The BEST things in life are FREE Mineards’ MISCELLANY 21 – 28 February 2013 Vol 19 Issue 8 A&E green lights Ryan Seacrest’s Montecito reality show; Abercrombie & Fitch turns to Bruce Weber and Butterfly Beach for upcoming catalog; Jay-Z and The Voice of the Village S SINCE 1995 S Beyoncé eye Neverland, p. 6 THIS WEEK IN MONTECITO, P. 10 • MONTECITO EATERIES, P. 38 • CALENDAR OF EVENTS, P. 42 SAVING THE MONTECITO CORRIDOR Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters says Caltrans’ failure to consider alternatives such as those proposed by the Montecito Association “could result in irreversible impacts to this beautiful area... Given all that could be lost, isn’t it worth another look?” she asks. (story begins on page 5) Village Beat Coming & Going The Way It Was Verizon Wireless puts “Cell on Wheels” Montecito Bank & Trust’s Mary Ellen Life on an outcropping called Point Piedras (COW) on Santa Angela Lane as Tiffany off to Southeast Asia to begin Blancas (“White Stones”) had its ups and temporary fix, p. 12 six-month sabbatical, p. 13 its downs, p. 29 2 MONTECITO JOURNAL • The Voice of the Village • 21 – 28 February 2013 The Premiere Estates of Montecito & Santa Barbara RANDY SOLAKIAN DEANNA SOLAKIAN (805) 565-2208 (805) 565-2264 www.montecitoestates.com www.montecitoestates.com License #00622258 License#01895788 Impeccable Style and Design Exclusive Representation for Marketing & Acquisition Additional Exceptional Estates Available by Private Consultation 2.76 Acres - Montecito $14,750,000 21 – 28 February 2013 MONTECITO JOURNAL 3 WINTER SALE INSIDE THIS ISSUE Don’t just shop local, shop locally owned. 5 Guest Editorial Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters explains why consideration of Montecito Association’s CCAP is in best interest of Montecito 6 Montecito Miscellany Ryan Seacrest’s Montecito gets green light; Abercrombie & Fitch models pose on Butterfly Beach; Jay-Z and Beyoncé potential new owners of Neverland; Richard appears on CNN; Oprah’s house to get makeover; Julia Michelle Dawson’s first tome; OSB presents “An Affair to Remember”; farewell bash for Mary Ellen Tiffany; Hats Off! & Masks On!; Women’s Festivals at Bacara; Girls Inc. reception; Christian Tetzlaff entertains at Lobero; Steve Martin, first-time dad; Roberta Flack wows at Granada; Barnaby Conrad passes 8 Letters to the Editor Ms Louise Gray commends J.B. for responding; Robert M. Ornstein believes Caltrans abusing power; Ernie Witham receives helpful gift from reader; Rosslyn Ray reports on successful Rotary Club anniversary 10 This Week in Montecito 20% - 40% OFF MUS book club meeting; Cold Spring School’s Living Legends; Richard Salas speaks at SBMM; DRI reception; Robert P. Johnson’s multi-media talk at Tecolote; Simply the Best Selected Skis, Snowboards, Boots , and Bindings Wedding Showcase; Channel City Club Lecture & Luncheon; Michael Katz tells stories at Montecito Library; The New Yorker discussion group; book signing at Curious Cup; ongoing events Tide Guide 20 - 50% OFF Handy guide to assist readers in determining when to take that walk or run on the beach Selected Ski and Snowboard Clothing 12 Village Beat Temporary “Cell on Wheels” erected on Santa Angela Lane; Southern California Edison prunes trees; Lotusland presents “Swarm: A Collaboration with Bees”; Dawn Lafitte joins SANTA BARBARA SAN LUIS OBISPO LBS Board of Trustees; Montecito Historical Archives formed to honor David Myrick 14 STATE STREET 667 MARSH STREET 13 Coming & Going 962-0049 543-1676 Mary Ellen Tiffany embarks on six-month journey, inspired by Matt Mazza; Coast 2 Mon Sat 10 - 6 Mon Sat 10 - 6pm Coast presents new men’s collection Fri 10 - 7, Sun 11 - 5 Thurs 10 - 8 Sun 11 - 4 14 Seen Around Town Plenty of FREE Parking Plenty of FREE Parking Cottage Hospital’s Tiara Ball honors Leslie Ridley-Tree; “Go Red for Women” Heart Fair and Luncheon at Bacara www.mountainairsports.com 20 On Entertainment Locally owned and Operated for over 30 years! UCSB Arts &Lectures launches Winter Festival; Steve’s Oscar picks; SBIFF news; violinist Leonidas Kavakos blows away audience 23 Sheriff’s Blotter Victim observes men burglarizing vehicle; woman caught after stealing silverware from home 28 Your Westmont President Beebe talks about effective leadership; orchestra presents spring concert; John Blondell directs world premiere; Michael Walzer speaks 29 The Way It Was Hattie visits historic Piedras Blancas Light Station near San Simeon Coup de Grace Barnaby Conrad touched Grace’s life from the moment she met him 34 Our Town Artists Ethan Turpin and Jonathan Smith record sounds from live beehive for installation at Lotusland 36 Curious Traveler Jerry Dunn experiences Vancouver for the first time 38 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 40 Legal Advertisements 42 Calendar of Events UCSB’s Absolutely! (perhaps) ends this week; Air Supply plays Chumash; Santa Barbara Lisa and Chris Cullen Strings benefit concert; Westmont Orchestra’s Spring Orchestra Concert; Hat Check Girl returns to Trinity Backstage; Girls Rock SB! first spring benefit concert; Andrea and Montecito Landscape Neil Di Maggio perform at Faulkner Gallery; Nansie Chapman and J. Kahn & Friends celebrate album releases; Loggins family show at SOhO; Durango Songwriters Expo Landscape Design and Installation preview 44 Movie Showtimes for over 40 years Latest films, times, theaters, and addresses: they’re all here, as they are every week 45 Real Estate View Today’s Heat score is 265, up 208% from this time last year For a FREE Consultation 93108 Open House Directory Call 805-969-3984 Homes and condos currently for sale and open for inspection in and near Montecito 46 Classified Advertising Our very own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer www.montecitolandscape.com rentals to estate sales 47 Local Business Directory California Contractor’s License 263156 Since 1970 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 • 21 – 28 February 2013 GUEST EDITORIAL by Mary E. Peters Ms Peters served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation from 2006 to 2009. Prior to that, she was a Sr. Vice President and National Director for Transportation Policy and Consulting for HDR, Inc. From 2001 to 2005, Ms Peters served as the Federal Highway Administrator for the U.S. Department of Transportation; before that, she served as the Arizona Department of Transportation Director. She is currently Principal of Mary Peters Consulting Group, LLC, an organization dedicated to finding new and bet- ter ways to address America’s infrastructure requirements. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Rand Corporation and as a Member of the Board for HDR, Inc. Ms Peters was appointed to the Arizona Commerce Authority by Gov. Jan Brewer, and supports the nationally recognized BASIS Schools as a School Board Member at the Chandler, Flagstaff and Peoria Campuses. Another Look At Highway 101 Improvement Project was invited to come visit the Montecito-Santa Barbara area last week specifically to take a look at the roadway where the proposed widening is planned for the 101 Freeway. I met over lunch with several proponents Iof the Community Coalition Alternative Plan (CCAP), who are advocat- ing for a simpler, more basic solution than what was proposed in the Draft Environmental Impact Review (DEIR) produced by Caltrans. We took a lengthy tour of the area looking at both the freeway and the adjoining inter- sections and streets. They explained what Caltrans had proposed as well as contrasting the alternative. Projects developed to blend with the fabric of the community they serve “lay easy on the land,” rather than creating a scar on the environment Building The 101 Freeway is part of a historic parkway: the first project of its kind Peace of west of the Mississippi River. I was awe-struck by the natural beauty of this area and the breath-taking views of the coastline as we drove both north and south on the 101 Freeway. With all respect to Caltrans, the proposed complex urban-scale design pro- posed for the three-mile corridor in Montecito appears better suited to a city Mind like Los Angeles. The Caltrans proposal would widen the freeway, add high- occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes in Montecito, and eliminate the left ramps at the Cabrillo and Sheffield interchanges. It would significantly expand the footprint of the 101 Freeway in this area, and would raise the profile of the southbound lanes, eliminating much of the beautiful view of the coastline from the northbound lanes. Given the historic and scenic beauty of the area and the significant change to the area necessitated by the Caltrans plan, the members of the Montecito Association have offered an alternative plan; one that would accomplish the objective of increasing capacity and relieving congestion on the freeway as supported by local voters in Measure A, while preserving the natural beauty of the area. In developing the alternative plan, the Montecito Association examined safety data and found that the left on- and off-ramps are superior in terms of safety when compared to most of the existing right on- and off- ramps in the area. Also due to the 16 freeway entrances and exits in the 3-mile corridor, they recommend commencing the HOV lanes to the south of the Sheffield interchange. Further, the alternative plan would, according to an examination by engi- neers, potentially shave two years off the time to complete the project and reduce the cost in excess of $50 million. For the Cabrillo-Hot Springs inter- Visit Our Website GIFFIN & CRANE GiffinAndCrane.com change alone the alternative cuts the cost from $50 million for the Caltrans GENERAL CONTRACTORS, INC.