING AND CARE: 5455 8th St., 54 Carpinteria, CA 93013; Gia C Chavez (same address) This business is

NOTICE OF CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING Hybrid Public Hearing – In Person and via Zoom May 19, 2026; 5:30 P.M.

2026 DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEE (DIF) PROGRAM UPDATE

ATTENTION: The meeting will be held in person and via the Zoom platform. The public may also view the meeting on Goleta Channel 19 and/or online at www.cityofgoleta.org/meetings-agendas.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council will conduct a public hearing to consider (1) approval of the 2026 Development Impact Fee Program Update Report and (2) adoption of increased development impact fees. The date, time, and location of the public hearing are set forth below. The agenda for the hearing will also be posted on the City website (www.cityofgoleta.org).

HEARING DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 5:30 P.M.

LOCATION: Goleta City Hall, 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta, CA, 93117 and Teleconference Meeting; this meeting will be held in person and via Zoom (with detailed instructions for participation included on the posted agenda)

PROJECT LOCATION: The 2026 Development Impact Fee Program Update would apply citywide, including areas of the City within the Coastal Zone.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The State of California, through the enactment of Government Code sections 66001 through 66025 (also known as the "Mitigation Fee Act") has, among other things, authorized the legislative body of a city to, by ordinance or resolution, impose impact fees on development projects for the purpose of defraying all or a portion of the cost of public facilities related to the development project, provided that a nexus is established in the enactment of development impact fees between the development project's impacts and the imposed fee amounts. The imposition of development impact fees is one of the preferred methods of ensuring that new development bears a proportionate share of the estimated reasonable cost of providing public facilities and service improvements necessary to accommodate such development.

The City has operated a development impact fee program since incorporation, initially relying on ordinances and nexus studies conducted by the County of Santa Barbara before incorporation. In 2019, the City Council approved new development impact fees and a Development Impact Fee Study pursuant to the Mitigation Fee Act, establishing seven impact fees for public administration facilities, library facilities, parks and recreation facilities, transportation facilities, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, storm drain facilities, and fire facilities.

Under the Mitigation Fee Act and AB 602, cities must ensure that there is a nexus between the development project's impacts and the imposed fee amounts and must update their nexus study at least every eight years beginning January 1, 2022. The City contracted with Urban Economics and DKS, to prepare a new nexus study updating six of the City's development impact fees and in April 2026, the 2026 Development Impact Fee Program Update Report was completed. The report provides updated analyses and recommends updated maximum justified fees for: (1) the public administration facilities impact fee; (2) the library facilities impact fee; (3) the parks and recreation facilities impact fee and park dedication in-lieu (Quimby) fee; (4) the transportation facilities impact fee; (5) the bicycle and pedestrian facilities impact fee; and (6) the storm drain facilities impact fee. The 2026 Development Impact Fee Program Update Report does not include the fire facilities fee, as that fee is the responsibility of the County of Santa Barbara which provides facilities and services through the County's Fire Department, nor does it include the affordable housing fee, which was recently adopted in 2021 and first imposed on development in 2022.

The 2026 Development Impact Fee Program Update Report does not create any new impact fees but rather updates the nexus analyses and maximum justified fee amounts for the six existing fees described above, consistent with current capital facilities costs, updated facility inventories, and changes required by AB 602. Pursuant to AB 602 (Government Code section 66001), fees for residential development are now calculated per square foot of living space rather than as a flat rate per dwelling unit type.

The 2026 Development Impact Fee Program Update Report, the proposed development impact fee schedule, and all supporting data are available on April 17, 2026, for public review on the City’s website at www.CityofGoleta.org/DIF. Copies of these documents are also available for review in the Office of the City Clerk, City of Goleta located at 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta, California, 93117 during normal business hours.

The City Council now desires to adopt updated development impact fees in accordance with the nexus calculations and recommendations in the 2026 Development Impact Fee Program Update Report.

Environmental Review: The approval of the 2026 Development Impact Fee Program Update Report and adoption of the proposed development impact fee increases is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 Cal. Code of Regulations, §§ 15000, et seq., “CEQA Guidelines”). The adoption of the 2026 Development Impact Fee Program Update Report and adoption of the proposed development impact fee increases are not a “project” pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines, § 15378(b)(4) and is statutorily exempt under CEQA Guidelines, § 15273(a)(4).

PUBLIC COMMENT: Interested persons and members of the public are encouraged to attend the public hearing and provide public comments or submit evidence for or against the proposed development impact fee increases. At the public hearing, testimony from interested persons will be heard by the City Council and duly considered prior to taking action on the above proposed development impact fee increase. Attending the public hearing may be completed in person or virtually through the Zoom webinar, by following the instructions listed on the City Council meeting agenda. Written comments may be submitted prior to the hearing by e-mailing the City Clerk at CityClerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For further information on the project, contact Teresa Lopes, Principal Engineer, at (805) 961-7563 or tlopes@cityofgoleta.gov. For inquiries in Spanish, please contact Marcos Martinez at (805) 562-5500 or mmartinez@cityofgoleta.gov. Staff reports and documents will be posted approximately 72 hours before the hearing on the City’s website at www.cityofgoleta.org

Note: If you challenge the nature of the above action in court, you may be limited to only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice or in written correspondence delivered to the City on or before the date of the hearing (Government Code Section 65009(b)(2)).

Note: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need assistance to participate in the hearing, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 961-7505 or cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.gov. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the hearing will enable City staff to make reasonable arrangements.

Published two times on the following dates: Santa Barbara Independent, April 16, 2026, and April 23, 2026.

LEGALS (CONT.)

conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Mar 19, 2026. Filed by: GIA CHAVEZ/ OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 24, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000787. Published: Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: FRIENDS OF EARL WARREN SHOWGROUNDS: 980 Tornoe Road Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Earl Warren Showgrounds Foundation (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fic titious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: KEVIN SNOW/TREASURER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 27, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E49. FBN Number: 2026‑0000828. Published: Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: KEY CONNECTIONS: 1511 Chapala St Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Emilie A Foster (same address) This business is con ducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed

above on March 10, 2026. Filed by: EMILIE FOSTER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 17, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000700. Published: Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: WOLFF WALKER LAW: 1334 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Wolff Walker Law (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on March 16, 2018. Filed by: KYLE WALKER/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 20, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2026‑0000754. Published: Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: RETRO ENAMEL PINS: 1521 Laguna St, Apt 102 Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Brittany MCClelland PO Box 41337 Santa Barbara, CA 93140 This busi ness is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on Mar 01, 2026. Filed by: BRITTANY MCCLELLAND/ OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 19, 2026.

COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2026‑0000738. Published: Apr 9, 16, 23, 30 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: PENTIMENTO THE BOOK : 2921 Holly Road Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Michael G Vilkin (same address) Amy Barnard 2417 34th Street Santa Monica, CA 90405 This business is conducted by A General Partnership Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious busi ness name or names listed above on Mar 01, 2026. Filed by: MICHAEL VILKIN/PARTNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 31, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000849. Published: Apr 9, 16, 23, 30 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

File No.

FBN2026‑0000669

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as:

ALONDRA’S SWEET SHOP , 321 W NORTH AVE SPC 102, LOMPOC, CA 93436, County of SANTA BARBARA ALONDRA ALVAREZ SOLIS, 321 W NORTH AVE SPC 102, LOMPOC, CA 93436

This business is conduct ed by an Individual The registrant(s) com menced to

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Tuesday, May 5, 2026 in the Board of Supervisors’ Hearing Room County Administration Building 105 East Anapamu St. 4th Floor, Santa Barbara The meeting starts at 9:00 a.m.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the following matter will be heard by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors at its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., in the Board of Supervisors’ Hearing Room, 105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, California.

The Board will consider the adoption of a Proposed Ordinance amending speed limits specified in County Code Sections 23-15.4, 23-15.5, 23-15.6, and 23-15.9; First & Fourth Supervisorial Districts.

For current methods of public participation for the meeting of May 5, 2026, please see page two (2) of the posted Agenda. The posted agenda will be available on Thursday prior to the above referenced meeting for a more specific time for this item. However, the order of the agenda may be rearranged, or the item may be continued.

Staff reports and the posted agenda are available on the Thursday prior to the meeting at http://santabarbara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx under the hearing date or contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240 for alternative options.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by 4:00 PM on Friday before the Board meeting. For information about these services please contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240.

If you challenge this project in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence to the Board of Supervisors prior to the public hearing. G.C. Section 65009, 6066, and 6062a.

Mona Miyasato

CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

By: Sheila de la Guerra, Deputy Clerk

transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on NOT APPLICABLE. S/ ALONDRA A SOLIS, Owner

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 03/17/2026. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 4/9, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30/26

CNS‑4027942# SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

File No.

FBN2026‑0000452

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. EMERGENT LEARNING CENTER, 2. EMERGENT LEARNING CENTERS, 1111 E. OCEAN AVENUE, #2, LOMPOC, CA 93436 County of SANTA BARBARA EMERGENT LEARNING, LLC, 29

S. WEBSTER STREET, SUITE 310, NAPERVILLE, IL 60540

This business is conduct ed by a limited liability company

The registrant(s) com menced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 06/24/2025. EMERGENT LEARNING, LLC, S/ DR. MARK R. DIXON, MANAGER

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 02/18/2026. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 4/9, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30/26

CNS‑4029284# SANTA BARBARA

INDEPENDENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT File No.

FBN2026‑0000671

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: HOWELL & CO, 30 EL PASEO, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101, County of SANTA BARBARA LAWREN HOWELL, INC, 220 FRANCE CIR, OJAI, CA 93023, CALIFORNIA

This business is conduct ed by a Corporation

The registrant(s) com menced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on NOT APPLICABLE. /S/ LAWREN HOWELL, PRESIDENT

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 03/17/2026. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 4/9, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30/26

CNS‑4029272# SANTA BARBARA

INDEPENDENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as:

WELLA’S SOUL FOOD:

318 East Milpas Street Santa Barbara, CA 93103; Janelle R Dennis 725 West Figueroa St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101 This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: JANELLE RENEE DENNIS with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 01, 2026. This state ment expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E76. FBN Number: 2026‑0000855. Published: Apr 9, 16, 23, 30 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: SUN GROVE DESIGNS: 1105 N. Milpas St. Apt D Santa Barbara, CA 93103; Victoria Selnes 107 Npalitos Way #40102 Santa Barbara, CA 93103 This business is con ducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: VICTORIA SELNES/ OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 30, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000840. Published: Apr 9, 16, 23, 30 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: THE AVALON PARLOR: 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd. Santa Barbara, CA 93103; Erin M. Olson 936 E. De La Guerra St Santa Barbara, CA 93103 This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fic titious business name or names listed above on Mar 24, 2026. Filed by: ERIN OLSON/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 30, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2026‑0000806. Published: Apr 9, 16, 23, 30 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: SUNSHINE HARVEST/ SUNSHINE HARVEST AGRIVOLTAIC FARMS, SUNSHINE HARVEST ENERGY: 27 W Anapamu Street 454 Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Evolution Sustainable Industries Incorporated (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fic titious business name or names listed above on Feb 24, 2026. Filed by: THOMAS J MILLER/ FOUNDER/CEO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 30, 2026. This state ment expires five years

from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2026‑0000832. Published: Apr 9, 16, 23, 30 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: COASTLINE MOBILE PHLEBOTOMY: 818 N Miller St Santa Maria, CA 93454; Daisy G Calderon (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on Apr 01, 2026. Filed by: DAISY CALDERON/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 03, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000881. Published: Apr 9, 16, 23, 30 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: MUSIC AND ARTS CONSERVATORY OF SANTA BARBARA: 351 Hitchcock Way B‑130 Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Goleta Music & Arts Conservatory (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: CAROL FISHER/PRESIDENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 23, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E81. FBN Number: 2026‑0000769. Published: Apr 9, 16, 23, 30 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NEW STANDARD ELECTRIC: 814 E Cota St B Santa Barbara, CA 93103; Omar A Lopez (same address) This business is con ducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Mar 28, 2026. Filed by: OMAR LOPEZ/ OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 01, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000862. Published: Apr 9, 16, 23, 30 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: SANTA BARBARA DRIVERS CLUB, SB DRIVERS CLUB, SBDC, SB DRIVERS: 3914 Via Lucero, Unit G Santa Barbara, CA 93110; Barbara Brothers LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant com menced to transact busi ness under the fictitious

business name or names listed above on Mar 18, 2026. Filed by: JASON BARBARIA/MANAGING MEMBER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 20, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000764. Published: Apr 9, 16, 23, 30 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DEMO 2 DESIGN, REU$EIT: 350 S Kellogg Ave Goleta, CA 93117; Carol S Ashley PO Box 60715 Santa Barbara, CA 93160 This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on Apr 01, 2026. Filed by: CAROL S ASHLEY/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 03, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E1. FBN Number: 2026‑0000889. Published: Apr 9, 16, 23, 30 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DALDA FINEST STRAWBERRY: 9676 Harvest Rd. Los Alamos, CA 93440; Chisan Orchids Nursery Inc. (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fic titious business name or names listed above on Apr 01, 2026. Filed by: HAEWON LEE/CEO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 10, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000940. Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN2026‑0000815 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: WOOD LAND MANAGEMENT, 1172 LINCOLN ST, SANTA YNEZ, CA 93460 County of SANTA BARBARA BRADLEY WOOD, 1172 LINCOLN ST, SANTA YNEZ, CA 93460 This business is conduct ed by an Individual The registrant(s) com menced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Not applicable. S/ BRADLEY WOOD, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 03/26/2026. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7/26 CNS‑4031570# SANTA BARBARA

LEGALS (CONT.)

INDEPENDENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SANTA

BARBARA PILATES: 123 Santa Barbara St., C Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Beija Flor Collective LLC 1242 W Micheltorena St Santa Barbara, CA 93101 This business is conduct ed by A Limited Liability Company Registrant com menced to transact busi ness under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A.

Filed by: SARA DONEN/ MANAGING MEMBER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 03, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000883. Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as:

HITEK SOFTWARE: 5423 Throne Ct Santa Barbara, CA 93111; Melvin J Desil Va (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on Sep 28, 1998. Filed by:

MELVIN DESIL VA/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 02, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000873. Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

The following person(s) is/ are doing business as:

ARRIVE LOS CARNEROS: 6505 Seastar Court Goleta, CA 93117; RTA Carneros Village, LLC 2082 Michelson Drive 4th Floor Irvine, CA 92612 This business is conduct ed by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the fic titious business name or names listed above on May 03, 2016. Filed by: JD CARBONE/VICE PRESIDENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 03, 2026. This state ment expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000884. Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as:

ARRIVE LOS CARNEROS II: 6710 & 6720 Calle Koral Goleta, CA 93117; RTA Carneros Village‑Phase II, LLC 2082 Michelson Drive 4th Floor Irvine, CA 92612 This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Dec 30, 2016. Filed by: JD CARBONE/ VICE PRESIDENT with

the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 03, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000885. Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: SILVER AIR, FLIGHT CLUB, SCOTT AVIATION: 225 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101; James Maxwell (same address) Jason Middleton (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Partnership Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious busi ness name or names listed above on Jan 01, 2026. Filed by: JAMES MAXWELL/CFO SILVER AIR LLC with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 31, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000851. Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: STAR LANE VINEYARDS, DIERBERG VINEYARDS, THREE SAINTS: 2121 Alisos Road Santa Ynez, CA 93460; Star Lane & Dierberg Vineyards (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant com

menced to transact busi ness under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Apr 13, 2016. Filed by: JAMES F. DIERBERG/MEMBER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 30, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2026‑0000834. Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KATHY IRELAND BRANDS: 1747 Glen Oaks Drive Santa Barbara, CA 93108; Kathy Ireland, LLC PO Box 5353 Santa Barbara, CA 93150 This business is conduct ed by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on Mar 01, 2026. Filed by: KATHLEEN M. IRELAND/ CEO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 08, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000916. Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: PERSONAL BOOKKEEPER: 7626 Dartmoor Ave Santa Barbara, CA 93117; Garry E Lawrence (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A

Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fic titious business name or names listed above on Feb 20, 1997. Filed by: GARRY E LAWRENCE/ OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 02, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E76. FBN Number: 2026‑0000873. Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: FIRE XPRESS: 351 Paseo Nuevo Floor 2 Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Xpress Logistics Syndicate LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on Mar 21, 2026. Filed by:

TERRY LUCAS/MANAGING MEMBER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 25, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000812. Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as:

BLANC HAUS: 3345 State Street, #3404 Santa Barbara, CA 93110; Alek R. Lehne‑Calzada (same address) This busi

ness is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on Mar 03, 2026. Filed by: ALEK LEHNE‑CALZADA/ INDIVDUAL with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 17, 2026. This state ment expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E35. FBN Number: 2026‑0000674. Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: FRUIT OF THE WOMB LA, CHRISTINE WRITES COPY: 1204 Blanchard Street Santa Barbara, CA 93103; Christine Cole (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fic titious business name or names listed above on Apr 01, 2026. Filed by: CHRISTINE COLE/ OWNER AND PRINCIPAL with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 10, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E49. FBN Number: 2026‑0000938. Published: Apr 16, 23, 30. May 7 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

File No. FBN2026‑0000853

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Little Wonders Daycare, 804 rimes ct, santa maria, CA 93458 County of SANTA BARBARA Jeannette Bautista, 804 rimes ct, santa maria, CA 93458

This business is conduct ed by an Individual The registrant(s) com menced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 12/08/2020. S/ Jeannette Bautista

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 04/01/2026. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7/26 CNS‑4021513# SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: LUCKY STRIKE SANTA BARBARA: 5925 Calle Real Goleta, CA 93117; Bowlero Santa Barbara, LLC 7313 Bell Creek Road Mechanicsville, VA 23111 This business is conduct ed by A Limited Liability Company Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: ROBERT M. LAVAN/CHIEF FINANCIAL

COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

OFFICER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 09, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2026‑0000924. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: THE BODYWORK STUDIO: 270 E. Hwy 246, 222 Buellton, CA 93427; Adina R Digirolamo PO Box 1105 Buellton, CA 93427 This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fic titious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: ADINA DIGIROLAMO/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 16, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2026‑0000981. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: HIGHTIDE, HIGHTIDE FUNDRAISER: 559 Noel Court Santa Barbara, CA 93111; Ashlyn N Cavaletto (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fic titious business name

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Tuesday, May 5, 2026 in the Board of Supervisors’ Hearing Room County Administration Building 105 East Anapamu St. 4th Floor, Santa Barbara The meeting starts at 9:00 a.m.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on May 5, 2026, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, will conduct the first reading of a draft ordinance amending Chapter 15 of the Santa Barbara County Code. The draft ordinance adopts the recommendations of the “Santa Barbara County Fire Department User Fee Study: March 2026” (User Fee Study), related amendments and amendments to Appendix A, Board of Appeals. The May 5th meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the Board Hearing Room, 4th floor, 105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, CA. The draft ordinance replaces the 2025 California Fire Code, as the enforcement Code in all areas within the Santa Barbara County Fire Protection District, and all other unincorporated areas of the County where the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, is the authority having jurisdiction. Adoption of the 2025 California Fire Code with amendments and amended with the recommendations from the User Fee Study and the Mitigation Fee Study, will become the Santa Barbara County Fire Code. The Draft Ordinance is available for review on the Santa Barbara County Fire Department website at https://www.sbcfire.com/Public-Notices/.

For current methods of public participation for the meeting of May 5, 2026, please see page two (2) of the posted Agenda. The posted agenda will be available on Thursday prior to the above referenced meeting for a more specific time for this item. However, the order of the agenda may be rearranged, or the item may be continued.

Staff reports and the posted agenda are available on the Thursday prior to the meeting at http://santabarbara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx under the hearing date or contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240 for alternative options.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by 4:00 PM on Friday before the Board meeting. For information about these services please contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240.

If you challenge this project in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence to the Board of Supervisors prior to the public hearing. G.C. Section 65009, 6066, and 6062a.

Mona Miyasato CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

By: Sheila de la Guerra, Deputy Clerk

LEGALS (CONT.)

or names listed above on Mar 15, 2026. Filed by:

ASHLYN CAVALETTO/ FOUNDER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 19, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E76. FBN Number: 2026‑0000734. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ERRA PETS: 2910 Foothill Rd Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Madelynne O. Bent (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by:

MADELYNNE BENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 08, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E81. FBN Number: 2026‑0000915. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: MONTECITO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: 225 E Carrillo Street, Suite 203 Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Kipley J Lytel (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Sep 01, 2004. Filed by: KIPLEY LYTEL/ OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 14, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000960. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KLEIN, DENATALE, GOLDNER, COOPER, ROSENLIEB & KIMBALL, LLP, KDG HR, KDG HR SOLUTIONS, KLEIN DENATALE, KLEIN DENATALE GOLDNER, KDG: 1255 Coast Village Road, Suite 201C Santa Barbara, CA 93108; 10000 Stockdale Highway Suite 200 Bakersfield, CA 93311; Jay L Rosenlieb (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Partnership Registrant commenced to transact business under the fic titious business name or names listed above on Jul 01, 2021. Filed by: BARRY L. GOLDNER/ MANAGING PARTNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 17, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2026‑0000988. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The

following person(s) is/are doing business as: ARC CLOTHING: 6632 Calle Koral Goleta, CA 93117; Owen M Kivitis (same address) This business is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: OWEN KIVITIS/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 16, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2026‑0000960. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: RHAPSO CHAINSTITCH: 5099 La Ramada Dr. Santa Barbara, CA 93111; Alexandra M De Santo (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on Apr 3, 2026. Filed by: ALEXANDR DE SANTO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 08, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000922. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: BEACONS GLOBAL: 1187 Coast Village Road, I‑396 Santa Barbara, CA 93108; Mattenson Coaching & Consulting, Inc. (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on N/A. Filed by: MARLA MATTENSON/CEO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 13, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000950. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: ISLA VISTA MARKET: 1709 Chapala Street Street, Apt 17 Santa Barbara, CA 93101; Philip A Dalessandro (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on Mar 31, 2026. Filed by: PHILIP DALESSANDRO/ OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 06, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000895. Published: Apr 23, 30.

May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as:

ISLA VISTA MARKET: 939 Embarcadero Del Mar Goleta, CA 93117; A&S Corporate LLC 1217 Honeysuckle Ave Ventura, CA 93004 This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant com menced to transact busi ness under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Mar 31, 2026. Filed by: AMARJIT

SINGH/PRESIDENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 13, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E63. FBN Number: 2026‑0000633. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as:

AKUABA SERVICES: 2901 Roblar Avenue Santa Ynez, CA 93460; Daniel Alekiba (same address) This business is con ducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Apr 01, 2026. Filed by: DANIEL ALEKIBA with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 17, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E4. FBN Number: 2026‑0001001. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: BLAST TECH BECAUSE RUST NEVER SLEEPS: 105 Los Padres Way, Unit #1 And Unit #2 Buellton, CA 93427; Premier Powder Coating Company 1451 N. Whitney Fresno, CA 93703

This business is con ducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Mar 31, 2026. Filed by: BRANDON PALOMO/PRESIDENT with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 08, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000920. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as:

PAPILLON NAIL STUDIO: 3528 State St Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Papillon Nail Studio (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on May 26, 2026. Filed by: KHOA NGUYEN/OWNER with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 23, 2026. This

statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E81. FBN Number: 2026‑0000907. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: PEGASLICE: 7398 Calle Real, Unit C Goleta, CA 93117; Pegaslice LLC (same address) This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company Registrant com menced to transact busi ness under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Mar 01, 2026. Filed by: MCLEOD

INDIANA NOORMAND/ OWNER AND CEO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Mar 23, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000776. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: GARRETT BIBB REAL ESTATE: 5693 W Camino Cielo Santa Barbara, CA 93105; Garrett K Bibb (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Individual Registrant commenced to transact business under the fic titious business name or names listed above on Apr 02, 2026. Filed by: GARRETT BIBB/REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 07, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000913. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ORKIN CENTRAL COAST: 2369 A Street Santa Maria, CA 93455; A.E.T. Services, Inc. (same address) This business is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on Jul 05, 2012. Filed by: KRISTA MAHAN/VP OF OPERATIONS with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 13, 2026. This state ment expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E30. FBN Number: 2026‑0000949. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: ON POINT COMPANY: 8300 Calle Real Goleta, CA 93117; Eren Unsal (same address) This busi ness is conducted by A Corporation Registrant commenced to transact business under the ficti tious business name or names listed above on

Mar 29, 2026. Filed by: EREN UNSAL/FOUNDER & CEO with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Apr 06, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL) by E73. FBN Number: 2026‑0000902. Published: Apr 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN 2026‑0000452

The following person(s) is doing business as: Emergent Learning Center, 1111 E. Ocean Avenue #2, Lompoc, CA 93436, County of Santa Barbara. Emergent Learning, LLC, 29 S. Webster Street, Suite 310, Naperville IL 60540 This business is conduct ed by A Limited Liability Company. The registrant com menced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jun 24, 2025 /s/ Dr. Mark R. Dixon, Manager This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 02/18/2026. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14/26 CNS‑4031367# SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT

LIEN SALE

EXTRA SPACE STORAGE , on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those indi viduals listed below at the location indicated: 10 S. Kellogg, Goleta, CA 93117. May 5, 2026, at 3:30pm.

Abigail Alvarez

Yvonne Torres

Eric Moore

The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to com plete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

EXTRA SPACE STORAGE, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belong ing to those individuals listed below: Jordan Sandoval at the location indi cated: 6640 Discovery Drive, Goleta, CA 93117. 05/05/2026 at 3:30 PM The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures. com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to com plete the transaction.

Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property

OF SALE

NOTICE

In accordance with the provisions of the California Uniform Commercial Code, there being due and unpaid storage and other charges related to the storage for which University Mobile Home Park is entitled to a lien as Warehouse on the goods hereinaf ter described, and due notice having been given to those known to claim an interest, and the time specified in such notice for payment of such charges having expired, notice is hereby given that these goods will be sold at public auction at 520 Pine Avenue, Space 29, Goleta, California 93117 on May 11th, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. The fol lowing is a brief descrip tion of the property to be sold:

A 1958 Howden Rollaway Mobilehome, Decal Number ABF9284, Serial Number 018451598810, 43 feet in length, 10 feet in width. Said mobile home and its contents will be sold “as is” and “where is,” and without any covenant or warran ty, express or implied, regarding title, posses sion, mobilehome park approval, encumbrances (including taxes and fees owed to County or State) or any other matter what soever. Payment in the form of money order or cashier’s check must be made at the time of the sale. Purchase of the mobile home by any bidder does not include any right of possession to the mobile home space itself, any right to resell the home on‑site, or to tenancy in the park. All bidders other than Warehouse lienholder must remove the mobilehome from the park by a licensed bonded contractor within 7 days. Please note that the sale may be cancelled at any time, up to and including the time of the sale.

Name of Owner: Amount Due: $3,358.84 Beverly Duann Gussenhoven

Dated at Sunnyvale, California April 14, 2026. By: JUDY C. TSAI

Attorney for University Mobile Home Park

NAME CHANGE

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: EVGENIYA ZAKHARNEVA, ADHAM MALATY CASE NUMBER: 26CV01491

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: PETITIONER: EVGENIYA ZAKHARNEVA, ADHAM MALATY A petition has been filed by the above named Petitioner(s) in Santa Barbara Superior Court for decree chang ing name (s) as follows: PRESENT NAME:

LEONARDO PEARCEADHAM MALATY PROPOSED NAME: LEONARDOPEARCE ADHAM MALATY THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any per son objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objec tion at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is time ly filed, the court may grant the petition with out a hearing. Notice of Hearing May 11, 2026, 10:00 am, DEPT: 5 , SUPERIOR COURT COUNTY OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA 1100 Anacapa Street. Santa Barbara, CA 93101, ANACAPA DIVISION A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published in the Independent, a newspaper of general cir culation, printed in this county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition. Dated March 23, 2026, JUDGE Colleen K. Sterne of the Superior Court. Published Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 2026. IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CAROL FRANCINE PAUL CASE NUMBER: 26CV01419 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: PETITIONER: CAROL FRANCINE PAUL A peti tion has been filed by the above named Petitioner(s) in Santa Barbara Superior Court for decree changing name (s) as follows: PRESENT NAME: CAROL FRANCINE PAUL PROPOSED NAME: CAROLE FRANCINE PAUL THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any per son objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objec tion at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is time ly filed, the court may grant the petition with out a hearing. Notice of Hearing May 11, 2026, 10:00 am, DEPT: 5 , SUPERIOR COURT COUNTY OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA 1100 Anacapa Street. Santa Barbara, CA 93101, ANACAPA DIVISION A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published in the Independent, a newspaper of general cir culation, printed in this county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the

LEGALS (CONT.)

petition. Dated March 19, 2026, JUDGE Colleen K. Sterne of the Superior Court. Published Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 2026.

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: KRISTEN K. HARBERS CASE NUMBER: 26CV01573

TO ALL INTERESTED

PERSONS:

PETITIONER: KRISTEN K.

HARBERS A petition has been filed by the above named Petitioner(s) in Santa Barbara Superior Court for decree chang ing name (s) as follows:

PRESENT NAME: KRISTEN K. HARBERS

PROPOSED NAME: KRISTEN K. KINSELLA

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any per son objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objec tion at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no writ ten objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition with out a hearing. Notice of Hearing May 11, 2026, 10:00 am, DEPT: 5 , SUPERIOR COURT COUNTY OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA 1100 Anacapa Street. Santa Barbara, CA 93101, ANACAPA DIVISION A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published in the Independent, a newspaper of general cir culation, printed in this county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition. Dated March 23, 2026, JUDGE Colleen K. Sterne of the Superior Court. Published Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 2026. IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: JESSICA THALIA LLONTOP CASE NUMBER: 26CV01589 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: PETITIONER: JESSICA THALIA LLONTOP A petition has been filed by the above named Petitioner(s) in Santa Barbara Superior Court for decree changing name (s) as follows: PRESENT NAME: JESSICA THALIA LLONTOP PROPOSED NAME: JESSICA THALIA THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any per son objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objec tion at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no writ ten objection is timely

filed, the court may grant the petition with out a hearing. Notice of Hearing May 20, 2026, 10:00 am, DEPT: 3 , SUPERIOR COURT COUNTY OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA 1100 Anacapa Street. Santa Barbara, CA 93101, ANACAPA DIVISION A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published in the Independent, a newspaper of general cir culation, printed in this county, at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition. Dated April 01, 2026, JUDGE Thomas P. Anderle of the Superior Court. Published Apr 9, 16, 23, 30 2026.

SUMMONS

AMENDED PLAINTIFF’S Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court Notice to the person being sued: • You are the defendant if your name is listed in on page 2 of this form or on form SC‑100A. The person suing you is the plaintiff, listed in on page 2, • You and the plaintiff must go to court on the trial date listed below. If you do not go to court,‑you may lose the case, If you lose, the court can order that your wages, money, or property be taken to pay this claim. • Bring witnesses, receipts, and any evidence you need to prove your case. • Read this form and all pages attached to understand the claim against you and to protect your rights.

Aviso al Demandado:

Usted es el Demandado si su nombre figura en c de la pagina 2 de este formulario, o en el. for mulario SC‑100A, La per sona que lo demanda es el Demandante, la que figura en de la pagina 2. Usted y el Demandante tienen clue presentarse en la corte en la fecha del juicio indicada a continua. cion. Si no se presenta, puede perder el caso. Si pierde el caso, la corte podria ordenar que le quiten de su suel do, dinero u otros bienes para pagar este reciamo. • Lleve testigos, recibos y cualquier otra prueba que necesite para probar su easo • Lea este formu lario y todas las pc ginas adjuntas para entender la demanda en su con tra y para proteger sus derechos. Order to Go to Court Superior Court of California County of Santa Barbara Darrel E. Parker, Executive Officer 04/14/2026 8:01 AM By: Sarah Sisto , Deputy Fill In court name and street address: Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara Anacapa Division 1100 Anapa’a Street Santa Barbara, CA 93121‑1107 Court fills in case number when form is filed. Case Number: 25CV06598

Case Name: William Hugh Forestelle, III v. April Reid The people in 1 and 2 must attend court: 6/09/2026 9:00 am SB 4 , Angela Braun Date: 4/14/2026 Clerk, by Is/ Sarah Sisto , Deputy nstructions for the per son suing:

Do not use this form to recover COVID‑19 rental

debt, which is unpaid rent or other financial obligations under a ten ancy due between March 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021. (See Code of Civil Procedure, §1179.02.) To recover COVID‑19 rental debt, use form SC‑500, Plaintiffs Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court. You are the plaintiff. The per son you are suing is the defendant. Before you fill out this tbrm, read form SC‑100‑INFO, Information for the Plaintiff, to know your rights. You can get form SC‑100‑INFO at any courthouse or county law library, or go to wwwcourts;ca, goqb•ms. Fill out pages 2, 3, and 4 of this form. Make copies of all the pages of this form and any attachments— one for each party named in this case and an extra copy for yourself. Take or mail the original and the cop ies to the court clerk’s office and pay the filing fee. The clerk will write the date of your trial in the box above. Your court may allow elec tronic filing, Check your local court website for information: www.courts. cagovIfind‑my‑courthon.

• You must have someone at least 18— not you or anyone else listed in this case give each defendant a court‑stamped copy of all pages of this form and any pages this form tells you to attach. There are special rules for “serv ing,” or delivering, this form to public entities, associations, and some buSihesses. See forms •SC404, SC‑104B, and SC‑1040. • Co to court on your trial date listed above. Bring witnesses, receipts, and any evi dence you need to prove your case. Published: April 23, 30. May 7, 14 2026.

TRUSTEE NOTICE

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE T.S. No.: 2025‑02207 Loan No.: AHF‑092121 APN: 041‑101‑610 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 10/11/2021. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, check drawn by a state or fed eral credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal sav ings and loan association, or savings association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do busi ness in this state will be held by the duly appointed trustee as shown below, of all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by the trustee in the

hereinafter described property under and pursuant to a Deed of Trust described below. The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, posses sion, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust, with interest and late charges thereon, as pro vided in the note(s), advances, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, interest thereon, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale) reason ably estimated to be set forth below. The amount may be greater on the day of sale. Trustor: Shannon Gerald Watson, A Single Man Duly Appointed Trustee: Superior Loan Servicing, A California Corporation Recorded 10/21/2021 as Instrument No, 2021‑0073597 in book , page of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Santa Barbara County, California, Date of Sale: 5/13/2026 at 1:00

PM Place of Sale: At the main entrance to the County Courthouse, 1100 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Amount of unpaid bal ance and other charges: $444,369.38 Street Address or other common designation of real property: 1240 W. Micheltorena Santa Barbara, CA 93101

A.P.N.: 041‑101‑010

“As Is Where Is” The undersigned Trustee dis claims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address or other common designation, if any, shown above. If no street address or other common designa tion is shown, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the benefi ciary within 10 days of the date of first publication of this Notice of Sale. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL

BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bid ding on a lien, not on the prop

erty itself, Placing the high est bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the high est bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investi gate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. No Trustee’s Deed Upon Sale shall be issued or authorized for recording unless and until the foreclosure trustee has received all required fed eral reporting certifications or verified that the trans feree qualifies for an appli cable exemption. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pur suant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (714) 730‑2727 or visit this Internet Web site www.servicelink ASAP. com, using the file number assigned to this case 2025‑02207. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediate lybe

Sign up for INDY TODAY!

LEGALS (CONT.)

Independent.com/newsletters

Sign up for INDY TODAY!

reflected in the tele phone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. NOTICE TO TENANT: You may have a right to purchase this property after the trustee auction pursuant to Section 2924m of the California Civil Code. If you are an “eligible tenant buyer,” you can purchase the property if you match the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. If you are an “eligible bidder,” you may be able to purchase the property if you exceed the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. There are three steps to exercis ing this right of purchase. First, 48 hours after the date of the trustee sale, you can call (714) 730‑2727, or visit this internet website www.servicelink ASAP.com, using the file number assigned to this case 2025‑02207 to find the date on which the trustee’s sale was held, the amount of the last and highest bid, and the address of the trustee. Second, you must send a written notice of intent to place a bid so that the trustee receives it no more than 15 days after the trustee’s sale. Third, you must submit a bid so that the trustee receives it no more than 45 days after the trustee’s sale. If you think you may qualify as an “eligible tenant buyer” or “eligible bidder,” you should con sider contacting an attorney or appropriate real estate professional immediately for advice regarding this potential right to purchase, Date: 4/16/2026 Superior Loan Servicing, by Asset Default Management, Inc., as Agent for Trustee 28348 Roadside Drive, 1st Floor Agoura Hills, California 91301 Sale Line: (714) 730‑2727 Julie Taberdo, Sr. Trustee Sale Officer A‑ 4872275 04/23/2026, 04/30/2026, 05/07/2026

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S

SALE

APN: 025‑352‑003 You Are In Default Under A Deed Of Trust, Dated December 21, 2023. Unless You Take Action To Protect Your Property, It May Be Sold At A Public Sale. If You Need An Explanation Of The Nature‑Of‑The Proceeding Against You, You Should Contact A

Lawyer. Notice is here by given that on May 14, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. at the Main Entrance to the County Courthouse, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, County of Santa Barbara, State of California, Thyne Berglund & Co., Trustee, whose street address is 205 E Carrillo St, Ste 100 Santa Barbara, California 93101, and whose telephone number is (805) 869‑2224, will sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, the real property described below. The real property is located in the City of Santa Barbara, County of Santa Barbara, State of California. It is commonly known as 321 W. Mission Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. The county assessor’s parcel number for the property is 025352‑003. The follow ing is the legal descrip tion of the property: Lot 9 In Block 8 In The City Of Santa Barbara, County Of Santa Barbara, State Of California, According To The Map Of The Subdivision Of Said Block, Recorded January 28, 1916, In Book 9 At Page 11 Of Maps And Surveys, In The Office Of The County Recorder Of Said County. The sale will be made without cov enant or warranty regard ing title, possession, or encumbrances to satisfy the obligations secured by and pursuant to the power of sale conferred in that certain Deed of Trust dated December 21, 2023 (the “Deed of Trust”), executed by Universal Bond LLC d/b/a Mission Villa, a California limited liability company, and Lisa Gerr, a California citizen, as Borrowers/ Grantors, to secure certain obligations in favor of Alan Moelleken Revocable Trust UTD 2/11/2010, restated in its entirety on September 28, 2022, by its Trustee Alan Moelleken, as Beneficiary, which Deed of Trust was record ed on December 22, 2023, as Document No. 2023‑0038062, in the Official Records of the Office of the Recorder of Santa Barbara County, California. A Notice of Default containing an election to sell the described real property under the above Deed of Trust was recorded on January 14, 2026, as Doc No. 2026‑0001365, Official Records of Santa Barbara County, California. The total amount of the unpaid bal ance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expens es and advances at the time of the initial publi cation of this Notice of Trustee’s Sale is estimat ed to be $$1,883,636.21 (Estimated). However, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary’s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit

union or a check drawn by a state or federal sav ings and loan associa tion, savings association or savings bank speci fied in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the Trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee’s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a mat ter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. The under signed was appoint ed and substituted as Trustee to the above Deed of Trust by a sub stitution dated January 12, 2026, and recorded on January 14, 2026, as Doc No. 2026‑0001364, Official Records of Santa Barbara County, California. This Notice is given in compliance with a written request made to the Trustee by the Beneficiary. Notice To Potential Bidders: If you are considering bid ding on this property lien, you should under stand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auc tioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encour aged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insur ance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this informa tion. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mort gage or deed of trust on the property. Notice To Property Owner: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pur suant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postpone ments be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn wheth er your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the resched uled time and date for the sale of this proper ty, you may call (805) 869‑2224 or visit this internet website: thyne berglund.com, using the file number assigned to this case, CA25‑010801. Information about post ponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the

scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone informa tion or on the internet website. The best way to verify postpone ment information is to attend the scheduled sale. Dated: April 14, 2026 Thyne Berglund & Co. By: /s/ Brock K. Berglund, Agent for Trustee Acknowledgment A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the indi vidual who signed the document to which this certificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document. State of California County of Santa Barbara On 4/14/26 before me, Emily Strawn, notary public personally appeared Brock K. Berglund who proved to me on the basis of sat isfactory evidence to be the pe on(s) whose name(s) is/are subscribed to the within instrument and acknowl edged to me that he/she/ they executed the same in his/her/their authorized capacity(ies), and that by his/her/their signature(s) on the instrument the person(s), or the entity upon behalf of which the person(s) acted, executed the instrument. I certify under Penalty Of Perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing paragraph is true and correct.

WITNESS my hand and official seal. /s/ Emily Strawn My Comm Expires February 11, 2027 Published: April 23, 30. May 7 2026.

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE

APN: 025‑352‑004 You Are In Default Under A Deed Of Trust, Dated December 21, 2023. Unless You Take Action To Protect Your Property, It May Be Sold At A Public Sale. If You Need An Explanation Of The Nature Of The Proceeding Against You, You Should Contact A Lawyer. Notice is hereby given that on May 14, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. at the Main Entrance to the County Courthouse, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, County of Santa Barbara, State of California, Thyne Berglund & Co., Trustee, whose street address is 205 E Carrillo St, Ste 100 Santa Barbara, California 93101, and whose tele phone number is (805) 869‑2224, will sell at pub lic auction to the highest bidder for cash, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, the real property described below. The real property is located in the City of Santa Barbara, County of Santa Barbara, State of California. It is commonly known as 319 W. Mission Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. The county assessor’s parcel number for the property is 025‑352‑004. The follow ing is the legal descrip tion of the property: Lot 10 In Block 8 In The City Of Santa Barbara, County Of Santa Barbara, State Of California, According To The Map Of The Subdivision Of Said Block, Recorded January 28, 1916, In Book 9 At Page

11 Of Maps And Surveys, In The Office Of The County Recorder Of Said County. The sale will be made with out covenant or warranty regarding title, possession, or encumbrances to satisfy the obligations secured by and pursuant to the power of sale conferred in that certain Deed of Trust dated December 21, 2023 (the “Deed of Trust”), executed by Universal Bond LLC d/b/a Mission Villa, a California limited liability company, and Lisa Gerr, a California citizen, as Borrowers/ Grantors, to secure certain obligations in favor of Alan Moelleken Revocable Trust UTD 2/11/2010, restated in its entirety on September 28, 2022, by its Trustee Alan Moelleken, as Beneficiary, which Deed of Trust was recorded on December 22, 2023, as Document No. 2023‑0038062, in the Official Records of the Office of the Recorder of Santa Barbara County, California. A Notice of Default containing an elec tion to sell the described real property under the above Deed of Trust was recorded on January 14, 2026, as Doc No. 2026‑0001363, Official Records of Santa Barbara County, California. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee’s Sale is estimated to be $1,883,636.21 (Estimated). However, prepayment pre miums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary’s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings associ ation or savings bank speci fied in Section 5102 of the California Financial Code and authorized to do busi ness in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the Trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee’s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The proper ty offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. The under signed was appointed and substituted as Trustee to the above Deed of Trust by a substitution dated January 12, 2026, and recorded on January 14, 2026, as Doc No. 2026‑0001362, Official Records of Santa Barbara County, California. This Notice is given in compli ance with a written request made to the Trustee by the Beneficiary. Notice To Potential Bidders: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to

LEGALS (CONT.)

free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for pay ing off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the proper ty. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of out standing liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. Notice To Property Owner: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be post poned one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that infor mation about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the resched uled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (805) 869‑2224 or visit this internet website: thyneberglund.com, using the file number assigned to this case, CA25‑010801. Information about post ponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the internet website. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. Dated: April 14, 2026 Thyne Berglund & Co. By: /s/ Brock K. Berglund, Agent for Trustee Acknowledgment A notary public or other officer com pleting this certificate veri fies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which this cer tificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that docu ment. State of California County of Santa Barbara On 4/14/26 before me, Emily Strawn, notary public per sonally appeared Brock K. Berglund who proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evi dence to be the pe on(s) whose name(s) is/are sub scribed to the within instru ment and acknowledged to me that he/she/they executed the same in his/her/their authorized capacity(ies), and that by his/her/their signature(s) on the instrument the person(s), or the entity upon behalf of which the person(s) acted, executed the instrument.

I certify under Penalty Of Perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing paragraph is true and correct. WITNESS my hand and official seal. /s/ Emily Strawn My Comm Expires February 11, 2027 Published: April 23, 30. May 7 2026.

NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING AND AVAILABILITY OF FINAL EIR

Monday, April 27, 2026, at 6:00 P.M.

SANDPIPER GOLF COURSE RENOVATION PROJECT

7925 Hollister Avenue (APN 079-210-059)

CASE NOS. 22-001-CDPH (in concept); 22-0009-DP-CUP; 22-0032-DRB

ATTENTION: The hearing will be held in-person and virtually via the Zoom platform.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Goleta Planning Commission will conduct a hybrid public hearing to make a recommendation to the City Council regarding the development project described under the Project Description Summary heading below, and the adequacy of the associated Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The date, time, and location of the Planning Commission hearing is as follows:

DATE AND TIME: Monday, April 27, 2026, at 6:00 P.M.

IN-PERSON LOCATION: Goleta City Hall, 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta, CA, 93117

VIRTUAL LOCATION: Zoom platform. Detailed instructions for virtual participation will be included on the posted agenda and the Electronic Participation heading below.

The Planning Commission will be acting in an advisory capacity to the City Council and will make a recommendation regarding the adequacy of the analysis included in the Final EIR and the merits of the Project. The City Council will be the City’s final decision-maker for this project at a public hearing that has not yet been scheduled. An additional and separate public notice will be provided for the future City Council public hearing. The California Coastal Commission will also review the project and take action related to the proposed Coastal Development Plan.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION SUMMARY: The applicant has submitted an application for a Conditional Use Permit, Development Plan (with adjustments), Coastal Development Plan (in concept), and Design Review. The proposed changes to the existing golf course facility are summarized below:

• Demolish the existing 9,305 square foot clubhouse and replace it with a new 37,179 square foot building.

• Demolish an existing 7,555 square foot maintenance building and replace it with two structures that have a total area of 7,476 square feet.

• Redesign the existing 18-hole golf course, including grading and rerouting fairways and holes, and install new landscaping that reduces existing irrigated turf area from 125 acres to 62 acres. Grading would result in approximately 86,500 cubic yards of cut and 56,000 cubic yards of fill.

• Remove an existing 290 square foot comfort station (i.e., restroom) and replace it with a 121 square foot restroom and 208 square foot refreshment/storage building.

• Restore and adaptively re-use the Barnsdall Rio Grande Gas Station historic landmark building as part of the proposed Rio Grande Coffee Shop. The coffee shop would consist of the restored 349 square foot gas station building and a new 695 square foot café building.

• Make improvements along the project site’s Hollister Avenue frontage, such as undergrounding overhead utility lines, and the construction of a “Type 4” decomposed granite path with landscaping. Various other roadway, transit service, and site access improvements are also proposed.

• Redesign of existing vehicle parking areas. The total number of parking spaces on the project site would be increased from 139 spaces to 162 spaces.

• Remove 39 non-native trees from the project site and one oak tree located in the Hollister Avenue right-of-way. The oak tree would be replaced with a 72-inch box oak tree. The project would plant 116 trees to replace removed trees and trees that may be disturbed by construction activities.

• Add a variety of new lighting fixtures to the project site. All proposed lighting would be directed downward and designed to conform with Goleta Municipal Code Chapter 17.35.

• The project includes a request by the applicant for the City to abandon a portion of the adjacent Hollister Avenue right-of-way (ROW). Approximately 14,651 square feet or ROW would be abandoned. The abandoned right-of-way would be used for clubhouse parking and a new project site driveway entrance.

• The project requests two (2) zoning standard adjustments. One of the adjustments would allow a minor portion of the proposed clubhouse building’s roof to exceed the height limit of 25 feet and to have a height of 29 feet. The other zoning adjustment would allow eight (8) parking spaces located near the proposed clubhouse to be partially located within the required front yard setback adjacent to Hollister Avenue.

• In accordance with General Plan Conservation Element Policy 1.5, and based on the conclusions of a project- and site-specific biological study, revise the City’s General Plan Conservation Element Figure 4-1 and Open Space Element Figure 3-5 to make the following revisions:

o Remove ESHA designations adjacent to Devereux Creek in areas where the creek is contained within a pipe.

o Remove the golf course pond as designated ESHA.

o Remove the special-status species (California red-legged frog) designation adjacent to the golf course pond.

o Add purple needle grass to the southeast corner of the parcel as ESHA.

o Add Santa Barbara honeysuckle at the southeast property line as ESHA.

o Add sage scrub adjacent to Devereux creek as ESHA.

o Add three special-status species designations (raptor nests) adjacent to Devereux creek.

o Add wooly seablite and cliff malacthrix within sage scrub in various locations as ESHA.

o Add black walnut to ESHA within Bell Canyon.

o Add a coastal wetland in the middle of site adjacent to the ocean as ESHA.

FINAL EIR ALTERNATIVE 4: The Final EIR analyzes an alternative to the proposed project that would result in the construction of a 10- to 14-foot Class I bicycle path within Hollister Avenue’s southern right-of-way, extending approximately from the Hollister Avenue and Cathedral Oaks Road intersection to an existing Class I bicycle path just west of Pebble Beach Drive, approximately 0.3 miles beyond the Project site’s eastern boundary. The general parameters of other proposed development remain the same as the original project described above. This includes overall building square footage, golf course modifications, building height, number of parking spaces, landscaping, demolition of the existing on-site improvements etc. This Alternative to the proposed Project will be considered for recommendation by the Planning Commission.

LOCATION AND ZONING: The 193-acre project site is located at 7925 Hollister Avenue (Assessor’s Parcel Number 079-210-059) in the City of Goleta Coastal Zone. The project site is designated Open Space/Active Recreation by the City of Goleta’s General Plan/Coastal Land Use Plan, and is zoned Open Space/Active Recreation on the City of Goleta Zoning Map.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: A Final EIR has been prepared pursuant to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources Code, §§ 21000 et seq.), the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 California Code of Regulations, §§ 15000 et seq.), and the City’s Environmental Review Guidelines. The City of Goleta is acting as the lead agency for this project. The Final EIR identifies and discusses the Project’s potential impacts, mitigation measures, monitoring requirements, and residual impacts on the topics of Aesthetics, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Energy, Geology and Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Hydrology and Water Quality, Land Use and Planning, Noise, Parks and Recreation, Public Services, Transportation and Circulation, Tribal Cultural Resources, Utilities and Service Systems, and Wildfire. The EIR also analyzes four alternatives to the Project.

The Final EIR concludes that the Project will not result in significant and unavoidable (Class I) impacts. The Final EIR concludes that the Project will have potentially significant, but mitigable, impacts (Class II) in the areas of Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology and Soils, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Land Use, Noise, Tribal Cultural Resources, and Utilities and Service Systems. In contrast to the Project, the Final EIR determines that Alternative 4 would reduce the impacts to Air Quality, Energy, Greenhouse Gases, Land Use, Parks and Recreation, and Transportation through the encouragement of alternative transportation and corresponding reduction in automobile travel. Alternative 4 would also increase public access to the Ellwood Mesa Open Space, the Sperling Preserve, the Pacific Ocean and related beach access points through a safe and wide path, better supporting the City’s General Plan/Coastal Land Use Plan policies, complying with the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, and meeting all project objectives.

CORTESE LIST: The Project site is listed on the EnviroStor online database of hazardous site records maintained by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control in coordination with the California State Water Resources Control Board consistent with Government Code § 65962.5 (the “Cortese list”). There are two known hazardous materials sites on the project site: a Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services Cleanup Program Site case (#375) for the Sandpiper Golf Club with an “Open – Inactive” status, and a Leaking Underground Storage Tank cleanup site case (EHS case #51238, Central Coast RWQCB case #213) for the Barnsdall Rio Grande Gas Station with a “Completed – Case Closed” status.

PREVIOUS HEARINGS: The Design Review Board, on January 27, 2026, unanimously recommended approval of the Preliminary Design review level to the Planning Commission and City Council. Additionally, on February 26, 2026, the Historic Preservation Commission, also unanimously recommended that the Planning Commission and the City Council find that the proposed Barnsdall Rio Grande adaptive reuse portion of the Sandpiper project is consistent with the Secretary of Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Structures.

PUBLIC COMMENT: Interested persons are encouraged to provide public comments during the public hearing in person or virtually through the Zoom webinar, by following the instructions listed on the Planning Commission meeting agenda. All letters/comments should be sent to PERmeetings@cityofgoleta.gov. Letters must be received on or before the date of the hearing or can be submitted at the hearing prior to the conclusion of the public comment portion of the Public Hearing. Written comments will be distributed to the Planning Commission and published on the City’s website.

DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY AND PROJECT INFORMATION: Staff reports and related materials for the Planning Commission hearing will also be posted at least 72 hours prior to the meeting on the City’s web site at www.cityofgoleta.org. For more information about this project, contact project planner Mary Chang at 805-961-7567 or mchang@cityofgoleta.gov. Para consultas en espanol, comuniquese con Marcos Martinez al (805) 9562-5500 or mmartinez@cityofgoleta.gov

ELECTRONIC PARTICIPATION: Please register for the Planning Commission hearing on Monday, April 27, 2026, at 6:00 pm following the information provided in the Planning Commission agenda for remote participation. The agenda will be published at least 72 hours before the meeting.

NOTE: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need assistance to participate in the hearing, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 9617505 or cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.gov. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the hearing will enable City staff to make reasonable arrangements.

NOTE: If you challenge the nature of the above action in court, you may be limited to only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice or in written correspondence delivered to the City on or before the date of the hearing (Government Code Section 65009 (b)(2)).

Publish: Santa Barbara Independent, April 16, 2026