Monte ito Miscellany by Richard Mineards

Richard covered the Royal Family for Britain’s Daily Mirror and Daily Mail, and was an editor on New York Magazine. He was also a national anchor on CBS, a commentator on ABC Network News, gossip on The Joan Rivers Show and Geraldo Rivera, host on E! TV, a correspondent on the syndicated show Extra, a com- mentator on the KTLA Morning News and Entertainment Tonight. He moved to Montecito 11 years ago. Taking Initiative

Julianna Friedman (donor for the Montecito Community Microgrid), Craig Lewis (executive director of the Clean Coalition), Lee Lysne (Kind World Foundation $150K Challenge grant), and Rinaldo Brutoco (president and founder World Business Academy) (photo by Judi Weisbart)

fter the Thomas Fire and flash future and will provide economic, floods that decimated our environmental, and resilience bene- Ararefied enclave, the World fits.” Business Academy and the Clean After initiating Phase One with the It’s not just about the handbag... Coalition have combined to form the fire and water departments, Lewis, Montecito Community Microgrid who has just moved to Santa Barbara Initiative. from the Bay Area, wants to expand “Together we can create microgrids further to include commercial prop- to ensure indefinite renewable-driv- erties in the upper village and then en energy resilience for critical facil- the lower village along Coast Village ities, including the Montecito Fire Road. Protection District headquarters and Phase One is estimated to cost the Montecito Water District head- $300,000 and take 12 to 18 months to quarters, wells, and pumping stations, implement, while the second phase as well as local life-sustaining emer- will cost around $600,000 and take a gency shelter and supply facilities,” similar amount of time. says Craig Lewis, founder and exec- “The recent disaster and tragic loss utive director of the nine-year-old of life demonstrates the need for ener- by Nora Ephron and Clean Coalition. gy resilience for critical facilities to “This deployment of clean local based on the book by Ilene Beckerman Page 18 energy will showcase the grid of the M MISCELLANYISCELLANY One Night Only – to benefit student scholarships and programs.

Sunday, May 6, 5:30 p.m. The Lobero Theatre Santa Barbara (Tickets online: lobero.org)

Featuring: Hannah Beth Jackson | Meredith Baxter Hattie Winston | Kathryne Dora Brown | Lily Gibson

Directed by Jenny Sullivan

Executive Producer: Lillian P. Lovelace Artists’ Sponsor: Susan B. Rose | Director’s Sponsor: Vicki Riskin

Rinaldo Brutoco, Deanna Dehlsen, Kristy Jansen (chief of staff for the World Business Academy), and Tom Dain (photo by Judi Weisbart)

6 MONTECITO JOURNAL If you haven’t seen your wife smile at a traffic cop, you haven’t seen her prettiest. – Kin Hubbard 26 April – 3 May 2018 MMISCELLANYISCELLANY (Continued from page 6) support the fire and rescue response Having a Ball teams and keep critical water and The Council on Alcoholism and communications infrastructure func- Drug Abuse’s 32nd annual Amethyst tional,” adds Lewis, who was speak- Ball at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara was a ing at a lunch at the San Ysidro Road real gem! Coast 2 Coast Collection home of uber philanthropist Sara The socially gridlocked bash Please Join Us For A Shopping Event to Benefit Miller McCune hosted by Rinaldo attracted around 350 glamorously Brutoco, founder and president of the garbed guests and raised more than Angels Foster Care of Santa Barbara World Business Academy, which is $500,000 for the 68-year-old charity, Kick Off Party Is On campaigning to replace nuclear and which has an annual budget of $5.6 Thursday, April 26th from 4pm - 8pm fossil fuels. million serving more than 8,600 peo- “In the event of long-term outage ple with 23 programs for youth and caused by any one of a multitude of adults. threats to the local energy system, The gala honored the staff of the community microgrids will provide local ABC affiliate, KEYT-TV, for their resilience, keeping the lights on and partnership with CADA for more the doors open at critical and priority than 20 years – which hosted its first facilities, supporting the community,” Mission for Mentors in 1997 – and its says Brutoco. “Relying on Southern tireless and vital reporting through California Edison’s outdated and vul- the Thomas Fire and Montecito debris nerable grid leaves the region vul- flow, was co-chaired by Anne Towbes, nerable to outages during extreme Diana MacFarlane, Holly Murphy, weather events. Dana Mazzetti, Susan Neuman, and “California’s regulatory agencies Betsy Turner. are finally realizing that a clean ener- The cavernous ball room was gy future begins now, not tomorrow again magnificently decorated by – so now is the time to act.” Montecito event whiz Merryl Brown Among the energized guests were for its Twistin’ at the Ritz theme, Judi Weisbart, Berna Keiler, Dan Cerf, with ‘60s rocker Chubby Checker Deanna Dehlsen, Evan a n d Pat Aptaker, & the Wildcats and Dishwalla per- Julianna Friedman, Independent pub- forming. lisher Marianne Partridge, Nancy The tireless Andrew Firestone Brown, Judy Foreman, Lee Lysne, and conducted the auction at breakneck Mike Weissman. speed, including a trip to Seville, Stay tuned. Spain, for $10,500 and “an unparal-

The Shopping For Angels Event Is Thursday, April 26th thru Sunday, April 29 th 20% of All Sales Will Be Donated To Angels Foster Care

Eric Burdon of The Animals and the legendary Chubby Checker in command of the stage performing for patrons of CADA’S Amethyst Ball “Twistin’ at the Ritz” (photo by Priscilla)

Make An In-Store Purchase or Make a Donation to Angels Foster Care of Santa Barbara of $250 or more and Receive a Lovely Gift From VIETRI.

Coast 2 Coast Collection La Arcada Courtyard 1114 State Street, Suite 10 Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 845-7888

Store Hours Monday: 11am -5pm / Tues-Sat: 11am - 6pm / Sundays: Noon - 5pm Amethyst Ball honorees are KCOY,12, KEYT 3 and KKFX 11; news teams Scott Hennessee, anchor; Jim Lemon, news director; Jeff Martin, Creative Services director; Beth Farnsworth, anchor; C.J. Ward, www.C2Ccollection.com anchor; Mark Danielson, general manager; shown with first responders Bill Brown, SBC sheriff; Barney Melekian, SBC undersheriff; and KEYT3’s Joe Buttitta, anchor/producer (photo by Priscilla)

18 MONTECITO JOURNAL Stuck in traffic is not an excuse. It’s a sign of bad planning. – Susan Elizabeth Phillips 26 April – 3 May 2018 April 22, is now the Hilton Santa Donor Carol-Anne Barbara Beachfront Resort. Lonson, owner of the As the ballroom was not ready as Alpaca Farm with an promised because of a multi-mil- alpaca toy, and winning bidder Diana Dodds for lion-dollar renovation, the tony a prize with 10 guests for oceanside hostelry paid to erect a a champagne welcome, large marquee in the hotel’s rotunda tour, hike, and five- to accommodate the 500 guests at the course dinner (photo by fancy fete, co-chaired by Becky Cohn Priscilla) and Carolyn Gillio, which raised around $100,000 for the popular chari- ty which prevents, assesses, and treats child abuse and family violence, with 4,518 clients served last year. Three best-selling authors, includ- ing former ABC-TV gossipeuse Rona Barrett, writer of Gray Matters, for- Michael Imperioli selling Victorian manse (photo mer London barrister Simon Tolkien, by Dale Weber Photography) grandson of The Lord of the Rings cre- has put his Victorian Santa Barbara ator J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote the home on the market for $2.649 million. Doubleday novel No Man’s Land, and Michael, who is garnering good New York Times bestselling writer Lisa ratings in his new ABC-TV comedy See, with her work The Tea Girl of Alex, Inc. with Zach Braff, bought the Hummingbird Lane, were interviewed 2-story 3,000-sq.-ft. home six years ago by Entertainment Tonight veteran Tom for $1.635 million and has done major Weitzel, Dianne Dixon, and Ruta renovations. Lee at the bustling bibliophile bash The 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom prop- emceed for the eighth year by the erty boasts a library, hardwood floors, ubiquitous Andrew Firestone. and crown moldings. Other authors at the event included Danya Belkin, Melissa Broughton, Remain CALM Guy Clark, Kent Ferguson, Steven It was a very in-tents occasion Gilbar, Betsy J. Green, Gail Kearns, when CALM – Child Abuse Listening Lindsey Moran, Denise Woolery, Mediation – hosted its 32nd annu- Lida Sideris, and Elizabeth Stewart. al celebrity authors lunch at Fess Parker’s DoubleTree, which, as of M MISCELLANYISCELLANY Page 30

Andrew Firestone, auctioneer extraordinaire, and winner to twist with Chubby Checker, Michael Romero, grandson of Diamond patrons Colleen Barnett and Mike Taylor (photo by Priscilla) leled party” catered by local restau- No, Thanks rateur Dario Fulati and winemaker Montecito Oscar-winning actress Doug Margerum, with entertainment Natalie Portman has found herself in by Dishwalla, at the mountaintop the middle of a political firestorm after home of singer Alan Parsons and his canceling a visit to her native Israel to wife, Lisa, which was snapped up for receive the famed Genesis Prize. $25,000. Portman, 36, said she did not feel Men’s committee co-chair Peter Hilf “comfortable” taking part in the donated $70,000 to the cause, while Jerusalem ceremony in June hosted Merryl contributed a $10,000 check. by the Genesis Prize Foundation and A silent auction featured a ski vaca- dubbed the Jewish Nobel Prize, with tion in Utah, a week’s stay at the a $2 million award. Joshua Tree desert retreat of rocker She said recent events which she Eric Burdon, eight days in Thailand, found “extremely distressing” con- and a seven-day Caribbean trip to a tributed to her decision, just days after choice of Antigua, St. Lucia, Panama, the European Union called for an offi- Barbados, and the Grenadines. cial investigation into Israel’s use of Among the tony throng at the social- live ammunition against Palestinian ly gridlocked beano were Catherine protesters on the Gaza border. Remak, Bob Murphy, Terry Ryken, The foundation, which has previous- Barry and Jelinda DeVorzon, ly given the award to former Montecito Ralph MacFarlane, C.J.Ward, Beth resident Michael Douglas, ex-New Farnsworth, Joe Buttitta, Stacey York mayor , and Sakai, John and Hazel Blankenship, violinist Itzhak Perlman, says it is Chuck and Margarita Lande, Larry now canceling the ceremony. Gosselin, Roberto Van Geenen, “We feel that Ms. Portman’s deci- Craig and Amy Zimmerman, Dan sion will cause our philanthropic ini- and Caroline Encell, David Edelman, tiative to be politicized, something we Chris and Mindy Denson, Lori have worked hard for five years to Luhnow, Richard Weston-Smith, Bob avoid,” it said in a statement. and Patty Bryant, Virgil Elings, Paul and Jane Orfalea, Michael and Nati Home Improvement Smith, Allen and Anne Sides, and Actor Michael Imperioli, who rose Eric and Nina Phillips. to fame in the TV show The Sopranos, 26 April – 3 May 2018 • The Voice of the Village • MONTECITO JOURNAL 19 MMISCELLANYISCELLANY (Continued from page 19) Among the many supporters were Dolly Granatelli, Anne Towbes, Janet Garufis, Jean Schuyler, Hiroko Benko, Maryan Schall, Beverley Jackson, Roger and Debby Aceves, and Judi Weisbart.

Keys to Survival Camerata Pacifica launched its lat- est concert at the Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall with the world premiere of Soviet-Russian born pia- nist Lera Auerbach’s 24 Preludes for viola and piano with veteran violist Richard O’Neill in a variety of keys. Suzanne McCafferty and Gretchen Horn (photo by The entertaining performance Nell Campbell) completed on a more classical note The Storyteller kids (photo by Nell Campbell) with Schubert’s piano trio in B-flat Major with Warren Jones on key- costing an average of $15,000 for each Hughes. board, Paul Huang on violin, and Ani child and their family to support, An old friend, Alixe Mattingly, who Aznavoorian on cello. are served and the group has just used to work at the , left Another great show from the cham- launched a 30 for 30 campaign to table hosting duties to her husband ber group founded by Irish flutist mark the anniversary, with a goal to Mark, given she had to fly to Houston, Adrian Spence. finance 30 more students. Texas, for the weekend funeral of for- After an entertaining concert by the mer First Lady Barbara Bush. On the Money children, Kenny Slaught, a founding Storyteller Children’s Center, which board member, Donna Baranco Fisher, Voice of Joyce is celebrating its 30th anniversary, executive director, and Tiffany Foster, Multi-Grammy Award winner Joyce hosted its fourth annual Lunchbox president, spoke along with volun- DiDonato wooed in her Santa Barbara Luncheon at the Rockwood Women’s teer Drew DeLozier, a Marymount debut at the Granada. Club, raising more than $80,000 for Donna Fisher and Kenny Slaught (photo by Nell student. The mezzo-soprano flew in from the nonprofit that helps the city’s Campbell) Among the supporters at the bash, New York, where she started a new homeless and at-risk youngsters and dren, aged 18 months to 5 years old, co-chaired by Gretchen Horn and production of Massanet’s Cendrillon at preschoolers achieve kindergarten live in shelters, and since its inception Suzanne McCafferty, were Monica the Met just 72 hours earlier, specially readiness. the charity has served 33,339 meals. Babich, David Edelman, Hollye for the UCSB Arts & Lectures recital, More than 47 percent of the chil- Currently, more than 70 students, Jacobs, Carrie Towbes, Tim and and returned to the Big Apple to be Louise Casey, Jon and Susan Clark, back at just 48 hours Ned Doubleday, Ivana Firestone, later. Erinn Lynch, Francie Lufkin, Delene Kicking off the widely anticipated Sometimes it takes a Bliss, Jenny Hecht, and Sharon concert with Pablo Luna’s work De team to steer you in the right direction.

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30 MONTECITO JOURNAL The smell of cars’ smoke as I wade through traffic overshadows the fragrance of Mother Earth drenched in rain. – Vijaya Gowrisa nkar 26 April – 3 May 2018 Espana vengo, she suddenly stopped Salzburg, Amsterdam, Paris, and The tony twosome started dating her pianist Craig Terry, a Music Tokyo. last year. Cora has four children – Academy of the West graduate, and The award-winning quartet mem- Zoran, 14, Caje, 10, Thatcher, and admitted she’d got “completely lost.” bers hold degrees from the Juilliard Nash, both 9 – from a previous mar- But the performance went on with- School, Harvard University, Cleveland riage, while Ehrlich has two sons – out further ado with works by Ravel, Institute, and the Curtis Institute. Jonas, 12, and Gavin, 10. Massanet, Granados, Antiche, and As impressive as their music. Cora currently co-hosts Bravo’s Rossini, with the undoubted highlight Around the World in 80 Plates and being the charismatic singer’s rendi- All Together works on Fox’s My Kitchen Rules. tion of Handel’s Lascia ch’io pianga Celebrity chef Cat Cora, 51, wed – “Let Me Weep” – from the opera producer Nicole Ehrlich, 42, at In the Mood for Seafood Refurnish. Rinaldo, who she said was her favorite Montecito’s Villa Serano Estate at the There were decidedly fishy goings- composer. weekend. on at the Santa Barbara Maritime DiDonato delighted the sold-out “To share our love and commitment Museum when the Foodbank of Santa Remodel. audience with two encores: Irving to one another, alongside our six sons, Barbara County hosted a mariculture Berlin’s I Love a Piano and Over the was a dream come true,” says Cora. event to emphasize the importance of Rainbow, in honor of her hometown “We couldn’t have asked for a more seafood in the world’s food chain. Rebuild. in Kansas. perfect day.” The nonprofit, which distributes 10 million pounds of food annually, Score by Four invited three local culinary wizards Redesign. New York’s Daedalus Quartet gave to show off their wares: TV show host an impressive debut performance at Michael Hutchings with his signa- the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s ture abalone, City College’s Randy Reinvent. Mary Craig Auditorium. Bublitz cooking blackened cod, and The fab four – violinists Min- Santa Barbara Yacht Club chef Mossin Young Kim and Matilda Kaul, violist Sugich with his sea urchin and caviar. Save 40% Jessica Thompson and cellist Thomas Sustainability consultant Blake Stok ® Craines – played works by Haydn, emphasized the importance of sea- on Lee Sofas Janacek, and Beethoven. food in our diets, particularly meeting The talented musicians, who won protein demands in a sustainable way. & Chairs the Banff International String Quartet “By 2050, there will be ten billion competition in 2001, have performed people on this planet, and we need through June 2019 in many of the world’s leading to implement sustainable fishing and musical venues, including Carnegie farming on a massive scale,” warned Celebrity chef Cat Cora gets hitched (photo 1321 State Street, Santa Barbara Hall, Lincoln Center, the Library of by Emile Wamsteker ©2013, Television Food 805-962-6909 Congress, and locations in Vienna, Network, G.P.) MISCELLANYMISCELLANY Page 40

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26 April – 3 May 2018 • The Voice of the Village • MONTECITO JOURNAL 31 MMISCELLANYISCELLANY (Continued from page 31) seafood is fished in the Santa Barbara Among the pricey baubles are a Channel annually. small Cartier Tank watch for $3,250 Among the guests doing some sole and a pink sapphire open-heart searching were Geoff Green, Frank necklace by the 45-year-old Oscar Abatemarco, Karen Lehrer, Steve winner’s friend Jennifer Meyer for Ortiz, Dana White, Steve Harris, $3,110. Peter and Suzanne Brown, and Steve A less-expensive option is Glacce’s Sherwin. clear quartz water bottle, which infus- es water with positive energy for just All in the Family $80. Georgey Taupin, the 10-year-old Junior Spirit of Fiesta winner, has Gone Too Soon quite a lineage. Georgey, who was chosen with 17-year-old Jesalyn Contraras McCollum to appear in our Eden by the Beach’s fiesta activities in August, is the daughter of Bernie Taupin, Chef Michael Hutchings with Steve Ortiz, United Way president; Jean Miranda and Dana White the legendary lyricist for bespectacled (photo by Priscilla) rocker Sir Elton John who has lived in the Santa Ynez Valley for many years. The talented youngster, who is a home-school student, is the daughter of 67-year-old Taupin’s fourth mar- riage to Heather Kidd, who he wed in 2004. She is a dance student of the Zermeno Academy and will lead El Desfile De Los Ninos during the 94th Old Spanish Days this summer.

Goodness Gracies My congratulations to Montecito Matthew Mellon, R.I.P. (photo by Marina Beroff) actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus who is On a personal note, I remem- the winner of the prestigious Grand ber banking billionaire Matthew Award for the Gracies. Mellon, who died in Cancun, Roberto Lopez, SBCC Culinary Arts; supporter Phyllis Picatto, chef Randy Bublitz, SBCC Culinary Arts; Erik Talkin, SBFB CEOl; and Alexander Tran, SBCC CA (photo by Priscilla) Julia, 57, has been honored for her Mexico, at the all-too-early age of work on the hit HBO series Veep as she 53, as he was about to enter a drug recovers from a grueling battle with rehab facility. breast cancer. Matthew, whose aunt was Bunny The awards, presented by the Alliance Mellon, a good friend of the late Jackie for Women in Media Foundation, take Kennedy, admitted to a $100,000 a place May 22 at the Four Seasons month OxyContin habit, which he Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, and described as “legal heroin.” it is hoped Julia will be able to attend, He was the ex-husband of Jimmy along with other recipients including Choo guru Tamara Mellon and Reese Witherspoon, Claire Danes, designer Nicole Hanley, his second Billie Jean King, Ashley Judd, Katie wife. Couric, and Hoda Kotb. I would often see him in Dark Julia skipped the Screen Actors Harbor, Maine, when I was sailing Guild awards in January, when she with Marshall Field heir Maldwin made history as the first TV actress Drummond, and he was dating to win five individual trophies at the Melissa Rivers, the daughter of late ceremony by bagging outstanding comedienne Joan Rivers, whose TV performance by a female actor in a show I appeared on for four years. comedy series. A charming but deeply troubled Julia, whose show has won 17 individual, who is now, it is to be Emmys, announced her cancer diag- hoped, in more heavenly pastures. Lori Shaw, Foodbank; Frank Abatemarro, SBFB Board member; Mathew Neal, Foodbank; George Bean, SBFB Board vice chair; Edwin Villegas, trustee; and Cindy Halstead, SBFB Board treasurer (photo by nosis in September and completed Priscilla) chemotherapy treatment this spring. Sightings: Star Trek actor William She will be returning to the show’s Shatner lunching at Pane a Vino... Stok. “Local seafood is a very import- seventh and final season in due course. Oscar winner Natalie Portman nosh- ant factor. Currently the U.S. eats ing at Pierre Lafond...Oprah Winfrey sixteen pounds of seafood annually Goop Scoop at the Sacred Space in Summerland while consuming forty-eight pounds Montecito actress Gwyneth of French fries!” Paltrow’s lifestyle website, Goop, has Pip! Pip! His thoughts were echoed by unveiled its annual Mother’s Day gift Foodbank CEO Erik Talkin, who said guide, but be prepared to open your Readers with tips, sightings and food from the sea was something the wallets wide. amusing items for Richard’s col- charity had embraced for years. With its most extravagant option umn should email him at richardmin “We are currently on the lookout for being a $13,000 Hermés Courchevel [email protected] or send invitations food sources, particularly with pro- Kelly Bag, it’s no surprise the detailed or other correspondence to the Journal. Chef Michael Hutchings’ abalone with a red wine tein. The ocean has shoals and shoals list featuring 93 items would cost To reach Priscilla, email her at pris sauce and forbidden rice, a delicious treat plus a of the stuff.” more than $40,000 if you were to buy [email protected] or call courtesy recipe for all (photo by Priscilla) More than 11 million pounds of all of them. 969-3301. •MJ 40 MONTECITO JOURNAL Standing in the middle of the road is dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides. – Margaret Thatcher 26 April – 3 May 2018