Multipurpose “Common” food-service facility, outdoor bowl area, new storage sheds, “realigned” ball fields, expanded media center, area for interior physical education, new parking lot, and more included in long-term transformation of Montecito Union School (stories begin on pages 11 & 12) The BEST things in life are FREE MINEARDS’ 27 March – 3 April 2014 MISCELLANY Vol 20 Issue 12 Coffee, tea, or Oprah Chai? Montecito’s most famous resident is namesake of new brew coming to a Starbucks The Voice of the Village S SINCE 1995 S near you, p. 6 THIS WEEK IN MONTECITO, P. 11 • CALENDAR OF EVENTS, P. 42 • OPEN HOUSES, P. 45 DESAL-VATION Forget about state water and overpriced Twin Tunnels; Montecito’s future is desalination. Israel, a parched desert for the most part, already produces more water than it knows what to do with. (story begins on p.5) In The Books On Course Ride ’Em Cowgirl Pulitzer Prize winner Bill Dedman, author Montecito Country Club renovations Rider, biologist, and Go’n Coastal author of Empty Mansions, lends voice to finally on par and seeing green, to the Sue Benech Field pens poetry when David Myrick’s archives, p. 26 tune of $40 million, p. 12 not on horseback, p. 36 photo: Carlsbad Desalination Project (courtesy of Poseidon Water) 2 MONTECITO JOURNAL • The Voice of the Village • 27 March – 3 April 2014 Stately Privacy - 4 Acres Ranch Estate - 250 Acres Montecito Santa Ynez Valley The Premiere Estates of Montecito & Santa Barbara RANDY SOLAKIAN DEANNA SOLAKIAN Residential Splender - 2 Acres Private Garden Estate - 1.6 Acres (805) 565-2208 (805) 565-2264 Montecito www.montecitoestates.com www.montecitoestates.com Montecito License #00622258 License#01895788 Exclusive Representation for Marketing & Acquisition Additional Exceptional Estates Available by Private Consultation European Estate - 6.5 Acres Romantic Palladian - 2.14 Acres Montecito Montecito New England Style - 3 Acres Sophisticated Sanctuary - 29 Acres Hope Ranch Montecito 27 March – 3 April 2014 MONTECITO JOURNAL 3 MORTGAGE LENDING MADE SIMPLE At Bank of Manhattan, we specialize in purchase-focused lending. Every dream home needs a dream loan; call today and experience the Bank of Manhattan difference. • Guaranteed 14-Day Closing on All Purchases • Banker/Direct Lender/Broker Model • Appraisal Credits up to $500 on All Purchases • Competitive Rates and Turn Times • Full Underwriting Pre-Approval • Able to Lend in All 50 States Adam Black Bromi Krock Arick Fuller Patrice Serrani VP, Senior Loan Officer Senior Loan Officer Senior Loan Officer Senior Loan Officer 805.308.8888 805.308.8887 805.308.8886 805.637.5112 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Certain limitations, conditions, and fees may apply. Rates, terms, conditions and availability are subject to change or withdrawal at any time and without notice. Purchase offers cannot be combined with any other offer from Bank of Manhattan. Program specials are for Conventional first lien purchase loans financed with a Bank of Manhattan product only on 1-4 family dwelling. Brokered loans. HELOC’s, new construction, interim construction, temporary financing are excluded. Please contact your Loan Office for additional details and requirements! Other conditions and restrictions may apply. Other loan products are available through Bank of Manhattan. ©2014 Bank of Manhattan, N.A, NMLS #401422 Garden Gossip When it comes to the water shortage, Lisa Cullen explains there’s mulch to do about INSIDE THIS ISSUE your landscape before summer rolls around. 26 Coming & Going 5 Drought Defense Author Bill Dedman is on track with David Myrick’s archives for fundraiser at Montecito In his latest editorial, water authority Bob Hazard rolls out the barrels of insight, Country Club; SB Youth Ensemble Theatre members to sing at Here’s The Scoop gala April 12 number crunching, and advice; as always, hold the salt Movie Guide 6 Montecito Miscellany Latest films, times, theaters, and addresses: they’re all here, as they are every week Get ready for Oprah Chai; GMA’s Josh Elliott seeks $8 million; teacher Leon 32 Our Town Lewandowski and Random Acts of Kindness; musician Timothy Chooi requires El Montecito Early School kids connect with grandparents during a concert earlier this month two; Music Academy of the West to honor Marilyn Horne; name contest; Selberts’ 34 On Entertainment soirée with Wynton Marsalis; name rings a Bell at the Granada; conductor Heiichiro The transformations of Metamorphoses move into the New Vic; Edward Giron plays Ohyama’s anniversary; West Side Story; celebrating nonprofits; St. Patrick’s party around in Carpinteria; Shen Yun culture on display at the Granada 8 Letters to the Editor 35 Your Westmont Saving the Hosmer Adobe; SB Youth Ensemble Theatre; a Gorgeous caption correction; A lecture examines the effectiveness of mathematical algorithms April 3; an actor from Fruitvale reap versus rake; tips and tricks; the Left isn’t necessarily right; Nancy Gifford’s Station joins a screening April 3; and Pirates of Penzance swipes three national awards gratitude; buckets and basins during the drought 36 Trail Talk 10 Village Beat Lynn Kirst follows the productive path of cowgirl Sue Benech Field, who waxes poetic Fire Protection District Board of Directors adopts Ordinance 2014-01; Montecito about her first book,Go’n Coastal, and late husband A.J. Field Country Club renovations are on course; Nest doctors are in the house on Chapala 38 Sheriff’s Blotter Street Vehicle break-in and stolen purse; Summerland’s case of the stolen quarters, 11 This Week laundromat-style; one hiker killed, another injured on Cold Springs Trail Hank Pitcher’s work at Maritime Museum; The New Yorker group discussion; all 40 Public Notices about colon cancer at Goleta hospital; MBAR to meet March 31; SB Public Library 42 Calendar of Events System’s Adult Literacy Program seeks volunteers; Montecito Association meets April April Verch on the Ojai perch; Lit Moon over Denmark; Deepak Chopra at the 1, no fooling; MUS board to convene April 2; explore SB trails via a free slideshow; Arlington; Freda Kelly documentary at Marjorie Luke; Trinity Backstage hosts Dana Sandcastle Music Together at library; Marjorie Luke Theater hosts Seniors Have Talent; Cooper; Mannish Boys at Carrillo Rec Center; “Breaking Backwards” with Soul Street; tea dance, free dance; all that jazz at SOhO; John Hodgman, the “minor” celebrity; All-Star Comedy Night at Tide Guide the Jewish Community Center; Garrison Keillor chats up the Granada Handy chart to assist readers in determining when to take that walk or run on the beach 45 Real Estate 14 Seen Around Town Michael Phillips feels the current Heat Index and compares its numbers to a year ago; Laguna Blanca School observes its 80 years with an “80 Days” theme; Sansum Clinic sales of Montecito single-family houses have slipped considerably teams with SB Historical Museum to publish Noticias; clinic welcomes Dr. Julie Ann 93108 Open House Directory Freischlag to town Homes and condos currently for sale and open for inspection in and near Montecito 21 Notes from Downtown 46 Classified Advertising Attracting women is no sweat for Jim Alexander, who is so excited about a new Our very own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from university study he might never stop dancing summer rentals to estate sales 23 Seniority 47 Local Business Directory Vicki Johnson expounds on identity theft and all types of fraud during Unity Shoppe Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when luncheon they need what those businesses offer 4 MONTECITO JOURNAL • The Voice of the Village • 27 March – 3 April 2014 Drought Defense by Bob Hazard Mr. Hazard is an Associate Editor of this paper and a former president of Birnam Wood Golf Club Is Desalination the Right Choice for Montecito? (Part II) ast week, we looked at cost considerations and technological advances that make desalination a viable source of reliable water in drought-prone California. To continue the evaluation of desalination as a source of water Lfor Montecito, it is useful to investigate the desal experiences of others. For clarification on the following use of Acre Feet (AF), you should know that one AF of water (enough water to cover one acre with water 12 inches in depth) equals 325,851 gallons. In Santa Barbara, average usage is 130 gallons a day or 3,900 gallons of water per month. In Montecito, with its lush foliage and larger lots, the average is closer to 290 gallons per day or 8,700 gallons a month. So, on that basis, an AF of water should supply about 37 Montecito households per month. You can take it from there. Need Water? Check with the Israelis Without rainfall or significant groundwater, Israel has had to rely on reduc- ing the cost of separating salt from seawater. In the last 10 years, Israel has transformed itself from a parched desert into a land of water surplus. The first major desalination plant opened in Israel in Ashkelon in 2005. It was a 50-50 joint venture between IDE (Israel Chemicals and the Delek Group) and France’s Veolia Group. Since then, three more desal plants have come online and more are planned. Today, desal plants in Israel produce 600 million cubic meters of water per year (486,400 AF), or more than half of Israel’s total freshwater needs. In addition, Israel treats and recycles more than 80% of household wastewa- ter, the highest recapture rate in the world. It has also developed computerized leak detection systems and sophisticated drip irrigation. An estimated 25 to 30% of the world’s water production is wasted because of leaks in distribution, according to TaKaDu, an Israeli company that developed the technology that minimizes leaking.