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8 – 15 OCTOBER 2026 | VOL 32 ISS 41 www.montecitojournal.net

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SERVING MONTECITO AND SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA

Click Smart – Algorithms, AI, social media, and online kindness join the curriculum as Cold Spring School earns recognition for its approach to digital citizenship, P.10

Short & Sweet – Virginia Woolf, a lonely puppet, a curious opossum, and two worms in love walk into Westmont Theatre. The audience follows them around, P.16

Rescue Roundup with SBC Search & Rescue, page 45

Sensei Says – At Sensei Porcupine Creek, Deann Zampelli gets measured, massaged, fed by Nobu, and thoroughly pampered in the name of better health, P.26

INSURING THE FUTURE After the Palisades Fire exposed California’s insurance crisis in his own district, State Sen. Ben Allen seeks to become the state’s next Insurance Commissioner. He sits down with the MJ’s Gwyn Lurie to talk FAIR Plan dependence, insurer withdrawals, wildfire mitigation, debris flows, and what California’s Insurance Commissioner can actually fix (Story starts on page 5). Plus, Jerry Roberts weighs in on the upcoming political landscape (Story starts on page 6).

One-Man Mall

Brian McDonald returns to the stage… and Barbra Streisand’s basement mall in ETC’s absurdly affectionate one-man comedy, page 14

Riesling Retreat

Germany serves up dry riesling, dramatic vineyards, historic villages, and the occasional thermal bath on Jamie Knee’s latest winecountry wander, page 20

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On Entertainment – Brian McDonald channels Elizabeth’s Appraisals – A rye-straw basket 14 41 his inner Streisand salesman in Buyer & Cellar, opens a window into Pennsylvania Dutch INSIDE THIS ISSUE plus SBCC’s Theatre Group finds a new Clue farming, food, craft, and immigrant traditions stretching back centuries Editorial – Insurance Commissioner candidate 5 Ben Y our Westmont – Theater stages energetic short Allen discusses wildfire recovery, the FAIR 16 plays, cross country teams shine, and men’s urator’s Choice – Historic photo of Santa Plan, risk reduction, and how California might 43 CCruz soccer scores a shutout Island by cinematographer Karl Struss restore a healthier insurance market The Spoken Word – Fashion history, poetry, obert’s Big Questions – What is Wasted 18 memoir, 44 RPotential? photography, and rapid-fire research How is it reflected in a nation’s

Voting Matters – With the mayor and three 6 council seats up for election, Santa Barbara Democrats are organizing for a potential progressive sweep

presentations fill the latest lineup of literary and spoken-word events

conservation, and Cheryl Strayed reflects on love and loss at Heroes of Hospice

etite Wine Traveler – A tasting trip through P Germany pairs world-class riesling with vineyard villages, river landscapes, and a restorative Wiesbaden spa escape

Montecito Moments – Scott Galloway at the 20 8 Arlington, the Oak Group turns landscape art into etters to the Editor – Readers make their 26 10 Lcases on City Council and mayoral candidates, Montecito wastewater science, teaching consent, and the consequences of runaway development Our Town – Cold Spring School earns Common Sense Media recognition for teaching students to navigate digital life, media, and AI with confidence and care Tide Guide

eings and Doings – The flow of time comes 12 Bbundled with inexplicable pangs of melancholy. Science is little to no help.

Montecito JOURNAL

ontecito Health Coach – Sensei Porcupine M Creek blends biometric tracking, personalized wellness, world-class art, and extreme privacy across Larry Ellison’s 230-acre desert retreat

Pup Culture – Training for crate-free sleep, 39 plus zombies and pets gather for a 5K benefit run

An Independent Mind – As independent 40 voters rise, the article argues that growing

frustration with both major parties reflects deeper cynicism about American politics Sheriff ’s Blotter

Social Progress Index?

The Giving List – With an annual budget 45 around $400,000, Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue must raise nearly all the money needed to stay rescue-ready

News Bytes – Chabad’s upcoming events, pie 48 contest and movies at the Country Mart, Earth Science Week, and other tidbits

Calendar of Events – Lang Lang heads to the 52 Granada, recycled fashion at CAW, the Palm Tree Music Festival, and other happenings

Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified 54 ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales

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Editorial

Ben Allen, Candidate for Insurance Commissioner

State Sen. Ben Allen of Santa Monica is one of two Democrats on the November ballot for California Insurance Commissioner (courtesy photo)

by Gwyn Lurie (805) 966 - 6401 | GIFFINANDCR ANE .COM DESIGN BY HARRISON DESIGN

THE

Gwyn Lurie [GL]. You live in Santa Monica and you’ve been in the State Senate for over a decade. Why do you want this job? Ben Allen [BA]. While in the State Senate I had a great working relationship with Hannah-Beth Jackson, and now with Monique Limón. A lot of my work has been on environmental policy, including risk reduction. I was the lead author of Prop 4, the bond that’s finally putting real resources into wildfire mitigation, water infrastructure, and firefighting infrastructure. I chaired the budget subcommittee that oversees our natural resources and fire budgets. I’ve also done a lot of work on transparency and political reform, and on consumer protection. That’s included tough fights with hospices, car dealers, insurers, utilities, and oil and petrochemical interests. Hannah-Beth was a great partner in a lot of that work early in my time in the Senate. The fires hit my community really hard. People were so unprepared, both in government and in the private sector. So many of the problems came Gwyn Lurie is CEO down to insurance: underinsurance, no and Executive Editor insurance, and insurance companies of the Montecito making things really hard for people. Journal Media Group First, we spent a lot of time just helping people get the payouts they

keasY

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Why He’s Running

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n January of 2018 Montecito had a front row seat to the tragically high price we can pay for living in a small slice of paradise sandwiched between the beautiful Santa Ynez Mountains and the sparkling Pacific Ocean. We also came to understand why what’s going on in the insurance industry matters. State Sen. Ben Allen of Santa Monica is one of two Democrats on the November ballot for California Insurance Commissioner. His opponent is former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim. Allen, who is termed out of the Senate, says the January 2025 Palisades Fire in his district pushed him into the race. He sat down with the Montecito Journal to talk about fire, debris flow, the FAIR Plan, and what the commissioner can and can’t do. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Editorial Page 244 244 8 – 15 October 2026

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Voting Matters

Welcome to the People’s Republic of Santa Barbara by Jerry Roberts

Across the U.S., Democrats Are Poised for a Midterm Election Triumph. In Santa Barbara, the Party Is Looking for Its Own Blue Wave.

Nowhere is the party’s effort greater than in the city of Santa Barbara. Emboldened by the recent passage of a sweeping rent control ordinance, animated by anger at Trump’s militarized deportation raids and advancing a vision of downtown that has triggered a referendum campaign from real estate interests, Democrats, and overlapping progressive allies – from the Tenants Union and the Democratic Socialists of America to immigrant rights activists and the Strong Towns planning group – are working to bequeath Santa Barbara one of the most liberal city councils in California. “[Partisan] politics has taken over the practicality,” complained outgoing Mayor Randy Rowse, a 71-year-old moderate conservative who has been on the losing side of all these big issues. “Our representative system has failed badly.” Christian Alonso, the 34-year-old chair of the Santa Barbara Democratic Party, could not disagree more. “Where are the nonpartisan issues left?” he said. “A lot of the organizational work

Voting Page 474 474

rticle II, Section 6 of the California Constitution states that all county, school, and city elected offices in the state “shall be nonpartisan.” What a quaint notion. Political parties won the legal right to endorse and support candidates for purportedly nonpartisan local offices in California in a series of 1990s federal court rulings. This week, as ballots for the November 3 election arrive in mailboxes, the local Democratic Party is taking full advantage, positioned to widen and deepen its power over local government substantially throughout Santa Barbara County. At a time when Democrats across the nation are working urgently to organize a “blue wave” congressional landslide in opposition to the Trump administration, their Santa Barbara County counterparts are wielding hundreds of canvassers and phone bankers, plus slate cards, coordinated strategies, and sophisticated voter data on behalf of candidates for 40 offices – a bid to increase their Board of Supervisors majority, defeat North County MAGA culture warriors, and capture multiple school board and community college seats.

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Percentage of votes for each Mayoral candidate in 2021

8 – 15 October 2026

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Montecito Moments

Caitlin O’Hara, Scott Galloway, Sam Fragoso, and Meghan Busch (photo by Isaac Hernandez)

From Page to Stage by Lisa Duncan

“G

rief is just the receipts for love,” Scott Galloway told a sold-out Arlington Theatre during an evening that began with masculinity and modern America, but ended somewhere more personal. Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures, the NYU professor and New York Times bestselling author joined Talk Easy Host Sam Fragoso for a conversation inspired by Galloway’s bestselling book, Notes on Being a Man. The packed house heard Galloway on AI, politics, young men, work, emotions, and rejection, but some of the most affecting moments came when he turned to his own life as a young man. During his second year at Berkeley, his mother, recovering from a second mastectomy and chemotherapy, called and told him to “come home.” Arriving with about $60, he realized “I could not afford the care she needed” – the moment, he said, when he stopped “sleepwalking through life” and began working with greater purpose. This book is part of that purpose.

Before the program, Galloway (Prof. G) met with students from the UCSB Healthy Masculinities Program and later told the audience how impressed he was with them. Enjoying the reception were A&L Word of Mouth Lead Series Sponsors Geof and Laura Wyatt, Associate Director Caitlin O’Hara, and Miller McCune Executive Director Meghan Bush, along with Crystal and Cliff Wyatt, Monica Wyatt and Mark Horowitz, Jillian Muller, Deann and Milt Zampelli, Lisa and Andrew Primack, Jen and Max Drucker, Bruce Heavin, Eric Spivey, and UCSB faculty members Susannah Scott and Jeffrey Stewart with his wife, Anissa. The evening’s coda returned to Galloway’s mother. Even years after his mom’s death, he said his instinct after something good happens is still to call her. “I hope you’ve had a decent amount of grief,” his voice thick with emotion, “because that means you’ve had people in your life that you loved – immensely.” For an evening centered on Notes on

Laura Wyatt, Scott Galloway, Sam Fragosa, and Geof Wyatt (photo by Isaac Hernandez)

Prof G, with UCSB students Kai Wilder, Koa Eiserloh, Ryland Arciaga, and Will Hoff (photo by Isaac Hernandez)

Moments Page 344 344

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Montecito JOURNAL

Letters to the Editor

Our Town

y work in Santa Barbara has long focused on public health and safety, prevention, and bringing community systems together to address difficult problems. That experience shapes what I look for in public leadership: an understanding of how policy works, a willingness to ask hard questions, and the ability to move from ideas to implementation. Devon Wardlow’s career has given her an unusually broad view of that process. She has worked in federal government, private-sector public policy, and for nearly five years on Santa Barbara’s Planning Commission, serving as chair in 2025. That career path matters. Policy looks very different when you are developing it, responding to regulation, working with local government, and then sitting on a public commission responsible for making decisions. Her Planning Commission record also gives voters something concrete to examine – including her work on housing and development questions facing Santa Barbara. At this point in the campaign, I hope we can pivot toward that substance: the candidates’ records, experience, ideas, and what they propose to do for Santa Barbara. That is the conversation voters deserve. Christy Stillwell, Santa Barbara

Friedman for Mayor I was born and raised in Santa Barbara and I have seen mayors come and go. As far as I am concerned, the most important quality of a mayor is judgment. It is judgment informed by heart, as well as based on critical and objective thinking, not beholden to any

Cold Spring School Receives Award

political party. In addition, such a person is willing to bring people together through compromise in order to find solutions which benefit us all. Eric Friedman is such a person and that is why I am supporting him for mayor. Hadley Johnson, Santa Barbara

Let Science Speak Truth in MSD Election Science is supposed to help drive good public policy. But in the campaign for seats on the Montecito Sanitary District Board, local politicians have taken scientific research, stripped it of its context, turned it on its head, and used it to create fear rather than understanding. I should know. The figure showing “wastewater discharge off Butterfly Beach” in recent campaign material is a figure I personally created from data collected as part of a study I led. The figure was created for a 2010 report to the State Water Resources Control Board, which I authored in my role as a research oceanographer at UCSB. That report describes a study of the Montecito effluent plume and concludes that the outfall was working as designed and that the discharged effluent was not shown to be responsible for adverse water quality off Butterfly Beach. Yet the campaign material presents the figure as though it shows wastewater being discharged onto Butterfly Beach. It does not. The figure shows ocean circulation patterns. It was created by a scientist as part of a scientific study – not by the environmental organization to which the campaign material attributes it.

Letters Page 314 314

by Joanne A Calitri

n September 28, Cold Spring School was awarded and recognized by the nonprofit organization Common Sense Media as, a “Common Sense Media School.” “We’re honored to be recognized as a Common Sense School. Our students deserve to move through the digital world with confidence and care, today and for whatever comes next. This recognition reflects the work our whole community has put into making that happen,” said Cold Spring School Superintendent and Principal Dr. Amy Alzina. Common Sense Media credits Cold Spring School for its commitment to “taking a whole-community approach to help students take ownership of their digital lives.” How that translates into everyday use of digital media and the AI landscape is to instill a culture that advocates for “looking at a social feed and seeing the algorithm behind it, telling reporting from opinion from advertising, and understanding the difference between using AI to think harder and using it to avoid thinking.” We are in the age of digital literacy, which is now considered part of one’s well-being. Merve Lapus, VP of Education and Engagement of Common Sense Media, explains, “Digital literacy and well-being aren’t separate subjects; they’re woven into how students research, create, and make decisions every day, including how they use AI. We applaud the faculty and staff of Cold Spring School for treating those skills as essential. They’re giving students the judgment to participate thoughtfully in a world where the tools keep changing.” Integrating Common Sense Media’s resources in the school pedagogy, Cold Spring School students, teachers, and parents learn about media literacy, digital citizenship, AI literacy, privacy, online kindness, and digital well-being.

411: www.coldspringschool.net

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JOURNAL

Wardlow for City Council

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Montecito Tide Guide Day

Low

High

Hgt

Low

Thurs, Oct 8 2:34 AM 0.2 8:52 AM Fri, Oct 9 3:04 AM 0.5 9:19 AM Sat, Oct 10 3:31 AM 0.5 9:45 AM Sun, Oct 11 3:57 AM 1.0 10:10 AM Mon, Oct 12 4:21 AM 2.0 10:36 AM Tues, Oct 13 12:02 AM Wed, Oct 14 12:59 AM Thurs, Oct 15 2:16 AM Fri, Oct 16 12:50 AM

5.4 5.7 5.9 5.9 5.9 3.9 3.5 3.3 4.8

02:57 PM 03:39 PM 04:20 PM 05:00 PM 05:41 PM 4:42 AM 5:01 AM 5:13 AM 09:35 PM

10 Montecito JOURNAL

Hgt

High

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Low Hgt

0.8 08:56 PM 5.2 0.4 09:41 PM 4.9 0.1 10:27 PM 4.6 0.1 11:13 PM 4.2 0.1 2.4 11:03 PM 5.7 06:25 PM 0.3 2.8 11:32 PM 5.5 07:15 PM 0.5 3.1 12:05 PM 5.1 08:17 PM 0.8 0.9

“Swimming is normal for me. I’m relaxed. I’m comfortable, and I know my surroundings.” – Michael Phelps

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Published by: Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108. How to reach us: (805) 565-1860; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108; EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net

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Save the Date

4TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Beings and Doings

T-Symmetry and Heartbreak: The Piercing Mystery by Jeff Wing

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h the memories. Look at this grand old photo. Once upon a time! Me clutching a baseball glove! Under that sweet baseball cap there was hair all over my head, I can promise you that. I remember it well. Me and Maurice Chevalier. One other thing. “The moments are infinitely precious.” Yeah, I get it. The value of a commodity increases inversely with its supply where demand is constant, making our earthbound collection of infinitely precious moments a treasure chest – one whose value we don’t begin to apprehend until our knees are hidden by a coverlet and all is a piercing memory. The seconds fly by like bothersome gnats around a campfire. If you live to be 100 years old, you’ll be working off your allotted 2.8 billion seconds in a preoccupied haze through which you’ll see yourself tying shoes, filling out forms, eating saltines, flinging coffee at mouthy strangers, and otherwise partaking – fairly unconsciously – of Life’s Rich Pageant™. When we notice them at all, we can actually be seen to swat at the fleeting seconds in annoyance “Why is this taking so long!” A more pointed question: what’s your hurry?

Time is a gnat (photo by EBKauai via Wikimedia)

this scheme, “Time” constantly startles us from behind. “Where did the time go? Oh, there it is.” Time may be a “River”; but it pointedly lacks the river’s soporific murmur of water. Time is also an arrow (says science), but one whose direction befuddles quantum physics. The term “Time’s Arrow” describes, in filigreed quantum terms, the strangeness of time passing in only the one direction – forward. Time should naturally flow both ways with organic ease. We should be able to remember the future, and so on. A reminder that Life and nature are utterly mad, as I continually mumble in these patient pages.

A Cup of T-Symmetry It seems the helpless, headlong, forward-racing direction of time shouldn’t be the rule, however intuitive time’s forward motion is to we prisoners of its effects. Physical phenomena at the atomic scale are thought to exhibit Time Reversal Symmetry, or T-Symmetry. At that scale the physical laws work identically forward and backward in time. This means that at that scale, the direction of time goes both ways, forward and backwards. But up here at the stick-inthe-mud macroscopic scale (homely and familiar realm of tractors and quiche and unironed shirts), that simply isn’t the case. At the scale of ordinary life, Time only goes forward (to put it as gently as possible). That the merely forward lunge of time is a curiosity may strike some as unusual. “We really have to puzzle over the direction of time?” Yes. As noted by English astrophysicist Arthur Eddington, Time “…has no analog in space.”

Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off Fact: though each individual second is as pinprick-translucent and transitory as a fluttering midge, in the aggregate these surreptitious seconds are stealth marauders massing their forces, each unchecked Second slipping past the distracted sentry tower to join its gathered fifth column behind the lines. Using

The Heartening Mystery of the Changing Vessel Meanwhile, all this atomic scale jibber-jabber is overwritten by the daily

This is what I was talking about (photo by Gonis via Wikimedia)

12 Montecito JOURNAL

“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” – Michael Phelps

Beings & Doings Page 444 444 8 – 15 October 2026

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On Entertainment

Underground Obsession Spawns Comic One-Man Show At ETC by Steven Libowitz

rian McDonald has no trouble admitting to being a big fan of Barbra Streisand. “From when I first saw Funny Girl as a kid, I was just mesmerized,” he said. “I’ve just always found her incredible.” Which is part of what makes McDonald the perfect choice to star in Ensemble Theatre Company’s season-opening production of Buyer & Cellar, Jonathan Tolins’ one-man play about the fictionalized Alex, a wanna-be actor who couldn’t even keep a job at Disneyland but winds up running the real-life private shopping mall that Streisand built in the basement of her Malibu house – the play was inspired by Streisand’s 2010 coffee-table book My Passion for Design – complete with stores that stock her massive collection of dolls, costumes, and other keepsakes as well as a gift-wrapping station and frozen yogurt counter. Well that, and the fact that McDonald is the artistic associate and director of ETC, and the guy who received rave reviews for his first turn as Alex at Rubicon Theatre Company in 2018, back when McDonald ran the education program at RTC. “People have been asking if I’d ever do it again ever since, so when we were planning this season, it came up as an idea and I thought, maybe it’s time,” said McDonald, who hasn’t taken on a full theatrical role since RTC’s Buyer & Cellar closed eight years ago, instead honing his directing chops and working with kids. “I was a bit nervous about it, because it’s a monster of a one-person show, pretty intense and fast with lots of quick shirts and different characters, including Barbra, Alex’s boyfriend, and Streisand’s property manager. After I started working with the script again, I realized it’s still in me. So it’s very exciting to revisit the role.”

Buyer & Cellar runs at the New Vic from October 10 through October 25 (courtesy photo)

Buyer & Cellar sports an absurd and preposterous concept about being the only employee in a place that only one person ever visits, but Tolins turns it into a jumping

Entertainment Page 224 224

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Montecito JOURNAL

Your Westmont

Theater Offers Short Plays with Big Energy by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott

ncounter Virginia Woolf, a lonely puppet, a curious opossum, and two worms who fall in love all in a single evening as the Westmont College Theatre Arts Department stages an eccentric, fast-paced slate of shortform storytelling. Performances of The Future is Short, set in a variety of site-specific locations in and around Porter Theatre, take place October 16-18 at 7:30 pm, with a matinee October 17 at 2 pm. Organizers strongly recommend advance reservations due to the intimate staging, which limits seating. Tickets cost $20 for general admission and $12 for students and seniors. To purchase tickets or request more information, please visit westmont.edu/boxoffice or email theatre@westmont.edu. The production celebrates the international release of a new anthology published this fall by Bloomsbury Publishing and edited by Westmont Professor of

Theater stages six plays for The Future is Short

Mitchell Thomas brings the anthology to life

Theatre Arts Mitchell Thomas. The collection draws from the rich creative output of the Westmont Theatre Hive, which produced more than 120 original plays over the past 13 years. While 20 of those original works earned spots in the published book, six return to the stage for this special event. Designed as a walk-through promenade,

showcasing the endless possibilities of short-form theater. Guests dive into each short play’s compelling universe and celebrate the power, joy, and rapid-fire energy of the medium. “Traditional theater keeps viewers parked in static seats, but this format turns the entire experience into an active playground,” Thomas says. “Audiences share space with the performers, which strips away the distance between the stage and the seats.” Mitchell Thomas co-directs the production alongside alumna Yari Cervas (‘16) and current students Asher Hammer (‘27) and Grace Crowell (‘27).

the show moves audiences from piece to piece through a vibrant range of comedic, dramatic, and thrilling narratives. To honor this milestone, the production reunites a multi-generational creative team of current students and standout alumni. Seven program graduates contribute across directing, lighting, costume, scenic, and sound design. “This anthology captures 13 years of creative risk-taking on our campus,” Thomas says. “Bringing our alums back to direct and design alongside our current students bridges generations of Westmont artists while showcasing the national reach of our theater program.” A versatile 13-member cast performs the eclectic array of characters,

Westmont Page 434 434

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Montecito JOURNAL

The Spoken Word

In Vogue: Co-Authors of New Book on Fashion Icon by Steven Libowitz

oin the Couture Pattern Museum in Santa Barbara for the exclusive West Coast premiere of Chanel in Vogue, the extensive, two-volume artbook published earlier this year that traces the 110-year history of the design house in the world’s most famous fashion magazine in both words and stunning photography. Vogue first featured Gabrielle Chanel in the 1910s, and continued to chronicle her work through the decades, from her seminal “little black dress” to her most luxurious haute couture creations. Karl Lagerfeld’s reimagining of the house in the early 1980s also had prominent places in Vogue, with the designs and approaches inspiring some of the world’s greatest stylists and photographers across the magazine’s international editions. For a special event on October 24, the Couture Pattern Museum is featuring both of the authors – fashion historian and writer Rebecca C. Tuite, who is also

Starkey, Emma Trelles, and Chryss Yost. Lovers of potent poetry and curated cocktails can expect some eerie and/or evocative experiences, haunting images, and lots of merriment at the free event.

photography exhibition from the book, a recorded presentation by a former Chanel technical fashion designer and draper, and Gabrielle Chanel’s favorite dessert along with champagne and other gourmet treats. As the October 24 date is limited to 16 people, those who want to check out the exhibition that features a curated presentation of Chanel couture patterns and archival materials from the Museum’s collection at no cost can visit the Couture Pattern Museum for next month’s 1st Thursday art walk on November 5.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/2nd-Spirits-Poetry-SB

‘Magic Hour’ Across Cuba Ventura-based writer-photographer Lorenzo DeStefano, who maintains an abiding interest in the rapidly changing political and economic situation in Cuba, is coming to Tecolote Book Shop on Saturday afternoon, October 17, to share and sign his photographic memoir, The Magic Hour (La Hora Mágica): A Photographer’s Journeys Through Cuba. Published in July, the book chronicles DeStefano’s extensive coverage of Cuba between 1993-98 during “El Período Especial,” focused primarily on his rugged, breakdown-plagued eight-day, cross-country journey from Santiago to Havana in a beat up 1952 Willy’s Jeep, when he was joined by his Cuban friend and driver, Juan de Mata. DeStefano says their friendship is at the center of the book, which covers a variety of subjects including global politics, the ethics of making art and the rights of man, largely told through his arresting photographs. The Magic Hour has garnered

Visit www.couturepatternmuseum.com/events

Spooky ‘Spirits’ Spoken Here

From Chanel in Vogue: Nicole Kidman, photographed by Irving Penn, Vogue, May 2004 (Irving Penn, Vogue © Condé Nast)

the author of 1950s in Vogue: The Jessica Daves Years 1952–1962, and Susanna Brown, a writer and curator specializing in photography, fashion, and portraiture – who will talk about the work, participate in a Q&A session, and sign copies of the book. The afternoon also features a special

The reading series “Spirits in the Air: Potent Potable Poetry” is producing its second annual Halloween-themed event on Tuesday, October 13, at The Good Lion, which starts with a poetic happy hour at 4:30 pm followed by the reading an hour later. A group of invited poets will read their work, and the work of others, about libations of all sorts. Hosted by current Santa Barbara Poet Laureate George Yatchisin, editor of the 2026 anthology A Feast for Santa Barbara: Poets Celebrating Food & Drink, the featured readers include Mary Brown, Stephanie Barbé Hammer, Rebecca Horrigan, Robert Krut, Michaela McGinnis, Joshua Minjarez, Elizabeth Pérez, David

Spoken Word Page 504 504

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Petite Wine Traveler

monasteries, and centuries-old estates. The rieslings I loved most combined freshness with texture and generous fruit, and one came with a story I couldn’t resist. It was from Hochheim’s Königin Victoriaberg vineyard, named in honor of Queen Victoria after she and Prince Albert visited in 1845. The British had grown so fond of Hochheim’s wines that they began calling Rhine wine “hock,” a term that lingers in Britain to this day. I’d spend my days exploring the wine villages around Eltville, Hattenheim, and Rüdesheim, enjoying riverside lunches, vineyard walks, and visits to historic estates, then return each evening to Wiesbaden, whose elegant nineteenth-century streets make it a gracious luxury base.

Following Riesling Through Germany, With a Detour to the Spa by Jamie Knee

ast month, I was invited to Wiesbaden, Germany, for the 2026 VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS Sneak Preview, where Germany’s leading wine estates unveil their latest dry wines from the country’s finest classified vineyards. By my third day, I’d tasted my way through row after row of riesling, spätburgunder (pinot noir), silvaner, chardonnay, and more, and my palate was pleading for a pause. So, when the chance came to trade my tasting glass for a bathing suit, I didn’t think twice. Soon I was drifting between thermal pools, saunas, and steam rooms in a city whose very name means “meadow baths,” where people have been soaking in mineral springs since Roman times. That afternoon has stayed with me as vividly as any wine I tasted, probably because it captured everything I look for in a wine destination. The bottles matter, of course, but I also want scenery I

can’t stop photographing, historic towns worth wandering, wonderful meals and, whenever I can manage it, a little pampering. My three days of tasting in Wiesbaden set the stage for the rest of my week exploring Germany’s wine country. As I worked through the wines, I found myself returning to regions I have come to love over my travels, each with its own scenery, history, terroir, and distinctive expression of riesling. If riesling still makes you think of sweet wine, Germany may change your mind. The grape produces everything from bone-dry whites to luscious dessert wines while retaining its bright, mouthwatering acidity. On a label, trocken is the word to look for, since it means dry. The letters GG, short for Grosses Gewächs, identify a dry wine from one of the VDP’s top classified vineyards, a designation often compared with Burgundy’s grand cru classification. Meanwhile, feinherb generally signals something off-dry. Because I order seafood whenever I can, I find dry riesling

Vineyards on the Rhine

Along the Mosel

hard to beat at the table. Its citrus, stone fruit, and lively acidity are lovely with oysters, grilled fish, and anything finished with fresh herbs.

For anyone who has dreamed of seeing wine country by river, the Mosel belongs on the itinerary. Its winding loops are lined with vineyards so steep they seem to hang above the water, with medieval villages below and castle ruins perched along the ridgelines. The region’s celebrated slate vineyards produce rieslings prized for their freshness, aromatic complexity, and distinctive character. One of my favorite discoveries in Wiesbaden

The Rheingau My favorite wines kept pulling me back to the Rheingau, which begins practically on Wiesbaden’s doorstep. Here, the Rhine swings west for a stretch of roughly 30 kilometers, allowing many vineyards to face the southern sun as they rise from the riverbank past castles,

Wine Traveler Page 424 424

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8 – 15 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Entertainment (Continued from 14 14))

Get a ‘Clue’: Fast-Paced Farce Goes to Garvin

off point to examine our relationship to celebrity culture, obsession with material objects, and the nature of friendship and connection. “Alex really wants to be a friend to her and for her to be a real friend to him, but he’s never really quite sure if that happens,” McDonald said. “There are moments where he thinks that they are and then there’s moments where he doubts that. That journey is really about the relationship that we have to celebrity and to those people that we idolize and our fascination with that world because it’s so far removed from reality.” Critics have praised the piece as “a seriously funny and remarkably sustained slice of absurdist whimsy” noting that “even at its most irreverent the satire is tempered by affection and a hint of reluctant admiration.” McDonald agrees. “There’s a lot of poking fun at Barbra, but also done with a lot of heart and love,” he said. “It’s a wonderfully crafted script that in the middle of all this funny stuff, we get these little tender moments that are not saccharine or melodramatic.” That’s part of why the actor said he has no trouble at all relating to Alex, and even the staff at ETC are in alignment on that point. “Everybody who’s read the script was saying, ‘Oh my God, this is Brian.’ Even the way that Alex speaks and talks about things. There’s a wonderful playfulness and youthfulness and childlike quality that I can really connect to because I still feel like I’m a big kid.” McDonald said that the clever way that Buyer & Cellar explores our obsession with accumulating things is another driving force in the character’s journey to self-discovery. “How we build our own little world in stuff we buy or how we decorate our house is really a reflection of who we are,” he said. “It’s an important part of our identity. Through this relationship with Streisand, Alex learns that what’s most important is the stuff that’s inside us.” On the other hand, there is one recent material acquisition that McDonald wouldn’t dream of giving up. “I came across a Barbra Streisand Barbie doll in the original box on eBay not long ago, and I had to buy it,” he said. “She’s sitting with me in my dressing room. I look at her every day and get inspired.”

The 1985 film adaptation of Clue has become a beloved cult classic over the years for its clever way of turning the board game into a movie. Not so much the poorly-conceived 1997 Off-Broadway adaptation Clue: The Musical that planted the dagger firmly into the heart of the madcap murder mystery farce. Fortunately Sandy Rustin’s tried her hand at making the movie into a non-musical play in 2017, which was revised just three years later, rescuing the story for the stage. The equity tour stopped at the Granada Theatre in November 2024, and now SBCC’s Theatre Group is taking on the winning translation of the film’s farce and the game’s whodunit suspense that blends both into a high-energy show with rapid-fire dialogue, breakneck pacing, and smart set design. Amy Love, the founder and artistic director of Lights Up! Teen Theatre Company, is directing the show in one of her first forays since forming the teen group almost a decade ago, helming a cast of a dozen local and regional actors who will take on Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum, and Miss Scarlet, as well as Wadsworth the butler and Yvette the maid, among others. Get a good night’s sleep before coming to the theater.

Buyer & Cellar at ETC’s New Vic previews October 7-9, opens October 10 and runs through October 25. Visit www.etcsb.org

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Entertainment Page 324 324

Get a Clue at Garvin Theatre from October 10 through October 24 (photo by Ben Crop)

I N N I S p re s e n t

p i r T T ake An other Nir Kaba

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a n d A r t i s t i c D i re c t o r

7th

November 2026

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8 – 15 October 2026

Tony Award-winning Broadway Legend

Bernadette Peters Thu, Oct 15 / 7:30 PM / Granada Theatre “Peters is more than talented: As an actress, singer, comedienne and all-around warming presence, she has no peer in the musical theater.” The New York Times

Created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble

Sun, Oct 18 / 4 PM / Granada Theatre ★★★★ “Graceful aerial solos. Jaw dropping lifts. Superhuman balances. Swan Lake as you’ve never seen it before.” The Times (U.K.)

See Akram Khan Company in its Final International Tour

Akram Khan Company Thikra: Night of Remembering

By Akram Khan and Manal AlDowayan

Tue, Oct 20 (note new date) 7:30 PM / Granada Theatre “One of the most influential choreographers of his generation.” The Guardian (U.K.)

Visit our website to view the full 2026-2027 lineup 8 – 15 October 2026

(805) 893-3535 | www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu Granada event tickets can also be purchased at: (805) 899-2222 | www.GranadaSB.org

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Editorial (Continued from 5) deserved. We helped hundreds of people, but dozens of cases are still unresolved. Then I ran a series of bills, including one that raised the share of a policy that’s paid out after a total loss. Another penalizes insurers for late payments. What’s the payout now? We’re up to 60%. My bill originally sought 100%. Before the bill, the law was 30%, which was ridiculous. We also gave people more time. Think about it. You’ve lost everything, and you’re trying to relocate your life. Where will your kid go to school? Where will you set up your business and find a new place to live? You’re recreating all the documents you lost. And on top of that, within 50 or 60 days, you’re scrolling through your iPhone trying to remember what was in the living room and the dining room, just to prepare this report. You have to put a market value on every item yourself. This is contents coverage you’ve been paying for. You lost your entire house, so by definition all the contents are gone. And yet they make you relive the trauma of your loss. It was an interesting window into how much power the insurance industry has over the Legislature. Sixty percent is paid without documentation? Yes. If you want anything above that, you have to itemize. That was a real window into the questionable business practices I’ve been going after. We also have a bill that was just signed that gives people information, time, and a chance to mitigate before an insurer non-renews them. Another bill creates science-based standards for smoke damage – just because your house didn’t burn down doesn’t mean it’s habitable. And I wrote a bill to increase the commissioner’s enforcement powers. At one point I called [the current Insurance Commissioner] Ricardo Lara and said, “Why aren’t you going after this stuff?” He said, “I don’t have the power.” I said, “Okay, I’m going to give you the power.” I’ve worked closely with the legislators who represent the Eaton Fire survivors in Altadena, because we’re seeing the same practices on the ground there. All of this showed me how important the department and the commissioner are. I saw a series of deficiencies and lost opportunities to help people. Some are small, like customer service. I learned after the fires that only 34 people handle these calls statewide, fewer than one per million Californians. Others are big, like aligning incentives so that risk reduction is actually rewarded by the insurance system. I’ve become almost obsessed with these problems. The commissioner doesn’t have unlimited power, but it’s a powerful position. There’s a real opportunity to use it, in the wake of this terrible crisis, to change practices in this state and reduce our risk. That’s what gets me excited about it.

What the Commissioner Can Do: Jane Kim’s Plan GL. Your opponent, Jane Kim, gets mixed reviews. People say that what she’s proposing isn’t doable. What can an insurance commissioner actually do? BA. Several things are squarely within the commissioner’s power: improving practices inside the department, strengthening customer service, strengthening the enforcement division, speeding up rate reviews, and speeding up the review of new products that want to come into the state. The department is a real bottleneck in evaluating and approving product lines that could give Californians more options. Instead, people are stuck on the FAIR Plan or in the surplus lines market. Enforcing against bad behavior and really interrogating rates are also important. There’s one more thing the commissioner can do that isn’t explicitly granted under Proposition 103: drive a negotiation on risk reduction. As you travel the state, you see the work happening at the local level. The insurance industry pays a lot of lip

At one point I called [the current Insurance Commissioner] Ricardo Lara and said, “Why aren’t you going after this stuff ?” He said, “I don’t have the power.” I said, “Okay, I’m going to give you the power.”

The fires hit my community really hard. People were so unprepared, both in government and in the private sector. So many of the problems came down to insurance: underinsurance, no insurance, and insurance companies making things really hard for people. service to risk reduction, but it doesn’t reward or incentivize it at any scale. The commissioner is uniquely positioned to bring everyone to the table: local governments, fire experts, builders, insurers, and consumer and environmental advocates. In Spanish there’s a word for it, convocatoria, the power to convene. What my opponent is proposing, a grand state takeover of the system, is not within the commissioner’s power, though of course any commissioner can advocate for whatever they want. It’s also without precedent anywhere in the world. There isn’t even a paper by a left-wing economist laying it out. There’s no plan behind it. She says there is precedent. Where does she point to? She points to three countries. Patrick Wolff, one of the candidates in the primary, wrote an excellent piece in the San Francisco Standard breaking down her claim, and I recommend it. Two of the countries are France and Spain, which have state-backed reinsurance programs. That’s an interesting idea, and one I share. I think the state should at least consider taking on a portion of the reinsurance stack, to smooth over some of the rigidities in the market that we’re feeling downstream. But that’s reinsurance. It’s not a comprehensive single-payer disaster insurance program. The closest thing in the world to what she’s suggesting is New Zealand. New Zealand covers up to about $167,000 per home, and only for certain disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Not fire. The average home in California costs almost a million dollars. Here in Montecito, it’s significantly more. A payment of $167,000 would help, no question, if you lost everything. But it doesn’t come close to making people whole.

Montecito, Fire, and Debris Flow GL. You’re in Montecito, which went through the Thomas Fire and then the January 9, 2018 Debris Flow, years before the Palisades and Altadena. Many homeowners’ policies excluded flood. Proximate cause helped some people, but many claims came down to whether the damage was caused by fire or by flood. Would you set clear rules on coverage for post-fire debris flows? BA. Yes. We’d have to work out how best to do it. I think we’d apply the same kind of logic we used in the smoke damage bill. It’s different, but there’s a parallel: both are logical consequences of the primary disaster. But it would have to be done in close consultation with local experts, so we don’t effectively decimate the insurance market in this community. How do you do that in reality? AIG, Chubb, everyone ran for the hills. Unless you’re extremely wealthy, you’re probably underinsured or on the FAIR Plan. Most people can’t afford a $300,000-a-year policy. This is why we have to craft a plan for risk reduction in the community that is real and doable. It’s not my district, so I’m not deep in the weeds. If I’m elected, I see it as my responsibility to go deep on communities like this. But this could happen in Santa Monica. You’re under the mountains with fresh burn scars. With the right El Niño storm, this could be your district’s problem soon. Right. Your question points to the complexity. It would be easy to sit here and say, “Of course we’ll require insurers to cover any post-fire debris flow, no questions asked.” But the second you do that, if everybody pulls out as a result, you haven’t done anyone any favors. Insurance is a business. They’re not in it for public service. Other than the commissioner, and maybe the governor, who’s going to solve this? One of the problems is that the commissioner is the one person who’s really stuck

Editorial Page 464 464

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• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

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The 230-acre ultra-luxury wellness sanctuary comes with an 18-hole golf course and only 22 rooms

by Deann Zampelli

whimsical white sculpture made of painted bronze and fiberglass that stands as an avant-garde sentry near the entrance and manages to be simultaneously cuddly and imposing. I didn’t know whether to take it for a walk or bow in submission. The estate operates as a living, breathing museum. As you wander the winding estate roadways and impeccably manicured fairways, you run into worldclass art at every turn including work by: Keith Haring, Jaume Plensa, Robert Indiana, and more. Upon arrival, you are gifted a personalized water bottle with your name etched into the metal lid – a keepsake that ensures you stay hydrated while navigating the sprawling, verdant acreage. And you will never have to look hard for assistance. The property is populated by ninja-like wellness trainers floating silently across the grounds. Dressed in sleek black and sporting tactical backpacks, they look less like traditional hotel staff and more like the hypothetical love children of Lara Croft and Keanu Reeves. Yet, despite their intimidatingly cool aesthetic, the hospitality here is remarkably human. Rather than being artificially solicitous or stiffly transactional, the staff are genuinely warm, kind, and deeply concerned that you are having the best possible experience. The technological mastery of Sensei isn’t just found in the fitness diagnostics – it is woven seamlessly into the physical infrastructure of your living space. The bathrooms are a masterclass in modern comfort, featuring ultra-premium, intuitive tech like warmed toilet seats and integrated smart bidets that anticipate

here is a moment, about halfway down the long sweeping driveway of Sensei Porcupine Creek, where the rest of Southern California simply evaporates. You are driving through Rancho Mirage, but suddenly the arid desert floor gives way to a stunning, lush paradise that feels entirely tropical rather than desert. This 230-acre private estate belongs to Oracle Co-founder Larry Ellison. For years, it was an ultra-exclusive playground for tech billionaires and elite athletes. Now, it has been transformed into an ultra-luxury wellness sanctuary with an 18-hole golf course with only 22 keys – meaning at any given time, you are sharing this massive kingdom with just a handful of other souls. It is a design choice that ensures your time here feels entirely like your own private resort. It is a dynamic that offers a rare, profound peacefulness, though the absolute privacy means it can occasionally feel somewhat isolating. Entry into this world is not priced for the faint of heart, however. Spending a night here is a monumental investment; pricing for the gorgeous room alone starts around $7,600 for a fivenight stay, and while that does not include your food, it does include two wellness treatments. Without question, it is the most techbased curated stay I have ever had, blending hyper-advanced personalization with invisible, Old-World luxury. The tone is set the second you pull up to the arrivals area. You aren’t greeted by standard hotel signage, but by Yoshitomo Nara’s Your Dog (2020), a monumental,

“I want to test my maximum and see how much I can do.” – Michael Phelps

Health Coach Page 384 384 8 – 15 October 2026

Vote Nov. 3 to elect Vote V o t e N Nov. o v . 3 to t o elect e l e c t Floyd Wicks, Chris Francis Floyd Wicks, Wicks, Chris Chris Francis Francis Floyd & Woody Barrett to the Woody Barrett Barrett to to the the & Woody Montecito Sanitary Board Montecito Sanitary Sanitary Board Board Montecito

Four-year term, Water Resources Consultant Four-year term, Water Floyd Wicks has spent his career running water andResources wastewaterConsultant systems, Wicks has spent his career waterHe and wastewater FloydMontecito and voters have electedrunning him before. knows what a systems, capital and Montecito voters have elected him before. He knows what a capital program should cost, and he knows you do not build a new plant when a program should cost, and he knows you do not build a new plant when a larger, more efficient regional plant already exists next door. larger, more efficient regional plant already exists next door.

Floyd Wicks

Chris Francis

Four-year term, Four-year term, Financial Consultant Chris Francis has spent his career reading contracts Financial and pricingConsultant risk. He Chris Francis has spent his career reading contracts and pricing risk. He looks at this decision the way a ratepayer does, and he does not believe a looks at this decision the way a ratepayer does, and he does not believe a district commitment in in district of of roughly roughly 3,100 3,100households householdsshould shouldsign signthe thelargest largest commitment its withoutcompetitive competitivebids. bids. its history history without

Woody Barrett

Two-year term, Two-year term, Director Director Woody Barrett has served on the MSD Board for eight years, elected byby Woody Barrett has served on the MSD Board for eight years, elected Montecito Montecito voters. voters. He He has has asked asked the the hard hard questions questionsabout aboutspending spending priorities, including includingvoting votingagainst againstaabudget budgethe hebelieved believedspent spent money priorities, money in in thethe wrong order. order. wrong Paid for by Woody Barrett, Chris Francis & Floyd Wicks for Montecito Sanitary District 2026

8 – 15 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

The T he W Wi Wicks, icks, Francis, Francis, Barrett Barrett P Plan lan Close the current MSD sewer treatment plant. Send Montecito’s wastewater to Santa Barbara for regional treatment at a reduced cost. Make MSD a wastewater collection system, not a treatment plant. Connect Montecito Sanitary to Santa Barbara’s El Estero Resource Center through a regional pipeline that will be put out to bid and awarded to the lowest bid contractor. Completely eliminate the current effluent outfall pipe which now dumps 600,000 gallons of partially-treated wastewater each day near Butterfly Beach. This health and safety hazard has alarmed the environmental community for the last 60 years. Get rid of this environmental stain. Improve community health and safety; Responsibly protect the environment; and reduce costs for Montecito ratepayers. Montecito’s wastewater could be recycled immediately, along with City wastewater, for irrigation uses. Closing the current MSD treatment plant would benefit the natural environment for the adjacent environmentally-conscious Music Academy of the West and nearby residents. Santa Barbara treats approximately 6 million gallons of wastewater each day---more than 10 times MSD’s volume---at approximately 1/2 of the comparable cost per gallon due to economies of scale and other efficiencies, such as a highly-effective methane gas recovery and a cogeneration system that offsets over about half of the plant’s total electrical needs.

A Clean Butterfly Beach with outfall ELIMINATED under the Wicks, Francis, Barrett Plan

Paid for by Woody Barrett, Chris Francis & Floyd Wicks for Montecito Sanitary District 2026

28 Montecito JOURNAL

“The water doesn’t know how old you are.” – Dara Torres

8 – 15 October 2026

The T he O Opposition’s pposition’s Plan Plan Design, permit and rebuild the existing 65-year-old MSD wastewater plant for a cost estimated at between $50 million to $100 million with no new benefits; same toxic outfall pipe; same plant location; no recycling capability. The opposition has no recycling plan, nor any plan to extend the short, shallow outfall further into the ocean. Sign a no-bid contract to design and rebuild a new MSD treatment plant, at an unknown cost, with unknown design specifications and an unknown timeline. Continue to discharge 600,000 gallons of wastewater each day near Butterfly Beach through an inadequate, deficient and abbreviated 65-year-old Santa Barbara Channel outfall pipe. Continue to treat MSD wastewater to a level below the standard required to irrigate grass and at a higher cost. A rebuilt MSD treatment plant would still emit foul odors, reduce air quality, retain marine discharge of wastewater and continue the same operational noise pollution. Montecito currently has the highest wastewater treatment rates on the South Coast. Passage by MSD of a mandatory compounded rate increase of 14% per year over the next 5-years to rebuild its current treatment plant only widens that gap. Why take the rebuild route when the regional route offers greater benefits at a lower cost?

Their plan keeps the Butterfly Beach outfall in place.

Source: Heal the Ocean’s map showing the wastewater discharge currently released just off of Butterfly Beach Paid for by Woody Barrett, Chris Francis & Floyd Wicks for Montecito Sanitary District 2026

8 – 15 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

environment; risk the health and safety of our community; and refuse to treat wastewater at he lowest cost. The T Th e choice could not be clearer!

Wicks, Francis and Barrett are running as a team. A vote for them is a vote for a common-sense solution for wastewater treatment that puts MSD customers first. The common-sense Wicks-Francis-Barrett program is to shut down the current Montecito Sanitary Plant with its environmentally challenging outfall that now dumps secondary wastewater onto beautiful Butterfly Beach. They propose completing a regional pipeline to send 100% of Montecito’s wastewater to Santa Barbara’s El Estero Resource Center for treatment, where it can be efficiently processed in an environmentally- responsible and cost-friendly manner.

Our plan connects t Montecito’s ts M ntecito’s Mo ’ ’s system sys sy ystem to Santa S nta Sa t Barbara, ta Barb r ara rb r , saving ra ratepayers r tep ra e ay ep aye yers r millions and stopping stop opp op pping the outfall outf tfa tf fall at Butterfly Butterf rfl rf fly ly Beach

Or, voters could support our opposition’s plan: For an unknown price, rebuild the aged MSD Wastewater Treatment Plant without putting it out to a competitive bid. The opposition plan will continue to discharge MSD wastewater near Butterfly Beach; fail to protect the Montecito environment; risk the health and safety of our community; and refuse to treat wastewater at the lowest cost.

SCAN TO LEARN MORE >>> www.montecitocleanwater.com

Paid for by Woody Barrett, Chris Francis & Floyd Wicks for Montecito Sanitary District 2026 Paid for by Woody Barrett, Chris Francis & Floyd Wicks for Montecito Sanitary District 2026

30 Montecito JOURNAL

“The man who is swimming against the stream knows the strength of it.” – Woodrow Wilson

8 – 15 October 2026

Letters (Continued from 10 10)) Even more troubling is the text accompanying the figure, which describes Montecito as having an “environmentally challenging outfall that now dumps secondary wastewater onto beautiful Butterfly Beach.” That is a very different message from the findings of the report from which the figure was taken. The report concluded that the outfall was functioning as designed and that the study did not show the discharged effluent to be responsible for adverse water quality off Butterfly Beach. Technical figures have meaning only when they are presented in the context, with the assumptions and purpose for which they were developed. Taking a figure from a scientific report, relabeling what it depicts, misrepresenting its source, and then using it to support a conclusion that the underlying study does not support is not informing the public about science. It is distorting it. The question is simple: Why would anyone seeking a seat on a local Board think misrepresenting scientific research is an appropriate way to inform voters about a public-policy decision? Montecito deserves candidates who will look at the evidence, understand what the evidence actually says, and make decisions based on the facts. The facts should drive the decision – not be turned on their head to support a decision that has already been made. Carter Ohlmann

Support for Friedman I have lived in Santa Barbara for nearly 60 years and cherish my home. This means I pay attention to local and state politics and follow the candidates up for election. Having heard Mr. Eric Friedman speak about his view of the current state of local government, and his agenda if elected, I found his opinions to be based on facts, which he has at his fingertips, and I appreciate his sober assessment of our city’s present state of affairs. He is a working man with his feet on the ground and I believe he is the mayor we should elect. Susan Shields

Enough Is Not a Strategy! Prevention Is. I am heartbroken. And I am angry, very angry. A former Cornell University student has filed a lawsuit alleging that seven members of a fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted her over approximately seven hours in October 2024. The lawsuit describes messages exchanged during the alleged assault, including one advertising “free p***y.” Read those words again. A young woman – a human being – reduced to something being offered around. 8 – 15 October 2026

The allegations are horrifying. But what has stayed with me almost as much as what she says happened that night is what happened afterward. For nearly two years, there were no criminal charges. Cornell says its investigation resulted in disciplinary action, including suspensions and expulsions, and disputes some claims about how students were disciplined. On September 28, after the woman’s civil lawsuit brought national attention to the case, the Tompkins County District Attorney announced that the criminal investigation would be reopened and the evidence presented to a grand jury. There will be a legal process, and there should be. Allegations must be investigated thoroughly and fairly. But there is another question we cannot leave to prosecutors or universities: Why do we keep waiting until after a woman or girl has been raped to decide this matters? Why are we still treating sexual violence primarily as something to respond to rather than something we have a responsibility to prevent? I have spent more than two decades working in relationship education and violence prevention. I founded ‘what is lOVE’ because young people deserve to be taught how to build healthy, safe, abuse-free relationships before they are expected to navigate intimacy, sex, power, boundaries, and conflict on their own. Yet too often, we wait until college. We hand an 18-year-old a laptop, require a short online training about consent, check a compliance box and tell ourselves we have educated them. Clearly, that is not enough. Consent should not be a 45-minute lesson someone clicks through during freshman orientation. It should be a conversation that begins long before college. Young people need opportunities to understand boundaries, recognize coercion, communicate clearly, seek an enthusiastic yes, respect when someone changes their mind, understand that drinking or drugs can affect the ability to consent, challenge degrading attitudes about girls and women, intervene when a friend crosses a line, and know what healthy relationships look like. And this is not wishful thinking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies teaching healthy relationship skills to adolescents as one of its evidence-informed strategies for preventing sexual violence. Relationship education works to prevent violence! Education does not eliminate every act of violence. No responsible prevention professional would make that claim. But we know enough to stop pretending there is nothing we can do until someone gets hurt.

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PLAY:

Bronze Sculptures and Other Stuff by Susan Read Cronin

Exhibition on display at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum August 13 — November 29, 2026 Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

113 Harbor Way, Suite 190, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 sbmm.org • (805) 962-8404

Letters Page 504 504 • Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Entertainment (Continued from 22 22)) Q. Clue is incredibly fast-paced and a whole lot of fun, but not a theatrical piece that goes deep into character development. Why did it appeal to you to direct as your first nonLights Up! show with one of the established companies in town? A. I’m a theatrical gal, one of those directors who really enjoys farce and I love staging it. Clue is just a hoot. It’s very funny. But I beg to disagree that there’s not a lot of character development. Every single character has got a deep, dark secret. So we spent time talking about who they are in their real life and how they cover up their big, deep, dark secrets. We’ve had a lot of fun creating beef between the characters and all their backstories. There’s a lot of character work. October 30–31 The Granada Theatre

The play is very tightly written with careful timing. How are you able to put your stamp on it? I’ve done some inventive staging. And with the character work we talked about, I don’t want it to be just a two-dimensional blank, like people just running through their lives really quickly and slapping each other. I want it to be something that went a little deeper, just to enrich the comedy experience. I’m trying to develop jokes based on the characters and not just on the situation. It’s a way to put a unique mark on it.

Choreography Nicolas Blanc Music Philip Glass Featuring Kronos Quartet

I saw Clue at the Granada in 2024, and with all the fast changes, doors slamming, people coming in and out, it seems very chaotic and a challenge to direct, because, of course, everything has to be very precise. How are you able to achieve that? Rehearsal. The only way to do this is to be very prepared going in, pre-stage everything to make sure it works. It’s almost like choreography – the beats are very set, the timing – slam the door here, open the door here, set this thing down here, don’t move on this line. All of that is very, very, very meticulous. So you have to drill it, you have to run it over and over and over again. The actors have had to not only memorize a lot of lines, but also a ton of blocking, the timing with the musical sections. We have a great, very seasoned cast. So it’s just a matter of rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing.

DRACULA, a dark shadow Tickets

JONATHAN TOLINS

StateStreetBallet.com

DIRECTED BY

JAMIE TORCELLINI

STARRING

BRIAN McDONALD

OCTOBER 7-25

SBCC Theater Group’s Clue previews October 7-9, opens October 10 and runs through October 24 at the Garvin Theatre. Visit www.theatregroupsbcc.com

JEFF LORCH PHOTOGRAPHY

etcsb.org 805.965.5400

32 Montecito JOURNAL

I was also impressed by the set and all of its moving parts when I saw Clue at the Granada. Being that this is regional theater, what’s happening with the set at the Garvin? You’ll have to come see for yourself, but I will tell you without spoiling too much. It’s two levels with a grand staircase, rooms on both levels that have various ways of revealing themselves. It’s very fun. For those who haven’t seen the play or the movie, can you share how the concept of multiple endings is handled? The playwrights figured out a way to handle the concept of different types of endings, which is great for a whodunit murder mystery. You’re definitely getting clues dropped as you go through the show, with madcap and mayhem and murders. There’s so much going on that eventually even the most discerning audience member is going to lose track of everything, because there are too many clues. But I think that’s the point. You’re supposed to give up at some point and just enjoy the comedy. And then you find out at the end what happened.

C E L L A R “McDonald ... is MAGNETIC, CHARISMATIC and UPROARIOUSLY FUNNY.”

The suspense is almost as important as the comedy in Clue. How do you balance between them? It’s just an innate sense of comic timing. I just know when it’s going to get a laugh and when it isn’t. I got a lot of that from growing up in New York and going to a lot of theater and seeing how it’s done. But the cast and I have a running gag that what we’re doing is very much like a Warner Brothers cartoon, the Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck ones. The comic timing of those geniuses was impeccable. I think I got that from a very early age.

Sold Out Show of the Week: ‘Horse’ Sense Here’s a sobering thought: Bringing Down the Horse, the smash hit second album from The Wallflowers, led by Bob Dylan’s kid (!) Jakob Dylan, is 30 years old. A critical and commercial triumph, the T Bone Burnett-produced album spawned four singles – “6th Avenue Heartache,” “One Headlight,” “The Difference,” and “Three Marlenas” – and sold four million copies (yes, it was still the days when Spotify didn’t exist). Singer-songwriter-guitarist Dylan has brought the band to the Lobero several times in the interim, but the October 14 date is a special one, as The Wallflowers will perform the full Horse album in sequence. Then the band will pay tribute to the host of an earlier generation of rock singer-songwriters by reaching back a half century to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers to perform their classic 1982 album Long After Dark – not one of Petty’s biggest sellers but it did have “You Got Lucky” – also in sequence. But doesn’t it still feel like just yesterday both those records came out?

“I actually love swimming, but I just hate jumping in the water.” – Natalie Coughlin

8 – 15 October 2026

THANK YOU, SANTA BARBARA! You made One805Live! 2026 our best festival ever.

Thank you for standing with Santa Barbara County’s First Responders. WITH GRATITUDE TO OUR SPONSORS & COMMUNITY PARTNERS OFFICIAL EVENT & HOSPITALITY PARTNERS

AUCTION DONORS & COMMUNITY BENEFACTORS

Boundless Africa Safaris • Silverhorn Jewelers • The Sea Ranch Lodge • Oura Ring • Santa Barbara Symphony • Faherty • Orlebar Brown Caruso Signature at Rosewood Miramar • Ensemble Theatre Company • Canzelle Alpaca Ranch • La Paloma Cafe • Fuego Y Humo Santa Barbara County Fire • Drybar Montecito • Brasada Ranch • Flame Kissed • Viva O Sol • Santa Barbara Independent True Love Always • Sunspel • Allki Art & Wellness Institute • Eternity Health Partners • Fess Parker Winery • Santa Barbara Sailing Center Body Reset Montecito • SB Bubble Guy • Clic • Emma Rose Floral • Pilates and Or • Homebody Pilates • House Rupert • Lela Rose Parker Clay • Coast 2 Coast Collection • Marley Confections • Montecito Journal SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR INDIVIDUAL BENEFACTORS

Hilary Brock • Rick Wallace • Mark Mattingly • Khasy Modisette • Russell Young • JD Shultz • Brandon Boyd

KEEP THE GOOD GOING. Keep supporting our First Responders.

BID IN THE ONE805 AUCTION THROUGH OCTOBER 15

one805.betterworld.org

8 – 15 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

SCAN TO BID

Montecito JOURNAL

Moments (Continued from 8)

THIS SUNDAY!

Terry Hill Presents

FAMILY FUN!

Milt Larsen’s

Two shows 2 & 6:30 PM

SUN. OCT. 11

The country’s longest running magic and variety show is celebrating its 70th anniversary! A dazzling all new revue featuring award-winning magicians, It’s Magic! brings to the stage the finest stars of magic, comedy, sleight of hand, and stage illusions. Sponsored by ParSonics Studio in association with Barbara White Design @loberotheatre

Being a Man, the final lesson was really about being human.

“Every direction is open,” said Jon Pedotti of the view from his family’s roughly 2,500-acre Rancho Arbolado on the Gaviota Coast, where the Rangeland Trust is nearing completion of a conservation easement. Statewide, the Trust has partnered with 109 ranching families to permanently protect 434,000 acres, with nearly 100 more families awaiting funding. “Painting has had a rebirth,” said Santa Barbara Fine Art gallery owner and established landscape painter Richard Schloss, pointing to art’s growing role in protecting open space. “We love this open space. Let’s preserve it.” Among those gathering with the artists were Winnie, Julie, and Richard Schloss, of Santa Barbara Fine Art Gallery, next to the Arlington Theatre; and the painting family: Whitney, Robert and Tessa, with Duncan and Meredith Brooks Abbott, who all came up from their 1870s ranch in Carp, that has been in their family since 1922. All for a good cause. “A painting is not finished until you put a red dot next to it,” Tello reminded the crowd with a laugh. The show will

Ranchers and Realism “If I had the ability, I would buy every one of these.” California Rangeland Trust CEO Michael Delbar had barely arrived at the Faulkner Gallery before the walls of sweeping ranchlands had him smitten. “They have captured so well the open space, the life, the beauty of these amazing landscapes,” he said. Delbar drove down from Sacramento with Director of Development Shannon Foucault for Abiding Legacy, The Oak Group’s exhibition and benefit sale celebrating California’s working ranchlands. “A painting can do more than just hang on a wall. It could save the land it depicted.” That was the belief of legendary painter Ray Strong, recalled by Oak Group Co-founder Arturo Tello. Forty years later, the idea still guides the group, whose artists have raised more than $3 million toward preservation. This exhibition featured 108 paintings inspired by 10 ranches.

Moments Page 364 364

LOBERO.ORG / 805.963.0761 Arturo Tello, Michael Delbar, Shannon Foucalt, Chris Chapman, and John Wullbrandt (courtesy photo)

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34 Montecito JOURNAL

The Oak Group shows up for the ranchers at the Faulkner Gallery (courtesy photo)

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Winnie, Julie, and Richard Schloss with Whitney, Robert, Meredith, Duncan, and Tessa Abbott (courtesy photo)

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“Swimming is probably the ultimate of burnout sports.” – Diana Nyad

8 – 15 October 2026

@NIGHT

Thank You

moxi.org

POWER OF PLAY Kay McMillan + Susan McMillan Wolf Family PLAYMAKER Alfred E. Mann Charities, Inc. Marcia + John Mike Cohen Mike + Shawn Duca Belle Hahn Lily Hahn Shining + Stewart Shining Lead Edge Capital Malou Foundation, Rob + Heather Hambleton Cindy Robinson Mullen Zegar Family Fund

Play IT F OR WA R

Your generosity expands access to joyful STEAM learning for all children in our community.

COMMUNITY IMPACT SPONSOR Bank of America SPARK Kelly + Kevin Almeroth Chevron David Bermant Foundation Jennifer Felder + Ryan McMurray Angie + Christian McGrath Montecito Bank & Trust SPARK Creative Events Carrie Towbes + John Lewis Vivi + Paul Tziouvaras Village Properties IMAGINATION CalPrivate Bank Liora + Cameron Goodman Klein DeNatale Goldner, Attorneys at Law Austin + Kai Lampson Steve Lyons Cáitrín McKiernan + Andrew Hicks Nini Muñoz + Matthew Lloyd Smooch Repovich Rosenberg + Gary Rosenberg Santa Barbara Foundation Ventura Rental Party & Events IMPACT VIDEO SPONSOR Alixe + Mark Mattingly INVITATION SPONSOR Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf, LLP SIGNATURE COCKTAIL/MOCKTAIL SPONSOR Jill + Neil Levinson SILENT DISCO SPONSOR Laura + Geof Wyatt

8 – 15 October 2026

HONORARY EVENT CO-CHAIRS Lily Hahn Shining + Belle Hahn EMCEE/AUCTIONEER Andrew Firestone

SPECIAL APPRECIATIONS Acme Hospitality BlueStar Parking Djamila + Teddy Cabugos Conway Family Wines Cutler’s Artisan Spirits Pedro De La Cruz Demetria Estate Duo Catering & Events El Encanto Godmothers Gray Malin x Bespoke Mahjong Jano Printing

• Voice of theVillage •

LaBarge Winery Lumen Wines Cindy McClelland Next Health Montecito Pali Wine Co. Pearl Social Cocktail Club Prep House Cindy Robinson Mullen Rosewood Miramar Beach Sunstone Winery Amber Weir Cindy + Bill Wenzlau

Montecito JOURNAL

Moments (Continued from 34 34))

EARL MINNIS PRESENTS

in association with Rock Cellar Productions

Wild and Precious

STARRING:

STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK “Incense & Peppermints”

DENNIS TUFANO

Hits of The 60s

(Original Voice of)

THE BUCKINGHAMS “Kind Of A Drag” RON DANTE THE ARCHIES “Sugar Sugar” JAY & THE AMERICANS “This Magic Moment” TOM GARRETT THE CLASSICS IV “Spooky”

folk ORCHESTRA

Santa Barbara

UAL 2nd ANCNONCERT Y IT R CHA

SATURDAY OCTOBER 17, 2026 ARLINGTON

CO-HOSTED BY:

THEATRE

SANTA BARBARA AK INE REM st CATTEHEMRorning Show Ho

RTERatles CHRIstSwiCA th The Be

Breakfa

K-LI

TOM GARRETT The Classics IV

JOHN PRATT

6:30 PM DOORS

8:00 PM SHOW

JUSTIN FOX

DAVID PACK

Dishwalla

Ambrosia

JEAN FOGELBERG

Partnership Awards. Ginni Dreier, Hiroko Benko, and Anne Towbes enjoyed the program along with Mindy Denson, Leslie Haight, Ann Anderson, Marybeth Carty, Cynder Sinclair, and novelist Tom Strelich in a full kilt. “He’s kind of a shy, low-profile person,” Selberg said of Dr. Kass. “Countless women come up to him and say, ‘You saved my life from breast cancer.’ He’s just remarkable.” “If you have an organization that in your own heart you put on a pedestal for a long time, and then they turn around and think you did something good – that’s a big deal,” Dr. Kass shyly smiled. At Hospice of Santa Barbara, Oliver’s question seemed to find a simple answer: treasure the ordinary moments. They may turn out to be the most precious ones of all.

hang in the central library for the month of October. Here, every red dot helps keep a little more California ranchland open.

MICHAEL HENSZEY

DENNIS TUFANO (Original Voice of) The Buckinghams

PHIL LO PRESTI (Musical Director)

CARLY SMITHSON American Idol

ERIC EKSTRAND

DON RANDI

The Wrecking Crew

CHRIS PAUL OVERALL

BENEFITING:

Elton John

The Archies

CHRISTENA RICH

Dr. Fred Kass with CEO David Selberg (photo by Monie Photography)

KYLE FROST

Rebecca Simonitsch and Kieran Shah in center with Partners for Kids staff (photo by Monie Photography)

in partnership with

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

julianna & tom daine

KEN STACEY

RON DANTE

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” – Mary Oliver It was a fitting question for the 14th annual Heroes of Hospice luncheon at the Hilton Santa Barbara, where #1 New York Times bestselling author Cheryl Strayed joined Hospice of Santa Barbara supporters to reflect on love, loss, and the ordinary moments that give life meaning. “It hadn’t occurred to me that my mother would die. Until she was dying, the thought had never entered my mind,” Cheryl wrote in Wild. Her mother eventually entered the hospice wing of a Duluth hospital, and the loss propelled her toward the Pacific Crest Trail journey that became her memoir, later adapted for the screen starring Reese Witherspoon. For Hospice CEO David Selberg, one “wild and precious” memory was quieter: sitting at age seven with his mother in an old green leather chair (which he still owns today) while she did laundry and played Andy Williams. He felt “safe and content,” unaware that not long after that, she would be gone. The luncheon honored oncologist Dr. Fred Kass with the Medical Award, while Partners for Kids, led by Rebecca Simonitsch and Kieran Shah; and VOICE Magazine, led by Mark Whitehurst and Kerry Methner, received

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT:

adam & melissa mckaig

TICKETS: www.arlingtontheatresb.com FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GROUNDED PHYSICAL THERAPY, 135 E CARRILLO ST, SANTA BARBARA, CALIFO 93101. GABRIEL R LOZA, 324 EAST FIGUEROA STREET APT D, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 18, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office

36 Montecito JOURNAL

of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2026-0002344. Published Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CALIFORNIA HEATING & AIR, 4193 CARPINTERIA AVE, SUITE 3, CARPINTERIA, CA 93067. CALIFORNIA HEAT-

ING & RAIN GUTTERS INC, P O BOX 117, SUMMERLAND, CA 93067. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 10, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2026-0002277. Published Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THYNE REAL ESTATE GROUP, 205 EAST CARRILLO STREET, 100, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101. JOHN J THYNE (III), 205 EAST CARRILLO STREET 100, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 18, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County

“You are not beaten until you admit it.” – George S. Patton

Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2026-0002348. Published Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, 2026 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE ALLEN LAW FIRM, 649 VERDE MAR VISTA, UNIT C, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93103. C.D. ALLEN WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC,

649 VERDE MAR VISTA UNIT C, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 10, 2026. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20260002281. Published September 17, 24, and Oct. 1, 8, 2026

8 – 15 October 2026

Clarice & Sérgio Assad

CelloGayageum

Wed, Oct 21 / 7:30 PM / Campbell Hall

Thu, Oct 29 / 7 PM / Hahn Hall

Legendary Brazilian guitarist and composer Sérgio Assad joins his daughter, the pianist, vocalist and Grammy-nominated composer Clarice Assad, for an evening showcasing the warmth, rhythmic vitality and rich musical inheritance of one of Brazil’s great artistic families.

Bridging the soulful resonance of Western classical music with the elegance of Korean gugak tradition, CelloGayageum engages in a dialogue across musical traditions, evoking a sound that is both ancient and modern.

ons, op. 8 herazade, op. 35

Nemanja Radulović & Double Sens

Terrace Martin

Wed, Nov 4 / 7 PM / Campbell Hall Program

Fri, Nov 6 / 7:30 PM / Campbell Hall

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, op. 8 Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, op. 35

“One of the most talented, accomplished and respected musicians in hip-hop and jazz.” NPR

Visit our website to view the full 2026-2027 lineup (805) 893-3535 | www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu 8 – 15 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Health Coach (Continued from 26 26)) your arrival at an almost disconcerting level. Is the loo smarter than I am? I wondered more than once. But perhaps the most impressive feat is the housekeeping. The service feels entirely supernatural. Rather than bumping into cleaning carts or awkwardly scheduling turn-down service, housekeeping magically sees to your every need without you ever knowing anyone had even been in your room. You step out for a walk or a session, and you return to find your sanctuary reset to absolute perfection. Even better, the property delights in unexpected moments of joy. Throughout the day, little gifts and treats are left lovingly for you to discover – delightful, unexpected surprises that make a massive estate feel incredibly intimate; from little chocolates and palm-shaped jellies, to the filtered and sealed glass bottles of water chilling in your personal fridge. I was even given a customized roller ball of essential oil fragrance that complemented the scent I chose for my Calming Body Cocoon. I booked the highly curated Rest and Restore itinerary, a data-backed program

designed to optimize human longevity and recovery. This isn’t a spa weekend where you just choose between lavender or eucalyptus oil; it is a strategic, hyper-customized optimization process. The heart of the experience lies in intimate, one-on-one meetings with your dedicated “guides.” In these private sessions, you sit down to dissect the minutiae of your daily health, discussing everything from stress and sleep issues to nutrition and movement goals. Each guide I encountered was as profoundly knowledgeable as they were kind, tracking your metrics with clinical precision while offering compassionate, real-world solutions. This data – collected via biofeedback assessments that measure heart rate variability and sleep architecture – is then weaponized to tailor every single aspect of your stay. The metrics dictate your optimal sleep style, your custom movement sessions, and the precise focus areas of your bodywork. All the while, the information is laid out for you as an optional buffet; take from it what you will or ignore the lot and go take a nap by the pool. It is truly up to you.

When you aren’t tracking your biometrics or meditating under a Haring sculpture, you are eating. The culinary crown jewel of the property is an exclusive, resort-guests-only Nobu restaurant that never seems to close. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s signature style is adapted here to mirror the Sensei philosophy. You can still get your iconic black cod miso, but the menu heavily features clean, nutrient-dense ingredients sourced locally. Because the restaurant caters only to the 22 rooms on property, dinner feels like an intimate, private chef experience where the staff anticipates your exact preferences before you even sit down. And room service is always an option. One night I was feeling particularly homesick and needed some comfort food. When I called down on my super slick room phone, I shared this with the food wizard on the other end, she said, “We just added a club sandwich that isn’t on the menu, would you like one of those?” Yes, please Mistress Yoda! While the property builds its reputation on stillness, it shifts into a deeply restorative, festive gear when the winter holidays arrive. If you schedule a stay during

the season, the typical solitude is punctuated by intimate, elegant celebrations: Fireside Meditations: Gather under the desert stars to quiet the mind, unpack the challenges of the past year, and consciously reflect on intentions for the year ahead. Hanukkah Celebration: A peaceful, beautifully curated acknowledgment of the Festival of Lights that honors tradition within the estate’s serene, reflective backdrop. Nobu New Year’s Eve: The ultimate luxury culinary send-off. The exclusive restaurant elevates its menu into a multicourse, unforgettable celebration to ring in the new year without ever leaving the safety of the resort cocoon. Sensei Porcupine Creek is a masterclass in what happens when infinite tech capital meets wellness science. With only 22 rooms spread across 230 acres, you will routinely find yourself walking down paths without seeing another guest for hours. If you are looking for a bustling, high-energy resort scene to see and be seen, this isn’t it. If your goal, however, is an uncompromising, distraction-free environment to completely reset your mind and body – supported by a team that genuinely cares about your well-being – there is no place on earth quite like it. You leave feeling physically optimized, mentally clear, and deeply spoiled – recalibrated, recharged, and fully repro grammed from the inside out. Health and humor in the MJ. National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach trained at Duke Integrative Medicine, Deann Zampelli owns Montecito Coaching & Nutrition. She also has a Masters in Clinical Psychology and has been a resident of Montecito since 2006.

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Zombie 5K Rises Again for Shelter Animals

he dead are rising in Orcutt, and this time they’re running for a paws-itively good cause. The Santa Barbara County Animal Care Foundation’s Zombie 5K Glow Walk/Run returns October 17 at Blast 825 Stockyards, inviting humans, leashed dogs, and even cats to walk, run, or shuffle their way through a glowin-the-dark 5K benefiting vulnerable shelter animals. The frightful fun begins with a pre-party from 4 to 5:45 pm featuring food, live music, local vendors and a silent auction Prepare for a frighteningly good time before the undead hit the course at 6 pm. (courtesy photo) Afterward, stick around for a costume contest and after-party. Special guests include Pit Boss star Shorty Rossi and his dog Augustus, plus “Animal Whisperer” Suzan Vaughn. So grab the leash, dig up your best costume, and join the pack. No bones about it, this 5K is dying to help animals in need. 411: www.sbcanimalcare.org 8 – 15 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

An Independent Mind A Discouraging Word by Jeffrey Harding

lection seasons are the winter fall of our discontent when politics rears its ugly head and hypocrisy runs amok. We are in the middle of that discontent as we approach the mid-term elections. Billions are spent in the scramble for power. Politicians offer vague platitudes as solutions while they accuse their opponents of things they probably never said. Our TVs are hijacked by campaign ads. Recent election seasons have bred a sense of cynicism in the electorate. A recent Gallup poll of political identity shows the rise of voters identifying as independents while identity with our political parties has declined. Here’s a chart showing long-term trends (compiled from Gallup and other polls):

Republican and Democratic parties dominated the electorate until 1964 when they began a long decline marked by the rise of voters who identify as independents. Today it’s 30% for Democrats, 25% for Republicans, and 43% as independents. It is clear that most voters are dissatisfied with both parties. The main reason for that cynicism is the behavior of our politicians who see themselves as enemies in a tribal conflict. This was embarrassingly demonstrated at the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s handling of the

M SHERIFF’S BLOTTER Unknown Subject / Ennisbrook Drive Sunday, September 20, at 18:51 hours Deputies contacted the subject after having pushed the button at the gate of the above location. Security answered via the intercom and asked for the resident of the house. The resident does not know the person and security turned him away and called us. We located the subject at Sheffield and Ortega Hill Road walking towards Summerland. The subject said he was visiting friends but could not give the names of the friends. The subject was advised to never return to the residence and to leave the area. Security was contacted while deputies were speaking with the subject and said the subject never was on the property and there was no reason to arrest him. Theft / 2300 block Lillie Avenue Wednesday, September 23, at 15:11 hours Four female customers left The Nugget without paying their bill ($258). Reporting Party (RP) provided security footage of the incident. Follow-up to be handled by patrol. Missing Person / 1400 block North Jameson Road Saturday, September 26, at 14:05 hours Depuities responded to a RP reporting her son having been missing since getting out of school on 09-25-26. It is believed the son went to Ventura to surf with another unknown friend.

40 Montecito JOURNAL

investigation into alleged corrupt practices by Republicans in the 2020 elections and beyond. I don’t know if Mr. Smith was a political assassin unleashed by the Democrats or not, but he was treated as such by the Republican members of the Committee. Republican Senator Eric Schmitt attempted to entrap Mr. Smith to perjure himself by asking if he had attended an NBA Hawks basketball game in Atlanta. In his diatribe he called Mr. Smith a “dirtbag.” It turned out that Smith went to an Iowa Hawkeyes game in Maryland to see Caitlin Clark play. Mr. Smith presented himself as being forthright and honest in his responses. When Senator Schmitt’s humiliating mistake was revealed, Mr. Smith, to his credit, didn’t smirk. No apologies were offered. Everybody in the room understood this was all about an attempt to resurrect President Trump’s low standing in the polls by portraying Mr. Smith as a vicious dog going after innocent Republicans. From my perspective it backfired disastrously for the Republicans. This is politics at its worst. Am I shocked? No. Are you? Probably not. We understand it’s all politics and that is what reinforces our cynicism about the process and drives voters away from the parties. It’s not just the Republicans who do this. Support of the Democratic party has likewise declined as more people identify as independents. It is because they do the same things as the Republicans. I recall the lies spread by Presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz about their claim that a conservative anti-abortion organization’s program would require pregnant women to register with the government to “enforce the [government’s] abortion ban.” The assumption was that this was a program Trump would implement. This was a total fantasy out of The Handmaid’s Tale, but they never disavowed their accusation. Then there is Governor Gavin Newsom. Everyone knows he is running for president even though he has yet to declare his candidacy. He’s a well-known policy flip-flopper. Here’s a few: He rolled back his prior expansion of Medi-Cal which included coverage for undocumented immigrants because of “fiscal pressure.” He broke with progressives on transgender females participating as females in women’s sports and said it was “deeply unfair.” In 2025 he ignored his former support of California’s policy phasing out oil drilling by allowing increased oil drilling. He allowed the Diablo Canyon’s nuclear power facility to stay open (it was due to be closed by 2025). He signed a law in 2022 to allow it to stay open at least until 2030. Newsom is moving away from some of his liberal-progressive positions to appear as a centrist Democrat, not a dumb move. Even Alexandria OcasioCortez (AOC) is walking back some of the wokeism that she ardently used to flog her critics with accusations of racism, sexism, anti-LGBTQ, anti-labor, anti-socialism, anti-police, and, the worst accusation in her book, “Billionaire!” She also recently said she didn’t support many of the Democratic Socialists of America’s policies. She’s still a member of that organization although she tried to disavow it. Her name has been floated as a potential presidential candidate. These folks, Republicans and Democrats, will do anything to cling to power. Disavow your long-term beliefs? Sure, why not. Lie about your record as a politician? No problem. Take money from those whom you despise? How much ya got? This is politics. This may be the cause of the rise of the independent voter. It’s hard for them to support a Jeffrey Harding is a real flip-flopper whose policies are estate investor and long-time nothing more than lies and vague resident of Montecito. He platitudes. Where are the candipreviously published a popular dates who are straight-shootfinancial blog, The Daily ers, who sit comfortably in the Capitalist. He is a center, who are reasonable, retired SBCC and whose policies won’t wreck adjunct professor. the county? They must be out there somewhere.

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“Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean.” – Christopher Reeve

8 – 15 October 2026

Elizabeth’s Appraisals Straw Basket & the “Dutch” by Elizabeth Stewart

nder the shadow of the Bevo Mill, a reproduction windmill housing a famous brewery on Gravois in Saint Louis, my grandmother Ruth Siegfried had a small house, and I grew up there in the area called Dutchtown. We were not Dutch; we came from Bavaria on my grandfather’s side. German immigrants were often referred to as Dutch, (because some spoke a dialect called Deutch) and we have owned this basket (a Strohkorb – a straw basket) for many years, not knowing its origin as 19th-century Pennsylvania Dutch, made of rye straw from the areas around Bethlehem and Allentown, Pennsylvania. Rye was a cereal crop beloved by Germans in Europe. It created many things: rye whiskey, it was prized for filling mattresses, insulation under carpets and walls, it stuffed horse collars, was used as drinking straws, and, of course, basket making. Men, women, and children, no matter how “moral,” all drank rye whiskey in the 18th century. In fact, from a bushel of rye, a community could enjoy 11 quarts of whiskey, and when the rye crop was harvested in July, half the workers fell down drunk in the fields, and the other half, not drinking, would have to haul those light-eyed, fair-skinned blondes from out of the sun into the shade. What a hangover. The German immigrants from Rhineland-Palatinate used rye straw for thatched roofs when a structure did not require a chimney. And each week, many loaves of rye bread were pulled from the Pennsylvania Dutch beehive ovens. The thatched roofs were practical: no shingles, no blacksmith to make nails. This basket tells a story of Germans in Lehigh County. The first group of German immigrants to Pennsylvania arrived in 1683 aboard the ship Concord to establish a new life rooted in religious freedom, shaping the early history of the Pennsylvanian Dutch, founding Germantown. This basket is likely from the 19th century. This style of coiled basketry binds and wraps the long straw rye fiber, which is a form of cellulose that is resistant to decay (mice dislike it, too), and, once the straw is threshed to release the grain (for the whiskey and bread), basket makers reap and bundle the rye, coiling a long rope of rye straw all the way from the bottom of the basket to the top. It is a tradition still taught by the Goschenhoppen Historians. 8 – 15 October 2026

The basket made of rye straw

Men, women, and children, no matter how “moral,” all drank rye whiskey in the 18th century. These rye straw baskets were breadbaskets, sewing baskets for wrapped balls of old fabric for quilting, for beans, dried schnitz, things that did not require handles to carry – these were light work baskets. The Goschenhoppen Historians of the Henry Antes (1830s) plantation of Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania, are a superb resource, documenting the Dutch frugally working the farm communities of the 18th century. A lecture is forthcoming called “Ordinary Days in Revolutionary Times: The Lives of the Pennsylvania Dutch 250 years ago.” Once the community entered the mid19th century, the area was known for Pennsylvania Dutch zinc and copper miners. But the farming tradition continued: whether Lutheran, Reformed, or Mennonite, the community all broke from their work to celebrate the harvesting of the rye, “Harvest Home,” based on ancient Celtic and Saxon traditions. Before George Washington issued

a proclamation in 1789 creating the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States of America, the Pennsylvania Dutch were celebrating the Harvest Festival, the gathering of rye amongst other crops. The basket itself is entirely functional, as it is deep, with a 1:1 height-towidth ratio, a perfect volume to hold small crops as a gathering basket. The half-bushel basket is formed in a plaited checkerboard weave, and the rim top has been repaired; it was formerly reinforced with wrapped fibers. This basket may have been created in the 19th century by a member of a Native American Eastern Woodland tribe (Cherokee, or Iroquois), used for berry gathering; cereal rye (as grown by the Pennsylvania Dutch) was used for bread and whiskey, as well as roofs and baskets, yet cereal rye originated in Asia, travelled to Europe and was imported here. Wild rye grass (not a cereal) is indigenous to the Americas. Rye grass was bundled and coiled for baskets similar to mine. Used for my brother’s garbage can, this is a rural folk-art gathering basket, likely Pennsylvania Dutch, and I will be writing to the Goschenhoppen Historians to make sure. The value, if so, is $500, even in this condition, and if it were to be found to be Eastern Woodland Native American, it would be worth far more.

Elizabeth Stewart, PhD is a veteran appraiser of fine art, furniture, glass, and other collectibles, and a cert. member of the AAA and an accr. member of the ASA. Please send any objects to be appraised to Elizabethappraisals@ gmail.com

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Award-winning global wine presenter and Certified Specialist of Wine. Named Top 50 Most Influential Women in Wine. Wine Travel Awards Top Wine Influencer 2026. Montecito Journal Wine Travel Writer.

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Montecito JOURNAL

Wine Traveler (Continued from 20 20)) came from Dr. Loosen’s Bernkasteler Lay vineyard, where steep slopes rise dramatically above the river. I’d build a Mosel stay around Bernkastel-Kues, with its half-timbered market square, leaving room for side trips into the quieter Saar and Ruwer valleys. This is countryside made for scenic drives, river excursions, and lunches that drift well into the afternoon.

The Nahe The Nahe surprised me. It’s smaller and far less known internationally than its neighbors, yet it holds an

astonishing range of geology, with slate, sandstone, volcanic rock, and other soil types sometimes changing from one vineyard to the next. That variety shows in the glass, where Nahe rieslings can have remarkably different personalities depending on where they’re grown. The wine I keep thinking about came from Dönnhoff ’s im Mühlenberg vineyard, planted on weathered red sandstone. My notes describe a cool, mineral character that immediately made me want to stand in that vineyard myself. Travelers who enjoy exploring lesser-known wine destinations will find plenty to discover here, among river valleys, dramatic

rock formations such as the towering Rotenfels cliffs near Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg, hiking trails, and traditional wine villages where family estates still pour their own wines.

Pfalz and Franken With a longer trip, I’d add two more regions. The Pfalz, sheltered by the Palatinate Forest, is home to the German Wine Route, which winds approximately 85 kilometers through vineyard villages from Bockenheim in the north to Schweigen near the French border. It’s one of Germany’s warmest, sunniest wine regions, with a generous food culture and rieslings to match. Farther east, Franken, or Franconia, brings a different landscape and another of Germany’s great white grapes, silvaner, often poured from the region’s distinctive flat, rounded Bocksbeutel bottle. My most memorable silvaner came from Würzburg’s historic Stein vineyard, where limestone soils help shape the character of the wines. Würzburg itself, with its baroque Residenz, setting on the Main River and grand old wine estates, would make a wonderful final stop.

A taste of sparkling riesling

at dinner, but I’d also like to wake up the following morning feeling ready for whatever the day brings. I arrived in Wiesbaden with a tasting book and left with a renewed appreciation for Germany’s wine regions, their historic vineyards and the remarkable landscapes I want to continue exploring. Next time, though, I’m setting aside sev eral days for the spa.

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Jamie touring German wine country

Returning to Wiesbaden, the spa made perfect sense. Germany has a long tradition of taking to the waters, and few cities have honored it longer than this one, which still pairs historic bathhouses and contemporary thermal facilities with stately architecture and leafy parks. After concentrating on wines for three days, I thoroughly enjoyed giving myself a few restorative hours. More and more, this is how I love to travel, with exceptional wine balanced by long walks, beautiful food, and the occasional quiet afternoon. I still want that memorable bottle

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8 – 15 October 2026

Westmont (Continued from 16 16)) Support from the office of the provost and the Sacred Stories Project underwrites guest artist participation and collaborative design elements. Attendees can purchase signed copies of the new Bloomsbury anthology at intermission.

Cross Country Takes Top DII Honors Westmont men’s and women’s cross country competed at The Master’s Invitational in Santa Clarita on October 3 with the men finishing as the top NCAA Division II team in the field. The men, who scored 107 points to claim third place among 17 teams, were led by freshman Phillip Contakes who placed 10th with a time of 25:04 on the 8,000-meter course. They were followed by sophomore Kaeden Anderson (27th, 25:40), freshman Blake Holtermann (29th, 25:43), sophomore William Covington (30th, 25:48), and senior Tyler Allan (31st, 25:48). “The 44-second team spread for the top five scores was the best performance of the season thus far,” says head coach Russell Smelley. “It was a promising overall team performance looking ahead to the PacWest Championships on November 8 at Jessup.” The women, competing in a 6,000meter race, placed sixth out of 19 teams, and third among five DII programs with 182 points. Freshman Sofia Hernandez paced the squad with a 12th-place finish in 22:26. Rounding out the top five scorers were freshman Ruby Savage (28th, 23:00), sophomore Lucie Pickering Pick (49th, 23:46), freshman Leia Larson (23:54), and senior Adalyn Rodriguez (23:55).

Both Warrior teams return to action on Friday, October 9, at the San Francisco State Invitational in Golden Gate Park.

Second-Half Surge Powers Warriors Westmont men’s soccer (3-5-4, 1-1-1, PacWest) powered through 95-degree heat at Thorrington Field on October 3, delivering a 3-0 shutout victory over conference opponent Jessup (2-6-1, 0-1). Following a scoreless first half in which both teams recorded three shots on goal, the Warriors broke through in the 53rd minute. Julius Oehmichen lofted a pass across the 18-yard box to Cash Anderholt, who beat the Jessup goalkeeper with a right-footed shot inside the right post for his first goal of the season. Following a second-half hydration break, Westmont expanded its lead in the 77th minute when Cooper Matthews sent a long pass from inside his own half to Leonel Olivo Ortiz. Olivo Ortiz beat his defender, rounded the keeper, and finished with his left foot. Just three minutes later, the Warriors put the match away. Olivo Ortiz and Anderholt combined down the right side to set up a loose ball inside the six-yard box, which Matthews volleyed into the corner of the net. Goalkeeper Aidan Strickler earned his third career shutout, making three saves to raise his season total to 40. Every healthy field player saw action for Westmont in the win. The Warriors travel to the Aloha State for games against Hawaii Pacific, Chaminade, and Hawaii Hilo on October 10-15.

Leonel Olivo Ortiz (photo by Olivia Wolf)

Curator’s Choice Santa Cruz Island Ready for Close-up

loria Swanson starred in Cecil B. DeMille’s silent film Male and Female, but the leading player in this 1919 photo is Santa Cruz Island. If you look closely at the beach, you can just make out a few of the palms Paramount used to dress up the rugged location of Frys Harbor. “Two large barges were towed from San Pedro, loaded with three dozen big palms, coconut trees, banana trees loaded with fruit, rose bushes, and the like,” recalled island resident Margaret Holden Eaton in Diary of a Sea Captain’s Wife. This landscape shot is part of the collection of stills from Male and Female taken by photographer and cinematographer Karl Struss and preserved in the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Archives. The Museum Archives are open to researchers by appointment. Collections highlight various aspects of the natural and cultural history of our region – including the Channel Islands.

Photo by Karl Struss from Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Archives Sofia Hernandez

8 – 15 October 2026

Phillip Contakes

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Robert’s Big Questions Our National Wasted Potential? by Robert Bernstein

rump famously asked why we can’t have more immigrants from Norway and fewer from “shithole countries.” But what makes a country a shithole country? I have often approached this from the other end: What makes a country civilized? I have generally offered two minimal requirements: 1) True universal healthcare 2) Good public transportation (especially high-speed rail). By my definition, the U.S. is not a civilized country. How can this be? The U.S. has a very high GDP per person, yet it ranks relatively low when it comes to most measures of quality of life. Why is that and can this be quantified? The Social Progress Index (SPI) measures a society’s ability to meet basic needs and provide a foundation for citizens to improve their quality of life and reach their full potential. The U.S. ranks 32nd, below most Western countries. It is not that the U.S. is a terrible place. But the U.S. has vast natural resources. It historically had a steady flow of young, hard-working energetic immigrants. Despite Trump’s claims, we do generally get the best and brightest, even from poor and/or oppressive countries. Perhaps we can define a Wasted Potential Index: The difference between actual quality of life and the quality of life reasonably achievable given the country’s resources. This is basically the extent to which a country lags behind other countries with the same income. By this measure, the U.S. has a lot of Wasted Potential. For example, Japan has a higher SPI with less income and resources. Can we dig deeper and see why? Yes. It turns out that my definitions of civilization actually explain much of this waste. Starting with healthcare. Civilized countries have two basic healthcare models: 1) Socialized medicine – healthcare workers are government employees or 2) Government insurance and private providers – Like our Medicare system, but covering everyone. The U.S. system instead is a complex patchwork of private insurance and private providers. About 30% of U.S. waste in healthcare is due to an adversarial system of insurance bureaucrats denying service and patients and providers battling them. Denied care and denied critical medicines also end up costing more in the long run. Another huge wasted potential? Housing. Red states with little regulation

44 Montecito JOURNAL

have just as much of a shortage. Texas, for example. After WWII there was a housing boom. But it mostly consisted of sprawling development onto undeveloped land. Often prime agricultural land. That worked until we ran out of such conveniently located land. “Infill” development would allow building more apartments and condos in existing developed areas. But people who already live there fight hard to stop this. And they get a vote. The people who are kept out get no vote. One concern is “traffic.” In civilized countries, fast public transit makes denser housing a feature, not a problem. Dense housing along transit corridors allows frequent transit service that makes more housing an asset, not a liability. A virtuous cycle. This type of dense transit corridor land use also allows plenty of open space, both natural and agricultural. Huge amounts of potential quality of life are squandered: People sit in automobile traffic jams and curse everyone else who lives in suburban sprawl who adds to the traffic. Affordable housing can’t be built because NIMBY is the answer to any development. And then there is crime and punishment. The U.S. is the world leader in locking up its own citizens. A loselose in every way. It costs far more to lock someone up than to provide a job and housing. And they pay no taxes. And they often remain unemployed after release. And here is an irony: All of this Wasted Potential adds to our GDP! All of those insurance workers and the provider staff battling them are salaries that add to GDP! Think of all the fuel burned in traffic jams. All the prison workers. It all adds to GDP making us seem wealthy! Political candidates endlessly promise how they will eliminate waste. But do any of them understand the real waste? The Wasted Potential that holds us back from becoming truly “Great” in a way that MAGA utterly misunderstands? Robert Bernstein holds degrees from Physics departments of MIT and UCSB. His passion to understand the Big Questions of life, the universe and to be a good citizen of the planet. Visit facebook. com/questionbig

Beings & Doings (Continued from 12) an oversized cowboy hat, fists on hips and high-kicking like a Rockette. That scar on your left thumb still tells of the time you were a kid, wanting nothing more than to run on your well-oiled kid knees to your little kid friend at the playground. The event seems in remembering to be at the nether end of a shadowy dream, but it’s right next to you in plain sunlight. It’s not that it was you. That is You.

routine, that linear one-way journey from Birth to the Peppermint Twist (or whatever it’s called). However carefree and flower-bedecked your mortal days and nights, they are underwritten by a stealth melancholy that is itself strangely enlivening. The kids grow up and out and make lives across the seven seas, our parents become bent and faltering versions of the bedrock lovebirds we clutch desperately in dreams, the mirror recklessly describes your neck as increasingly that of barnyard fowl. My uncle Ken – hunchbacked by polio as a child and one of the sweetest, funniest men I’ve known – leaves us in 1972, and I haven’t the wherewithal to console my soft-spoken father, who loved him so very dearly. We remember the past with an acute aching sensation, even, if not especially, it’s happiest moments. I have a dreamlike memory, I always consider it my earliest, of riding a hobby horse down a steep staircase and landing like wounded laundry at the bottom, a crash attended by much abstract and imperfectly reconstructed commotion. Am I the same person as the plummeting nitwit toddler in that dreamlike memory? Am I the Same Thing? I measure my Self against the scar on my right knee, which I sliced open in 1968, 20 yards off the coast of Treasure Island, Florida. A gentle, tourist-friendly swell in the crystalline Gulf of Mexico nudged me playfully into a breakwater whose barnacles constituted a many-faceted razor, and my knee came open like an unzipped costume. I look closely at my knee and reaffirm my continuum. I also have a ragged scar on my left thumb, confirming, as it might the startled pilgrim in a Hitchcock movie, that what I perceive as a shadow-scrap of dream is in fact a totem borne forward from the past; a car door slammed on my own fool toddler thumb, so hurried was I to join a little schoolfriend I’d suddenly spied on the playground. I remember that. My mom shouting at me, a psycho puddle of vivid blood. The scar is the record. I’m looking at it now. Call it The Happy Mystery of the Changing Vessel. Get as old and eccentric as you want. Skip lithely slowly out of The Home, totally nude but for

Cosmic Valentine Love is a shopworn term that nevertheless begs our brief attention in this context. Your 100-year-long eyeblink should, on balance, be threaded through with the Big L, whatever it is. Love may be as fundamental and omnipresent as hydrogen, the element responsible for starlight.

The Laura Nyro treatment (courtesy artwork)

Quantum field theory says that even in a complete vacuum at absolute zero degrees Fahrenheit, space is not empty. It hums with zero-point energy – that deepest harmony underpinning the melody of existence itself. I sometimes catch myself thinking this non-ending, tuneless tune is “Love” – stuff more fundamental than matter and possessed of a characteristic that makes it a sort of cosmic corn starch. Time and Love (as Laura Nyro once sang) combine to form the binding property that prevents life from collapsing into noise. Just my intuition.

Jeff Wing is a journalist, raconteur, autodidact, and polysyllable enthusiast. He has been writing about Montecito and environs since before some people were born. He can be reached at jeff@ montecitojournal.net

LEGAL NOTICE PUBLICATION If you have a legal notice that needs publishing, we can help! Email your submission to legals@montecitojournal.net for more info and rates.

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Cousteau

8 – 15 October 2026

The Giving List

Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue by Steven Libowitz

ust at the end of last month, a pair of benefit concerts brought a lot of attention to first responders and the issues the seven agencies and personnel across the county face with equipment and mental health. Fire departments, law enforcement, Emergency Medical Services and Public Safety Dispatchers were all recognized, including the Santa Barbara Sheriff Departments. But one of the Sheriff ’s auxiliary organizations known as Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue barely got noticed at all through all the hoopla, speeches, and awards at the events. It’s nothing new. The SBCSAR, as the organization is known, is composed entirely of volunteers, who stand ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a week to respond to people needing help anywhere in the wilderness areas of Santa Barbara County, more than 2,500 square miles in all. That includes everything from swift-water emergencies and injured climbers who may or may not require technical rope rescues to medical problems and even hikers who are simply lost and can’t find their way back to their car. The group of dedicated and highly trained search and rescue professionals are physically fit enough to travel through a mountain environment in any weather for extended periods of time, and spend countless hours honing their skills in all areas of rescue procedures, including a six-month training program before they’re ever deployed. The volunteer team members bring a wide scope of professional experience, some with healthcare experiences such as veterinarians, nurses and doctors, but many more whose background includes working in human resources, software engineering, real estate professionals, general contracting and law enforcement. What they share in common is a commitment to providing critical assistance and support during any search and rescue operation. “Most of what we end up doing are trail rescues, people who are injured, dehydrated or lost,” said Jason Copus, SBCSAR’s public information officer. “We get a lot of calls from the front country. Even if somebody’s just lost or overdue, we’re the only group or agency that will respond. We’re solely responsible for searches. But whatever the need is, including things like an avalanche or inland waterway flooding, we’re ready to act.” 8 – 15 October 2026

But it’s a good bet a majority of people SBCSAR serves aren’t even aware that the organization – which is its own 501(c)3 nonprofit – even exists. That’s because those who are in need of rescue don’t contact them directly, but rather simply 9-1-1, whose operators assess the need and alert the Sheriff ’s Department and SBCSAR. What’s more, there’s no fee for the critical services they provide. “We don’t get paid for anything,” explained Copus, who has only been part of the volunteer rescue team since 2022, one of the newer members of the organization that boasts several who date back as many as 25 years. “What’s more, the only funding that we get from the County is in vehicle maintenance and fuel. Other than that, we operate solely on donations and grants.” That means the organization has to find a way to cover everything from offroad vehicles to mountain bikes, ropes, first aid supplies, equipment and other rescue gear. “We have a budget of about $400,000 a year that allows us to operate,” Copus said. “It’s what lets us replace equipment and gear that have expirations dates whether they’re used or not, vehicles as they need to be retired, even things like ropes, that must be replaced if they fray on the edge of a rock. And all of the money that we use, we need to raise ourselves.” A couple of years ago, SBCSAR created a foundation as its own nonprofit to over time raise enough money to create an endowment where the proceeds from investing would be enough to be self-sustaining for the team, Copus said. “It would be great to have a consistent and regular flow of cash from the endowment so we can operate and be comfortable with all the operational costs that we have.” An easy way to support the organization is coming next weekend, when the foundation hosts its Rescue Roundup 2026 at Santa Barbara Carriage Museum on Saturday evening, October 17. The event features live demos, music and dancing (including line dancing lessons), dinner under the stars, a silent auction and raffle prizes as part of a lively Western-themed evening. Plus, an opportunity to meet a number of team members. Fortunately, Copus said, there haven’t been a lot of rescues required in recent months, other than some rattlesnake bites earlier in the spring and early summer. “Quite honestly, it’s been quite calm, which has been nice,” he said.

SBCSAR is composed entirely of volunteers, who stand ready to respond to people needing help anywhere in the wilderness areas of the county (courtesy photo)

Some of that might be due to SBCSAR’s efforts and education. Volunteers also regularly visit schools, community groups and even trailheads to teach hiking safety, emergency preparedness and outdoor awareness in an effort to curb the need for rescues. “I don’t know if people are tuning in to our hiking safety tips online, but

• Voice of theVillage •

it’s been something we’ve been trying to promote,” Copus said. “Basic things like bringing lots of water, not hiking in the dead of heat and doing things that are very risky. We’ve seen a drastic decrease in those types of calls, so hope fully it’s working.”

Visit https://sbcsar.org or www.sbsarfoundation.com

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Montecito JOURNAL

Editorial (Continued from 24 24)) with the problem. So let me ask you: you’re deep in this community. What are you seeing on the ground that’s promising, in terms of technology or infrastructure that makes this community safer? Not enough. Montecito independently raised funds to put debris nets up on the mountains but for reasons that baffle many of us, they got removed. Power lines should go underground, some hardscaping matters, and homes shouldn’t be rebuilt where debris flows happened. Money is an obstacle, and memories are short. Plus, our leaders tend to focus on what’s immediately in front of them and put off longer-term issues that currently feel “hypothetical,” until they’re not. I don’t want to just tell you what you want to hear. This is very tricky. But as I travel the state, I’m seeing interesting, doable and, I think, scalable work on reducing fire risk in communities, with really great technology and building materials that are starting to be used in a big way. Are homeowners open to hardscaping? If you align the incentives properly. I visited a community in Escondido that was built up into a very high fire-risk zone. I don’t think they have a big debris flow problem, at least historically. They have very strict fire safety standards, from vegetation management and investment in firefighting infrastructure to how the homes are sited, and the roofing, screens and glass. It’s an HOA of single-family homes, and they’re hardcore about enforcing the CC&Rs [Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions]. If you’re out of compliance, they’ll fix the problem for you and charge you for it. The community is okay with that, because not only can they all get real admitted-market insurance, but they’re

I hear you on money. My central thesis, and maybe it’s naive, is this: right now the conversation is between the insurer and the individual policyholder. But an individual has very limited tools to reduce their own risk.

also paying thousands of dollars less per home than the neighborhood next door. The insurer is confident that the community takes risk reduction seriously. We have to apply that kind of thinking to whatever the physical problem is. You’re an environmentalist and you’ve lived in a high fire-risk area. In high winds, overhead power lines aren’t safe, and PG&E has faced a lot of lawsuits. Here, if the fire hadn’t happened, the debris flow wouldn’t have happened. The two are inextricable. Right. One thing I’ll say on the utility front: there’s a newer, less expensive but still effective way to reduce spark risk, called reconductoring, which means covering the lines much more aggressively than before. It’s nowhere near as expensive as undergrounding, but it’s a significant risk reduction, and there’s a lot of encouragement of that work right now.

The FAIR Plan, Surplus Lines, and Community Partnerships GL. Most Montecito homes are worth more than the FAIR Plan’s $3 million cap, even for longtime owners. What would you do for homeowners pushed into excess and surplus lines carriers, which offer fewer protections? BA. Whether it’s the FAIR Plan or the non-admitted surplus lines market, these are signs of how weak and unhealthy the mainstream admitted market is. Ultimately, I think we need a second stage of the Sustainable Insurance Strategy that the current commissioner is pursuing. There’s a lot the department can do to make the admitted market function better. We’re incredibly slow on a whole range of approvals. That’s a constant complaint from the industry, and the slowness doesn’t benefit consumers. It just makes it harder for the mainstream market to function. So I’d start with that, along with fraud enforcement. But at the end of the day, the insurance industry gets to skate around the question of risk reduction. Under the Sustainable Insurance Strategy, insurers can now build the cost of reinsurance into their pricing and use forward-looking catastrophe models. In return, they agreed to write policies in high-risk areas at 85% of their statewide market share. But the way high-risk areas are defined has loopholes. A property in a high-risk ZIP code, but not in a high-risk part of that ZIP code, can count toward the 85% threshold. So, we need the industry to engage deeply in a negotiation, led by the commissioner, region by region. I recognize there are unique challenges here. We had some mudslides in Malibu, but nothing as catastrophic as what you experienced. It comes down to doing the homework region by region and community by community and coming up with a plan with the industry and local government. If it means bringing in the utilities on undergrounding and other fire risk reduction, so be it. I hear you on money. My central thesis, and maybe it’s naive, is this: right now the conversation is between the insurer and the individual policyholder. But an individual has very limited tools to reduce their own risk. There are things you can do about fire, but debris flow, especially on the scale you experienced, is something that truly requires community action. That kind of work is expensive. But if the investment is paired with insurers stepping up to cover people at an affordable rate, it lowers the net cost to the community. Without real community resilience work, insurers will keep treating every property here as a high-risk one-off. Ultimately, I think this means significant community investment, hopefully paired with insurer and utility investments, to reduce risk. In return for people stepping up through a tax, a bond, or whatever it is, we’d secure an agreement with the insurance industry. We don’t have the power to demand that the industry cover every high-risk

Editorial Page 494 494

State Sen. Ben Allen says the January 2025 Palisades Fire in his district pushed him into the race for California Insurance Commissioner (courtesy photo)

46 Montecito JOURNAL

“Water is the driving force of all nature.” – Leonardo da Vinci

8 – 15 October 2026

Voting (Continued from 6)

in fundraising, and 49-year-old Genevieve Taft-Vazquez, a business consultant and former Coca-Cola executive whose corporate mom energy has created buzz. Former council member Jason Dominguez, 57, is running for the exercise. District 5 (San Roque, Upper State): In this middle-class district, where a large share of voters are homeowners, the Democrats are backing Ian Baucke, a 27-yearold party insider who works as a district aide for state Sen. Monique Limón, is the son of longtime planning commissioner John Baucke and has strong ties to Strong Towns Santa Barbara – the left-wing planning group whose no-cars vision for downtown permeates the State Street Master Plan. His underfunded opponents – who oppose his views on rent control – are Cevin Cathell, an energetic 67-year-old documentarian, and James Zurlinden, 41, a former chef turned financial adviser.

Voter registration by party, county vs. city

that we do is about making sure that people who share our values are represented on a council or on a school board or on a board of trustees or even on a water board.”

The Political Landscape With the office of mayor and three open council seats on the ballot, the city is fertile ground for a progressive sweep. For starters, 59% of the city’s registered voters are Democrats. The once-influential Republican Party has fallen into third place in the Trump era, at only 15% – behind No Party Preference independents at 20%, with minor parties at 6%. Democrats also benefit from two far-reaching reforms voters approved a decade ago that are only now taking full effect. The 2015 approval of district elections – adopted under threat of a state Voting Rights Act lawsuit – has meant that candidates need to win far fewer votes than when they ran citywide, putting a premium on organizing turnout among small but enthusiastic constituency bases. Exhibit A: Wendy Santamaria, a 28-year-old left-wing tenant rights organizer who won District 1 in 2024 by just 236 votes, shifted the balance of power on rent control and proved a powerhouse in pushing through the new ordinance. The 2018 passage of Measure B moved Santa Barbara’s local elections from odd-numbered to even-numbered years. The result: turnout increased 15 to 20 percent, drawing younger, more liberal voters who are more likely to be renters than homeowners – cohorts most responsive to progressive Democratic messaging. As the political scientist Larry Sabato famously wrote, “Every election is determined by the people who show up.”

The Races The main event has been the mayor’s race between Kristen Sneddon and Eric Friedman, two termed-out council members who served together for eight years and landed on opposite sides of nearly every major issue – the rent stabilization ordinance, the closing of State Street to traffic, and the city’s strained $250 million operating budget. Former school board chair Wendy Sims-Moten, 64, has added passionate rhetoric to campaign forums but lags badly in fundraising. Novelty candidate Matt Kilrain also is on the ballot. Both Sneddon, 55, and Friedman, 49, are lifelong Democrats, but she easily won the party’s coveted endorsement; he ran afoul of its ideological line on rent control and city worker pay raises. Friedman did, however, capture the personal endorsement of Rep. Salud Carbajal, a friend and former employer. “How are you gonna pay for it?” Friedman challenged Sneddon in their first debate, referencing the $100 million minimum price tag for the State Street Master Plan and the still-uncalculated expense of administering the new rent law. “I was not the chair of the Finance Committee,” she has counter-attacked, pointing the finger at Friedman’s service in that post as the source of the budget problem. Sneddon tops a Democratic ticket that includes leading candidates for open seats in three neighborhood districts: District 4 (Riviera, Mission Canyon, Upper East): In the city’s most affluent district, now represented by Sneddon, 38-year-old Devon Wardlow – an aggressively pro-housing, pro-union planning commissioner and former retail cannabis lobbyist – is running with the Democratic endorsement in a four-way race. Her chief rivals are retired tech executive Monte Wilson, 68, who has matched her $85,000 8 – 15 October 2026

District 6 (Downtown/Oak Park): In a district where voters overwhelmingly are renters, Democrats back Gabe Escobedo, a 37-year-old school board member and UCSB recreation department manager who has been a planning commissioner and led a high-profile committee that worked on George Floyd-era police reform – when he clashed with then-Chief Barney Melekian. Among lesser-known, lesser-financed opponents, realtor Alexander Stoeber, 34, has endorsements from the Chamber of Commerce and the Police Officers Association, with notary Anabella Lehne, 43, and electrician Jason Carlton, 52, also in the mix. “How this all plays out for our candidates, it remains to be seen,” said party chair Alonso. “But I like the backdrop for our candidates more than I don’t.” If Sneddon and the rest of the party slate prevail, it would set the stage for a Democratic supermajority on council, with the four joining incumbents Santamaria and the reliably left-wing Oscar Gutierrez to marginalize moderate incumbent Mike Jordan, who has voted with Rowse and Friedman. Welcome to the People’s Republic of Santa Barbara.

Voter turnout within the city of Santa Barbara

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Montecito JOURNAL

News Bytes

Chabad of Montecito October Events by MJ Staff

ctober 11, 10:30 am: Bagels, Lox and Torah October 25, 2 pm: Mega Challah Bake at the Louise Lowry Davis Center 411: www.sbchabad.org

toward its next century with a new $30 million Centennial Campaign supporting conservation, community programs, and long-term sustainability. The campaign divides its goal equally among three initiatives. Connected Communities will invest $10 million in demonstration gardens, youth programs, professional training, and resources encouraging native landscapes. Rooted in Place will direct $10 million toward capital improvements, including improved ADA accessibility, pathways, a remodeled visitor center, and a new food service window. The final $10 million, A Legacy for the Future, will strengthen the Garden’s endowment for research, education, advocacy, and conservation. The campaign is co-chaired by Mark Funk and Nancy Weiss. Today, the Garden oversees more than 50 active conservation projects and maintains nearly five million seeds representing more than 400 at-risk species in its conservation Seed Bank.

Montecito’s First Annual Pie Baking Contest!

MLK Poetry & Essay Contest Submissions

The Montecito Country Mart is hosting its First Annual Pie Baking Contest at the mart on October 17. Pie drop-off time is 11 am, and winners announced at 12:30 pm. All homemade pies to be submitted with categories for adults and kids. First prize takes home $100, with gift cards for second and third place. Pie baking demo by Miette.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Santa Barbara is proud to present the 2027 Essay and Poetry Awards Program. This annual initiative invites students to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through original essays and poems that reflect his timeless values. The theme for this year’s application is a quote from The Wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr. (Ayres, 1993): “It is not possible to be in favor of justice for some people and not be in favor of justice for all people.” Entries must be a single essay of 1,000 words or less. Poetry entries must be 50 lines or less. Maximum of two essays and/or poem entries per person. All entries MUST include student’s name, grade level, and poem/essay title.

411: www.montecitocountrymart.com/events

Friday Night Movies at Montecito Country Mart Free, and in the center courtyard, starting at 6 pm. Food and beverages to go. 10/9 – Ratatouille 10/16 – Finding Nemo

10/23 – Finding Dory 10/30 – Coco

411: https://mlksb.org/essay-poetry-program

‘Refined Home’ Book Signing

Muddy Madness Celebrates the Art of Clay

Hudson Grace will host a book signing with designer Sheldon Harte for his new book, Refined Home, on Friday, October 9, from 3:30-5:30 pm. The event will be co-hosted by antiquarian Lee Stanton and Ann Backen, co-founder of Backen & Backen’s lifestyle and wellness department.

Maker House and the Santa Barbara Sculptors Guild are getting their hands dirty with Muddy Madness and the Eloquence of Clay, a juried exhibition celebrating ceramic sculpture from across the Central Coast. Running through November 7, the show brings together 37 works by 36 artists, ranging from intimate figurative pieces to ambitious abstract forms. The exhibition explores clay’s versatility as artists mold, fire, texture, and reinvent one of humanity’s oldest creative materials. The works showcase approaches inspired by everything from the natural world to contemporary abstraction. The exhibition was juried by Christopher Rupp, interim director of the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art and a ceramics educator at Westmont College. Muddy Madness is on view at Maker House Gallery, 1351 Holiday Hill Road in Goleta.

Earth Science Week Rocks the Museum The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History will celebrate Earth Science Week October 11-17 with a lineup of all-ages activities exploring geology, paleontology, astronomy, minerals, and mapping. Most programs run from 2-4 pm and are included with museum admission. Highlights include Mineral Day, Earth Observation Day, National Fossil Day, hands-on activities for Geoscience for Everyone Day, and Geologic Map Day, featuring the science and history hidden beneath our feet. The week concludes October 17 with the reopening of the fan-favorite Dinorama: Miniatures Through the Mesozoic, where miniature dioramas bring the animals of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods to life.

Botanic Garden Launches $30M Centennial Campaign As the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden celebrates its 100th anniversary, it is looking

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48 Montecito JOURNAL

The Grace Fisher Foundation will honor poet Max Ritvo on Saturday, October 10, with a poetry reading and dedication at its Inclusive Arts Clubhouse, marking 10 years since his passing. A space within the Clubhouse will be renamed the Max Ritvo Reading and Writing Corner, where visitors can use a typewriter and explore books centered on belonging, positivity, and inclusivity. The free public ceremony will include readings of Ritvo’s poetry and light refreshments. The dedication is part of the Foundation’s 2026 Matching Campaign honoring Ritvo. The Alan B. Slifka Foundation, led by his mother, Dr. Riva Ariella Ritvo-Slifka, has pledged to match donations dollar for dollar up to $150,000, toward a $300,000 fundraising goal. Funds will support art and music supplies, accessible furniture, and free programming at the Clubhouse. The campaign continues through December 31.

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“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” – Lao Tzu

8 – 15 October 2026

Editorial (Continued from 46 46))

Part of what’s frustrating about the status quo is that a lot of mitigation work is happening without coordination with the insurers. property in the state without real investment in reducing risk. On the flip side, communities won’t invest in risk reduction unless they’re confident that affordable insurance will be available on the back end. If we can marry the two, we can create a win-win for communities like this one. Your bill SB 1297 was about exactly those partnerships. Can you explain it, and would it work in a small, unincorporated community like Montecito? Would neighborhood mitigation earn real premium discounts? Thank you for knowing about the bill. It was our attempt to put into legislation our thinking about real public-private partnerships and investment, and to get everyone rowing in the same direction. Short of a very engaged county supervisor, I don’t see anyone better positioned than the commissioner, and a supervisor lacks leverage over the insurance industry. The commissioner has some leverage. It’s limited; there’s no magic wand. But if I make clear to the industry how important it is to my agenda that they sit at the table with communities like Montecito, talking about how the community can invest in its own risk reduction in ways the industry will actually reward, we can come up with solutions. This bill is about bringing together the utilities, the insurers, anyone with a financial stake in reducing risk, plus state and local government. Part of what’s frustrating about the status quo is that a lot of mitigation work is happening without coordination with the insurers. People invest heavily, and then they’re frustrated when the insurers say, “Thanks a lot, that’s great, but you’re not meeting my standards.”

I don’t think I’d be running if it weren’t for that experience. I was interested in the subject, but it really motivated me. I saw how broken the system is. I saw how lack of insurance, underinsurance, and certain industry practices hurt a community’s ability to get back on its feet and rebuild. I also saw a huge range of responses from the industry. Some companies behaved honorably, as you’d want them to. Some are doing innovative work that deserves to be rewarded and scaled. One thing I want to do is create a report card or scorecard that helps people compare how companies respond. Insurance is an odd product. If you don’t like your water delivery company or your airline, you switch. But insurance is something people hope never to use, and most never do, so there’s very little information. It doesn’t function the way a free market should. You’ve also advocated requiring insurers to give three months’ notice before dropping someone. Not only advocated, but I also just passed the law. That was my bill, SB 1301, which the governor just signed. It gives people more time, a chance to mitigate, and more information. One of the big problems is that people are dropped without even being told why. Now they’ll be told. The industry opposed that bill when we introduced it, and I hope it helps people quite a bit. What leverage does the office actually have over insurance companies? The commissioner approves rate, and that’s real power. You can’t make those decisions arbitrarily; they’re based on a set of metrics. The speed of those reviews has become a big problem. I believe we’re the second slowest in the country, after New York. We take about a year to approve a rate filing. Most states take 50 to 60 days, and Prop 103 says it should be 50 to 60 days. It’s bureaucratic process. The Department of Insurance has to know that real improvement is a top priority. One of the biggest decisions I’ll make early on is hiring a really strong public-sector manager for the department. People say we should run government like a business, and those people usually fail spectacularly. We should incorporate business principles, but running a massive government bureaucracy is different, and some people have been very successful at it. Look at the DMV. It has improved significantly over the last 20 years. It was terrible when we were younger. Someone did that: Jerry Brown especially, and then Gavin Newsom, said, “We’ve got to fix the DMV.” It was so bad it got mocked in Zootopia with the sloth. Learning from those government turnarounds will be a big focus of mine.

That was my bill, SB 1301, which the governor just signed. It gives people more time, a chance to mitigate, and more information. One of the big problems is that people are dropped without even being told why. Now they’ll be told.

When you leave office, what do you hope you’ll have achieved? I hope we’d be well on our way to restoring real admitted-market insurance to communities like this one. That we’d have a plan in place that makes a community like this much more insurable, and in doing so, moves people off the FAIR Plan and into the admitted market. That’s my goal.

Endorsements, and the Limits of Mandates GL. Who has endorsed you? BA. The California Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood, Equality California and firefighters. Every daily newspaper in the state that has endorsed in this race has endorsed me. The San Francisco Chronicle is [Kim’s] hometown paper, and I think it did an excellent job breaking down the dynamics of the race. And they endorsed me in the primary too. Being in a Democrat-versus-Democrat race is lousy, but the party has endorsed me. They’re doing get-out-the-vote work, mailers, all of that. And Monique Limón was one of my first endorsements; we’ve worked together really closely. So have Gregg Hart, Steve Bennett, Hannah-Beth Jackson, and Julia Brownley. We have a good group of people. Thank you for coming to talk with me. I appreciate it. You’ve given me a lot to think about. There’s a unique set of chal lenges here that are particularly vexing.

What am I not asking that people should know about you? The system is on fire right now. We need someone in this office who’s focused on fixing the problems now, who isn’t afraid to fight these people and be bold, but who isn’t so focused on a theoretical, pie-in-the-sky idea that they lose sight of the problems on the ground. I’ve been through a massive disaster in my own district. If elected, I’d be the first person in this office who has had that happen in their own community. 8 – 15 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

ss Never Mi An Issue!

JOURNAL

We’re living through a time of tremendous deregulation and money at the center of politics. So there’s an unwillingness to take a strong stand on insurance. I know you’re not taking insurance industry money. Not only that, but I’ve also actually fought them. The industry hated the bills I described at the beginning. It’s easy to criticize from the sidelines, as several other candidates did, including my current opponent. But I’ve fought them in the Legislature with real proposals, and it’s all there in black and white. And it’s not just the insurance industry. My CARS Act just took effect. It requires dealers to disclose whether add-ons they try to tack onto your car purchase are truly mandatory, because if something’s mandatory, it should be in the original price. It also gives people three days to return a used car if they discover something seriously wrong with it. That sounds like common sense, but you’d be amazed how hard it is to take on the car dealers in the Legislature. The sad thing is there’s no political benefit to it. People will just have a better experience, and they’ll never know it came from me. Meanwhile, I had to fight a very tough industry.

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Spoken Word (Continued from 18 18)) rave reviews from authors, historians, and professors across the country. Visit https://tecolotebookshop.indiecommerce.com

Chaucer’s Choices: Santa Barbara Authors in Conversation

Grace Through Fire: A Memoir of Murder, Tragedy, and Resilience is Deborah Samuel’s both raw and redemptive memoir of surviving generational trauma, finding healing through caregiving, and experiencing spiritual awakening. The book, just published this month, chronicles her journey from Southern survival to West Coast freedom, moving from the chaos of the rural South to the stillness of yoga studios and the healing waters of Lake Powell and Crater Lake, where Samuel rediscovers her strength, sobriety, and purpose. The author, who lives aboard a classic yacht in Santa Barbara, shares the story that seems almost stranger than fiction, at Chaucer’s on Wednesday, October 14. Will Sofrin, a master shipwright who has taught at MIT and has built boats for Billy Joel and Estée Lauder, tells the story of how the Coast Guard transformed a captured WWII ship into a national symbol and a platform for diplomacy in USCG Cutter Eagle: The Legacy of the Coast Guard’s Flagship. The Eagle Bear’s Choice commissioned 80 years ago, serves as a training ship for USCG Academy cadets with instruction in navigation, ship handling, and the rigors of life at sea. Both cadet and crew experiences serve as the lens through which Sofrin traces the ship’s history, which includes sailing to ports around the world to participate in goodwill missions that promote cultural exchange, mutual respect, and cooperation among nations. He’ll discuss the boat and the book at Chaucer’s on Sunday, October 18. Also in the nonfiction genre, Daniel M. Jaffe’s Russian Silhouette: A Memoir of

Master shipwright Will Sofrin speaks at Chaucer’s on Sunday, October 18 (courtesy photo)

50 Montecito JOURNAL

Letters (Continued from 31 31)) Activism and Identity explores the author’s numerous travels to the USSR and post-Soviet Russia from the 1970s through the 1990s, where he immersed himself in communities of oppressed Soviet Jews and political dissidents, many of whom were confronting arrest, imprisonment, labor camp sentences, and internal exile. Even after being arrested by the KGB and ordered never to return, Jaffe did return many times to help his friends; their mutual courage in asserting their identities and values inspired him to finally come out as a gay man and fight for his own civil rights in the U.S. Silhouette is the 10th published book by Jaffe, who speaks at Chaucer’s on Thursday, October 22.

Prof Slam 2026 Half a dozen UCSB professors step into the spotlight at M. Special Brewing Company on Thursday, October 15, for a new event that turns the tables on the Graduate Division’s Grad Slam. Rather than students, it’s the teachers/researchers who take part in the fast-paced competition that challenges faculty to present their cutting-edge research in just three minutes. Just how many fascinating insights will get revealed in just 180 seconds of storytelling is anybody’s guess, but the concept of transforming complex ideas in the six different disciplines from bioengineering to Chicano/Chicana studies to communications into a simple and entertaining presentation for all sounds like something even us ADHD-addled folks might enjoy.

Reserve a spot at www.alumni.ucsb.edu/ events/all-gaucho-reunion/prof-slam

Parallel Stories Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Parallel Stories series for fall ties in with its extensive collection of Asian art with more than 3,600 objects spanning 5,000 years. The series invites attendees to reimagine and reframe some of the histories, traditions, and stories contained in the collection through presentations by three contemporary authors. Fall’s Parallel Stories, which is presented in collaboration with The Asian American Studies Department of UCSB, whose department chair, Sameer Pandya, will facilitate the conversations. First up on Sunday, October 11, is M Lin, author of The Memory Museum, a debut collection that depicts characters finding beauty amidst the disorientation of migration, the contradictions of living between cultures, the perverse realities of race and class, and the delicate dance between survival and resistance. Karen Tei Yamashita (Questions 27 & 28) visits on November 8, and Divya Victor (KIN: Essays on Reckless Devotion) closes out the series on December 13.

Visit www.sbma.net/learn/adultprograms/ parallelstories

Because our kids deserve more than our outrage after the fact. They deserve our commitment to prevent it. Christy Stillwell MA Psy, what is lOVE Executive Director

And this cannot simply become another conversation about teaching girls how to protect themselves. Girls have been carrying that burden for generations. Watch your drink. Don’t walk alone. Text when you get home. Don’t get too drunk. Stay with your friends. Hold your keys between your fingers. Be careful what you wear. Be careful who you trust.

Explicit Reality Carlos was humming a Neil Young tune when he rounded the corner at the rise that led to his den. At least he thought it was where he lived. He pricked his ears, stood on his hind legs and surveyed what he thought was his territory. Strange images flooded his ursine brain. Cleared of chaparral, bulldozer tracks crisscrossing barren ground, but oddly his den was in plain view. There, stapled to his door, was a note:

What if we put at least as much energy into teaching young people not to abuse, exploit, coerce or violate another person? What if we taught boys and young men that masculinity is not measured by conquest, dominance, or access to another person’s body? What if we taught every young person that another person’s humanity matters more than social standing, fraternity, reputation, or staying enrolled at a university? Nearly every woman I know has a story. Sometimes it is her own. Sometimes it belongs to a sister, roommate, daughter or friend. I have one too. That should stop us in our tracks. We cannot continue accepting sexual violence against women and girls as an inevitable part of growing up. Parents need to talk about consent before their children leave for college. Schools need comprehensive, developmentally appropriate relationship education. Universities need more than compliance videos. Men and boys must be part of prevention. Community leaders need to invest in programs that teach the skills and social norms that make violence less likely to occur. Here in Santa Barbara County, we have the opportunity to decide what kind of community we want to be. Do we continue responding after a young person has already experienced violence? Or do we invest earlier? Enough cannot simply be something we say when another horrific story reaches the news. Enough has to mean educating our children differently. It has to mean expecting more from our institutions. It has to mean teaching consent early and often. It has to mean giving young people the skills to build relationships grounded in respect, boundaries, accountability and care. And it has to mean investing in prevention with the same urgency we bring to responding after violence has already occurred.

“In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans.” – Kahlil Gibran

EXPLICIT REALTY Where Surprises Become Reality! Dear Neighbor, It is with great pleasure we have sold the property adjacent to you. In preparation for the construction of our clients proposed 20,000-square-foot home we thought we would tidy up your yard for presentation purposes and offer to represent you in the selling of your own, older property. Our clients are planning an ADU for rental purposes along with their new home, and are willing to offer you a substantial, market ready deal you may find quite equitable. As you may already know, property prices in our area are skyrocketing and investors, such as your new neighbors, are clamoring to see returns on their investments. If interested, please contact me. Riff Raff, Subterfuge Group Explicit Realty Division Broker Associate What in the blazes? Stunned, Carlos calmly assessed the message. His mother grew up here, his cubs were born in this den and now, some adjacent billionaire wanted to buy him out! He knew he was getting older and Medi Bear was not keeping up the rising cost of Bear Care. Connie Cougar sold and so did Frisky Fox, so why not him? He liked living here just fine, or used to, until the humans started in on this real estate craze during COVID. The area had become unrecognizable to him. Everyone was moving faster. People were running down wildlife with their speeding cars while being pushy drivers to boot. No! He would stay and suffer the consequences if he could! Carlos went inside his den, put on his headphones, cued up The Grateful Dead’s, Bear’s Choice and danced! Carlos The Bear Translated by Michael Edwards

8 – 15 October 2026

J O I N U S F O R A N I N AU G U R A L

I N V I TAT I O N A L CONCOURS NOVEMBER 7-8, 2026 S A N TA B A R B A R A P O LO & R A CQ UE T C L U B BENEFITING SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE AUTOMOTIVE PROGRAM AND LOCAL YOUTH CHARITIES T I C K E T S A N D S P O N S O R S H I P S N O W AVA I L A B L E L R @ S B I N V I TAT I O N A L . O R G | S B I N V I TAT I O N A L . O R G 8 – 15 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Calendar of Events

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9

by Steven Libowitz FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 Lang Lang Illuminate – Pianist Lang Lang has performed numerous times in town, dating back to his recital debut at Campbell Hall way back in 2003, and including appearances for CAMA as well as a soloist with the Santa Barbara Symphony in 2009. He’s considered one of the world’s most influential and committed ambassadors for the arts with collaborations that include conductors Sir Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel, and Daniel Barenboim as well as Metallica, Pharrell Williams, and Herbie Hancock. Tonight in his recital return to the Granada, the piano master who actually deserves his superstar status returns with a program that shows off the piano at its most orchestral, expressive, and spectacular, moving from works by masters Mozart and Beethoven to explore the rhythms of Spain with selections by Isaac Albéniz and Enrique Granados before culminating in the virtuosic fire of Franz Liszt. Artistry at the highest level is what awaits. WHEN: 7 pm WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street COST: $70-$160 INFO: (805) 899-2222/www.granadasb.org or (805) 893-3535/ https:// artsandlectures.ucsb.edu SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 Gee and Whiz – The Santa Barbara Chamber Players open their 2026-27 season with a program that touches on three centuries of classical music, conducted by Dr. Daniel Gee, who is both Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Westmont College and Music Director of the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony. The program begins with Fanny Hensel’s “Overture in C Major” (1830-32), a rare surviving piece from the older sister of Felix Mendelssohn, which was performed FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 Mann Up! – Actually it’s Mann up almost every night from Thursday-Saturday at The Grand on State, the barely six-months-old upscale jazz spot next door to the Granada Theatre in the Arts District, given that versatile keyboardist Brian Mann is co-founder and co-owner and nearly nightly performer at the mighty music hall. But tonight, the Mann in question is the award-winning New York-powered vocalist Janis Mann, who brings her “Carmen Sessions” celebrating the artistry of the legendary Carmen McRae to the venue as part of the Visiting Artists series. Mann, now based in Los Angeles, appears regularly at New York’s top clubs and has recorded or performed with some of today’s true jazz luminaries, including Diane Schuur, Roy Haynes, Peter Erskine, and Tamir Hendelman. Mann is actually performing the middle of a three-concert series between L.A. and Santa Barbara in tribute to McRae, who she calls “such a strong influence on me over the years,” supported by pianist Andy Langham, bassist Lyman Medeiros, and drummer Steve Hass. WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: The Grand, 1218 State Street COST: $49-$99 INFO: (805) 708-7670 or www.thegrandonstate.com

52 Montecito JOURNAL

Hard to Lee – Sail over to the Lobero for yet another sizzling display of bluegrass, this one perhaps mid to left of center on the progressive scale, yet no less exciting than, say, Punch Brothers, who were slated to play Campbell Hall on October 7. AJ Lee & Blue Summit have been working together since meeting as teenagers in Santa Cruz, where they got together for picking and jamming at local bluegrass festivals before deciding to become a band. Almost a decade of touring later, the group have stepped up on the national roots music scene due to consummate musicianship forged over years of campground jams at festivals, plus an infectious spirit and a dynamic approach to the ever-evolving genre. Mandolinist leader Lee is joined by guitarist Sullivan Tuttle (yes, he’s Molly’s younger brother with a similar origin story), fiddler Jan Purat, and bassist Sean Newman. Opening is Santa Barbara’s own Salty Strings, the boundary-busting bluegrass band that sprinkles tinges of Latin and reggae into their fast-paced oldtime songs and a big helping of originals. The Salties over the last year or two has evolved from a part-time project mostly playing for friends and a few gigs around town into a group that now performs dozens of times at festivals, concert series, clubs, and beyond. WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $30 & $40 ($75 premium tickets includes preferred seating and a pre-show reception with complimentary drinks and light bites) INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org at the Hensel family’s musical gatherings in Berlin before remaining largely unknown until its eventual publication in the 20th century. The concert’s centerpiece is Shostakovich’s “Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 107,” composed in 1959 for Rostropovich and here featuring Santa Barbara’s own Jakub Omsky as soloist for the work noted for intensity, lyricism, rhythmic drive, and dark humor. Wrapping things up is Mozart’s “Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550” (1788), the second of the composer’s final three symphonies and a personal fave of your correspondent due to its driving energy and irresistible G-minor character. WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: Trinity Lutheran Church, 909 N. La Cumbre Rd. COST: $30 general admission, free for 18 and younger INFO: www.sbchamberplayers.org

“A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself.” – Laura Gilpin

8 – 15 October 2026

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17

Downtown Classic Car Show – A collection of classic and custom cars takes over three blocks of lower State Street for a few hours today in a rare chance for autos to be back on the thoroughfare that’s been closed to autos since the pandemic. Attendees are invited to stroll State Street, explore the vehicles on display, connect with fellow car enthusiasts and ask questions of owners, and stick around for the awards presentation. Vehicle owners interested in participating in the show are required to pre-register. WHEN: 10 am-3 pm WHERE: 600–800 blocks of State Street COST: free to attend INFO: www.downtownsb.org/do/downtown-classic-car-show SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11

‘The Recycled Show’ – One might be tempted to use that appellation for the umpteenth remounting of Broadway classics in regional theaters, but here it nobly refers to the art exhibit that focuses on using materials typically destined for the landfill, which returns to the Community Arts Workshop (CAW) for three days in its third year. Produced and curated by Rebecca Zendejas, The Recycled Show: ReFabrication is the continuation of the vision of Jami Joelle Nielsen, CAW’s late Outreach Committee member, whose own practice as a recycled-object artist prompted her to create the inaugural Recycled Show: A No Waste Exhibit in 2024. The current show considers our relationship to fabric, clothing, fast fashion, and adornment and its impact on the environment, with over a dozen local artists contributing pieces created with 75-80 percent up-cycled fabric and materials. This exhibit will also feature a few pieces by Nielsen, in the CAW space, which, not coincidentally, was formerly a recycling center. In the evening of October 16, CAW hosts Upcycle Couture, its first-ever fashion show fundraiser to both support emerging designers and raise money for CAW programming. Producing partner Explore Ecology and other environmental organizations will be on hand to share info about the environmental effects of fast-fashion, and guests can enjoy refreshments and music along with the show of hand-crafted designs – with the clothing also for sale. WHEN: ReFabrication 10 am-5 pm October 9 & 16, 11 am-3 pm October 17; Upcycle Couture, 7-10 pm October 16 WHERE: CAW, 631 Garden Street COST: free ($25-$80 “Upcycle Couture”) INFO: www.sbcaw.org/upcoming Palm Tree Music Festival – The posh, upscale, high-priced festival returns for two days over the holiday weekend (although not in California) with an expanded lineup but a similar approach as an exclusive, limited audience, premium lifestyle event. The Chainsmokers and Zedd headline Saturday’s lineup with the All-American Rejects and Natalie Jinju also performing. Festival Founder Kygo and T-Pain take top billing on Sunday, with Loud Luxury, Frank Walker, and Myles O’Neal warming things up. Expect top-tier production along with coastal California party vibes in the sophisticated setting of the Santa Barbara Polo Club – although not quite as sophisticated as Kevin Costner’s Field of Dreams that once again hosted the One805 bash two weeks ago. WHEN: 3-10 pm both days WHERE: SB Polo Club, 3300 Via Real, Carpinteria COST: $259 and up INFO: https://palmtreemusicfestival.com/montecito

Oh, Oh, Oh, It’s Magic – The country’s longest running magic and variety revue is now celebrating its 70th anniversary, and a relationship with the Lobero Theatre that runs nearly as long. The showcase called “It’s Magic” features award-winning magicians and a stellar lineup of guest stars from Hollywood’s famous Magic Castle as well as other showrooms around the world, with entertainers whose magic veers from sleight of hand to stage illusions and just about every other aspect of magic, most drenched with comedy. The members of this year’s slate would have a tough time topping David Zirbel, at least in stature, as he stands seven foot one in height, taking magic to, ahem, new levels. Zirbel’s performances combine comedy, theater, dance, mystery, and classic illusion in a single stint, complete with colorful props and costumes, live animals, and music. Christopher Hart, who portrayed “Thing” in The Addams Family films, offers extraordinary sleight of hand and full-body magic, which helped him twice win Magic Castle’s “Stage Magician of the Year.” Ron Saylor, who has performed for the Emmy Awards, brings illusions that involve audience participation to leave even the biggest skeptics amazed. Kenrick “Ice” McDonald, aka “The Magical Phenomenon,” who captivates audiences with spectacular illusions, is a member of the Society of American Magicians’ National Magic Hall of Fame and has appeared on Masters of Illusion, The Tonight Show, and The Daily Show to name a few. Another Magic Castle “Stage Magician of the Year,” Tina Lenert performs a show called Maid in Heaven, which blends mime, magic, and silent comedy into a whimsical story of a frumpy cleaning lady who discovers a little magic. Lenert has captivated audiences from the London Palladium to Monte Carlo and on television around the world. WHEN: 2 & 6:30 pm WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $30 & $40 adults, $26 & $30 children 12 & under ($107/$57 premium tickets include preferred seating and a reception with pizza and ice cream in the Lobero courtyard at 1 pm covering both shows) INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org

NOTE TO READERS This entertainment calendar is a subjective sampling of arts and entertainment events taking place in the Santa Barbara area for the next seven days or so. It is by no means comprehensive. Please also see my feature stories elsewhere in this issue for more events. In order to be considered for inclusion in this calendar, please submit information – including hi-res photos – by 12 noon Wednesday eight days prior to publication date. Email: slibowitz@yahoo.com. 8 – 15 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

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ESTATE/SENIOR SERVICES

Your Trusted Choice For Estate Sales, Liquidation & Downsizing Moving Miss Daisy’s providing comprehensive services through Moving Miss Daisy since 2015. Expert packing, unpacking, relocating to ensure your new home is beautifully set up and ready to enjoy. Miss Daisy’s is the largest consignment store in the Tri-Counties - nearly 20K sq.ft.- always offering an unmatched selection of items. We also host online Auctions. Glenn Novack, Owner 805-770-7715 www.missdaisy.org info@movingmissdaisy.com

PHYSICAL TRAINING & THERAPY

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Stillwell Fitness of Santa Barbara In Home Personal Training Sessions for 65+ Help with: Strength, Flexibility, Balance Motivation, and Consistency John Stillwell, CPT, Specialist in Senior Fitness 805-705-2014 StillwellFitness.com

Do you need to get away for a weekend, week or more? I will house sit and take care of your pets, plants & mail. I have refs if needed. Call me or text me. Christine (805) 452-2385

Reverse Mortgage Questions? Talk to an Expert! All Inquiries Strictly Confidential

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PIANO LESSONS Openings now available for Children & Adults. Piano Lessons in our Studio or your Home. Call or Text Kary Kramer (805) 453-3481 PET CARE & HOUSE SITTING Professional, dependable pet lover available for pet sitting, dog walking & house sitting. Flexible schedule, great rates & references available. Call or text: (312) 315-5035

THE CLEARING HOUSE

HANDYMAN

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Recognized as the area’s Premier Estate Liquidators - Experts in the Santa Barbara Market! We are Skilled Professionals with Years of Experience in Downsizing and Estate Sales. Personalized service. Insured. Call for a complimentary consultation. Elaine (805)708-6113 Christa (805)450-8382 Email: theclearinghouseSB@cox.net Website: www.theclearinghouseSB.com TRESOR We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry. Located in the upper village of Montecito. Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation. 1470 East Valley Rd Suite V. 805-969-0888

Michael Bolton, MD. Harvard-Trained Board Certified Psychiatrist. Specializing in Adult ADHD.

ELECTRICIAN Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575 TILE SETTING Local tile setter of 35 years is now doing small jobs only. Services include grout cleaning and repair, caulking, sealing, replacing damaged tiles and basic plumbing needs. Call Doug Watts at 805-729-3211 for a free estimate. LANDSCAPE

HEALTH CARE PROVIDER Acupuncture and Massage for pain management and comfort care, digestion, and sleep specialist for in-home or in-office. Experience with paraplegic and palliative care, special needs. Licensed primary care provider for 14 years. Kristen Swegles LAc., MTCM, CMP Kristenswegles@gmail.com (805) 729-5270

54 Montecito JOURNAL

Handyman serv. Montecito to Goleta Reasonable rates No material markup Many years serving the area Call to discuss your needed repairs Mark Williamson (805) 680-8025

CASA L. M. Landscape hedges installed. Ficus to flowering. Disease resistant. Cactus gardens installed. Certified rootstock roses and fruit trees. Professional pest control installation. State Lic. QAC79160 & insured. Call (805) 963-6909 WATERLILIES and LOTUS since 1992 WATERGARDEN CARE SBWGC 805 682 5750

HEALTH & ASSISTANCE Middle-aged retired MD specialized in Wellness & Prevention, available for live-in or on-property personal & medical assistance. Exchange for private accommodation & stipend. Excellent local references. Please inquire by initial text to 805-268-7876.

BecomeYourAuthenticSelf.Com Insurance accepted. CAREGIVER Experienced, compassionate, trusted caregiver available for nighttime shifts with private, elderly clients throughout Santa Barbara County. Highly responsible, excellent references, and local contacts.

DONATIONS NEEDED Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944

Please call 805.453.6280 ART LESSONS

Donate to the Parrot Pantry! At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds’ best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies.

Mentorship in painting and drawing, practice and theory. Small group, individual guidance. All levels accepted. 805-886-6513 www.valorifussell.com

Volunteers Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help. (805) 969-1944

EXPERT ADU GUIDANCE Expedite ADU Process FREE CONSULTATION SB & Montecito Michael Humphrey (805) 570-3333

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

LOCAL CONTRACTOR

K-9 PALS need volunteers to be foster parents for our dogs while they are waiting for their forever homes. For more information info@k-9pals.org or 805-570-0415.

Local Montecito building Contractor accepting jobs big or small Low rates & free estimates Jim: (209) 471-7577 LIC #55818

“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.” – Isak Dinesen

8 – 15 October 2026

Last Week’s Solution:

By Pete Muller & Frank Longo For each of the first five mini crosswords, one of the entries also serves as part of a five-word meta clue. The answer to the meta is a word or phrase (six letters or longer) hidden within the sixth mini crossword. The hidden meta answer starts in one of the squares and snakes through the grid vertically and horizontally from there (no diagonals!) without revisiting any squares. PUZZLE #1 1

L A D S H A D E T U R I N E G G O S T H E S E

G A B C A R G O O H A R A M A N E T E S T E

F L I C K R A R I N O L A V I M A N E S W I T H

O C D F R U I T T A B O O M A N Y P I E S

W E D M O N E Y A M O C O T A L K S N A S T

C L I O R U N O N T I P P I S E S H A N Y

LARGE

BOAT

WITH

MANY

DECKS

CRUISESHIP

PUZZLE #3

PUZZLE #2

Across 1 Muscles worked when doing dips, for short 5 Business-casual cloth 6 Declaration of affection in many a text message 7 Potential reason to pick up the phone 8 Birthplace of Australian actors Dacre Montgomery and Katherine Langford

Down 1 One of a pair of pins acting as a fulcrum for an oar 2 Wisconsin in Wisconsin, e.g. 3 Very slow to act 4 General direction of the Wisconsin in Wisconsin 5 What you might do while shouting "Bravo!"

Down 1 The 2026 war film "Pressure" is about the 72 hours preceding this 2 Lay new turf on 3 Feeling elicited by a supervillain 4 See 7-Across 5 Peters, Paul, or Markey: Abbr.

1 4

Across 1 Freud's first person? 4 Voicer of the characters in "The Rebel Without Claws" 7 Oscar nominee for "Rebel Without a Cause" 8 Stuff that might put out a 9-Across 9 Something feared by Frankenstein's monster

Down 1 Holder of an annual "Think" conference 2 Jumping-off point for some daredevils 3 Setting of the second Trump-Kim summit 5 See 6-Down 6 With 5-Down, approach

Across 1 With 9-Across, crowd-pleasing court combos 6 Jay Gatsby portrayer Carney in the Broadway musical "The Great Gatsby" 7 An icosahedron has 30 8 Leave open-mouthed, say 9 See 1-Across

Down 1 Words to live by 2 Wipe more thoroughly, maybe 3 Cowboys attempt to gain them: Abbr. 4 ___ ice (Klondike bar, across the pond) 5 Father of the sitarist Anoushka

META PUZZLE 5

Across 1 What you may be allowed to do before you buy 4 Words to live by 6 With 7-Across, gives up control of 7 See 6-Across 8 Surprise in Arizona, say

PUZZLE #5

Across 1 Some eye medicines 6 "Big Sky" actress Pfeiffer 7 With 4-Down, crisp, apple-shaped fruits native to Japan and China 8 Word said before grace? 9 Private Insta chats

PUZZLE #4 1

7 9

Down 1 Immature retort of a sort 2 Precipitated 3 Bit of a boost 4 Makes uniform 5 RSVP that's short and to the point

3 5

Across 1 Org. whose "100 Years ... 100 Thrills" list has "Psycho" at #1 4 Cartoon boy with an antenna on his cap 6 Boatloads 7 Out-and-out 8 Speculated subjs. of some 2026 Pentagon file releases

Down 1 Mete out 2 Some basses lack them 3 It retired Caitlin Clark's #22 in 2025 4 What this is in Mexico? 5 Rival of Gucci or LV

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813 ROMERO CANYON RD, MONTECITO 5BD/7BA • $24,500,000 Josiah Hamilton / Brittany Arntz 805.284.8835 / LIC# 01415235 / 02055307

917 PARK LN, MONTECITO ± 239.51 acres • $21,350,000 Jody Neal 805.252.9267 / LIC# 01995725

1130 GARDEN LN, MONTECITO 5BD/5+(2)½BA • $17,500,000 Dan Encell 805.565.4896 / LIC# 00976141

1925 JELINDA DR, MONTECITO 5BD/5+(2)½BA • $16,875,000 Cristal Clarke 805.886.9378 / LIC# 00968247

1915 MONTE ALEGRE DR, CARPINTERIA 5BD/6+(6)½BA • $14,950,000 Graham Goodfield 805.331.5252 / LIC# 01998308

610 OLIVE RD, MONTECITO 5BD/4BA • $10,875,000 Cristal Clarke 805.886.9378 / LIC# 00968247

6 0 5 S A N YS I D R O R O A D. CO M

135 P O M A R . CO M

605 SAN YSIDRO RD, MONTECITO 5BD/4½BA • $6,800,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group 805.565.4014 / LIC# 01426886

135 POMAR LN, MONTECITO 3BD/2½BA • $5,500,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group 805.565.4014 / LIC# 01426886

2311 FINNEY ST, SUMMERLAND 2BD/3BA • $4,995,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group 805.565.4014 / LIC# 01426886

189 HERMOSILLO RD, MONTECITO 4BD/4½BA • $4,475,000 Brittany Arntz & Josiah Hamilton 805.680.5946 / 805.284.8835 LIC# 02055307 / 01415235

526 SAN YSIDRO RD#A, MONTECITO 3BD/2BA • $3,950,000 Cristal Clarke 805.886.9378 / LIC# 00968247

4975 SANDYLAND RD#302, CARPINTERIA 2BD/1BA • $1,499,000 Annette Vait 805.886.1926 / LIC# 02044281

4024 GREEN HERON SPRING RD, CARP 3BD/2½BA • $1,450,000 Joe Parker 805.886.5735 / LIC# 01314939

416 RANCHITO VISTA RD, MONTECITO ±1.3 acres • $850,000 Jasper Rhodes / Jody Neal 805.708.8136 / 805.252.9267 LIC# 02220808 / 01995725

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