The best things in life are FREE Mineards’ 17 – 24 May 2012 MISCELLANY Vol 18 Issue 20 Family Flyers: U.S. Navy pilot, 88-year-old Al, his sons Rick and Alan, and now 24-year-old Julie Reichel take to the skies; Robert Eringer’s Guide to Montecito (on The Voice of the Village S SINCE 1995 S under $150 a day), p. 6 – Matt Middlebrook, THIS WEEK IN MONTECITO, P. 10 • MONTECITO EATERIES, P. 40 • CALENDAR OF EVENTS, P. 42 Caruso Affiliated (full story on page 6) IT TOOK HER 50 DAYS TO SKI TO THE SOUTH POle… ALONE Village Beat Laguna Blanca piles up the awards at Journalism Conference in Seattle, p. 12 The Way It Was Santa Barbara Sheriff James Ross was the bane of rumrunners during Prohibition, p. 21 Girls Inc. keynote speaker Liv Arnesen was strong, smart, and bold way before it was cool for women to be strong, smart, Real Estate View and bold (story on page 29) Year over year, Montecito sales up nearly 50%; prices climb a 93108 OPEN HOUSE DIRECTORY P.44 healthy 20%, p. 27 – Matt Middlebrook, Caruso Affiliated (full story on page 6) 2 MONTECITO JOURNAL • The Voice of the Village • 17 – 24 May 2012 The Premiere Estates of Montecito & Santa Barbara Offered by RANDY SOLAKIAN NEW PRICE (805) 565-2208 Historic & Sophisticated Hilltop Estate www.montecitoestates.com Montecito - $9,950,000 License #00622258 Exclusive Representation for Marketing and Acquisition Additional Exceptional Estates Available by Private Consultation Restored 1915 Craftsman Top of Santa Barbara Riviera - $4,850,000 Pristine Beachfront - On the Sand Montecito - $15,900,000 17 – 24 May 2012 MONTECITO JOURNAL 3 INSIDE THIS ISSUE 5 Editorial Our picks for the California Presidential Primary Election 6 Montecito Miscellany Al Reichel and his family tradition; Robert Eringer’s guide to Montecito; Shane Baum’s new venture; New Vic set to open fall 2013; SB Polo Club hat contest; CAMA season closer; Angels Foster Care fundraiser; SB Symphony season finale; multi-medium show premieres at UCSB; Cirque Dreams production; Floyd and Martha Bradley host discussion; sightings 8 Letters to the Editor Russ McConnell thanks MJ; Addison Thompson’s inquiry; Phil Palmquist sick and tired; SB Kindermusik and Friends looking for new space; David Broman responds to Bob Hazard 10 This Week in Montecito Food and Wine Safari event; Maritime Museum lecture; SB Republican Women, Federated luncheon; Erin Graffy speaks; open house at Howard; CALM antique sale; MTF hike; Cancer Prevention Fair; MBAR and MPC meets; public workshop; Prelude to Summer Bach Concert; ceremonies on Memorial Day; ongoing events Tide Guide Handy guide to assist readers in determining when to take that walk or run on the beach 12 Village Beat Montecito Association Board deems DEIR inaccurate; Board of Supervisors likely to adopt TOT Rebate; Sheriff Substation to close in Carpinteria; seven MUS teachers will retire this year; High Fire Season alert begins May 25; Read ‘N Post’s temporary post office; Laguna Blanca newspaper honored; Crane’s Young Scientist Summer Institute; Walk ‘N’ Roll to school event; Montecito students participate in Disney Performing Arts Program 14 Seen Around Town Transition House’s Derby Day at Coral Casino; Domestic Violence Solutions 1920’s event; American Heart Association 14th annual fundraiser 21 The Way it Was The incorruptible Sheriff Ross versus Prohibition 23 Seniority Patti and her husband head out on the open road 24 Sheriff’s Blotter Possessions stolen from car in Summerland; structure fire on Barker Pass 27 Real Estate View Sixteen properties have sold in Montecito since the first of May 29 Montecito Insider Liv Arnesen to speak at Girls Inc. One Hundred Committee’s 27th Scholarship Luncheon 30 Montecito Sportsman Final part of John Burk’s four-part story on Alaska 33 Ward Connerly If it’s all about “fairness,” wonders Ward, why doesn’t President Obama include race in that principle? 34 Your Westmont Coast 2 Coast Collection The college mourns the loss of professor Dr. Alex Moore; exhibition puts artists’ works on sale; observatory focuses on Saturn May 18 Featuring 35 Book Talk Christofle Luxury Silver Graduation Gifts Book critic Michael Dirda recounts his history with Arthur Conan Doyle and the Sherlock Holmes series 36 Trail Talk Rancheros Visitadores raise $65,000 for the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara 37 Montecito Diary Crane’s “Casino Royale” bash at Coral Casino 38 On Entertainment Blues legend Tab Benoit plays Warren Hall; La Petite Chouette presents “Indah” at Lobero; Taste of the Nation at Montecito Country Club; Downtown Art & Wine Tour approaches; pop acts around town; classical performances 40 Guide to Montecito Eateries The most complete, up-to-date, comprehensive listing of all individually owned Montecito restaurants, coffee houses, bakeries, gelaterias, and hangouts; others in Santa Barbara, Summerland, and Carpinteria too 41 Ernie’s World Ernie has a four-day Memorial Day weekend, and with it, a world of possibility Movie Showtimes Latest films, times, theaters, and addresses: they’re all here, as they are every week 42 Calendar of Events Jonah Lehrer at UCSB; Wanda Sykes at Chumash; “Echoes” plays at Center Stage; Camerata Pacifica season ender; Rubicon Theatre presents Gem of the Ocean; Gustafson Dance’s Madeline: Lost in Central Park; Fiesta opening party; SB Dance Institute performance; Speaking of Stories; UCSB Percussion Ensemble performs 44 93108 Open House Directory Homes and condos currently for sale and open for inspection in and near Montecito 45 Legal Advertisements 46 Classified Advertising Our very own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer La Arcada Courtyard ~ 1114 State Street, Suite 10 ~ Santa Barbara, CA 93101 rentals to estate sales Phone: 805.845.7888 ~ www.C2Ccollection.com 47 Local Business Directory Store Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-6pm & Sunday Noon-5pm Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer 4 MONTECITO JOURNAL • The Voice of the Village • 17 – 24 May 2012 Editorial by James Buckley Our Primary Selections (Part One) he June 5 California Presidential Primary Election has snuck up on us. Election Day is now less than three weeks away and absentee ballots are already being filled out and mailed. Decisions – and endorsements T– have to be made. So, we begin with finding ourselves in 100% agreement with Barack Hussein Obama who, as a sitting U.S. Senator from Illinois, said in 2006: “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can- not pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and interna- tionally. Leadership means that, ‘the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.” As Allen Shaffer of Plano, Texas famously wrote in a letter to the editor of the Dallas News, in commenting upon criticism of presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s wealth: “Apparently, I’m supposed to be more outraged by what Mitt Romney does with his money than by what Barack Obama does with mine.” If you find yourself in agreement with Mr. Shaffer – which we do – then perhaps you’ll find our following endorsements of some comfort. If you, on the other hand, are content with borrowing over $4 billion a day to keep this chimerical merry-go-round going, then you’ll probably disagree with some of our choices. But, choose we must. Prop 28 reduces from 14 years to 12 years the amount of time a person may serve in the California state legislature. We don’t believe the difference is significant. We’re voting NO, but if it passes it will be no big deal. Prop 29 will add $1 onto the already high taxes (currently $.87) slapped upon a single pack of twenty cigarettes. The money is supposed to go to cancer research and tobacco-related diseases but in the end the revenues collected will probably be thrown into the giant tax hopper to fund yet more bureaucrats. We’re voting NO, as Californians, whether they smoke or not, are already over-taxed. U.S. President: Mitt Romney is an easy choice. Every one of his major Republican opponents has dropped out of the race (though we’re not quite Building sure that Charles “Buddy” Roemer has done so officially), but even if he and the others hadn’t dropped out we’d still go with Mitt. At first, our Peace of Mitch Daniels Peace hope was Indiana Governor , but he declined to run. Then, with a long memory of Romney’s desultory campaign for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts against Ted Kennedy in 1994, we were wary of Mr. Romney. But, as the campaign progressed he became a much better candidate and his primary victory speeches displayed resolve and a deep understanding of the Mind issues. In addition, his positions became clearer and the difference between Romney’s approach and the current approach by President Obama is stark. We enthusiastically look forward to voting for Mitt Romney on June 5 and again in November whereupon we hope – and pray – he beats Mr. Obama. U.S. Senate: There is a gaggle of Republicans (along with a couple of Democrats and a Peace and Freedom Party candidate) running against sit- ting Senator Dianne Feinstein, but not one has a ghost of a chance of unseat- ing the long-seated Ms Feinstein.