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22 – 29 OCT 2026 | VOL 32 ISS 43 www.montecitojournal.net

Voice of theV illage

SERVING MONTECITO AND SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA

Fur Your Viewing Pleasure – Animal Zone travels from local rescue stories to international screens, and now returns for the Miramar’s dog competition, P.38

The Street Where You Live – Behind the graceful curves and gemlike lawns of Argonne Circle lies a father’s broken heart and a son lost to war, P.30

Legal Aid of SBC has the community covered, page 36

The Village Vote – Three local elections and a collection of candidate statements to help Montecito voters get to know who’s running, P.46

Bag to Basics

A flashlight, emergency blanket, first aid supplies, and peace of mind. Montecito Fire’s complimentary go-bags help residents prepare before evacuation becomes necessary, P.16

WE ENDORSE

KRISTEN SNEDDON FOR MAYOR Santa Barbara’s mayor has a gavel, a vote, and a megaphone. Gwyn Lurie explains why the MJ believes Kristen Sneddon should wield them (Story starts on page 5)

Island Comeback

The flames are out, but the work is just beginning as conservation teams confront erosion, damaged forests, and the long recovery of Santa Rosa Island, P.22

THANK YOU SANTa BaRBarA

fOR VOTING

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Montecito JOURNAL

22 – 29 October 2026

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22 – 29 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

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News Bytes – A structure fire on Picacho Lane The Water Column – The board votes on the 38 18 plus updates on Bogavante Restaurant proposed sale of State Water rights that could INSIDE THIS ISSUE Pup Culture – A chat with Animal Zone’s reshape Montecito’s water portfolio Arthur von Wiesenberger as the Miramar’s Best Editorial – Gwyn Lurie weighs competing 5 visions in Show episode gets ready to air Your Westmont – Students dig into history for the future, endorsing Kristen 20 and U.S. News tabs Westmont as having one of Sneddon’s approach to housing, State Street, and Appraisals – Before virtual reality, the most beautiful campuses environmental policy 40 Ethelizabeth’s 18th-century zograscope brought distant places to life through optical illusions Far Flung Travel – Following a wildfire that Voice of the Village – MSD Directors Rock 22 6 ARockenbach scorched one-third of Santa Rosa Island, and John Murphy urge voters to Curator’s Choice – A chunky 11-inch Botta’s biologists race to restore rare habitats and prioritize careful analysis before deciding the 44 protect wildlife before winter rains arrive Pocket Gopher community’s wastewater future On Entertainment – Kabaretti’s “birthday,” Meeting at MA – The recent Board Meeting Moments – Bernadette Peters smolders 26 gangsters 45 examined 8 on Montecito on stage, Eva Marie Saint’s Brando proposed zoning changes, emergency stage, the Music Academy unearths its Muse, and blowing off steam at the Navy League’s Chili Cook-Off

and Grant outings, and Cinema Society’s stealth screenings

Montecito Health Coach – A daily journaling etters to the Editor – The Montecito Sanitary 28 practice 10 LDistrict offers a practical approach to managing debate continues, plus more thoughts on the upcoming election Tide Guide

12 14

ur Town – St. Vincent’s celebrates 25 years O of its annual Golf Classic at the Montecito Club, supporting transitional housing for single mothers and children he Society Edit – Interior designer Sheldon T Harte celebrates 40 years of luxury design with his first book at Hudson Grace

Hot Topics – Emergency preparedness gets a 16 helping hand with Montecito Fire

Montecito JOURNAL

stress and finding peace

eings and Doings – Through a century’s 30 Bfiltration, an explosive global tragedy and a father’s broken heart are today a sunlit memento in a beachfront tourist town

preparedness, water services, and upcoming Beautification Day plans Sheriff ’s Blotter

Voter’s Guide – Candidate statements for the 46 upcoming Montecito-based elections of Events – Anima returns, Día de 52 los Calendar Muertos along State Street, the inaugural Ojai Documentary Film Festival, and other culturally evocative happenings

Palm Tree Music Festival – Kygo’s Palm Tree Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified 32 Music 54 ads, Festival brings its signature tropical in which sellers offer everything from atmosphere back to the Central Coast

summer rentals to estate sales

List – The Legal Aid Foundation of Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles 36 TSBChe Giving continues its mission of protecting vulnerable 55 Local Business Directory – Smart business residents through free civil legal services “Democracy is not a state. It is an act.” – John Lewis

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22 – 29 October 2026

Editorial

If We Want Courageous Leadership, We Need a Courageous Leader. Vote Kristen Sneddon! by Gwyn Lurie Editor’s note: This version of the endorsement has been revised for greater accuracy since it appeared in Monday’s Morning MoJo.

he Montecito Journal recognizes that both leading mayoral candidates, Kristen Sneddon and Eric Friedman, are decent, hardworking people who have served this city for years. But this isn’t a choice between a good person and a bad one. It’s a choice about what Santa Barbara needs from its mayor right now. On that question, our answer is unequivocally Kristen Sneddon. Santa Barbara is not a strong-mayor town. In this city, it’s the City Vote Kristen Sneddon for Mayor Administrator who runs City Hall day-to-day. She calls the shots. The mayor holds one vote out of seven, a gavel, and a megaphone. That’s it. But that megaphone matters enormously. She or he is the most powerful audible voice this community has. At this (long) moment of national divisiveness and political cowardice, what Santa Barbara needs is strong leadership. Someone who will speak passionately to the real-life issues that desperately need attention. And the Santa Barbara Independent says what the city needs right now is a “low-key policy wonk” who will “stick to the nuts and bolts of government funding and inter-departmental procedure.” In other words, a technocrat. Actually? (Insert sarcasm emoji here.) To be fair, the Independent’s endorsement does get the diagnosis right. This council has been stuck in bitter divisions and stalemated on housing, divided over State Street, and unable to agree on what downtown should become. But the Independent’s prescription is a quieter, more cautious mayor who will smooth things over. Folks, they have it backwards. Kristen Sneddon was sworn into office as the city council member for District 4 on January 9, 2018, the day of the Montecito Debris Flow. Hers is the district that has jurisdiction over the Coast Village Road corridor adjacent to Montecito and shares the 93108. She says that on that tragic day she came to understand the importance of planning ahead, protecting the community, and following through. Her record bears that out. Sneddon was an early supporter of the city’s Department of Sustainability and Resilience. She served on the council’s Sustainability Committee as the city transitioned to Santa Barbara Clean Energy, and she now chairs it. She chaired the subcommittee that produced the city’s Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Plan, adopted unanimously in 2021. And she has backed banning short-term rentals in the city’s highest fire hazard zones to protect both evacuation routes and long-term housing. A City College geology professor trained in geophysics, she knows that in this community, understanding the ground underfoot is not an abstraction. Sneddon has been the first to move Gwyn Lurie is CEO on many of the issues that keep this and Executive Editor council stuck. She was a leading advoof the Montecito cate for the Local Housing Trust Fund Journal Media Group first proposed by Councilmember Meagan Harmon, pushing to aim it at

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Editorial Page 464 464 22 – 29 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

A VOICE OF THE VILLAGE (Editor’s Note: In our October 15-22 issue, the Montecito Journal published ‘Down the Drain in Montecito,’ by Floyd Wicks, Chris Francis and Woody Barrett, without identifying it as an opinion piece. It was “a Voice of the Village” submission and reflects the views of its authors. It was not an endorsement by the Montecito Journal, and it does not represent this paper’s position on the wastewater question or the candidates involved. We should have clearly labeled the commentary as an Opinion piece, and we apologize for the oversight. Going forward, every “Voice of the Village” and “Community Voices” piece will carry a note identifying it as opinion.)

Elect Judgment, Not an Agenda

Down the Drain, Light on Data

by Rock Rockenbach, President, Montecito Sanitary District Board and Candidate for the Board

by John Murphy, Director, Montecito Sanitary District, and Candidate for the Board

omorrow morning, households all across Montecito will flush, and not one of them will give it a second thought. That is exactly how it should be. But somewhere down the line, a handful of your neighbors are thinking about it for you. Where it goes. What it costs. What happens when a pipe laid before most of us were born finally gives out. That “handful of your neighbors” is the Montecito Sanitary District Board, and in the next few years it will make the most consequential decision in the District’s history: keep treating our wastewater here or send it to Santa Barbara. The story of that decision is only half told. It is not on your ballot, and the engineering and financial studies that will write the second half are not finished. No one can honestly tell you how it ends, whatever they may claim. The real danger is a board that writes the ending first and bends the facts to fit it. Your vote decides something more important: who will be in the room when it’s time to decide. You have heard plenty of claims, maps and numbers this fall. They have been corrected, and I won’t relitigate them here. When the real numbers arrive, the question is simple: Will the people in the room listen, or will they have already decided on the campaign trail?

Voice of the Village, Rock Page 514 514

Montecito JOURNAL

ast week’s “Voice of the Village” sold Montecito a wastewater future that’s cheaper, cleaner and practically gift-wrapped. It’s missing one ingredient: evidence. “Greatly reduced cost”? Santa Barbara hasn’t agreed to take our flow or quoted a rate. Its only number so far is a $100,000 fee to start negotiating. That’s not a price tag. It’s an entry fee. “A short, one-mile pipe”? You are sure about that? The plan also needs a couple pump stations, two large holding tanks and odor controls, all on the plant site neighbors are promised they’ll be rid of. No ocean discharge “forever”? Santa Barbara’s plant discharges 1.5 miles offshore. “Forever” means “off East Beach instead.” “The City recycles 42%”? The city’s own 2024 figures work out to about one gallon in seven. Last I checked one divided by seven was less than 42%. A rebuild with “no recycling”? Montecito’s only recycling plant was idled in 2021 on Director Barrett’s motion. The 14% is a yearly ceiling, not a schedule. I moved that rate resolution and I own the vote. Director Barrett voted yes. Shipping our sewage to Santa Barbara

Voice of the Village, John Page 514 514

22 – 29 October 2026

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22 – 29 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Montecito Moments

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Bernadette’s Broadway Fever

Leslie Thomas, Richard Salzberg, John La Puma, and Kandi Amelon mix and mingle (photo by Isaac Hernandez)

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Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps “We have an opportunity to elect someone with a proven record of standing up to ICE, a pioneer in sustainability, a champion for our most vulnerable neighbors, and a leader who is tackling the difficult but necessary work of addressing our housing crisis. Elect Kristen Sneddon for Mayor of Santa Barbara.”

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just thought I had died and gone to heaven,” recalled Bernadette Peters, recounting a childhood memory at Santa Barbara’s Granada Theatre. As a little girl, she explored her parents’ record collection one Sunday morning while they slept, selecting the album with the prettiest cover: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel. As the “Carousel Waltz” began, she was enchanted. Decades later, the redhead-and-ringlets Broadway legend brought that same magic – and a touch of “Fever” – to the Granada, courtesy of UCSB Arts & Lectures. Beforehand, supporters gathered for wine and cheese at Art & Soul Gallery, serenaded by Spanish guitarist Tony Ybarra. Then Meghan Bush, Miller McCune executive director, welcomed newer supporters, explaining that A&L fosters more than performances. “This is where I met my people,” say many patrons of the program. Mingling were Dorothy Largay, Gamble Parks Douville, Niki Horwitch, sponsor Leslie Thomas with Richard Salzberg, and Producers Circle members John La Puma and Kandi Amelon. Bush thanked lead sponsor Sara Miller McCune, whom she playfully crowned Santa Barbara’s “other queen,” along with Thomas. Then Broadway royalty took the stage. Wearing a plunging gold gown with a daring slit, Peters stretched seductively across the top of the grand piano during “Fever.” She sang Rodgers & Hammerstein favorites from South Pacific, Carousel, and State Fair, plus Sondheim selections from Into the Woods and Follies, and “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music. Introducing “No One Is Alone,” she recalled listening from the wings to Kim Crosby sing it each night in Into the Woods. At 78, the inspirational Bernadette is still touring and taking on new acting roles. She’s filming the third season of Netflix’s A Man on the Inside with Ted Danson, playing Coco Van Beck, a “grand dame” of San Francisco society. Fitting.

“The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” – Abraham Lincoln

Broadway royalty Bernadette Peters shares a warm moment with Patron of the Arts, Sara Miller McCune (photo by Isaac Hernandez)

A Perfect prelude to the show, Dorothy Largay and Gamble Parks Douville share the excitement (photo by Isaac Hernandez)

She also appears in the upcoming film The Debut, directed by Jesse Eisenberg and starring Julianne Moore, and has concerts scheduled into 2027. Her musicians included a Mickey Mouse Club “Mouseketeer” original, drummer Cubby O’Brien, Musical Director Tedd Firth on piano, and longtime bassist Kevin Axt. That little girl fell in love with a record. Santa Barbara fell for the woman who grew up to sing its songs.

Muse in the Making “Years from now, I hope people will have their own stories about this building,” said Cheryl Goldberg, founding

Moments Page 494 494

22 – 29 October 2026

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22 – 29 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

The Responsibility of Serving on the MSD Board

aving served on the Montecito Sanitary District Board in the past, I understand what may not be apparent to most residents: The decisions facing the District are far more complicated than “the slate” of candidates Wicks, Francis, and Barrett suggest in recent paid advertising, mailers, and an MJ editorial. Today, the District faces decisions about the future of wastewater treatment that will affect Montecito for generations. This determination is, and always has been, the District Board’s job, but only after seeking and reviewing data relevant to the decision making. Whether to continue treating wastewater locally or connect to Santa Barbara involves complex engineering and financial considerations, infrastructure requirements, and long-term obligations. The District also faces many other important decisions that require thoughtful leadership. Thoughtful leadership does not originate with pre-selected outcomes before the facts and data are considered. Voters should expect their elected representatives to understand the issues, scrutinize the facts, and make decisions they can explain and defend. They should also expect those directors to be transparent and honest with their constituents. This election should not be a referendum on a wastewater treatment option before the necessary analysis is complete. We are electing a Board of Directors, not voting on an engineering proposal. I am concerned by factual inaccuracies in campaign materials and by candidates committing to a particular course before the relevant analysis is complete. For these reasons, and based on my prior MSD board service, I support Rock Rockenbach and John Murphy for the Montecito Sanitary District Board. These two candidates were appointed by the current MSD Directors, which includes Mr. Barrett who is part of “the slate,” and Mr. Rockenbach is the current Board President, elected by the current Board. Jeff Kerns Former Director, Montecito Sanitary District

Crucial Details for MSD Following the MJ “Voice of Village” in the matter of the Montecito Sanitary District election issue. Here is what is crucial: the trio of Wicks/Francis/Barrett is broadcasting their position of hooking the MSD plant to the city’s El Estero wastewater plant. “Let’s just do this,” they say. What’s missing are cost/feasibility and

YOUR LETTERS MATTER! The Montecito Journal thrives on community input… Have thoughts on a local issue? Comments on one of our articles? Contact us at letters@montecitojournal.net

engineering studies, EIR reports, and most of all, Prop 218 votes so that ratepayers can decide if they want to pay for such a plan. It took us, Heal the Ocean, 15 years to get the Rincon project built, most of which was spent on these preliminary, required steps. The Wicks/Francis/Barrett team is misleading the public by implying it’s a snap decision. There are no concrete plans on the table, not even a start. The MSD plant has to keep running in the meantime. Thank you! Hillary Hauser, Co-Founder Heal the Ocean

Response to Mr. Rockenbach’s Letter Richard (Rock) Rockenbach, Montecito Sanitary Board (MSD) incumbent, claims that the Wicks-Francis-Barrett election campaign titled “Montecito Clean Water” has targeted him personally. Let me be clear: Our campaign has avoided using any names whatsoever. We characterize our opponents as any and all voters who believe that rebuilding the MSD treatment plant with its huge capital costs and much greater operating costs should be MSD’s first choice option. A preference for transporting the MSD wastewater to the Santa Barbara El Estero Resource Center for treatment is an obvious, far better option, with the facts we know right now. To pay millions more for further study of a rebuild is a waste of time and financial resources. To advocate spending millions more dollars for detailed designs, engineering and permitting to meet a 30% construction engineering threshold is a bridge too far. Last week, Mr. Rockenbach stated categorically, “Neither John Murphy nor I have advocated rebuilding in Montecito, and neither of us has opposed connecting to Santa Barbara. We are just trying to collect the facts. We have not yet selected a long-term treatment option.” Mr. Rockenbach added, “I would rather lose an election than win one by misrepresenting the facts.” Here are the facts, as depicted by Mr. Rockenbach as recently as the October 14, 2026, MSD Board meeting. Mr. Rockenbach’s position was to complete the design of a new wastewater treatment plant by the end of Q2 2027. Mr. Rockenbach can’t have it both ways. How serious is he about the “City option,” when he’s directing the GM to go full speed ahead on the new plant design in his own Strategic Plan? Here’s the reference: the newspaper MSD District GM’s presentation of the Executive Editor/CEO | Gwyn Lurie MSD Strategic Work Plan starts on Page gwyn@montecitojournal.net 56 of 102, Item 1.1, titled “Complete President/COO | Tim Buckley design of a new wastewater treatment tim@montecitojournal.net Managing Editor | Zach Rosen plant.” zach@montecitojournal.net Further, we acknowledge that Mr. MoJo Contributing Editor | Christopher Connor Rockenbach’s attention has recently Art/Production Director | Trent Watanabe Graphic Design/Layout | Stevie Acuña turned slightly toward the “City option.” Director of Operations | Jessica Shafran Interestingly, it coincides with the public VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood announcement of our plan. It’s clear, leanne@montecitojournal.net Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, however, that his Strategic Work Plan Elizabeth Scott, Joe DeMello, Thomas Mock doesn’t include the City option; otherwise he wouldn’t be planning to go to Features | Jeff Wing JOURNAL

Letters to the Editor

Proofreading | Helen Buckley

Letters Page 244 244

Contributors | Scott Craig, Chuck Graham, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye, Elizabeth Stewart, Leana Orsua, Jeffrey Harding, Houghton Hyatt

Montecito Tide Guide Day

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“The cure for the ills of democracy is more democracy.” – Jane Addams

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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22 – 29 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Our Town

St. Vincent’s SB 25th Annual Golf Classic by Joanne A Calitri

resented by The Sarah Lee Pascoe Foundation, St. Vincent’s Santa Barbara held its 25th Annual Golf Classic at Ty Warner’s Montecito Club on Monday, October 5. The event, co-chaired by Bill Cordero Sr. and Drew Wakefield, funds the St. Vincent’s Family Strengthening Program, the only long-term transitional housing program in Santa Barbara for single mothers with young children. The annual golf classic is a favorite for golfers of all ages and levels, as who could resist a full day of golf on a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf course with views of the ocean, and in support of such a great cause? This year saw 21 teams of four vying for top place in gross, net, closest to the pin, and more! Teams hailed from the Ann Jackson Family Foundation, SB Cottage Health, Matilija Pure Water, Community West Bank, Sattler Trust, Farmers & Merchants Bank, David and Louise Borgatello (Marborg), Lash Construction, Bako Sweet, Brophy & Sons, John Knopf, Lumi Funding Group, Montesano Group, Paul Cashman of State Farm Insurance, Taylor Farms, NewtMont Foundation, Wakefield 805, Vantage Point Media, Valpredo Farms, along with annual top sponsor teams by Bill Cordero Sr., Bill Cordero Jr., and Bella Fredericks with Kogevinas Group. The staggering heat wave had no adverse effect on the good will, positive attitudes, and smiles that surrounded the event from 9:30 am through the dinner awards, finishing outside on the lawn overlooking Montecito. The program commenced with a buffet breakfast and putting contest led by Wakefield. The competition of the putting contest has been an element of the Golf Classic and a viewing favorite as the winning pot annually increases when there are no winners. Wakefield utilizes the sport’s official rules for the contest. Winning the chance to go for the Final Putting Contest was Dennis Boneck, who came close to the hole, but missed, thus raising the winning funds for next year. Next, the teams manned their golf carts for a welcome address by the President

Colby Lewis, Bhavik Patel, Chad Brock, and Mike Valpredo (photo Joanne A Calitri)

and CEO of St. Vincent’s SB, Rosa Paredes, who shared, “Twenty-five years of this tournament says a lot about this community. The program it supports isn’t a shelter, it’s a home, and it runs 365 days a year. The generosity of everyone here is what keeps it going. We’re grateful to Sally Valpredo and Connor Limont of The Sarah Lee Pascoe Foundation, to our co-chairs Bill Cordero and Drew Wakefield, and to every golfer, sponsor, and volunteer who was part of the day.” Paredes introduced Alicia Visueta, a graduate of the program, to talk about her experience. In her moving speech, she relayed how important the program has been in changing and supporting her self-image and ability to be a proper parent to her children. Speaking next was Connor Limont, representing the Sarah Lee Pascoe Foundation, who thanked everyone and talked about the foundation’s support for St. Vincent’s SB. She was followed by Bill Cordero Sr. who talked about the event and introduced

Our Town Page 444 444

BALANCE IS EVERYTHING

I welcome the opportunity to learn about your unique goals and needs. Together we can create a strategy designed to help guide you along the path toward financial well-being. Call to schedule a consultation today.

Jorge Morales is a registered representative with, and securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Montecito Bank & Trust and MB&T Advisors are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using MB&T Advisors, and may also be employees of Montecito Bank & Trust. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, Montecito Bank & Trust or MB&T Advisors. Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are:

12 Montecito JOURNAL

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• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

The Society Edit

Sheldon Harte’s New Book Launch at Hudson Grace

Lee Stanton, Ann Backen, and Sheldon Harte (photo by Medeighnia Westwick)

by Joanne A Calitri

my range of work is as vast as my client list.” Admirers of Harte’s work remark on his keen ability to use a mix of antiques, vintage, custom creations, art, contemporary craft, and collectible design. When I arrived at Hudson Grace to meet with Harte, I was greeted by his publicist, Tamar Mashigian, principal at Tamar Mashigian P.R. & Marketing, and Hudson Grace manager, Medeighnia Westwick. They shared that the conversation just before I arrived was focused on horses because a long-time client of Harte, who is featured in The Refined Home, has a son and daughter-in-law who live in Montecito and own a large horse ranch. They invited John Combs, Harte’s husband, to keep his horses there. (A move to Montecito likely in the mix?) I then met Combs who shared that he influenced Harte to do the book. From there, the conversation turned to Mashigian and Combs recommending to Harte a title of the book, neither of which suggestions were used. It was when speaking with Stanton I discovered it was he who titled Harte’s book, The Refined Home. Stanton said, “I’ve been friends with Sheldon for 30 years, and also a client of his. When Sheldon first told me about his book, he wanted some ideas on the title. I came up with The Refined Home, because that is what his style is, refined.” Harte added, “Lee is my favorite resource in the world, we travel together to buy for our clients, we take our clients on buying trips.” Meeting and interviewing Harte was a delight. He is a native Californian on his dad’s side and his mom is from Texas. He grew up in the Bret Harte

ello Loves, and lovers of luxury home interiors! Sheldon Harte, the luxury interior designer, celebrated his first book titled, The Refined Home: Sheldon Harte, at Hudson Grace on Friday, October 9, with a reception, meet & greet, and book signing. The event was hosted by Montecito Antiquarian, Lee Stanton, owner of Lee Stanton’s Private Stash in the upper village, and Ann Backen of Backen & Backen Architects where she designed their regenerative well-being line. Stanton is a noted antiquarian and 30-year collector of 17th, 18th and 19th century British and European antiques. Harte, the founder of Harte Davis Interior Design, said that writing The Refined Home was bookmarked by celebrating his 40 years as an interior designer. The glossy coffee table tome features his work in 13 different client luxury homes. Here we find a bird’s eye view of the interiors of a Sonoma County wine country home where he mixes art and antiques, a contemporary San Francisco apartment, beach houses, and more. The book text is by Mitchell Owens and Hadley Keller, who gave the chapters clever titles like “Sensual Surfaces,” “Breaking with Tradition,” “Modernist Masterpiece,” and “Mid-Century Dream.” Harte’s business Partner & Senior Designer is Derrick Davis. Key to Harte’s design work, is that he does not have “one” stylistic look he applies to all his clients. As he told me during our one-on-one interview at Hudson Grace, “I design for the client, so

14 Montecito JOURNAL

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22 – 29 October 2026

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Montecito JOURNAL

Hot Topics

Packed & Prepared: Complimentary Evacuation Go-Bags to Local Residents by Christina Atchison

hen disaster is on your doorstep, it is too late to decide what belongings to take with you. The only decision left to make is to leave immediately. As firefighters, we plan, train, and prepare constantly for the gamut of hazardous scenarios we are likely to encounter on the job. A key part of our preparation includes having a bag packed and ready to deploy to wildfires and all-hazard emergency incidents throughout the country as part of the mutual aid system. Wildland Specialist Maeve Juarez restocks her go-bag after every fire assignment she goes on. “When I get home from a fire, my clothes from my bag go straight into the laundry and right back into my bag,” Juarez said. “I actually keep duplicates of most of my everyday essentials in my go-bag like a toothbrush, hairbrush,

pillow, toiletries – all of those things live in my bag permanently because I don’t want to have to think about what I need to pack when I get called out.” Preparedness is a habit for her. Her prep work eliminates last-minute decisions and ensures she will have what she needs throughout an inevitably stressful deployment that can last up to two weeks. “I have everything I need in my truck ready to go because I know it’s just a matter of time until I’ll be headed to another fire,” she said. “We don’t pack our bags when we get the call. We pack them so we’re ready when the call comes.” Keeping a go-bag packed is routine for firefighters, but it may not be second nature for the average person. The Montecito Fire Department hopes to change that. Complimentary evacuation go-bags are now available to Montecito residents on a first-come, first-served basis. Montecito Fire Chief Brian Fallon says the bags are intended as a starting point toward evacuation preparedness.

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Montecito Fire is offering evacuation go-bags while supplies last to Montecito residents (courtesy photo)

- Safety goggles - N95 mask - Emergency survival blanket - Waterproof poncho - Pocket tissue pack - Cleansing towelettes - Biohazard waste bags - Basic first aid kit - Nylon rope - Duct tape

“It can be challenging to know where to begin when building an evacuation bag, so we wanted to take the first step for our community by providing the bag, some basic supplies and guidance on how to finish packing it,” Chief Fallon said. The bags are equipped with basic emergency supplies to help people sustain the initial period following an evacuation event. The bags include: - 2,400 calorie emergency food bar - 12-hour glow stick - Mini flashlight - Emergency whistle - Heavy-duty work gloves

“Our hope is that having these bags ready to go will expedite future evacuations, helping our residents get to safety

Hot Topics Page 414 414

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22 – 29 October 2026

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Montecito JOURNAL

The Water Column

MWD Steers Towards Selling a Portion of its State Water Contract Interests

Here for you for the past 75 Years… and for 75 More

MWD’s Board of Directors votes to explore sale of approximately 40% of the District’s State Water Project Contract Interests (courtesy photo)

by Laura Camp

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and extensive long-term planning efforts completed over the past decade. - In 2022, the MWD added approximately 1,400 acre-feet of water annually through the 50-Year Water Supply Agreement with the City of Santa Barbara. Receipt of this local water is unrelated to rainfall and the amount is consistent, in contrast to variable annual allocations like State Water.

ontecito Water District’s Board of Directors has approved a non-binding Letter of Intent to sell approximately 40% of the District’s State Water contract interests. The MWD will keep nearly 60% of its State Water Contract interests, or approximately 1,900 acre-feet of annual water allocation, and the capacity to convey, store, and transfer water, if the sale succeeds. At the District’s September Board meeting, MWD General Manager Nick Turner presented information on the State Water Project and the partial sale opportunity. Data shared showed that the MWD has received its full annual State Water Project allocation only five times since participation started in 1997. “The MWD currently pays about $5 million annually in fixed costs regardless of whether the allocation is 100% or 0%,” Turner explained. “If there is water available and we deliver it, that cost increases.” The record shows that during drought years allocations have gone as low as 5%, or 165 acre-feet, reinforcing Turner’s message that this costly water is not available during times when the MWD needs it most. Additional points in support of the sale include:

- Through groundwater banking, the MWD has stored more than 5,802 acrefeet of surplus State Water since 2017. Current storage guarantees four years’ worth of 1,400 acre-feet deliveries in the event of future drought conditions. Storage could continue to grow, even after the sale, by depositing additional water supplied from the MWD’s remaining State Water interest. - Long-term water supply planning, including a comprehensive Future Demand and Water Supply Option analysis, prepared by Hydrogeologic Consultant Dr. Steven Bachman in 2025, indicates that even under severe drought conditions the MWD will meet customer demand without State Water. - District-wide annual use has remained consistently reduced by approximately 45% since 2015. Public comments made following the presentation conveyed both concern and support. Whether endorsing or expressing reservations about the sale, most speakers acknowledged improvements to the MWD’s water supply portfolio made over the past decade. Concerns revolved primarily around potential future water shortage based on past experience with

- The MWD will retain more than half of its original State Water Project entitlement, and there are no projected impacts to the reliability of its water supplies. The MWD has not used State Water to meet customer demands since 2019. - MWD water security has improved as a result of numerous successful actions

“The people are the only legitimate fountain of power.” – James Madison

Water Column Page 374 374 22 – 29 October 2026

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Montecito JOURNAL

Your Westmont

Students Dig New Archeology Class by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott

n a shaded, wooded area with temperatures climbing into the low 90s, young researchers meticulously scrape away layers of sediment using specialized trowels, brushes, and screens. The scene resembles an excavation in the Middle East, but these students are working near Westmont’s community garden on lower campus. They are enrolled in Introduction to Archaeology, a new course taught by Sara Morrisset, assistant professor of history. Morrisset introduced the hands-on excavation practicum this semester to show students how archaeologists uncover the past. Before class began, she pre-dug four pits and created custom stratigraphy using layers of sand, dirt and hidden facsimile artifacts. “The focus of this class teaches students how the study of material remains is crucial to history, especially for cultures with undeciphered writing systems or no writing system at all,” she says. “In many parts of the world, the only window into the past comes through archaeological remains.”

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The interdisciplinary course draws 20 students from history, environmental studies, art history and anthropology. Teams of students take turns filling essential field roles, including excavator, photographer and detailed notetaker. They carefully measure, record and document findings on standard site plans before bagging each object for later analysis. “Dr. Morrisset’s explained the difference between looting and archeology – what makes you a grave digger versus an actual archeologist,” junior Melia said. “She’s encouraging proper process. You can’t just go dig a hole and be like, ‘I’m an archeologist now.’” While working in the trenches, students discover that archaeological work requires extreme patience and precision. “We’re learning that it’s very strenuous and particular,” Maddie said while carefully clearing away soil. “Even though we found items, we can’t just take those out. We left them there because we didn’t have time to figure out their measurements and which quadrant we found them in. I have so much more respect for the work.”

Students unearthed ceramic pottery, metal coins, amber, and shells in their digs

The young archeologists played important roles, including excavator, photographer, and detailed notetaker

excavation site cleared all underground utility lines. President Gayle D. Beebe visited the excavation site to observe the students at work and share his appreciation for archaeological study. Beebe, who has

As students locate hidden replica clay oil lamps, ceramic pottery, metal coins, amber, and shells, they also grapple with the theoretical aspects of the discipline. Setting up a field dig requires careful planning, even on a college campus. Before digging, Morrisset called 811 two weeks in advance to ensure the

Westmont Page 344 344

I N N I S p re s e n t

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22 – 29 October 2026

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This does not constitute an offer to sell real property. Offers to sell property may be made and accepted only at the sales center. Information is intended to be informative only and does not constitute a warranty with regard to any homes or neighborhoods or any products or services provided by The Chadmar Group or its selected business partners. Home and community information, including pricing, features, terms, availability and amenities, are subject to change and prior sale at any time without notice or obligation. Illustrations, photographs, square footages, floor plans, elevations, features, colors and sizes are approximate for illustration purposes only and will vary from the homes as built.

22 – 29 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

THURS

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The Road to Recovery on Santa Rosa Island The Torrey pines burn area

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winter looming on the horizon, there’s a great sense of urgency to shore up soils and curtail erosion in critical Torrey pine and manzanita habitats. Currently, post-fire surveys are underway on Santa Rosa Island with support from partners such as Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, California Institute of Environmental Studies (CIES) and CINP. They are hoping to have the Torrey pine grove remapped by the end of this fall, and ahead of winter, so they can accurately speak of tree mortality in the grove over time. “There has been seed release from the pines post-fire, as well as significant needle cast from the affected pines,” said Mazurkiewicz. “Additionally, many burned trees are now showing signs of sap production and some growth as well, whereas in the initial rapid assessment post-fire, this was not the case. The true impacts will take some time (1-2 years) to fully assess, given the varying burn severity and limited knowledge of fire response with this species due to its rarity and small population size, being restricted to just Santa Rosa Island and San Diego.”

t’s been difficult to look at, but the scorched southeast end of Santa Rosa Island is now in restoration mode. After the human-caused wildfire began on the afternoon of May 15, 2026, and was fully contained on June 4, 2026, it will require all hands-on deck to return a natural balance to the windswept isle. The fire burned 18,379 acres, a third of the rugged island. However, even as it burned, biologists rallied around this second largest island off the Santa Barbara coastline, preparing for the long game of recovery. “We’re prioritizing human safety, protection of rare species and cultural sites, prevention of invasive species, and restoration of critical infrastructure,” said Dave Mazurkiewicz, a wildlife biologist for the Channel Islands National Park (CINP) and the lead in recovery efforts on Santa Rosa Island. “These actions are essential to support the island’s recovery and ensure the long-term protection of its unique natural and cultural resources.”

The Race Against Erosion

Rapid Response As the Island Packer ferry cruised by the long gritty finger of Skunk Point and into idyllic Bechers Bay, the damage to

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22 – 29 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Letters (Continued from 10 10)) final design of a new plant in the next six months. Moreover, during the September 23, 2026, Board meeting (less than a month ago) Mr. Rockenbach is on record vehemently arguing that the city of Santa Barbara is looking to Montecito to bail them out of financial problems. Regardless of what is being said publicly, Mr. Rockenbach’s own documents are important. For example, his proposed timeline to have Carollo study the city option, spans a timeline of two years past the August 1, 2027, expiration date of the Southland Industries contract to rebuild the plant, as pointed out to him by Director Barrett (one of my teammates) during the October 14th MSD Board meeting. Mr. Rockenbach suggested that the best way to make a decision is to look at the facts. I agree; let’s look at the facts we already know: Fact 1: The 2023 Carollo Engineering Study. The debate over whether Montecito should build its own new wastewater treatment plant or ship its wastewater to the City of Santa Barbara was seemingly settled three years ago on January 15, 2023, when a joint engineering study, conducted by Carollo Engineers, Inc. for the Montecito Sanitary District and the Montecito Water District, was released. The cost for this two-year study labeled “Enhanced Recycled Water Feasibility Analysis” was $440,000 and was paid for equally by MSD and MWD. The analysis underscored that the localized wastewater treatment footprint for MSD would yield a relatively small water supply addition.  Because of the exceptionally high estimated cost for a relatively minor amount of water, the MWD concluded that the best option for MSD and MWD was that a plant rebuilding and recycling of its treated wastewater should be put on a hold. MWD has already secured a more “drought proof ” supply from the city of Santa Barbara, i.e. from the City Desal Plant, described fully in a 50-year agreement. The best next step would be to pivot toward a regional wastewater treatment agreement with the City of Santa Barbara for a lower cost solution, shared by a wider base of customers. Case closed in favor of a regional treatment at an outlay of nearly half the current cost. Fact 2: The Montecito Sanitary District (MSD) Mission Statement. The mission of the Sanitary District is to “protect the public health and safety (not

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24 Montecito JOURNAL

Fact 3: Why did I, Floyd Wicks, enter the race for a seat on Montecito Sanitary Board? I have served for 10 years on the Montecito Water District Board. Our Water District customers are the same customers that are served by the Sanitary District, and I felt members of the Sanitary Board were not looking out for the best interests of our customers. Because I have spent my entire career engineering and managing water and wastewater systems, I feel a public responsibility, over the objections of my fellow Water Board members, to resign from the Water Board and run as a candidate for the MSD Board alongside a great team of Woody Barrett and Chris Francis. Our collective goal is to negotiate a mutually beneficial, regional treatment contract with the City of Santa Barbara and scrap the idea of building a new MSD plant. Fact 4: Is there a working precedent for a signed water/sanitary agreement with the City of Santa Barbara? When first elected to the Montecito Water District Board in November 2016, Montecito Water was in a mess – four years of drought, no water security, dying coast live oaks and dead mature landscaping. Illegal water trucks were roaming the streets of Montecito, offering private well water at outlandish prices to save endangered landscaping. The Montecito Water District was one of a handful of water districts in all of California to impose WWII-type rationing of water with financial penalties. Personal animosities between Districts killed any chances of working with the City of Santa Barbara. Together, we slowly mended fences, built trust, and weeded out the naysayers at MSD and MWD. We next sat down with the City of Santa Barbara to craft a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and negotiated a contractual Water Purchase Agreement with the City of Santa Barbara for a 50-year purchase of 1,430-acre feet per year of potable water to secure a local supply of drinking water. Today, MWD can withstand more than six years of sustained drought, with no rainfall, due to our agreement with the City and our ability to store excess water in underground reservoirs for future use. MWD has achieved what no one, except our water team, thought we could do – We achieved water security in a semi-desert climate. We now have excess water in storage from the City and could sell a portion of our state water allotment to reinvest in our aging infrastructure. MWD has not used State Water to meet its customer demands since 2019. As a participant in State Water since 1997, the Montecito Water District pays dearly for its State water allotment even when it receives no water in drought years. Over the past decade, the costs of State water have increased while reliability has decreased. I agree with conclusion in the Carollo consultant study. MSD should not design, finance and build a replacement plant for up to $100 million when a larger, more efficient regional plant already exists next door. MSD has it backward. Negotiate a wastewater treatment solution with the City before you design, engineer and rebuild your own wastewater plant at a cost of up to $100 million in capital costs and twice the operating costs. Fact 5: The State of California water and sanitary regulatory agencies, state and federal grant makers, environmentalists, and sanitary and water ratepayers who have looked at the current facts, all acknowledge that regional treatment of wastewater is far superior to rebuilding small local treatment plants like Montecito. In L.A. County, 78 cities and/or Sanitary Districts contract with the County for regional wastewater treatment. It’s common sense. Closing short and shallow discharge pipes that diffuse secondary treated effluent into the ocean where tides wash it back onto the local beaches is a dreadful outcome for environmental groups such as Heal the Ocean, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, and the Sierra Club.

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by discharging 600,000 gallons per day of effluent a short distance offshore from Butterfly Beach) and to preserve the natural environment (not by building a new treatment plant that includes no recycling of wastewater), through the collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater in the most cost-effective way (not by taking on debt of up to $100 million and increasing MSD rates – already double the rates in Santa Barbara – with a so-called “maximum” increase; compounded 14% each year until 2031). If elected, I will vote to rescind the remaining four years of compounded 14% increases at the first Board meeting after they are elected and to amend the recent rate study to delete the plant rebuild and incorporate the lower cost “City option” in a new rate forecast.

Fact 6: Economies of Scale for Regional Treatment Centers The fact is that the City of Santa Barbara serves 27,000 sanitary customers at half the price, while Montecito serves only 3,100 customers at twice the price, with the highest sanitary rates in all of Santa Barbara County. If Santa Barbara treats a combined 30,000 homes and businesses, costs can be reduced for Santa Barbara AND

Letters Page 334 334 “Voting is the foundation stone for political action.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

22 – 29 October 2026

FROM LOCAL WATERS TO GLOBAL CHANGE: PROTECTING OUR OCEAN AND PLANET NOVEMBER 12 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

SANTA BARBARA MARITIME MUSEUM AT 113 HARBOR WAY, SUITE 190 Join us on Thursday, November 12th, for an evening with The Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area, ClientEarth USA and The Redford Center. Enjoy a thought-provoking panel exploring the health of our oceans and hear how our panelists are working to protect and advocate for marine life. The Redford Center will be showing an exclusive segment from the film A Life Illuminated, and the Whale Heritage Area Foundation will also screen a clip from their new film Whales in a Changing Ocean. After the panel, join us for a sunset reception with light bites, drinks and live music outside of the museum overlooking the harbor. PLEASE RSVP BY NOVEMBER 6TH TICKETS: $10 FOR SBMM MEMBERS AND $15 FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC. FOR RESERVATIONS, EMAIL RESERVATIONS@SBMM.ORG, OR CALL (805) 456-8750 OR:

PRESENTERS INCLUDE:

Joel Reynolds is a senior attorney and strategist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, where he has served since 1990. A Columbia Law School graduate, he led campaigns protecting Baja California’s gray whales, opposing Alaska’s Pebble Mine, and combating ocean noise pollution. Twice named California Attorney of the Year, he won a 2017 Emmy for the documentary Sonic Sea.

22 – 29 October 2026

Holly S. Lohuis is a marine biologist, marine educator, and naturalist based in Santa Barbara. She serves as Co-Director of the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area and works with organizations including Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, and Island Packers, the boat concessionaire for Channel Islands National Park.

Danielle Lackey is Executive Director of ClientEarth Americas, leading environmental legal strategies and operations. Previously, she served as Chief Legal Officer of a leading technology company, practiced white-collar litigation, and founded a legal services company. She also worked with NRDC opposing mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay. She graduated with distinction from Stanford Law School and Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University.

• Voice of theVillage •

Jill Tidman is Executive Director of The Redford Center, founded by Robert and James Redford in 2005. An environmental activist and filmmaker with 25 years of experience, she has led the organization since 2012, producing three award-winning documentaries and impact campaigns. Previously, she worked with Business for Social Responsibility, The Natural Step, and Global Footprint Network, advancing environmental conservation through storytelling.

Montecito JOURNAL

JONATHAN TOLINS

DIRECTED BY

JAMIE TORCELLINI

STARRING

BRIAN McDONALD

OCTOBER 7-25

On Entertainment

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B REAKFA ST | LU N C H | D IN N ER

by Steven Libowitz

ne week ago, Nir Kabaretti and the Santa Barbara Symphony put the exclamation point on the music director’s record 20th anniversary season with a benefit gala at the Music Academy of the West that included a special concert featuring solo turns from some of its superstars that looked mostly to the orchestra’s past and present. Now, as Kabaretti’s time at the helm reaches the age of maturity with the launch of the Symphony’s 21st season this weekend, the focus turns to the future, which underscores more than ever the organization’s commitment to community, collaboration, and continued growth. Hitting that mark as the conductor and later music director is no small achievement for what is essentially a regional orchestra in a comparatively small city, exceeding the typical tenure by multiple factors. “Yes, the average is probably about seven years,” Kabaretti said over the phone in a chat between rehearsal and the benefit concert last weekend. “When I started, I never would have imagined still being here after 20 years. But after my family decided to make Santa Barbara our permanent home, and after COVID and the managerial crisis, the board, our Executive Director (Kathryn R. Martin) and I made a longterm commitment so we could really build something together. We’ve been executing it. We extended our education program. We created the symphony chorus with all community singers, and we brought back the concerts for young people.” Most importantly, Kabaretti & Co. are coming up with programs that are both broadening the symphony’s musical scope and upping the attractiveness for potential new audience members. Among those more cutting-edge concerts are April’s Casta Diva: Homage to Maria Callas, a tribute to the legendary soprano with Maritina Tampakopoulos, both a singer and an actress, portraying Callas in the drama written and directed by Jonathan Fox. “He wrote a beautiful script, summarizing a lot of her career in a dramatic way,” Kabaretti said. “It should be a very interesting evening.” The season-ending May program pairs Brahms and Barber with Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, with choreography by George Balanchine and the State Street Ballet in the latest collaboration between the companies. “Gangsters on stage after a Brahms symphony is not something I could have imagined even 10 years ago,” Kabaretti said. “But knowing the community and the landscape, it’s something we think people will enjoy and won’t see anywhere else in town.”

Entertainment Page 294 294

26 Montecito JOURNAL

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Montecito JOURNAL

Montecito Health Coach Beyond the Cold Plunge: Montecito’s Most Underutilized Wellness Tool by Deann Zampelli

very time I walk along Cabrillo Boulevard, I find myself stopping at a specific spot near the marina. It is a breathtaking little waterway tucked between the boats, a view that never fails to remind me how fortunate I am to live here. While most people only catch glimpses of a backdrop this stunning during a rare vacation, it is a scene we get to experience multiple times a day. Taking in this view does more than just please the eye; it genuinely lifts my spirits, boosts my health, and keeps my perspective on life grounded and grateful. Montecito is a community that deeply values wellness, yet even in paradise, the fast-paced demands of modern life can trigger a chronic, low-grade stress response. Whether it be the never-ending construction or the two-hour wait at The Honor Bar, even superficial stressors can negatively impact our health. This is

important to register. Even if you have your life (and your stress) in perspective, our bodies know when we are stressed and can often respond the same to a perceived threat as it does to a real one. We invest in high-end supplements, organic cold-pressed juices, and state-ofthe-art gym memberships. However, one of the most clinically effective tools to lower cortisol levels and combat anxiety is entirely free, requires no equipment, and takes less than ten minutes a day: structured daily self-reflection. When we race through our days without processing our experiences, our nervous system remains in a perpetual state of low-level “fight or flight.” This triggers the continuous release of cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. Over time, elevated cortisol levels can disrupt sleep patterns, impair digestion, accelerate aging, and fuel generalized anxiety. Medical literature shows that untamed anxiety isn’t just a mental state; it is a physical burden. By intentionally pausing to check in with ourselves, we signal

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The beauty of micro-journaling and intentional reflection is its portability, but it gains massive potency when anchored to our unique local landscape. In a wellness culture that often pushes us toward high-octane biohacking – from freezing in ice baths to sweating in infrared saunas – the real breakthrough comes when we pair internal reflection with external tranquility. Try taking your notebook outside. Spend ten minutes executing your “internal audit” while listening to the waves crashing at Butterfly Beach. Do it on a bench at the Montecito Country Mart while sipping your morning tea, or under the quiet canopy of the redwoods near our local trailheads. By pairing the mental release of journaling with the natural grounding of our environment, you create a powerful, stacked wellness habit that resets your nervous system far more deeply than any commercial treatment can. As you move through this week, I challenge you to look past the latest expensive wellness trends and try the simplest one available. Buy a cheap, unpretentious notebook – one you aren’t afraid to ruin with messy handwriting or raw thoughts – or by dropping in the bath (ok, that only happened once, but lesson learned). Tomorrow morning, before you open your email or scroll through the news, give yourself five minutes. Ask the three questions, dump the mental clutter onto the page, and read it back to yourself. You might just find that the ultimate key to lower cortisol and lasting peace isn’t something you buy – it’s something you unearth.

to the brain’s threat-detection center – the amygdala – that we are safe. This shifts the autonomic nervous system out of sympathetic overdrive and into the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state, actively driving cortisol levels down. For many, the idea of “journaling” feels daunting – evoking images of blank pages that require hours of deep, narrative writing. Instead of an open-ended diary entry, you can utilize a quick, structured morning or evening framework. A highly effective three-question template includes: What is my current physical baseline? (Scanning the body for tension, fatigue, or ease.) What is the primary narrative driving my emotional state right now? (Naming the anxiety – e.g., “I am worried about an upcoming project” – immediately reduces its emotional intensity.) What is one intentional action I can take to invite ease today? (Shifting from passive worrying to active agency.) And here is something I frequently suggest to my clients. Give each worry, preoccupation or concern a separate page, and word vomit whatever comes to mind. It is only for you, so don’t worry about how you sound or if anyone will see it, the idea is to purge it out of your mind and onto the paper. Then, read it. See what comes up and check in with yourself how you feel. What happens in the brain when we engage in this kind of unvarnished emotional purging? Neuroscientists call it ‘affect labeling.’ When you take a nebulous, swirling mass of anxiety and force it into physical words on a page, you shift brain activity away from the reactive, fearful amygdala and toward the prefrontal cortex – the region responsible for logic and emotional regulation. In short, writing it down tames the neurological beast. You are effectively telling your brain, “I see the problem, it is contained on this paper, and it no longer needs to loop infinitely in my head.” You are, in effect, telling yourself that you have it covered.

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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Entertainment (Continued from 26 26)) The conductor also drew attention to the first two concerts of winter, Holst’s The Planets in January, with projected HD images courtesy of NASA, and February’s full focus on movie music by beloved composer John Williams, from Star Wars and Schindler’s List to Lincoln and The Terminal, plus themes from The Lord of the Rings by Howard Shore, and more. What makes it unusual is that the Valentine’s Day weekend concerts will have no movie clips playing. “A lot of our musicians are part of the film industry, and our quality keeps going up, so now it’s very natural to say we can play this gorgeous music without the film clips showing behind us,” Kabaretti said. January’s program, which also brings back violinist Anne Akiko Meyers to perform as soloist for Michael Daugherty’s Blue Electra, has a new first for the symphony. Select music majors from all of the area colleges will have the chance to perform alongside the ensemble’s musicians side-by-side on stage. “They are working with their teachers and then receive coaching from our principal player to prepare,” Kabaretti said. “It’s part of our commitment to build up the community.” Meanwhile, for March’s concert Lakshmi Basile “La Chimi” will be the flamenco dancer for Ponce’s “Concierto del sur,” which also features guitar soloist Pablo Garibay, plus de Falla’s “Three-Cornered Hat, Suite No. 2,” and perhaps the most famous symphony of all time in Beethoven’s 5th. The season’s most staid show may well be the opening program at the Granada October 24-25, with Rachmaninoff ’s “Piano Concerto No. 2” and Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 5.” For pianist Michelle Cann, the soloist, it’s all about collaboration, too. “Usually I only get to hear my own ‘voice’ as a solo pianist,” she said in a brief interview with the symphony. “Chamber music is so much more fun because you get to see how your voice fits in with others. You get inspired just during the live performance to do something differently because someone else is. A full orchestra is chamber music at its grandest level with everyone working together.” Cann called the Rachmaninoff one of her favorites to both play and listen to. “There are so many singable melodies and epic moments within the concerto.

Entertainment Page 424 424

22 – 29 October 2026

Pianist Michelle Cann takes on Rachmaninoff for the opening program at the Granada (courtesy photo)

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Beings and Doings Lingering Memento by Jeff Wing

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t this writing, next month (November 18) will mark the 108th anniversary of WWI’s conclusion. History has its way with us, blandly stomping through our times as an enormous, amused adolescent might kick through an ant colony. No hard feelings. Change is good, it’s said (often with a ragged sigh of resignation). One would rather it wasn’t ushered in through blood and fire, but the Complaint Department walkup window is shut and the blind drawn. Corners are turned and unaskedfor new epochs seek our approval and embrace. It happens over and over and over. Through decades and centuries and millennia, massive, sorrowful, world-altering conflagrations fade in memory, their lingering mementoes often surprisingly prosaic.

Dud artillery shell lodged in a tree, Argonne forest (photo courtesy of USMC Archives from Quantico, USA/public domain)

Santa Barbara, the small provincial village planted in the confining little strip between the annoyingly modest Santa Ynez mountains and a broad Pacific ocean as looming and omnipresent as a jailer. Young, restless Laurie Rutherford is headed out, is ready to see Someplace Else, or Anyplace Else, whichever comes first. You know the feeling. Now he alights on the gilded, steam-shrouded, surprisingly filthy street of fabled New York City, and he knows it’s finally real, knows he’s truly made it out of SB and into the larger world he’d

Laurie Laurie Rutherford. There’s a name for a boy. Today a name like that would earn you a beating by the merry-go-round, or endless snickering in the office kitchenette. Per the custom of the time, though, the young guy’s given name derives from his mother’s maiden name. Born in Goleta to Scottish arrivistes and recently relocated a few miles down the coast to swinging Santa Barbara – along with his parents and five much-loved and anymore intolerable siblings – Laurie is today making his brazen escape from

Beings & Doings Page 484 484

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Antidote to Aberdeenshire. Santa Barbara in 1880. (photo courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California)

“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” – H. L. Mencken

22 – 29 October 2026

Les Arts Florissants The Magic of Monteverdi

William Christie and Paul Agnew, Directors

Doug Varone and Dancers

Sun, Nov 15 / 4 PM / Lobero Theatre

Doug Varone, Artistic Director

“Astonishingly beautiful… wonderful sensuousness of tone and rhythmic precision.” The Guardian (U.K.)

Sat, Nov 14 / 2 PM & 7 PM / Lobero Theatre FREE copies of Sea Change will be available while supplies last (pick up at event, one per household)

Sankai Juku

Rana Foroohar

Sea Change: America’s New Great Game in the Arctic Circle Thu, Nov 19 / 7:30 PM / Campbell Hall “Rana Foroohar has an uncanny ability to sense seismic shifts in economics and politics before the rest of us.” – Evan Osnos, The New Yorker staff writer and National Book Award winner

Visit our website to view the full 2026-2027 lineup 22 – 29 October 2026

TOTEM: Void and Height Direction, Choreography and Design by Ushio Amagatsu

Fri, Nov 20 / 7:30 PM / Granada Theatre Unfolding through acclaimed Butoh company Sankai Juku’s signature blend of sculptural movement, visual precision and hypnotic stillness, TOTEM stands as the culminating statement of one of contemporary dance’s most influential visionaries.

(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

Palm Tree Music Festival

Palms, Polo Fields and a Perfect Weekend by Vanessa Guajardo

t a quarter to eight on Saturday, October 10, the sky over the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club had gone a deep, inky blue, the hour when the old polo grounds would ordinarily settle into quiet. Not this weekend. Somewhere past a stand of potted palms, a soundstage roughly the size of a modest cathedral was in full swing, and a crowd in crochet, fringe, and cowboy boots was still drifting toward it like iron filings toward a magnet. Palm Tree Music Festival Montecito had returned for its second year, and this time it brought a friend: a second day. Last October’s debut was a single sold-out day with John Mayer, Sofi Tukker, and Kygo. This year’s edition, on October 10 and 11, featured a bill that included Kygo, The Chainsmokers, Zedd, T-Pain, The All-American Rejects, Loud Luxury, Frank Walker, Myles O’Neal, and Natalie Jinju. A word, before we go further, about geography. The polo club’s own address says Carpinteria, and the club should know. Local purists may harrumph at the festival’s “Montecito” billing. They might be soothed to learn that the club itself is a Montecito transplant. Its early home was on Middle Road in Montecito, and it didn’t move down the coast until the 1920s, when Max Fleischmann, heir to a yeast fortune, turned a fire-damaged eucalyptus grove in Carpinteria into the field that, since 1952, has hosted the Pacific Coast Open, one of the oldest polo tournaments in the world. Will Rogers, Spencer Tracy, and Walt Disney were among the visitors who came through. A century on, the grounds are held in a trusteeship meant to keep them in polo. For one weekend, at least, the grass belonged to the music.

A Buffett-shaped Idea Palm Tree Crew is the creation of Kygo, the Norwegian producer born Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, and his longtime Manager, Myles Shear. Its patron saint is, of all

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The Palm Tree Music Festival brought two days of vibes to the Polo Fields (photo by Vanessa Guajardo)

people, Jimmy Buffett. Buffett never just played concerts; he built Margaritaville, an island-living empire in which the songs were only the front door. In a 2022 Forbes interview, Shear recalled arriving at a Buffett show to find some 40,000 fans already tailgating outside, ready for the doors to open. They hadn’t come for the music so much as a day in Buffett’s world, and inside, Buffett owned that world, right down to the tequila. The lesson was about an artist building the whole experience around the music, not just the set. Kygo’s sunny, tropical sound made him a natural heir, and Buffett heard the kinship, too, calling it “close to what I was doing.” He became Palm Tree Crew’s first investor. A festival was the obvious place to start. Kygo told the magazine he wanted one where they could “book our own artists, people that we like,” and “control what products are being sold at the festival, the whole experience.” They did. The first Palm Tree festival landed at an airport in Westhampton Beach in 2021, with COVID rules capping the crowd at 3,000. Since then the brand has popped up in Aspen, Napa, Cabo, Croatia, Australia, Saint-Tropez and, now, our own coastal pasture. Besides Kygo himself, two acts from that first Hamptons bill, Zedd and Frank Walker, were back on this year’s lineup, which suggests a certain loyalty in the Palm Tree family. Why here? Palm Tree Crew CEO Michael Diaz offered an answer before the inaugural edition last year, telling the Santa Barbara Independent that “Santa Barbara quickly stood out as the perfect fit” and calling the polo club “a legendary, premier California landmark.” It is hard to argue with him, particularly at dusk. The format is refreshingly civilized: one main stage, one act at a time, so nobody sprints across a field in boots to catch two sets at once. Festivalgoers parked on the club’s grass and walked toward a blue gateway arch with the foothills behind it. The festival village was a small town of brand-built hideaways. There was a Don Julio cocktail bar, a LaCroix cart staffed by women in matching butter-yellow dresses, an archway built from stacked cans, and a pair of surfboards advertising -196 Vodka Seltzer. A glowing green Saint James iced tea bar greeted passersby with “You look thirsty,” and Matua Wine’s aqua lounge had a neon sign promising “Never Been Cooler.” Over it all rose a giant inflatable clamshell stamped with a palm, which changed color with the stage: orange at dusk, red and violet after dark. Golf-sneaker brand Goat Lane parked a simulator trailer on the grass and ran a closest-to-the-pin

Music Festival Page 354 354

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“The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have.” – John Lewis

22 – 29 October 2026

Letters (Continued from 24 24)) Montecito ratepayers through economies of scale and advances in energy savings from the City’s use of methane gas retrieval to power their treatment plant – a luxury Montecito Sanitary can neither duplicate nor afford. Fact 7: Treatment of Montecito Wastewater in Santa Barbara offers a Pathway to Recycled Water It’s a fact that the Santa Barbara wastewater plant currently treats six million gallons of wastewater each day, ten times Montecito’s volume, and has the ability to recycle Montecito’s wastewater. It’s a fact that during irrigation months, the City recycles some 42% of its wastewater for irrigation use. Montecito currently recycles zero of its wastewater, and its rebuilt plant will do the same, because it lacks a purple pipe system to convey recycled wastewater to its Montecito customers. Neither MSD, nor the proposed rebuild of its current plant, has a valid recycled wastewater component for irrigation water, or non-potable or potable use, because of the hydrology of Montecito’s small and interconnected groundwater basins and MSD’s multiplicity of local wells. Plus, Montecito Sanitary, unlike Santa Barbara’s plant, totally lacks a separate “purple pipe” distribution system. MSD Wastewater sent to Santa Barbara can be part of the recycled water already being piped by the City to the Montecito Club for irrigation, and conceivably, in the future to the Santa Barbara cemetery. Fact 8: Sending Montecito’s wastewater to Santa Barbara for treatment could potentially lower the cost for both Santa Barbara and Montecito ratepayers. Sending Montecito’s wastewater to the Santa Barbara El Estero Resource Center for treatment will cost less for ratepayers, and not only in terms of the estimated capital costs to rebuild a new wastewater plant on the current site. A new rebuilt treatment plant will still use the same short and shallow outfall that dumps 600,000 gallons a day of secondary treated wastewater a short distance offshore from Montecito beaches, unless MSD chooses to invest up to an additional $100 million to rebuild a longer, deeper and safer discharge pipe, like the City already has. It’s a fact that operating costs for sewage treatment in Santa Barbara are half the cost of treatment in Montecito because of economies of scale. Treatment costs are

spread among 27,000 homeowners and businesses in Santa Barbara; treatment costs in Montecito are spread across only 3,100 homes and businesses. As Mr. Rockenbach suggests, the decision to rebuild the MSD treatment plant or send our sewage to Santa Barbara is a cost-benefit decision that will last for decades. It needs to be made now to save millions in the “build a new plant here” option. Our team of Barrett, Francis and Wicks will make the right decision, without the need for more and more studies and without the need for a compounded 14% annual rate hike for the next five years! Floyd E. Wicks

Devon for City Council We are surprised and impressed these days, and in this environment, when someone steps up to run for public office. It is all the more impressive when a superbly qualified candidate puts herself forward and into the fray. The candidate who continually surprises and awes us is Devon Wardlow for District 4. Devon is a homegrown Santa Barbara native who, as a five-year member of the City’s Planning Commission, has worked on all of the issues important to us and hasn’t backed down against current horrifying attacks and odds. Devon is the most qualified candidate who understands the priorities of her neighbors and the entire community. Her résumé tells us all. We sincerely hope the residents of District 4 elect Devon; we only wish we could vote for her directly. Sincerely, Beryl & Neil Kreisel

Olympics Aspirations While the 2028 L.A. Olympics will be a great thing for the city, there are undoubtedly some major problems that can occur if not responsibly handled during the Olympics. One of the biggest problems that may develop is a huge amount of plastic trash all over the city and the surrounding area and eventually leading to an increase in microplastics all over the world with this global event.

Letters Page 434 434

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 HONORING EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILES C E L E B R AT I N G T I M E L E S S D E S I G N NOVEMBER 7-8, 2026 S A N TA B A R B A R A P O L O & R A C Q U E T C L U B S U B M I T Y O U R V E H I C L E F O R C O N S I D E R AT I O N S B I N V I TAT I O N A L . O R G

22 – 29 October 2026

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Montecito JOURNAL

Westmont (Continued from 20 20)) architecture, and artifacts. She has conducted field research across the globe, including the deserts and highlands of Peru, the jungles of Belize and the island of Menorca off the coast of Spain. “I believe it’s such a privilege to try to uncover the lives of everyday people like us who lived long ago,” Morrisset says. “There is nothing more exciting than uncovering an ancient artifact that hasn’t been touched in over a thousand years. I love the scope of archaeology – how we study everything from ancient paintings and texts to microscopic plant remains in the soil.” The history department plans to offer the popular course every fall, with hopes of expanding future offerings to include off-campus excavation trips.

President Beebe was so impressed he offered to host a post-dig pizza party

participated in six archaeological trips to Israel, highlights the deep connection between archaeology and historical understanding. “I love what it teaches you about civilization, how it progresses and how it declines,” Beebe says. “Particularly Old Testament Hebrew Bible scholars have always taken archaeology very seriously, believing that it actually tells more about God’s acts in history than just about anything other than Scripture. If you have a faith orientation, you come to recognize how important archaeology is in having confidence in the legitimacy of the faith.” For Morrisset, the hands-on project reflects a lifelong passion for unearthing human history. Originally planning to attend art school for painting and drawing, her interest shifted to archaeology through the study of ancient art,

U.S. News: Westmont Among Nation’s Most Beautiful Campuses

Tucked between mountain peaks and the Pacific Ocean, Westmont College secures a prominent place selected among the nation’s 40 most beautiful campuses in a new report from U.S. News & World Report. The publication, which annually releases a top 40 list, praises the college’s historic buildings, serene gardens, and picturesque coastal backdrop. “We always knew we had one of the most beautiful campuses in the country,” says President Gayle D. Beebe. “It’s often the first comment I hear from visitors and guest speakers who’ve never been to campus. It’s great that the country now knows it too!” The review emphasizes how the beauty of a campus influences students’ college decisions and instills an immediate sense of belonging in them. The most memorable campuses have a “distinctive sense

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The Global Leadership Center was specifically mentioned by U.S. News

Kerrwood Hall was designed by Reginald Johnson, a renowned Southern California architect

president for enrollment, marketing and communications. “They find the picturesque surroundings and retreat-like setting stunning. Our physical setting inspires academic excellence, fosters deep personal connections and serves as a daily reminder of God’s beautiful creation in nature.” Founded in 1937, Westmont College provides a liberal arts education rooted in the Christian tradition and recognized as the top Christian liberal arts college in California and the Western United States. “We’ve remained committed to the foundation and mission of the college and respect the beauty and sacred spaces of our campus and location in such a pristine location in Montecito and Santa Barbara,” Beebe says. “The beauty of the campus is inseparable from its identity. It’s a setting that inspires students to flourish.”

of place,” and the 40 selected colleges and universities earn praise for “attributes such as stunning architecture, picturesque settings or spectacular landscaping.” Occupying 113 elevated acres in the Santa Ynez Mountain foothills above Santa Barbara, Westmont combines oak and eucalyptus groves with views of the Pacific Coast and surrounding mountain peaks. The campus features Spanish Mediterranean-style structures with slate-tiled roofs, honey-white stucco walls, and wrought iron accents alongside formal gardens, fountains, plazas and stone patios. Notable architectural landmarks include Kerrwood Hall, a historic mansion once owned by Dwight Murphy, a prominent Santa Barbara leader. Reginald Johnson, a distinguished and influential architect in Southern California, designed the mansion. Westmont’s Global Leadership Center, a stunning, modern three-story residence hall, features mass timber and Alaskan cedar beams. The campus’s natural environment and secluded setting recently attracted international athletic attention when the Qatar national team selected Westmont’s soccer facility as its practice venue during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “Westmont’s beauty certainly earns praise from visitors who discover the campus as they travel through Santa Barbara,” says Irene Neller, vice

“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.” – George Bernard Shaw

Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College

22 – 29 October 2026

Music Festival (Continued from 32 32))

A beach ball-adorned set with The All-American Rejects (photo by Vanessa Guajardo)

contest; the winner got a front-row seat and a backstage visit with Kygo. Golf, on a polo field, for a prize at a music festival: the weekend’s most improbable crossover, though less random than it sounds, since this summer Palm Tree Crew bought a golf course in Colorado. Saturday’s early-evening slot belonged to The All-American Rejects, their name stacked in giant white letters on black screens while the band played through the haze and a beach ball made its rounds over the crowd. An onstage clock counted down each act’s allotted minutes, and every set all weekend ran on time; the kind of punctuality a polo club can respect. Around 6:35 the sky behind the tents went pink and violet, and for a few minutes half the phones turned away from the stage to catch it. Then The Chainsmokers lit up the stage: flame jets along its lip, CO2 cannons blasting white plumes into the dark, LED towers glittering like sequined columns, and a sea of raised hands below. Zedd closed the night behind towering screens done up like stained-glass windows, while green lasers fanned over the festival village like a luminous umbrella.

A festival this size draws its share of recognizable faces, and even the ones nobody recognized were unreasonably good-looking. On stage and off, the weekend could have passed for a casting call, and this reporter briefly wondered whether attractiveness was a condition of entry. Among the faces we did recognize: Montecito local Orlando Bloom in the VIP section. Over at the Matua Wine lounge, Aesha Scott of Bravo’s Below Deck was laughing beneath a glowing Palm Tree sign. Love Island USA’s Caleb McDaniel, Liv Walker, and Gal Tshnieder were also spotted in the crowd. Sunday arrived under soft silver clouds that would have made a Dutch master reach for his brushes. Loud Luxury sent purple smoke rolling over the crowd, and at 7 pm Kygo, the man who started all this, took the stage beneath glowing, vintage-style neon signs spelling out his name, while pyrotechnics burst below him. He brought out two surprise guests: Justin Jesso, for “Stargazing,” and Ava Max. T-Pain had the closing hour. After two days of perfect festival weather, the heavens, apparently moved, contributed exactly five minutes of rain to his set. Far from dampening anything, the shower made it more fun; it drifted through the stage lights like confetti while the field stayed packed, arms up, to the last song. Yeast magnate Max Fleischmann, who completed these polo fields in 1928, would not have recognized them. At 9:55 pm Sunday night the screens flanking the stage switched to a sunny cartoon coastline and a parting message: “Thank you for coming!” Organizers have not released attendance figures, and there is no word yet on a third edition. But if the turnout and the mood are any guide, the polo fields may have found a second calling.

Tiny Dancers and Familiar Faces Just after 7 pm. Saturday, with The Chainsmokers throwing smoke and fire from the stage, the weekend’s most committed dancer was nowhere near it. Toward the back of the crowd, a toddler in a blue romper and a pair of oversized ear protectors had claimed a patch of the polo field as a private dance floor: bouncing, spinning, toppling over a few times on the uneven grass and popping right back up. A grown-up in green pants matched every move, and a sheriff ’s deputy strolled past, unbothered. Palm Tree sells itself on sunsets and headliners, but this was the better advertisement: a festival where the earmuffed set and their parents share the same lawn, and nobody seems to mind.

The festival village was a small town of brand-built hideaways (photo by Vanessa Guajardo)

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22 – 29 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

All of October...

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Montecito JOURNAL

The Giving List

Legal Aid Foundation of SBC by Steven Libowitz

ental housing and affordability have been all over the local news in Santa Barbara, what with the City Council’s rent hike moratorium enacted to cover the rest of the year and the narrow passage of the new Rent Stabilization Ordinance earlier this month. Not long before that, Governor Newsom signed California’s first statewide Homelessness Prevention Strategy bill, crystalizing the conversation about these issues. Stabilization in rental housing is nothing new to Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County (LAFSBC), the local provider of free civil legal services to help balance the scales of justice regarding issues outside the criminal courts, where there is no constitutional requirement for attorney representation. A huge part of their practice for decades has been working with tenants at risk of eviction, including those who are facing an Unlawful Detainer, or at risk of losing Section 8 or other housing subsidies. Legal Aid Foundation represents as well those facing Fair Housing or Housing Discrimination issues. These services, which can include full legal representation, are made available for free to low-income individuals and families, seniors, and other vulnerable residents, including people with disabilities and survivors of domestic violence. There’s a direct link to homelessness, said Jennifer Smith, LAFSBC’s executive director. “Typically the step that happens before somebody becomes homeless is

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that they’re evicted. Funding of legal services to either prevent eviction, or to reduce the incidence or soften the landing through a negotiated resolution, is paramount, particularly for the most vulnerable folks. It’s actually seen as part of a homelessness prevention strategy.” The key is to stop the in-flow of new homeless people, Smith said. “While there have been tremendous strides in right and getting people housed, there’s still this challenge of preventing people from falling off the cliff. For us to really make a dent in this humanitarian crisis, we’ve got to turn off the spigot.” Even beyond the emotional or equality side of the issue, it’s a cost-effective approach, Smith said. “Preventing homelessness is much less costly than trying to fix it after the fact,” she said. “When people fall deep into homelessness, living on the edges of our society, they tend to use services that are more expensive, like emergency rooms. There might be law enforcement activity involved. And trying to get them rehoused is also very costly for our society. Preventing it from happening in the first place works better. We’re a part of that solution.” That means no matter what eventually happens or works out with the new rent laws in town. “Whatever policies are set at the state and local level, for them to be effective, people need access to legal services,” Smith said. “It’s challenging for anyone to navigate. But if these other factors are at play – like low income, a limited command of English, or an older adult without support – it makes it that much harder.” That’s why, after an analysis of Legal Aid’s effectiveness, the City Council funded a pilot program partnership to provide access to counsel back in 2024, which allowed LAFSBC to hire its third full-time attorney to work on housing JAMIE KNEE PETITE WINE TRAVELER

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With support, LAFSBC wants to ramp up its educational outreach (courtesy photo)

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month with LAFSBC as the county’s only provider of free legal services for civil restraining orders (courtesy photo)

reminder that Legal Aid is the county’s only provider of free legal services for civil restraining orders. “Our attorneys can also advise and provide information if a criminal case is proceeding because victims don’t have representation in the criminal court as the prosecutor is representing the people,” she said. “It’s important to have somebody available to help you even understand what’s going on, and to offer support in addressing a much more holistic set of needs, which we do working closely with our nonprofit partners.” And of course, community support is becoming more urgent virtually every day. “With all the uncertainty at the federal and state level, it’s the local support that gives us stability. Grants can come and go, but it’s the community that keeps us going.”

issues, opening the door to 80 more people or families receiving representation. The program has already been renewed twice. “We prioritize those who actually have an active eviction case pending, or an issue with a Section 8 voucher, a measurable degree of vulnerability where legal representation is critical,” Smith said. The government grant helps. But LAFSBC still relies heavily on community support, which Smith said actually influences the City Council decision. “It’s often a factor,” she said. “But even with that program, there’s still more people who need help.” Donations could help support LAFSBC’s education efforts, which can also be an early step in the process that might help avoid eviction, and help those who don’t qualify for actual representation. “We really want to ramp up our education piece,” Smith said. “Financial support can also help us do things like make improvements to our website, which definitely could use an upgrade, and create more informational resources to help get the word out.” Beyond housing issues, LAFSBC also provides legal representation for other serious civil issues, including survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, and more. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month which, Smith said, serves as a

“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” – Winston Churchill

Visit https://lafsbc.org

Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage

22 – 29 October 2026

Water Column (Continued from 18 18)) allocations during the drought from 2012-2015. One member of the public emphasized “The operative words of the agreement are permanent and in perpetuity.” Some proponents indicated the sale was a long time coming, and one stated “…there was huge controversy when we purchased these rights. I think it was wasted money when we bought it, now we own it and we have a responsibility to be intelligent when we consider the sale.” Board discussion followed the presentation and public comment, with a focus on the value of reducing the amount of money currently spent on State Water and instead investing in more local, reliable supplies to further diversify the MWD’s water portfolio. That concept was summarized in these closing remarks from Board President Brian Goebel: “Everyone here wants a diverse water supply. What’s the net result of this Letter of Intent going to be? Our water supply will be more diverse. We’ll be way better off if we diversify by ridding ourselves of a part of the State Water Project that we do not need. This community will be stronger, not weaker, going forward by a substantial amount. So that is why I’ve come to the point where I’m going to support this deal. I think the concerns expressed by this community and the people here today are legitimate. I appreciate people being here today. I appreciate the civility of the discussion today. I appreciate the opportunity to have a chance to explain to the community in greater detail why I think this deal will be a net benefit.” Next steps in the process include finalizing a purchase agreement with Solstra Communities California LLC (Solstra), which will be publicly noticed prior to adoption. Solstra seeks water for Solomon Hills, a planned development project for up to 4,000 homes in northern Santa Barbara County. Even with a completed purchase agreement, the sale would not be final until the

development receives all approvals, which could take several years. Customers interested in additional information are encouraged to review the meeting materials and presentation available online at: www.montecitowater.com and to contact the MWD directly at 805969-2271 with any questions. Here is a Q&A based off of the public discussion: On an ongoing annual basis, how much water would the sale entail? Using the State’s predicted average of 46% for ongoing fulfillment of allocations, selling 1,400 acre-feet of State Water Project contract interests equates to approximately 644 acre-feet of water per year on average. This number varies annually and is largely dependent on northern California’s snowpack; actual numbers could be less. For reference, 644 is about 15% (or 1/7th) of the MWD’s approximate total annual consumption of 4,400 acre-feet. What will the money be used for? Proposed uses for the proceeds of sale and ongoing related cost savings include: Implementing local projects to provide additional local rainfall – independent supplies and/or groundwater storage, accelerating infrastructure improvements, strengthening reserves, reducing debt, and mitigating future water rate increases. What if the buyer defaults? Locally the State Water Project is managed by the Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA). If the buyer were to default, CCWA will divert the water back to the MWD rather than making a transfer to the buyer. It’s not like a car that is sold and then gone, the water is a managed asset that cannot be lost. What if operation of the desalination plant is interrupted? Per the 50-Year Water Supply Agreement with the City of Santa

Jameson Lake is a local surface water supply owned and operated by Montecito Water District (photo by Bill Dewey)

Barbara, the water may come from any of the City’s sources. While the cost of this agreement is based on participation in desalination, the deliveries are not dependent solely on the plant. What is the likelihood of future drought severity or customer demand exceeding the parameters used in modeling and analysis? Long-term water supply planning, including a comprehensive Future Demand and Water Supply Option analysis, prepared by hydrogeologic consultant Dr. Steven Bachman in 2025, indicates that even under severe drought conditions the MWD could meet customer demand without State Water. These analyses take a most conservative approach, modeling conditions worse than any experienced in known history. Long-term projections are based on multiple factors including drought, population growth, and others which are also evaluated in the District’s Urban Water Management Plan, which is prepared in accordance with stringent requirements and filed with the State. What other risks have been considered? The presentation identified the potential risk for non-renewal of

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long-term contracts related to other water sources (Cachuma Project, Groundwater Banking, etc.). Allocating proceeds from the sale to develop alternate local water supplies could mitigate these contract concerns. Ultimately the sale could in fact reduce dependency on external contracts if the monies are reallocated into more District-controlled supplies. What is the net gain to the MWD? In the words of Director Ken Coates, “Monetizing what we can use for projects locally that give us total control, and the ability to say to the residents, you don’t have to worry ever again about what we went through.” Where can I get more information? Customers interested in additional information are encouraged to review the meeting materials and presentation available online at: www.montecitowater. com and to contact the MWD directly at 805-969-2271 with any questions.

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22 – 29 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

10/15/26 3:18 PM

Montecito JOURNAL

News Bytes

Structure Fire on Picacho Lane by MJ Staff

ontecito Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 500 block of Picacho Lane shortly after 2:30 pm on Monday, October 19. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames concentrated in the home’s chimney and fireplace. Although crews quickly knocked down the initial fire, flames had spread into the walls and second-story attic, prompting a second-alarm response. One person was home when the fire broke out and called 911. No injuries were reported. Firefighters from Santa Barbara City and Carpinteria-Summerland assisted Montecito crews, while law enforcement managed traffic and scene safety. The cause remains under investigation.

Bogavante Restaurant Update A new Mexican seafood restaurant at 50 Los Patos Way, Montecito, is still in the process of renovating the old Stella Mare’s Bistro, and looking for investors to fund the completion. According to the Alejandro Marin, Muy Salsa Hospitality Group Founder, “…permits have been obtained for a liquor license and site approved by SB City Planning. There is a custom mesquite hearth grill, with construction ongoing for the kitchen and interiors, while preserving historic elements.” Joining Marin on the project are Lena Kohl, and Chef Paco Moran. https://muysalsa.world/#places

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38 Montecito JOURNAL

Lights, Camera, Animal Action by Zach Rosen

rthur von Wiesenberger never set out to become an international ambassador for dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and the occasional disgruntled Swiss cow. He just thought animal shelters deserved better publicity. Back in 2018, the longtime Santa Barbara resident launched Animal Zone to showcase the remarkable work happening inside local shelters and rescue organizations. He wanted to replace the familiar images of sad animals behind bars with something considerably more hopeful. Eight years, more than 130 episodes, and several countries later, Arthur von Wiesenberger with SB Humane’s his little local television project has Kerri Burns on the show (courtesy photo) developed quite a pedigree. Now Animal Zone is returning to its Santa Barbara roots with a particularly fetching episode on Saturday, October 24, featuring the Fifth Annual Best in Show competition at Rosewood Miramar Beach. The episode brings actress Jane Lynch together with Santa Barbara Humane and a lively assortment of local dogs, offering a fitting homecoming for a program that has traveled well beyond its original stomping grounds.

A New Leash on Life Von Wiesenberger’s television career began long before he was chasing animal stories around the globe. After arriving in Santa Barbara to attend Brooks Institute in the 1970s, he found himself facing a predicament familiar to generations of local graduates. He wanted to stay, yet there were only so many photography jobs available. Fortunately, television offered another avenue. At the time, Cox Cable operated a local public-access studio, where von Wiesenberger developed a live movie-review program featuring discussions with guests whose expertise related to the films being shown. For One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, he even invited a psychiatrist to examine Jack Nicholson’s character. There were no retakes, and occasionally things went sideways. It was, however, an education in television production. Other projects followed, including a book about water and additional television programs. Yet his affection for animals eventually brought him back behind the camera with a different mission. “I said, well, we should celebrate the good stuff about animals in shelters,” he recalls. He had grown frustrated with national advertisements portraying shelters as dreary places filled with hopeless animals. The reality he witnessed at organizations such as Santa Barbara Humane was considerably brighter. Animals received medical care, attention from volunteers, and help preparing for adoption. These weren’t simply holding facilities. They were places where second chances began. Animal Zone set out to tell those stories.

From Local Paws to Global Claws Initially airing on TVSB, the show soon found a larger audience through Cox Cable, expanding beyond Santa Barbara into other states. Then came the pandemic. While COVID created enormous challenges, it also introduced many people

“Democracy is not merely a form of government. It is primarily a mode of associated living.” – B. R. Ambedkar

22 – 29 October 2026

to the value of animal companionship. Families were spending considerably more time at home, and suddenly a dog, cat, rabbit, or even hamster seemed like excellent company. Animal Zone found an eager audience. The program secured a national Saturday morning broadcast slot, and its family-friendly approach helped it reach viewers beyond California. Streaming platforms including Tubi, Plex, and Pluto eventually carried the series internationally. And von Wiesenberger took the opportunity to follow his subjects overseas. In Switzerland, where he grew up, he encountered animal welfare regulations requiring guinea pigs to have companions. Apparently, even guinea pigs deserve a roommate. Then there were the cows. Researchers had examined how traditional cowbells affected dairy cattle, with findings suggesting that the constant ringing and weight of the bells created stress. Replacing them with GPS trackers offered a considerably gentler way of keeping tabs on the herd. The cows, presumably, appreciated the peace. Other travels brought Animal Zone to Japan, where von Wiesenberger visited a hospice that allowed patients to remain with their beloved pets. One rescued dog, Bamboo Poo, had reportedly developed an extraordinary habit of visiting patients near the end of their lives. For von Wiesenberger, these encounters demonstrate the remarkable relationships between people and animals, sometimes in the most unexpected circumstances.

More Than a Pretty Face Despite its international travels, Animal Zone remains firmly rooted in Santa Barbara. Its upcoming October 24 episode, “Best in Show: Paws, Applause & a Winning Chance,” returns to Rosewood Miramar Beach for the Fifth Annual Best in Show competition benefiting Santa Barbara Humane. Actress Jane Lynch, who starred in the 2000 comedy Best in Show, brings some Hollywood pedigree to the festivities, sharing stories about her experiences working with dogs and her own passion for animal rescue. “She’s truly wonderful, not only just a great actress and comedian,” von Wiesenberger says. “You could tell she’s an animal lover.” Unlike traditional dog shows, the Montecito competition celebrates tricks, costumes, and personality. The eventual winner, Chance, seems appropriately named for an event supporting animals in need. The episode also features Santa Barbara Humane CEO Kerri Burns discussing plans for the organization’s new community campus. That broader mission particularly resonates with von Wiesenberger. He emphasizes that organizations such as Santa Barbara Humane do far more than facilitate adoptions. Veterinary services, food assistance, and other resources help families keep their pets during difficult financial periods. “It’s much more than just a shelter. It’s really a community center,” he says. And keeping an animal with the family that loves it can be every bit as important as finding a new home.

A Cause Worth Fetching Today, von Wiesenberger’s own household includes three rescue cats, a rescue donkey, and a rescue hen. He also fondly remembers a rescued pit bull he describes as the best dog he ever had. Clearly, his affection extends well beyond the television screen. For all the amusing anecdotes and international adventures, Animal Zone has maintained a consistent philosophy. Rather than dwell on suffering, the nonprofit program seeks to educate, entertain, and inspire people to become involved in animal welfare. That might mean adopting a dog, fostering a cat, volunteering at a shelter, or helping an injured wild animal receive appropriate care. “Our mission has always been to educate, to entertain to a certain degree, and also to inspire people to do the best thing they can do for animals,” he says. And he believes that lesson is particularly important for children, whose natural compassion for animals can grow into a lifelong appreciation for other living creatures. It’s a philosophy that has taken Animal Zone from neighborhood shelters to television screens around the world, introducing audiences to animals both extraordinary and ordinary. Because sometimes being best in show has nothing to do with ribbons, pedigrees, or perfectly executed tricks. Sometimes it simply means giving an animal a chance. Animal Zone’s “Best in Show: Paws, Applause & a Winning Chance” airs nationally Saturday, October 24, on Cox Television. Episodes are also available through the show’s streaming platforms and website. Visit www.animalzone.org 22 – 29 October 2026

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• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Elizabeth’s Appraisals

political storm of 18th century France, making copperplate etchings for the zograscope. The balanced architecture and symmetrical formal gardens enabled the printmakers to form the illusion of depth through receding lines; when hand-tinted, the colors lessened in hue as the view deepened. For those who could not afford a zograscope, a traveling showman with a Peep Box on his back might charge a small fee to curious audiences, a contrast with the wealthy collector and his leather-bound portfolio, allowing the common folk a glimpse into this strange new visual world for a coin. Showmen enhanced the experience with candlelight glowing through the print with pinpricks. Of the three prints, my favorite is the Public Pleasure Garden Ranelagh, 1760s Chelsea, a park only for the rich (not the general public), composed of beautiful structures and gardens on the Thames, 1742-1803, where the wealthy were seen in fine clothes, embroideries, wigs, and jewels. These well-off pedestrians strolled along the promenade, their saunter one continuous loop under the150’ diameter Grand Rotunda. The finely turned-out ramble included 52 spectator boxes illuminated and heated by fireplace and high window clerestories, offset by formal gardens, a fountain of mirrors, a canal, a Chinese pagoda, a Temple of Pan, all accessible from the Thames. FF’s print shows the Chinese pagoda and the Rotunda, where at the age of eight Mozart played, as did (the older!) Haydn and Handel. Second favorite print is The Greenwich Hospital (1760s), showcasing the Baroque architecture of Sir Christopher Wren and commissioned by William and Mary for old and disabled Royal seamen (1694-1869). At its pinnacle of 3,000 pensioners during the Napoleonic War, seamen aged 12-99 petitioned for entry, but mainly entered at 56 years of age, full of spirit and the feisty sea life. The “Greenwich Geese” – as the retired and disabled sailors and marines who lived as in-pensioners were known – were anything but docile. Each of these prints are valued at $350 each.

New Views Through the Zograscope

Vue d’optique Greenwich Hospital London

by Elizabeth Stewart

he concept of interactive media is familiar; we interact with our phone visually. The concept of seeing a picture in three dimensions is ordinary, mundane, and anymore part of our visual vocabulary. However, before the mid-18th century, a two-dimensional work on paper could only exhibit depth through human-applied artistic techniques such as perspective drawing, shadowing, diminishing colors, all learned techniques carried over from the Renaissance. The way we saw the world changed in the mid-18th century. Not only did the mid-18th century fall in love with optics, the concept of sight and creation of optical marvels, but the 18th century fell in love with the wonders of geography, a new world with strange continents which many people were fated never to see. Thus the 18th century fell in love with a special invention, an instrument of interactive media called the zograscope. Like your phone, the zograscope was a way to experience sights you would never have been able to see – and to see them in three dimensions. The zograscope presented a vision – as if you could stick a finger into that two-dimensional picture plane – and touch the back of, say, a forest sky or the ocean’s shoreline. This invention, and the subsequent prints produced for it, created one of the earliest forms of interactive visual media, marrying science and art. The zograscope was an 18th-century predecessor to the way we now use technology to enter a visual world. The scallywag John Dee, alchemist and hustler of the 16th-17th century, understood the potential of the double convex lens in optics, but it took enterprising printers in the mid-18th century to develop a technique to truly “fool the eye” with the aid of a machine (the zograscope) which held a mounted doubled

40 Montecito JOURNAL

convex lens (in profile an elongated egg shape), on a mahogany stand, positioned vertically in front of a mirror at a 45-degree angle. The print was placed on the table; the viewer peeped through the lens into the mirror, which reflected the print. This reversed the image (note all writing is reversed in these prints) and flattened the eye’s natural depth perception; thus the viewer saw a dramatic, almost graspable, touchable 3D scene. The mid-18th century collector had prints similar to those sent to me by FF: Vue de la Maison de Plaisance de Ludovisi avec une partie de la Ville de Rome; Vue du canal du Batiment chinois, de la Rotande, et des Jardins de Ranelagh nor jour de rejouissance; and Vue d’optique Greenwich Hospital London. The wealthy voyeur collected in categorical themes, and these prints were stored in leather portfolios: The Grand Tour, the Exotic (incorrectly augmented images of the rare and unknown), Current Events (Wars), and Formal Garden. The day’s enthusiast experienced these curated visuals as a wonderment, thrilling to the new optics and their portrayal of geographical wonders, and perfection in balanced architecture. Artist and engraver André Basset capitalized, maneuvering through the gathering

Vue de la Maison de Plaisance de Ludovisi avec une partie de la Ville de Rome

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

22 – 29 October 2026

Hot Topics (Continued from 16 16)) while our firefighters respond to the incident,” Chief Fallon said.

Ready, Set, Go! Also included in the go-bag is the Montecito Fire Department’s newly updated Ready, Set, Go! booklet, which includes critical information about the latest defensible space regulations, home hardening techniques, and evacuation preparedness guidance. The booklet includes an Evacuation Go-Bag checklist for residents to reference while packing their go-bags. The Montecito Fire Department suggests that community members prepare go-bags and emergency supplies for their homes, workplaces, and vehicles because it is impossible to predict where they will be when an incident occurs. Upon receiving a complimentary go-bag, residents should supplement it with essential items specific to their household. Reference the list below while packing your evacuation go-bag:

Important Documents TIP: Upload essential files, photos, and documents to a secure cloud-based storage system. Keep printed copies of your important documents, though not necessarily the originals, in your go-bag. - Identification (driver’s license, passport) - Insurance policies - Medical records and prescriptions - Emergency contact list - Copies of important legal documents - Cash and credit/debit cards

Health & Medical Supplies - Prescription medications - First aid kit - Eyeglasses or contact lenses - N95 masks for smoke protection - Hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes

Communication & Electronics - Cell phone and charger - Portable battery pack/power bank - Laptop or tablet and charger - Flashlight and extra batteries - Battery-powered or hand-crank radio

Clothing & Personal Items - Change of clothes (1-3 days) - Sturdy shoes and socks - Jacket or sweatshirt - Toiletries and personal hygiene items

Food & Water

- Bottled water - Nonperishable snacks and food 22 – 29 October 2026

Far Flung (Continued from 22 22))

Pets

- Pet food, water and bowls - Leash, carrier and supplies - Medications

Recovery and new growth is underway on Santa Rosa Island

Before You Evacuate - Take your go-bag - Bring your cell phone and charger - Gather family members and pets - Tune to AM 1610 for local emergency information - Follow evacuation alerts immediately

“Our hope is that having these bags ready to go will expedite future evacuations, helping our residents get to safety while our firefighters respond to the incident,” Chief Fallon said.

Special Considerations Keep your go-bag in an easy-to-access location and review its contents at least twice a year. If you have young children, make a reunification plan in case your family is separated during an evacuation. Appoint several trusted adults to pick up your children if you cannot. Make sure your child’s school knows those individuals are authorized to take your child in an emergency. Pack a mini go-bag for each child to keep nearby on Red Flag Warning or Extreme Fire Danger days in case an evacuation occurs while the child is at school or participating in other activities.

How to Request a Go-Bag Evacuation go-bags are available while supplies last. Proof of residency is required, and one bag per household will be provided. Montecito residents may request a bag at montecitofire.com/evacuation-go-bags. Bags may be picked up at Fire Station 91, located at 595 San Ysidro Road. Questions about evacuation go-bags? Email info@montecitofire.com

Christina Atchison is the Montecito Fire Public Information Officer

the Torrey pine forest was glaring. There was some green still visible amongst the charred grove, but for the most part the majority of the pines were impacted by the fire. Still, Torrey pines are resilient, and impacted trees are already showing signs of rejuvenation. “The fire heavily impacted 60-80% of the grove, but there are some outlying trees that were unaffected and some with lower burn severity,” said Mazurkiewicz. “The Santa Rosa Fire provides an opportunity to increase the knowledge base of fire response in this species.” To reach the Torrey pine forest and other species of special concern, the infrastructure surrounding the southeast end of the island has required attention. “We’ve had to inspect, clean, and repair critical roads, culverts, and trails to maintain safe access for emergency response and future public use,” he said.

Saving the Island’s Natural Wonders “The looming El Niño forecast provides a significant sense of urgency to post-fire stabilization and recovery,” said Mazurkiewicz. “Natural resource and cultural surveys, as well as key needs for infrastructure and public safety, have been happening.” Monitoring and stabilizing exposed archaeological and cultural sites at risk from erosion and increased visibility postfire are being recognized. Continued consultation and collaboration with affiliated Tribes are also a priority for preserving these significant sites. Located on the high central ridges of the island, the exposed Cloud Forest mostly survived the fire. Cattle were removed from Santa Rosa Island in 1998, but their impact was severe within island oak groves and Bishop pine forests. Erosion left a lot of the trees’ root systems exposed, the systems thus resembling the roots of mangroves. However, shoring up soil and planting native trees has been ongoing. “The Cloud Forest was minimally impacted except for the toe slope of one of the groves, where a recent out-planted area experienced fire impacts,” said Mazurkiewicz. “A total of 200 plants from the restoration effort experienced

• Voice of theVillage •

low severity burn and some loss to fog collection and watering infrastructure. The Cloud Forest and restoration areas associated with it are intact.” Population grids of island foxes have been ongoing. Thus far, there have been no carcasses reported within the burn area surveys. All collared island foxes survived the blaze. Still, the fire took place when island foxes were pupping, and it’s difficult to imagine newborns outrunning a wildfire. Additionally, bald eagles were affected by the blaze. A nest on the southeast end of the island burned and an eaglet near East Point did not make it. A02, a.k.a. Henry, was the father of that eaglet. He’s been seen perched along the bluffs below the Torrey pine forest overlooking Bechers Bay. Whether he returns to his former territory or seeks out a new one remains to be seen. Following the burn, biologists have been identifying any invasive plant species before they get a foothold in the unique island biome. For decades, non-native plant species have been an ongoing challenge across the entire national park. Getting a jump on invasives in the burn area on Santa Rosa Island before winter rains arrive will only enhance restoration efforts. However, there’s some good news on the post-fire front. The campground and its 15 campsites will reopen for visitation by mid-October. The surrounding area burned, but the campsites and bathroom facilities mostly survived. “Urgency is the word of the day, month, entire summer and the next year, where emergency response to the fire is being undertaken,” explained Mazurkiewicz. “Natural resource and cultural surveys, as well as key needs for infrastructure and public safety, have been happening.”

Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer based in Carpinteria, where he also leads kayak tours and backpacking trips in Channel Islands National Park

Montecito JOURNAL

Entertainment (Continued from 29 29)) There’s the romantic love song and also the most powerful, thunderous music that you’ve ever heard. I love the high of the feeling of going from something calm and sweet and intimate, to where you can let everything out and scream at the world, and everything in between. It’s just glorious.” Perhaps that fits the full season, too. Visit www.thesymphony.org

Classical Corner: Music, Meditation & Mathison at MAW Music & Meditation Santa Barbara continues its second season at Weinman Hall at the Music Academy of the West on Friday afternoon October 23 with wellknown locally-based clarinetist Nancy Mathison joining and pianist-artistic director Antonio Artese for an intimate one-hour program. After a guided meditation and period of intentional silence led by Jessica Kolbe, Mathison (a 1978 MAW alum), will employ three different clarinets to reveal the remarkable range of colors and registers of the instrument in works by Bach, Mozart, Schumann, Vaughan Williams, and John Coltrane. The latter represents the series’ first broadening beyond the classical tradition to the jazz great’s world, where improvisation, spirituality, and deep listening are intertwined.

Visit www.musicandmeditationsb.com

Purcell-a-Palooza The Master Chorale concert goes for Baroque, both by introducing its new Artistic Director and Conductor, Dr. William Cutter, and producing a concert fully focused on music by Henry Purcell on Saturday afternoon October 24 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Purcell-Palooza puts its attention on the prolific English “composer’s composer” of the Baroque era, with selections from his opera Dido and Aeneas; “Come ye Sons of Art,” Purcell’s birthday ode to his primary patron, Queen Mary; the Rondeau from Abdelazer, as heard in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice; and other pieces. The Dance Hub’s Carrie Diamond provides the choreography for dancers Summer Fowler, Evelyn Mills, and Nik Valinsky. Cutter comes to the Master Chorale after 30-plus years as MIT’s director of Choral Programs and Professor of Core Studies at the Boston Conservatory back east, where he also served as rehearsal conductor and chorus master for the Boston Symphony and the Boston Pops.

Visit sbmasterchorale.org

‘Animal Farm’: Still, Sadly, an Allegory for Our Times George Orwell’s 1945 novella “Animal Farm” was written as a satirical political allegory in response to the rise of Stalin’s totalitarian regime in the Soviet Union. The plot concerns mistreated farm animals who rebel against their owner to

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42 Montecito JOURNAL

instead build a free and equal society, only for a group of power-hungry pigs to turn the farm into a ruthless dictatorship. The book became a classic piece of literature that has been taught in public schools for decades. Eighty years later and on a continent a world away, the fable still resonates as an indictment and cautionary tale about concentrating power in those who would rule with an iron fist and without compassion. Which is why UCSB theater department’s production of Tatty Hennessy’s recent adaptation evoked deep emotions among the student cast that performed Animal Farm just last February and also resonated with the audiences that saw the inventive show. The same thing seems to be happening with students who are about four years younger and 10 miles east as they prepare to put on a much older adaptation of Orwell’s book by Ian Wooldridge that opens this weekend at Santa Barbara High School Theatre. “I love escapism theater. But there’s also a time to talk about things that are going on right now, experiences that we’re feeling currently,” said Robert Rodarte, who is director and production designer for SBHS’ Animal Farm. “I have the philosophy that characters, when you boil it down, want either love or power. That’s represented strongly in Animal Farm, and it’s such a timely question when we see the choices people are making in our world.” Rodarte brought that up early in the rehearsal process with the student actors to spark their ability to relate to the characters. “Teenagers can be overlooked in our tumultuous times,” he said. “This is an opportunity for them to be a part of the conversation. I’ve encouraged them to approach their characters with their beliefs and feelings, their ideas and their truths.” The students have clearly responded, if quotes from the actors in a press release are any indication.

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Santa Barbara High School Theatre puts on the unfortunately timeless Animal Farm this October 23-November 1 (photo by David Kilpatrick)

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“Democracy is the art of thinking independently together.” – Alexander Meiklejohn

22 – 29 October 2026

“Animal Farm is a piece that can be felt past our theater’s walls,” said Maria Butler, who plays Squealer. “... Working with such heavy material as teenagers has been a fruitful experience, highlighting real events taking place in the world … which means digesting the raw reality that is a part of us right now.” Esther Hernandez (Clover) has a similar take: “With everything happening in the world today, including what we are witnessing here in our own city, these are no longer topics we can afford to ignore.” “Experiencing this show makes you question how you think of leadership, brutality, and what is actually important in both your personal life and in the greater world,” said Dragon Aditya, who plays Napoleon. “Animal Farm asks you: Are you willing to feel the suffering of corruption or is ignorance really bliss?” One of the twists of the production is that the animals are portrayed as human characters while the humans are turned into animals, with the use of 12-foot puppets created by students at SBHS’s sculpture class, said Rodarte, the co-founder of the fledgeling Happy/Sad Theater company in town that he runs with his wife and co-founder, Riley; the play’s producer, and mentor for the marketing and producing students. It’s part of a new approach at SBHS Theatre that features partnering with local companies in a one-year training program that gives students professional level theater training and performance experience with professional theater teachers, directors, actors, and technical theater mentors.

Check out the results when Animal Farm performs October 23-November 1. Visit www.sbhstheater.com

Sold out Show of the Week: Etheridge Strips Down Melissa Etheridge is paring back the loud rock band for her solo acoustic tour, allowing the spotlight to shine on her estimable vocal power, storytelling prowess, and solo guitar, piano and harmonica. To these skill sets will be added her own body and boots-produced rhythm as she shares her greatest hits and selections from Rise, her 17th album. In the interim following 2019’s The Medicine Show, the Oscar and Grammy winning Etheridge launched Etheridge TV, wrote her memoir “Talking to My Angels,” and scored on Broadway with her one-woman show Melissa Etheridge: My Window. Now she returns to concert halls – including the Lobero on Friday, October 23 – with a deeply personal collection of songs and a renewed sense of gratitude.

SBIFF Salutes Saint Eva Marie Saint, who passed away at age 102 earlier this month, led a long life that included stardom in Hollywood and decades as a Montecito resident. But her image on the screen will enjoy an even longer life through many of her movies, albeit mostly through streaming or some new format as time goes by. But first our local newly-refurbished art house five-plex, aka SBIFF’s McHurley Film Center, which had already christened one of its theaters as Eva Marie Saint Theatre, will show two of those classics as they should be seen. The still-jarring classics On the Waterfront and North by Northwest will grace McHurley Film Center’s screens October 23-29. In other SBIFF news, the Cinema Society’s expansive schedule of sneak preview screenings (boosted by filmmaker Q&As) ramps up in mid-autumn as more of the award-hopeful movies and film festival circuit favorites prepare for wide release. The general public may attend individual screenings on a space available basis. This week: Broken Country, which examines the economic and social pressures reshaping Canada, with director Mira Metter and producer Michael Werry (Oct. 22). Everytime, Germany’s entry to the Academy Awards (Oct. 23, no Q&A). The Javier Bardem-Penélope Cruz vehicle Bunker, in which the title structure causes a rift in a marriage, followed by a conversation with Bunker’s writer-director Florian Zeller (Oct. 24). Already-streaming Hoppers, which harbors animation award ambitions, boasts a Q&A with writer-director Daniel Chong. Writer-director Lukas Dhont talks about Coward, Belgium’s Oscar entry and Best Actor winner at Cannes (Nov. 1). Down the road, Emily Blunt is this year’s recipient of the Kirk Douglas Award for excellence in film, in a gala and tribute at The Ritz-Carlton Steven Libowitz has covered Bacara on Thursday, December 10. a plethora of topics for the Looking further ahead, the first Journal since 1997, and now announced tribute of SBIFF’s annuleads our extensive arts and al full festival in February is John entertainment coverage Malkovich, who will receive the Outstanding Performer of the Year on Friday, February 12. Much more to come soon.

Letters (Continued from 33 33)) I recently went to a Jack Johnson concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl where they have committed to using reusable plastic cups during events, which I thought was very aspirational. This seems like a realistic solution as opposed to that of using single-use plastic bottles and cups at the Olympics, which would create metric tons of litter and waste. This could be one step in eliminating single-use plastic at the Olympics. I hope that Santa Barbara could be an example for L.A. and the rest of the world in the upcoming Olympics. Matthew Sax

Thoughts on RSO And the Oscar goes to… Councilmember Kristen Sneddon! When the rent stabilization ordinance (RSO) was on the consent calendar recently, ‘actress’ Kristen Sneddon made a motion to set the rent cap at 3%. After a multitude of meetings with housing providers, all saying 60% of CPI was too restrictive, she didn’t make any such motions during previous opportunities. Hearing from critics that this RSO is too restrictive and it’s hurting her mayoral campaign, she tried to make a pivot that was pure theater. Councilmembers Friedman, Jordan, and Rowse all said this proposed change could have happened months ago. Her angle – she can tell voters that she listened and tried to compromise. It was too late to make that move without creating legal liability, something she has not shied away from in the past. There was nothing sincere about the motion. She amended and moved to adopt the ordinance in its original form. It passed. It was all theatrics meant to benefit her bid to become the next mayor of Santa Barbara. Do we really want a mayor that manipulates governmental processes for her benefit, or do want true, responsive, transparent leadership as demonstrated by Mayoral Candidate Eric Friedman? Michele Carbone, mom and pop housing provider

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22 – 29 October 2026

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Montecito JOURNAL

Society Edit (Continued from 14 14)) region of California, named after his great-great-great-grandfather. On moving to Montecito Harte explained, “I keep telling John that I have this calling to be up here, [Montecito] I’ve been in this business since 1984, and every time we come up, we are good friends with Lee [Stanton], I’ve always felt like I’m drawn here, I belong here, I need to be here. So we are looking and figuring it out, and need a place for John’s horses.” And on how he became a designer, Harte shared, “My mom was a clothing designer who took me antiquing as a kid. When I was young, I wanted to be either a haberdasher or own a Cadillac agency. As I got older I started appreciating houses. I love design. I love people. To me, it’s about working with the client and doing something for them. I love doing it all – whether it’s a ranch, or a contemporary apartment – it gives me great joy in life. And yes, Tamar and John kept

Our Town (Continued from 12 12)) bugging me to do a book, and now we are working on a second book because I have some new projects.” Other noted reception attendees were owner of Black + Steel Studio Briana Hesse, and leading Montecito luxury real estate peeps Nancy Kogevinas and Cristal Clarke.

411: www.instagram.com/sheldonharte

Till next week loves! XxJAC

his granddaughter Bella Fredericks, who will join the planning committee and help take on the lead as a co-chair. Providing the course rules was the Montecito Club’s Pro Golf lead. Concluding the program was Father John Hardin, OFM, who gave a blessing to the golfers. And then the teams took off to give their best shots on the 18-hole course. Teams finished up around 5 pm, all smiles and headed to the buffet dinner and libations outside. During this time the silent auction took place and the raffle winners were selected. Wakefield led the awards ceremony. He introduced Bill Cordero Sr. to say a few words. Cordero Sr. started the Charity Golf Classic 25 years ago and has chaired it ever since. While he will continue to be involved in the event, his granddaughter Bella Fredericks, will succeed him as co-chair. Cordero’s mother was raised at St. Vincent’s by the Daughters of Charity, and many members of his family play in the tournament each year. He and his son, Billy Jr., also sponsor the Putting Challenge, which has become one of the day’s traditions. The 2026 St. Vincent’s Golf Classic Winners are as follows: Closest to Pin: Les Proceviat at Hole 17, 1’1” Longest Drive: Matt Genovese at Hole 11 and 18 First Place Net: Jeff Dotti, Jeff McGuire, Jake Koeper, Trent Throckmorton First Place Gross: Mike Valpredo, Colby Lewis, Bhavik Patel, Chad Brock

Joanne A Calitri is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@ yahoo.com

Noted attendees included from the Daughters of Charity’s Sister Maria, Sister Oanh, and Sister Rocio, Claudia Lash who co-chairs the St. Vincent’s Fashion Show, and guests of the golfers. To make a donation and to sign up for next year’s golf tournament, see the 411.

Curator’s Choice

411: www.stvincents-sb.org

The 11-inch Gopher from SBA

his chunky Botta’s Pocket Gopher (Thomomys bottae) at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History lived his life at the Santa Barbara Airport, where he was collected October 29, 1963. A robust male, he’s one of the largest specimens preserved in the drawer in the background. Before preparing this taxidermy, scientists measured him as over 11 inches long in total length, including over 3.5 inches of tail! Within the species, you can see variations in color as well as size. Santa Barbara’s Thomomys bottae are mostly quite brown, with the occasional albino, but in the Great Basin they are largely gray. Curator of Mammalogy Ally Coconis, PhD ,wrote her dissertation on other rodents in that region. Although she has personally fought with a gopher over a flower in her garden, she brings nuance and appreciation to her research on small mammals, investigating their relationships and roles in the ecosystems where they reside.

President/CEO Rosa Paredes with Golf Classic Co-chair Bill Cordero Sr. and his granddaughter Bella Fredericks (photo Joanne A Calitri)

“Gophers, ya great git!” Trent Throckmorton, Jake Koeper, Jeff Dotti, and Jeff McGuire (photo Joanne A Calitri)

44 Montecito JOURNAL

“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” – George Jean Nathan

22 – 29 October 2026

Meeting at MA

John Weigold, with the Montecito Sanitary District, outlined winter preparedness measures, including updated emergency procedures, additional pumping equipment and backup arrangements for its lift stations. Approximately 50 sensors are planned for installation in November and December to help identify where stormwater enters the sewer system. Local schools reported on classroom improvements and campus resilience. Montecito Union School highlighted participation in a state-funded tree planting program, pilot science and math curricula, and expanded special education staffing and coordination. Cold Spring School shared recognition for its digital citizenship and AI literacy instruction, along with a county mentorship award for kindergarten teacher Becky Gonzalez. The school identified a need for generator support, noting the expense and disruption associated with power outages.

Proposed Planning Changes, Preparedness and Community Connections by Houghton Hyatt

Beautification Day

roposed changes to Santa Barbara County’s zoning ordinances drew a full house and extensive discussion at the Montecito Association’s October Board meeting, where residents and board members considered how permitting reforms could affect the community’s future. The meeting also brought updates on emergency preparedness, local schools, water and wastewater services, and preparations for the Association’s annual Beautification Day.

Proposed Zoning Changes Alex Tuttle, Long Range Planning Division Manager for Santa Barbara County Planning and Development, presented the county’s proposed Phase 3 zoning ordinance amendments. The proposals seek to streamline permitting for certain residential and commercial projects, expand exemptions from architectural review, and simplify approvals for qualifying development. Board members and residents raised concerns about the potential loss of Montecito Board of Architectural Review oversight, reduced neighborhood notification and appeal opportunities, and the cumulative effects of projects approved under expanded exemptions. Questions also focused on the pace of the process and whether residents had sufficient time to understand and respond to the proposals. The discussion reflected a shared interest in making permitting more efficient while maintaining protections for Montecito’s semi-rural character. The board approved an advocacy letter to the Montecito Planning Commission outlining its concerns and recommendations. Among the approaches discussed was incorporating objective project-size controls into the ordinance to provide safeguards for development exempted from architectural review. The discussion continued October 19th at the Montecito Planning Commission Special Hearing, where commissioners met for five hours. Commissioners completed their recommendations for the Board of Supervisors, which will consider the proposed amendments. The Commission’s recommendations will be posted on the Montecito Association website under “Advocacy,” where residents can follow the issue and find additional information.

Emergency Preparedness and Large Animal Rescue Montecito Fire Chief Brian Fallon reported on firefighter and firefighter/paramedic recruitment, plans for a joint training academy, and a spring community open house. The district is also initiating an assessment of emergency response resources, coverage, and community risk, with opportunities for community involvement. The department announced that it has ordered free emergency go-bags for residents and has a webpage where households can express interest. Delivery will be available for residents unable to pick up a bag. Ronda Hathaway, with the Equine Assistance & Evacuation Team, provided an encouraging update on large animal rescue operations at Earl Warren Showgrounds. Following community advocacy and discussions with showgrounds leadership, a rental issue has been resolved, and rescue equipment is staged and operational. Hathaway also reported that the showgrounds board rescinded an earlier master plan vote following a legal challenge involving environmental review and permitting concerns. Future planning remains underway, with leadership committing to greater involvement from the equestrian and first responder communities.

Water, Wastewater and School Updates Nick Turner, with the Montecito Water District, shared information about a new rain gauge at district headquarters, with rainfall tracking available through the district’s website. The district also discussed its proposed sale of a portion of its State Water Project interests, citing potential cost savings and inviting community input. 22 – 29 October 2026

Looking ahead, Beautification Day will be held Saturday, November 7, from 9 am to 1 pm at the Upper Village (across from the post office). There will be a friendly district competition and a pizza party prize for the winners, adding to the fun. It is a delightful day where the community comes together to care for their neighborhoods, trails, and beaches. Residents are encouraged to participate, support the event through sponsorships, and help care for the community we share. More information on the event is on our website below.

www.montecitoassociation.org/events

M SHERIFF’S BLOTTER Juvenile Speeding / Coast Village Road Friday, October 09, 22:00 hours While driving on Coast Village Road deputies noticed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed approaching a stop sign. The vehicle failed to stop at the stop sign and continued at a high rate of speed through the heavily trafficked Coast Village Road. There was an attempted traffic stop and a short pursuit ensued. The vehicle stopped at the rear of Coast Village Circle. The driver and another passenger fled the vehicle, leaving an additional four juveniles inside, who were compliant and detained. The driver was identified as a juvenile on active probation and unlicensed. Parents were called for the juveniles on scene and custody was turned over to them. Paperwork will be authored and sent to juvenile probation for the juvenile suspect for violations of 2800.1 CVC (Willfully Fleeing), 12500 CVC (Unlicensed Driving), and 23103 CVC (Reckless Driving). Prowler / 30 block Humphrey Road Friday, October 09, 22:38 hours Deputies responded to a prowler on the property. Subject was seen fleeing into a property on South Jameson once units and K9 responded to UTL (Unable to Locate) suspect. Suspicious Person / Alameda Padre Serra/Butterfly Beach Saturday, October 10, 15:32 hours Two SBCC students wanted to report that they saw a suspicious individual about a block from their house today (10/10/26). They believe they had seen this same individual at Butterfly Beach about a week prior (10/3/26) and he was looking at them at the beach. They reported the suspicious circumstances near their house to the SBPD, who refused to take a report for the incident today (10/10/26) saying it was SB Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction because they believed they also saw the man a week prior at Butterfly Beach. This report will be forwarded to SBPD as a courtesy report. Intoxication / 3300 Via Real Saturday, October 10, 22:00 hours A 20-year-old male from Orange County was found intoxicated at the Palm Tree Festival. The male was alone at the festival. He was taken into custody and booked at the jail pending sobriety. Domestic Disturbance / 2100 block Hardinge Street Saturday, October 10, 01:03 hours Deputies responded to a domestic disturbance involving a woman who was also experiencing medical difficulties. The suspect was ultimately arrested for PC 243(e)(1) (Domestic Battery).

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Editorial (Continued from 5) building housing and to fill it with millions in city funds, a fund that makes the city eligible for state matching dollars. In 2021 she authored the motion creating the State Street Advisory Committee and served on it as it drafted the master plan the council adopted in September. She threw her support behind the Coast Village Community Benefit Improvement District, a property-owner initiative in her district, which passed unanimously and to which downtown advocates later referred as they formed the State Street district. She pushed for a downtown day center as early as 2019, a drop-in center for anyone in need, years before the FARO navigation center opened in 2024. And when ICE raids hit Santa Barbara County neighborhoods, she voted for $500,000 for immigrant legal defense and support services, worked with the police chief on the city’s response, and went out on dawn patrols herself.

Sneddon has been the first to move on many of the issues that keep this council stuck. The Independent argues that Friedman is the one who can build consensus. Consider who’s lined up behind Sneddon. Three former Santa Barbara mayors endorsed her: the late Sheila Lodge, Marty Blum, and Helene Schneider. Also with her are the sitting mayors of Goleta and Buellton, Paula Perotte and David Silva, and former Goleta Mayor Margaret Connell. County Supervisors Laura Capps, Roy Lee, and Joan Hartmann support her, along with former Supervisors Janet Wolf and Susan Rose. Former Congresswoman Lois Capps and former State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson are with Sneddon, too. Her support crosses school boards in Santa Barbara and Goleta, SBCC trustees, and the Goleta and Montecito water districts. It includes the people who have spent their careers protecting this coastline, among them Linda Krop, Dave Davis, and UCSB’s Leah Stokes. She also has the backing of the Democratic Party, the Sierra Club, teachers, city workers, and the city’s firefighters. Even Gabe Escobedo, whom the Independent endorsed for City Council, is backing Sneddon for mayor. That is not the profile of a polarizing figure. It is the profile of someone people will follow. What the Independent’s endorsement didn’t mention is who is paying for Friedman’s campaign. He has raised $185,916 this year, nearly double Sneddon’s total, and roughly a third, $63,000 as of his last filing, from developers and corporate landlords. Among his top donors is SIMA Corp., the property company of downtown landlord Jim Knell. By the Independent’s own account, Knell is also bankrolling the referendum to overturn the State Street Master Plan (a plan Friedman voted for originally). But California’s Levine Act requires a council member who has taken more than $500 from someone with a specific permit or contract before the city to step aside on that decision or return the money within 30 days. Which means that should Knell or any other developer from whom Friedman accepted donations come before the council, as is expected to happen with the referendum on December 15th, Friedman would have to recuse himself or return the money. A mayor this reliant on real-estate money should expect these questions as individual projects come forward, and voters deserve to understand that. Sneddon’s critics say she was too slow and too deferential in the rent stabilization fight, and too late in pushing to fix the ordinance’s flaws. That’s fair, and she should learn from it. But she’s proven herself to be someone who leads on new ideas and adjusts with new information. Whether or not she got this one right, the Journal would rather have a mayor who’s willing to change course in public than one who waits to see which way the political winds are blowing so they can take the safe position. Friedman is, by his own description and the Independent’s, a low-key policy wonk who listens, trusts staff, and rarely gives advocates the answers they want. Those are real virtues in a council member. But a mayor in a council-manager city must do more than tend the machinery. She must make people believe something can actually change and then hold a fractious council together long enough to make it happen. That takes energy, conviction, and a willingness to take risks. Sneddon has all three. Is an understated, cautious insider really going to galvanize an entrenched council and usher in a new era of creative, courageous, compassionate leadership? The Journal doesn’t believe so. Vote for business as usual, and that’s what Santa Barbara will get. Do this city a favor and vote Kristen Sneddon for Mayor.

46 Montecito JOURNAL

Voter’s Guide: The Statements Are In Montecito Elections

ith three important races happening in our semi-rural town, the MJ reached out to each candidate running in a Montecito election and politely requested their statement. Here is what they had to say…

Montecito Fire Protection District, Board At-large Five candidates are running for two director seats.

CANDIDATE | DESCRIPTION LISTED IN COUNTY ELECTION FILINGS Candidates are listed alphabetically.

Penelope Bianchi – Interior Designer I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California and have lived and worked in Montecito for more than 30 years as an interior designer and small business owner. My professional experience has required careful planning, budgeting, project management, and collaboration with homeowners, contractors, architects, and other professionals. Having lived through many of Montecito’s devastating wildfires and floods, I understand firsthand the importance of emergency preparedness, public safety, and thoughtful long-term planning. These experiences have deepened my appreciation for the critical role the Montecito Fire Protection District plays in protecting our community. My commitment to Montecito extends beyond my profession. I previously served on the Board of Directors for the Wildlife Care Network and the Montecito Association, where I worked with fellow board members to address issues affecting our community. These leadership experiences strengthened my ability to listen, collaborate, and make thoughtful, balanced decisions. I am committed to supporting our firefighters, promoting responsible fiscal stewardship, and helping ensure the Montecito Fire Protection District continues to provide the exceptional service our community depends on.

Jason Copus – Appointed Incumbent I am honored to serve as your appointed Director on the Montecito Fire Protection District Board and respectfully ask for your vote to continue serving our community. As a lifelong Santa Barbara resident, public service has been a defining part of my life. Since joining the Board, I have participated in decisions involving the District’s long-term financial planning, pension funding, budget development, financial oversight, and policies that help ensure our department remains prepared to protect our community. I served more than ten years in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary and continue to respond to emergencies as a volunteer with Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue. Professionally, I have spent more than two decades leading business operations, overseeing budgets, negotiating contracts, and developing long-term strategic plans. I will continue to provide thoughtful governance, responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources, and long-term planning to help ensure the Montecito Fire Protection District remains financially strong, operationally prepared, and equipped to provide the exceptional emergency services our community depends on. I would be honored to earn your vote.

Jeffrey Guy Gittler – Retired Deputy DA The Montecito Journal reached out to Mr. Gittler and received no response as of October 20, 2026.

Peter R. Taffae – Retired Entrepreneur In 2000, I founded an insurance brokering and underwriting company in a two-bedroom, one-bath, rent-controlled apartment. Over 23 years, we grew into a nationally recognized firm, earning awards for innovation and expertise, before

“The spirit of democracy cannot be imposed from without. It has to come from within.” – Mahatma Gandhi

22 – 29 October 2026

being sold to Goldman Sachs in 2023. As founder, CEO and sole shareholder, I was responsible for every aspect of the business – financial management, strategic planning, risk assessment, personnel and long-term decision-making. I learned to identify vulnerabilities before they become problems, ask difficult questions, and make thoughtful decisions under pressure. I will bring that same discipline, independence, and long-term perspective to the Montecito Fire Protection District Board. Montecito may feel like a small town, but its 20-square-mile footprint demands a comprehensive, prevention-focused strategy that matches priorities to our human and financial resources. Efficiency, planning, and disciplined budgeting can maximize our return on every dollar. Our emergency environment is becoming more complex, requiring preparation before crises – not simply reaction afterward. With a potentially strong El Niño this fall and winter, we must prepare for both wildfire and flooding, regardless of whether conditions prove wet or dry. That means strengthening wildfire readiness, increasing flood-abatement efforts and inspections, and helping residents identify hazards. My priority: prepare, communicate, and protect Montecito responsibly. I will be available via phone and email. Also, I would like to implement “Firehouse Fridays,” where I will be available to meet face to face with residents one Friday a month at the station.

Jenelle Williams – Public Finance Advisor As an appointed incumbent on the Montecito Fire Protection District Board, I’m running to continue serving and to put my financial and government experience to work preparing the District for what lies ahead. My focus is on anticipating emerging risks and making strategic decisions today that protect Montecito for the long-term. For more than 20 years, I’ve worked in public finance, fiscal oversight, and government operations. As a District Financial Advisor, I help public agencies navigate financial, operational, and long-term planning decisions. I also serve on the County’s Treasury Oversight Committee, overseeing a public investment portfolio approaching $3 billion. This experience gives me a practical understanding of how to align resources with priorities, anticipate challenges, and strengthen essential services. On the Fire District Board, I bring that perspective to supporting the Chief and personnel, investing in preparedness and prevention, and addressing emerging risks before they become urgent demands. With proactive planning we can make meaningful investments that enhance emergency readiness and wildfire prevention while maintaining the financial sustainability residents depend on. I’m asking voters to let me continue serving, bringing a forward-looking approach to help the District adapt, remain prepared, and deliver exceptional service to our community today, and for years to come.

Montecito Sanitary District, Board At-large There are two separate Sanitary District contests.

John E. Murphy – Appointed Director, Montecito Sanitary District I’m John Murphy, asking for your vote for the two-year seat on the Montecito Sanitary District Board. I bring more than 30 years of financial experience and a simple habit: check the numbers before signing the check. That’s the approach I’ll bring to every decision about your money. Our wastewater is an underused asset, not just something to send down the drain. We urgently need to examine how reuse or a sensible partnership could put it to work for our community. But a good sales pitch isn’t a plan. Whether we replace our aging plant or send wastewater to Santa Barbara, I’ll ask the same questions: What’s the full cost? What stays on our bill? What do we get? If the facts favor Santa Barbara, I’ll support it. If they favor another path, I’ll follow the evidence, not the noise. Meanwhile, urgent repairs can’t wait for the perfect answer. Measure twice, cut once, then get moving. I’ll own my votes, explain my decisions, and keep public health, our coastline, and your pocketbook front and center. Two years is a short runway. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work.

Director – Two Seats: Three candidates are running for two director seats. CANDIDATE | DESCRIPTION LISTED IN COUNTY ELECTION FILINGS Chris Francis – Financial Consultant For more than 25 years, I have worked in the finance industry, advising families, corporate executives, business owners, and private investors across the United States on complex financial matters. This experience has equipped me with the skills to evaluate budgets, analyze long-term investments, and make sound financial decisions. I hold a degree in Urban and Regional Planning and Development from the University of Southern California and have prior experience in real estate development, providing me with a strong understanding of infrastructure, growth planning, and responsible public resource management. My family’s connection to Montecito spans three generations, giving me a deep appreciation for our community and the essential services that protect our quality of life. Over the years, our family has shared countless memories of enjoying and swimming at Butterfly Beach. Those experiences have fostered a personal commitment to preserving the health, beauty, and character of this special place for generations to come. It is that connection that inspires my desire to serve on the Montecito Sanitary District Board. If elected, I will bring integrity, transparency, and careful financial stewardship while working to protect our community, environment, and quality of life.

Director – Short Term – One Seat: Two candidates are Richard “Rock” Rockenbach – running for one short-term director seat. Appointed Director, Montecito Sanitary District I grew up in Montecito and returned home after a career in military and civilian CANDIDATE | DESCRIPTION LISTED IN public service. It is an honor to currently serve as President of the Montecito Sanitary COUNTY ELECTION FILINGS District Board, and I am asking to continue that service. Ellwood “Woody” T Barrett II – Director, Montecito Sanitary District Our family has called Montecito home for over 25 years. Our children all attended Montecito Union School. We love and care deeply for this community. Preserving the natural beauty and pristine environment we all cherish is a top priority for me. I received my BS in Geology and my BA in Political Science from Southern Methodist University, graduating in 3.5 years while playing on the football team in the Division I Southwest Conference and being a member of a fraternity. I have served on the Montecito Sanitary District (MSD) Board for eight years, three years as the president. The City of Santa Barbara (City) has been recycling water over 30 years and currently provides recycled irrigation water to the Montecito Club Golf Course. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to eliminate the MSD sanitation facility discharge 1,480 feet off Butterfly Beach while implementing recycled water on a regional basis in coordination with other districts; and all of this at a lower treatment cost. How? By sending the MSD wastewater to the City for treatment. My 47 years of geological experience and in-depth knowledge of pumps, pipelines and storage facilities has prepared me to analyze this incredible opportunity. 22 – 29 October 2026

MSD faces serious challenges. Much of our infrastructure is aging, which much be addressed immediately. We must also determine the best location of wastewater treatment. We are evaluating connection to the City of Santa Barbara alongside continued local treatment. I have not prejudged that decision. I believe the Board should obtain the facts we need to compare the alternatives and then choose what best serves Montecito ratepayers. My priorities: protect public health, maintain reliable infrastructure, control costs, preserve options until the facts justify a decision, and conduct our business transparently. I am my own man: I don’t take campaign contributions, my articles are written by me, my signs are placed by me. I know what I have said and my facts are true. We face consequential decisions involving tens of millions of dollars of ratepayer money. The facts matter! These decisions should not be based on wishful thinking, predetermined outcomes, or hidden agendas. I offer governance on a solid foundation.

Floyd E. Wicks – Water Resources Consultant My extensive background in water resources engineering and utility management uniquely qualifies me to serve on the Montecito Sanitary District Board. Having

Candidate Page 514 514

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

Beings & Doings (Continued from 30 30)) scarcely had the imagination to envision. Laurie Rutherford, all idiot grin and rapid heartbeat, shoulders his duffel, merges into and is carried along with the thronging khaki crowds making their way to the docks. His eyes are aimed up, ever up. Every building he sees is six times as tall and twice as swanky as the Arlington Hotel back home. The Arlington…. Aww jeez. Seriously? Laurie Rutherford, escapee and adventurer, feels his heart twist a little, and he moans. Aloud. It’s only been seven days since he left home.

Stephen Stephen gets it. Boy, does he get it. When Laurie had asked his dad’s permission and blessing, the response came without hesitation, surprising Stephen himself. He saw in a flash that Laurie’s impulse to quit town and light out for a more expansive world was the same longing that had driven Stephen and his brother John out of Aberdeenshire, Scotland those years ago, and into the opening paragraphs of an embryonic California whose future they would help write. Aberdeenshire, with its damp spires and clocks and cobbled thoroughfares – the Rutherford

brothers had traveled, at great expense and not a little hardship, to where a guy could breathe, spread his arms, maybe own a little something, build a little something. When Stephen had settled himself in his job at Glen Annie Ranch in Goleta, he sent for his love back home, and Agnes Lawrie was as excited as he to see through sunstruck eyes a new life in a new place. They’d married and begun a family, raised six kids; had energetically interwoven their shared story with that of Santa Barbara. Alongside his brother and sisters, Stephen’s son Laurie had grown up a native Santa Barbaran, knew the town and landscape cold, had explored every corner, every hill and cove and stretch of beach. Laurie had morphed from a gangling awkward boy running up and down State Street with his buddies, to a shy, uncertain teen, and finally to a young man yearning for just a glimpse of what lay beyond his over-familiar hometown. Saying goodbye to Laurie had been hard, almost unbearable, really; particularly given his destination. But his son would be the first of the stateside Rutherfords to take up arms on behalf of their new home, the heroically-christened United States of America. Laurie’s

PUBLIC NOTICE Invitation to Bid No. 2026-002 Repairs and Waterproofing for Deck and Stairway Leaks Fire Station 92 The Montecito Fire Protection District hereby invites the submission of sealed bids for: ITB# 2026-002 – Repairs and Waterproofing for Deck and Stairway Leaks Bid Opening – Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 2:15 p.m. in the conference room at Montecito Fire Station 91, 595 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara. ITB documents may be viewed on the Montecito Fire Protection District (MFPD) website at www.montecitofire.com, or a copy may be secured from MFPD at 595 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara, CA, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Responses must be sealed, clearly marked “Station 92 -Repairs and Waterproofing for Deck and Stairway Leaks” and returned to: Montecito Fire Protection District Attn: Ben Hauser, Battalion Chief 595 San Ysidro Road Santa Barbara, CA 93108 Bids will be accepted until 2:00 p.m. on November 5, 2026. Bids received after this time will be returned unopened. Faxed bids will not be accepted. Montecito Journal // Published October 15 & 22, 2026

48 Montecito JOURNAL

A million men and a forest: The Meuse–Argonne Offensive, the largest and deadliest battle in U.S. military history (photo courtesy of Department of Defense Office of the Chief Signal Officer/public domain)

picturesque slowpoke coach stop with an Eastern elite fan base and growing sense of Self. Stephen had plans.

unguarded desire to feel Life had stirred in Stephen something of the fire he’d felt on arriving in the westernmost reaches of this crazy experimental country. Perhaps most important of all, Laurie would have to leave their family home to finally see it, Stephen had assured his Agnes. When Laurie comes back he’ll finally see what we saw when we’d arrived in California, Stephen had said. And if he doesn’t (Stephen mused darkly to himself, not sharing this brute possibility with Agnes), Laurie will find his own home somewhere and build his own future, love it the way we love this place. When Stephen spoke quietly to her about their Laurie, his hand on her forearm, what could Agnes do but nod? She wasn’t hearing a word of it. In the meantime, Stephen had his hands full. He’d done well since arriving back in the [18]70s, had managed at one point to buy the seaside Dos Pueblos ranch out there in the overgrown Goleta hinterlands, but the year before Laurie left he’d unloaded it. Things were really beginning to happen in the next town, and with the Dos Pueblos Ranch proceeds, Stephen bought 120-some acres of agricultural gold between San Roque Road and Alamar Avenue from the manager of the Arlington Hotel, just down the coast in Santa Barbara – a 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 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

“Democracy is a system in which parties lose elections.” – Adam Przeworski

The Sightseeing Sixth So, France. Laurie looks in vain for the Eiffel Tower. What he sees instead is countryside that looks like it’s been through a meat grinder. Twice. On the anxious and nauseating voyage over, he’d finally come to grips with both the scale and stupidity of the conflict, and the stalemate nature of the individual battles savagely fought by tens of thousands of men at a time, the soldiery on both sides falling like faceless chaff in numbers too huge to understand, for meaningless territorial gains of 10 and 15 meters which would be reversed the following day. The ballyhooed Sanctity of Human Life was mocked by the meaningless scale of the death-dealing. And for what? Because some guy got shot in the backseat of his car in Sarajevo? Really? One guy? And where the hell is Sarajevo? The war, if that’s the word for it, is not going well for either side. Eighteenth century battlefield tactics are bumping up against 20th century war machinery in a stupefying chapter of viscera-spraying folly. But the

Beings & Doings Page 504 504

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 HEATING & 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 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

22 – 29 October 2026

Moments (Continued from 8) contributor to The Muse, and Music Academy of the West board member. From fashion to fortissimo! The former Forever 21 at 901 State Street is getting a $55 million cultural makeover. The Academy celebrated the

Music Academy Alumni baritone Byron J Mayes performs (photo by Phil Channing)

groundbreaking of its new downtown music education center with champagne, performances, and plenty of polished shovels. Goldberg’s landmark $20 million gift, honoring her late husband, Michael Goldberg, helped the Academy acquire the property. President and CEO Shauna Quill welcomed guests, joined by board chair Danner Schefler, campaign chair Todd Yancey, and Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association Executive Director Robin Elander. The civic contingent included Santa Barbara County Supervisors Roy Lee and Joan Hartmann, City Councilmembers Kristen Sneddon and Eric Friedman, and County Office of Arts & Culture Executive Director Sarah York Rubin. Also spotted were Academy board member Bob Boghosian and Beth Gates Warren, Joan and Tim Swift, patron Mashey Bernstein, and emeritus board member Paul Guido. Baritone and Academy alum Byron J. Mayes, accompanied by pianist Alvise Pascucci, filled the former retail space with Rossini’s “Largo al factotum,” while members of the Sing! Youth Choir, directed by Erin McKibben, performed “Be Like the Bird.” Designed by Lawrence Scarpa, the nearly 20,000-square-foot center will feature a 200-seat performance hall, teaching studios, rehearsal spaces, and a rooftop terrace. Opening is anticipated in 2028. For a school long known for Montecito’s musical excellence, The Muse promises a new stage downtown – where today’s groundbreaking may become tomorrow’s standing ovation.

Heat of the Fleet Sing! Youth Choir celebrating the Groundbreaking Ceremony (photo by Phil Channing)

“Where do you park the USS Santa Barbara?” Not at the Santa Barbara Carriage Museum, apparently. But sailors from the namesake warship came

Cheryl Goldberg, Danner Schefler, Shauna Quill, Todd Yancey, and Robin Elander (photo by Phil Channing)

22 – 29 October 2026

CHP secures a Crime Scene Chili Second Place Award (photo by Jay Farbman)

SBCC Culinary Students cheer as they sail away with First Prize (photo by Jay Farbman)

Spicy Supporters Jenn Andreoli, Faith Cuccia, Marzenna Good, Rachel Nigro, and Kathy Halper (photo by Jay Farbman)

ashore with a pot of chili christened “Anchor Drop,” ready for action at the Santa Barbara Navy League’s eighth annual Chili Cook-Off. Eighteen teams put their best beans forward, from Navy and Coast Guard crews to firefighters, police, the California Highway Patrol, and Santa Barbara Yacht Club. The CHP investigated with “CSI: Chili Scene Investigation,” warning, “Chili Scene – Do Not Cross!” Coast Guard cutter Blackfin offered “Bilge Beans,” while the Yacht Club countered with Chef Mario’s “Mario’s Famous Chili.” Clearly, the contenders had a flair for culinary comedy. But the real surprise came from firsttime competitors Santa Barbara City College. Culinary students Noah Baffa, Sabine Zermeno, and Ruby Chaney, alongside assistant instructor Dustin Hopkins and culinary director Charlie Fredericks, erupted in cheers when their chili captured first prize. The CHP claimed second; Blackfin steamed into third. Judges Dave Pintard, Dylan Peterson, and Drew Janssen tasted their way through the fleet.

• Voice of theVillage •

The USS Santa Barbara contingent included Commander Johnathan Buss, boatswain’s mate Zachary Livingston, damage-control specialist Alonzo Lefridge, and young heavy-crane operator Grace Bess. Navy League President Kevin McTague joined loyal supporters Brenda Blalock, Dana Hansen, Faith Cuccia, Jenn Andreoli, Marzenna Good, Rachel Nigro, Kathy Halper, Lola and Ryan Zinke, and Karen and Jack Byers. Admiral-level sponsors included Richard and Mary Compton, Robert and Carolyn Duncan, and David and Patricia Wadors. A live auction dangled a yacht cruise, a Montana lake getaway, and Pebble Beach golf. “We want to find different ways to engage the community, and this year, bringing in the college kids was a big success,” explained Navy League Director Charles “Crash” Huff, whose organization supports adopted military units and their crews, like the USS Santa Barbara. The sailors dropped anchor, the Coast Guard brought the bilge beans, but the culinary rookies sailed off with first prize. Montecito JOURNAL

Beings & Doings (Continued from 48 48)) belligerents, comfy jackass Royals actually related by blood, are too busy cabling each other churlish messages to notice that their subjects are being mown down like grass in complete anonymity. Laurie’s division had been initially sent marching all over France, feinting in order to trick the Germans into misapprehending large troop movements. The constant zig-zagging movement of the division has earned them a nickname – The Sightseeing Sixth. Now all Laurie can think about is Stearns Wharf, the St. Charles Market downtown, the fam’s new house in the foothills; from which you can see the ocean on a clear day, by the way. Hello? What, exactly, had he been thinking?

Dark and Deep When he and the guys are finally assigned to the Vosges region and real action, the world turns inside out – pitch black, seamlessly deafening, and screwed. Incoming artillery turns men into hamburger, chugging on approach like boxcars flying through the burned air. And the barrages include mustard and phosgene gases; stuff that will turn your lungs to liquid if you don’t manage to get your Jules Verne mask pulled over your face in time. Laurie and the guys find themselves running full tilt across chewed-up, smoldering fields, terrified German kids sweeping the advancing line with machine gun fire and everything else they can lay hands on, Laurie’s newish buddies ducking and screaming and sprinting on either side of him. He’s learned their new orders are taking his Sixth Division to a forest that

of Santa Barbara; “calle” this and “calle” that. But the neighborhood – a couple blocks north of today’s Peabody Charter School – will have a hub, the politely disorienting chaos of curlicue roads and houses will be anchored by an orderly, perfect circle which, despite the confused pleas of Stephen’s advisors, will have a French name and not a Spanish one; the name of a French forest, actually. Stephen Rutherford is adamant on this point, he won’t be talked out of it. It’d been the last place on Earth his son saw with living eyes. In 1939 Stephen Rutherford’s dying breath will sigh the memory of his gallivanting son, his restless, lost Laurie – the young guy who simply had to see what more there was to the world, what lay beyond little Santa Barbara. Laurie resides in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Romagne, France, alongside his buddies of the Sixth Division, all of them fodder in the war-ending cataclysm that was the Battle of the Argonne Forest. But this anomalously laid out, newly-minted little Santa Barbara neighborhood, Stephen thinks as the light fades on the curtains, will bring Laurie home for good. Argonne Circle will see to it.

stretches along the entire length of the war’s Western Front. The plan? He and about one million other guys will rush through dense, muddy woods and a storm of flying metal, and with sheer blunt force will shove the allied cause through the enemy’s defenses, break the line and finally end this stupid thing. Right?

Daydream On September 28 Laurie is feverishly focused on a picture in his ringing head – the shady place where Stearns Wharf meets the beach, and where he and his pals would sit like ninnies under the pier for hours, swapping stories and watching the water lap the sand and the tarry pilings. The order arrives and everyone gasps. On the call, and completely against his better judgment, Laurie jumps up with the others and charges screaming into a fusillade of hot steel that rips up the trees in front of him, green leaves momentarily raining like ticker tape in a Welcome Home parade.

Home When word comes to the Rutherfords it buffets them, a gale. They’re stunned, destroyed. But why? They hadn’t been paying attention. Stephen recalls the farewell at the train station, his hat in his hand like he’s saying so long to a neighbor, and not his beloved boy, Laurie. Through the crushing sorrow, Stephen’s dream of a uniquely beautiful place, the land he’d bought the year before Laurie deployed, begins to hesitantly bear fruit.

Santa Barbaran at Rest: Laurie’s stone in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Romagne, France (via public domain)

Though these forays into real estate development, of all things, transpire for Stephen in a fog of heartbreak, his mind begins to clear as he begins to envision this work as a tribute to Laurie. Initially called Rutherford Park, the development between San Roque and Alamar will defy the bland, grid-like layout of the growing frontier town. This place will be like Laurie, Stephen decides; colorful and restless and unpredictable, but with a still center. There will be curved streets, and in a nod to the town’s tradition they’ll bear the fashionable Spanish nomenclature

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

Santa Barbara’s Argonne Circle (photo courtesy of Google Earth)

50 Montecito JOURNAL

“The only stable state is the one in which all men are equal before the law.” – Aristotle

22 – 29 October 2026

Candidate (Continued from 47 47))

Voice of the Village, Rock (Continued from 6)

served our community for 10 years on the Montecito Water District Board, I bring firsthand knowledge of local public governance and our region’s critical infrastructure needs. My technical foundation includes a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in Water Resources Engineering, focusing on Sanitary Engineering and Hydraulics. This training anchored my 40-year career in the utility industry. Professionally, I specialized in managing large-scale water and wastewater utility operations. I served 20 years as President and CEO of American States Water Company (NYSE: AWR), where I formed American States Utility Services. It is now the nation’s largest provider of water and wastewater services to U.S. military bases, under 50-year contracts. Afterward, I established H2Options, Inc., a California water consultancy. If elected, I will leverage my technical expertise, executive leadership, and board experience to ensure the District operates with the highest standards of environmental safety, fiscal responsibility, and sustainability. For the past 10 years, it has been my honor to represent the communities of Montecito and Summerland, as Director on the Montecito Water District. I respectfully request your continuing vote of confidence.

John Murphy and I have not picked an answer. We are not wedded to local treatment, and we are not opposed to Santa Barbara. We want the facts, the risks, and the full cost on the table. Then we will choose what best serves Montecito ratepayers, and explain why in plain English. Our opponents have already spent tens of thousands of dollars on mailers and ads telling you their answer, before the facts are in.

Montecito Union School District, Board At-large Four candidates are running for three governing board seats.

CANDIDATE | DESCRIPTION LISTED IN COUNTY ELECTION FILINGS Anthony C. Hernandez – Incumbent

I have practiced as an ER doctor for over 25 years. My family and I moved to Montecito 14 years ago from Mission Canyon. We have been parents at MUS since then. We did not anticipate the strong sense of community that we have experienced here. That connection has led us to become involved within the community that we love. I had the pleasure of serving on the MUS school board the last two years. We navigated some big hurdles during that time and I became familiar with the state of both our school district and of public education within California. I feel that I have the right amount of experience and energy to help the vision of our district and community moving forward during the upcoming term.

Pierre Labarge IV – Winery Executive Having two boys at Montecito Union School has given me a firsthand appreciation for what makes this school exceptional. From its teachers to its involved families, MUS offers an educational experience that is increasingly difficult to find. We are proud to be a part of this school. MUS is a remarkable school, but its success shouldn’t be taken for granted. Maintaining its high standards requires strong leadership and a community committed to its future. Those are the things I want to protect. As a business executive and former president of the board of the Santa Barbara Vintners Association, I’ve made difficult decisions and balanced competing priorities. Those experiences have taught me the value of sound judgment, financial discipline, and listening to different perspectives. I believe our school board should be accessible to parents, transparent in its decisions, and disciplined with taxpayer dollars. Most importantly, it should keep its attention where it belongs – on providing our children with an outstanding education. I’m running for a board position because I care deeply about this school and the community behind it. I want MUS to be every bit as special for the next generation of families as it has been for ours.

Amy Marie Miller – Community Volunteer My professional background is in library services, where I coordinated reading programs across 19 branch libraries and secured grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. I later pursued graduate studies in early childhood education. My experience serving on local nonprofit boards has given me a foundation in budgeting and finance, outreach, hiring, and programming. As a parent of Montecito Union School students, I have volunteered as a room parent and chaperone and currently serve as Garden Club Co-Chair. In this role, I work alongside teachers, administrators, parents, and students to support our school community. I value MUS’s strengths and believe we share a responsibility to sustain and strengthen them for future generations. 22 – 29 October 2026

“In the next few years [the Montecito Sanitary District Board] will make the most consequential decision in the District’s history: keep treating our wastewater here, or send it to Santa Barbara.”

When I became Board President last December, I set a straightforward standard: if an item is on the agenda, it gets heard, and it gets decided. Items that had lingered finally came to a vote. With my fellow directors and our staff, the District is moving again. John and I are also our own men. No campaign contributions. No one telling us how to vote. Every word we put out, we stand behind. So ask yourself three things. Who do you trust to tell you the truth when it is inconvenient? Who has the competence to weigh a decision worth tens of millions of dollars? And who has actually delivered, not just promised? Then go back to flushing and forgetting. Elect us, and John and I will do the worrying for you. Murphy and Rockenbach. Governance on a solid factual foundation.

Voice of the Village, John (Continued from 6) won’t make our 77 miles of pipe any younger. It just adds Santa Barbara’s invoice. And the claim that we favor a rebuild “at the urgent request” of the general manager? The engineering study now underway passed 5–0, with Director Barrett voting yes. Apparently it’s unnecessary, because the authors have already read the ending. If the numbers favor Santa Barbara, I’ll support it. Until then, ask anyone sell ing certainty: Where’s the number? I seek to join the long line of community stewards who contribute through service and leadership. This election has brought increased attention to the Board’s responsibilities and the current state of MUS. I will prioritize open, ongoing dialogue with parents and community members, ensuring their voices are heard. Together, we can build on what MUS does well, address challenges thoughtfully, and adapt to meet the evolving needs of our students.

Bradley Vickers – Property Manager Montecito Union School helped shape my childhood, and today I have the privilege of witnessing my own children benefit from an exceptional education at MUS. This full-circle experience has given me an even deeper appreciation for what makes this school so special & inspired me to run for the board. MUS is more than an outstanding school – it is one of the cornerstones of our community. The tradition of academic excellence, dedicated teachers, strong athletics, character development, and meaningful family engagement reflects the values that make Montecito such a special place to live. I am running for the Board because I believe the Trustees responsibility is to support and sustain the people, programs, and values that have made MUS one of California’s premier public schools. I have great confidence in our teachers, staff, and administrators and see the Board’s role as providing thoughtful governance, sound fiscal oversight, and long-term stewardship. Professionally, I have spent my career leading complex projects, managing budgets, and bringing diverse stakeholders together to solve challenges collaboratively. As a trustee, I will listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, encourage productive dialogue, and provide steady governance that supports our administrators, teachers, and staff in serving every student.

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Calendar of Events

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24

by Steven Libowitz SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 ‘Time’ and ‘Ties’ – Rubicon Theatre Company of Ventura opens its 2026-2027 season with Ragtime, the once and still timely musical epic that underscores the season’s theme: “The Ties that Bind.” The multiple Tony-winning work – it won four out of 13 nominations – is set at the dawn of the 20th century, serving as a dioramic portrait of the country and its people on the brink of change. Based on the 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow, with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally, Ragtime tells the story of three groups in the United States – African Americans, upper-class suburbanites, and Eastern European immigrants – each represented by a major character, while also incorporating numerous historical figures. Together, they confront history’s timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair with equally contradictory tenderness and violence delivered through dialogue, action, and the show’s soaring, emotionally rich score. J. Scott Lapp directs the Rubicon run. WHEN: Wednesdays at 2 & 7 pm, Thursdays & Fridays at 7 pm, Saturdays at 2 & 7 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm, through November 15 WHERE: Rubicon Theatre Company, 1006 E. Main St., Ventura COST: $40-$104.50 with discounted for students, seniors & military INFO: (805) 667-2900 or www.rubicontheatre.org ‘It’s Been a While’ – You certainly can’t fault Debby Boone for inaccuracy in the title of her new touring cabaret show, her first such sustained solo effort in more THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22 Curious Quartet – Acclaimed guitarist, composer, and bandleader Julian Lage put together a quartet featuring extraordinary colleagues, and then set about to write a new album for the group that includes bassist Jorge Roeder, drummer Kenny Wollesen, and keyboardist John Medeski (of Medeski, Martin & Wood fame). Scenes from Above is Lage’s first album with this lineup and his second full-length collaboration with producer Joe Henry, the highly-regarded singer-songwriter and producer whose dozens of credits include Rhiannon Giddens, Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt, Mose Allison, and Aimee Mann, among other luminaries. Inspired in part by his exploration of everything from the folkloric music of Susana Baca and early calypsom, to American blues and Béla Bartók, Lage created the songs quickly to serve as jumping off points for the quartet’s spontaneity and musical conversation. The close collaborators who had never before recorded together were invited to listen to each other deeply, and respond by thoughtfully shaping each piece in real time. This real-time emphasis on adventurous, deeply interactive jazz, on listening over frank performative virtuosity, continues at the Lobero Theatre. WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $50 & $75 ($100 premium tickets includes preferred seating and a pre-show reception with complimentary drinks and light bites) INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org

52 Montecito JOURNAL

‘Anima’ in Motion – After a creative hiatus, Founder Lisa Citore returns to the helm of Anima: Theater of the Feminine Underground, her visionary, ritual performance art collaborative where women dive deep inside to create works that share their secrets, dreams, revelations, yearnings, veracity, and how they respond to life’s meaningful moments. Now after a decade, each semi-annual production draws on myth, movement, storytelling, dance, song, poetry, theater, comedy and archetypal imagery, with returning artists and newcomers creating pieces that are shared as individual rituals, often in collaboration with each other, both in development and on stage. The emotionally resonant thread connecting each show is a celebration of our shared humanity. Rather than offering an escape from reality, Anima creates spaces to move more fully into it, exploring grief, joy, love, courage, rage, longing and mystery through the transformative power of shared witnessing. If you’ve never attended before, come with an open mind and heart, and prepare to reconnect to your own inner world. WHEN: 7:30 pm Friday & Saturday WHERE: Center Stage Theater, 751 Paseo Nuevo, at the intersection of Chapala and De la Guerra streets COST: $40 in advance, $45 at the door general, $35 students & seniors INFO: (805) 963-0408 or www.centerstagetheater.org than a decade. Boone, of course, remains most famous for her unusual recording at 21 of “You Light Up My Life” – where she sang her vocal track directly over the pre-existing instrumental track for the movie of the same name when producers didn’t like the original singer’s version. The 1977 single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for an astonishing 10 weeks, launching the daughter of 50s – 60s crooner/ Elvis counterweight Pat Boone into the pop stratosphere. The new show, which will be performed outdoors at the beautiful Bellosguardo estate this evening, features a carefully curated selection of songs, spanning genres and generations to take the audience on a personal journey reflecting on Boone’s musical influences, including her father and her mother-in-law, singer Rosemary Clooney. Gates open at 5:30 pm when the main house will be open for viewing including the David Kordansky Gallery exhibition of contemporary art. WHEN: 7 pm WHERE: Bellosguardo, 1407 E. Cabrillo Blvd. COST: $175 (includes complimentary cocktails, wine and hors d’oeuvres) INFO: (805) 969-3220 or www.Bellosguardo.org SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 Sing by the Sea – Raise your voice, enjoy the ocean view, and welcome the fall season with Santa Barbara Revels at its annual Harbor Sing in this participatory and celebratory event. All are welcome to the waterfront regardless of age or experience level to join in as Revels Music Director Dauri Kennedy leads a lively mix of traditional tunes, folk songs, sea shanties, and favorite Irish melodies. Sing along, clap to the rhythm, or simply enjoy the music and setting sun. Songbooks

“A great democracy has got to be progressive or it will soon cease to be either great or a democracy.” – Theodore Roosevelt

22 – 29 October 2026

WHERE: Ojai Playhouse, 145 E Ojai Ave., Ojai COST: Varies INFO: (805) 646-1011 or www.ojaidocumentaryfilmfestival.com

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29

Día de los Muertos Downtown – The 37th Annual Día de los Muertos Free Family Day and the third yearly community Calenda procession take over a few blocks of lower State Street today for an annual celebration known in America as Day of the Dead – the procession itself back from the dead (or at least purgatory), as last year’s event was canceled due to fears of ICE activity. From 10 am-3:30 pm the Front Terrace of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (1130 State St.) hosts a range of family-friendly activities that honor loved ones who have passed away, including art workshops showcasing skull charms, newspaper nichos (small dioramic shrines), and paper flower headdresses, as well as student-and community-created memorial altars. That’s also the gathering place for the procession, which (ironically) bursts with living energy as it marches down State Street to De La Guerra Plaza (8 E. De La Guerra St) with traditional Oaxacan, Mixteco, Zapoteco, Triqui and other Indigenous community music, and numerous exuberant dancing groups including Danza Azteca, SB Folklorico, and regional banda groups. More performances and a small market at the plaza round out the day, which drew 10,000 people back in 2024. WHEN: 10 am-3:30 pm & 3:30-8 pm COST: free INFO: www.sbma.net & www.facebook.com/MCASantaBarbara and snacks are provided, with those of age able to purchase premium wines at the Deep Sea Tasting Room upstairs in the harbor, where the fun continues -- with even more participation via pop-up karaoke -- following the traditional event. WHEN: 4 pm WHERE: 217 Stearns Wharf COST: $20 INFO: www.santabarbararevels.org MONDAY, OCTOBER 26-FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30 Ojai Docs Debuts – The ever-expanding slate of film festivals in the area has a new entry again with the inaugural Ojai Documentary Film Festival, the latest collaboration between acclaimed local filmmakers and producers Eric Goode, Jeremy McBride (perhaps most notably of Emmy-nominated docuseries “Tiger King”), and David Berger, who acquired and relaunched the historic Ojai Playhouse. The festival with the aim of “exploring nonfiction storytelling from vérité and hybrid forms to the wholly unclassifiable, spanning the contemporary and the nostalgic,” will also have a strong local focus from across the Ojai Valley. The five-day fest features films currently in theaters (Musk, You Can See Everything, The History of Concrete), classics, recent works, and those yet to be released, spanning subjects from boat building to profiles, many with filmmakers Q&As. WHEN: October 26-30

CelloGayageum – Just three weeks after Music Academy alums violist Richard O’Neill and pianist-composer August Baik launched this year’s MAW Mariposa series at Hahn Hall with the world premiere of August Baik’s adaptation of Korean folk songs, UCSB A&L opens its Hear & Now series at the venue with a different duo that offers a deeper exploration of bridging Korean and Western classical music. CelloGayageum, the decade old duo of Austrian cellist Sol Daniel Kim and Korean gayageum virtuoso Dayoung Yoon, develops original compositions rooted in Korean folk melodies and infused with global influences. Blending the soulful resonance of the cello with the mesmerizing elegance of the Korean gugak idiom, CelloGayageum engages in a dialogue across musical traditions, evoking a sound that is both ancient and modern. WHEN: 7 pm WHERE: Hahn Hall, 1070 Fairway Road COST: $50 INFO: (805) 893-3535 or www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21

Green Screening – The investigative environmental documentary Out of Plain Sight from director and L.A. Times journalist Rosanna Xia follows UCSB Marine Scientist Dr. David Valentine’s discovery of hundreds of thousands of corroded barrels containing toxic waste — including DDT — that had been dumped off the Southern California coast near Catalina Island. The film, which expands on Xia’s Pulitzer Prize-finalist reporting and examines the environmental consequences that continue to unfold today, won the Audience Choice Award at the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2025, selling out several screenings. Both Sight and Xia return to town this afternoon for a screening as part of the ongoing Green Film Series at the Marjorie Luke Theatre plus a post-film Q&A discussion, where Xia will be joined by a panel of scientists including Valentine and many others. WHEN: 4-7 pm WHERE: Marjorie Luke Theatre, 721 E. Cota St. COST: free INFO: (805) 884-4087 or https://luketheatre.org/events

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. 22 – 29 October 2026

• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

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54 Montecito JOURNAL

MENTAL HEALTH & WELL-BEING

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

LANDSCAPE

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

WATERLILIES and LOTUS since 1992 WATERGARDEN CARE SBWGC 805 682 5750 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. PET/ HOUSE SITTING

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

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

THE CLEARING HOUSE

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

HANDYMAN

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

1996 BAYLINER BOAT FOR SALE 1996 Bayliner Boat for sale by El Toro Holdings, LLC located at 2509 N. Ventura Ave on account of Campbell McConnell or Gerard Sevan. Blind Auction will be held Saturday, October 24th at 12pm REVERSE MORTGAGE SERVICES

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.

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

PIANO LESSONS Openings now available for Children & Adults. Piano Lessons in our Studio or your Home. Call or Text Kary Kramer (805) 453-3481 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

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

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“Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.” – E. B. White

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED 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.

22 – 29 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

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

S H H M P A A L E O I V E A R L E A L T S

F I V E U S I N G M I S D O E A T E N S H A D E

B I G E V E R Y B A N D S O N E A L P A S S

S G T S O O H E D U T I C A P A R T Y T D S

T K O B R A S S L E F T Y T A K E N S T A R E

FIRST

MEAL

EATEN

EVERY

DAY

BREAKFAST

PUZZLE #3

PUZZLE #2

4 7

Down 1 Home of the university mascot Bananas T. Bear 2 Very much like the manner in which this particular clue is being presented 3 Potential follower of anything and everything 4 "How Far ___ a Goodbye Go" (Jason Aldean hit) 6 Top gear?

Across 1 Intrigue producer until '02 5 What makes things merrier, it's said 6 Best in Show, e.g. 8 Still getting familiar with 9 Hose hazard

Down 1 Where the Australian actress Isla Fisher was born, surprisingly 2 Store with commercials that use Ludacris's "Rollout (My Business)" 3 Like many cards, crowds, and curtains 4 Maker of the iComfortPro 7 Best in Show winner, e.g.

Across 1 Goal for a GMAT Club member 4 Like the contents of audiobooks, but not print books 6 Cousins of pickaxes 7 Destination of many an agonizingly long outdoor line 8 Renaissance faire quaff

PUZZLE #5

PUZZLE #4 1

Across 1 Help-wanted request 4 Original surname of the rapper who legally changed his name to "Ye" in 2021 5 Store at which many people pick up litter 6 Aquafina alternative 7 Spotify filter option

Down 1 With 3-Down, moving along very well 2 Sabrina the Teenage Witch has two who are hundreds of years old 3 See 1-Down 4 Less-stellar connection 5 Gp. that once found bullets hidden in a can of Nesquik

Down 1 Company with the marketing campaign "5 Sides of the CX-5" 2 Chow at a shelter, e.g. 3 Block that may get blocked 4 It's absent in a benign situation 5 Falco of "Mayor of Kingstown"

META PUZZLE 3

Across 1 A comedian may have a running one 4 Coldplay's "Music of the Spheres" was the first by a band to gross $1 billion 5 Cole Porter's "Were ___ That Special Face" 6 Pole star seen annually? 7 Emo emotion

Across 1 Like some outstanding things 5 Candy with fez-shaped pieces 6 See 8-Across 7 Chain through seven countries 8 With 6-Across, rocker in a nursery?

Down 1 With 3-Down, unalterable 2 One of three won by Oliver 3-Down 3 See 1-Down 4 "___ grown apart" 5 Battleship location marker

Across 1 Brief rule? 4 First half of the white script on a classic red soda can 5 Follower of pie or eye 6 Exclamation to someone who keeps getting distracted 7 Common backup-singing syllables

Down 1 One that's resistant to radiation, but not to Raid 2 Some neutral shades 3 Revolvers, in dated slang 4 Forceful part of a sneeze? 5 Bottom-line-watching bigwig, in brief

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22 – 29 October 2026

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urs of th Ho e

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y da

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Mini Meta

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• Voice of theVillage •

Montecito JOURNAL

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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 1381 E A S T VA L L E Y R O A D. CO M

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

663 LILAC DR, MONTECITO 5BD/6+(3)½BA • $10,500,000 Cristal Clarke 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

468 CROCKER SPERRY DR, MONTECITO 3BD/3+(2)½BA • $11,825,000 Bartron Real Estate Group / Beth Goodman 805.563.4054 / 805.455.1909 LIC# 01005021 / 00966870

346 WOODLEY RD, MONTECITO 3BD/3BA • $10,200,000 Cristal Clarke 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

1381 EASTVALLEY RD, MONTECITO 7BD/5+(2)½BA • $11,500,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group 805.565.4014 LIC# 01426886

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

605 S A N YS I D R O R O A D. CO M

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

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115 CO R O N A D AC I R C L E . CO M

1080 LADERA LN, MONTECITO 4BD/4BA • $4,500,000 The SB Group 805.886.5735 LIC# 01314939

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

115 CORONADA CIR, MONTECITO 3BD/2½BA • $3,580,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group 805.565.4014 LIC# 01426886

1936 N JAMESON LN #C, MONTECITO 3BD/2BA • $1,950,000 Yolanda Van Wingerden 805.570.4965 LIC# 01308141

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