The California Highway Patrol said that Meadows was killed on East Valley Road near Stonehouse Lane when she was hit by a 2006 Toyota 4 Runner.

Her friend Keebler was also struck by the car. She spent a few days at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Fortunately, she survived.

Richardson was behind the wheel that morning. Now he is Santa Barbara County Jail facing second-degree homicide charges.

But what happened that day? Aside from those involved, no one knows.

Allison Meadows

The CHP is investigating the incident, but authorities suspect that car-surfing ­– a dangerous act where people ride atop moving vehicles – may be to blame.
What authorities are saying is that Richardson, 28, also faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving after he lost his license because of a prior DUI conviction.

The District Attorney’s Office said that Richardson had three prior DUI convictions.
“This murder charge is based upon an allegation that the actions of the defendant showed a conscious disregard for human life,” said District Attorney Joyce Dudley in a prepared statement.

Lanie Tyrone Richardson

In the days after the crash, friends of Meadows, from Paso Robles, set up a memorial near the spot of the accident on East Valley Road. The accident took place near an area on East Valley Road called “The Bump” because the road dips down.

The area has long been popular for car surfing.

Meadows worked at Issels Cancer Treatment Center in Santa Barbara. Keebler works for Latitude 34˚ Technologies in Goleta.

The case has been clouded in mystery since it happened.

Initially, the CHP reported that Keebler and Meadows were walking on the side of the road and were hit by the 4 Runner. Authorities then said that two “good samaritans,” rather than call 911, drove the women to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

The CHP released few details on the accident until late that night.

But the story apparently didn’t add up. A few days later, authorities backpedaled, and instead arrested Richardson. Police closed the road temporarily while officers investigated the crash.
The mysterious incident has captured the attention of Santa Barbara and the car-surfing community locally and nationwide.

Car surfing is when a person rides on the outside of the car on the hood, roof or trunk and became popular in the 1990s and is still popular today.

From 1990 to 2009 there were 99 injuries involving car surfing reported nationally, 58 fatal, according to a Centers for Disease Control report.
The Facebook group “Carsurfingkills” is trying to bring awareness to the issue. The creator, Wendy Bieberle, lost her son Cameron in a car surfing accident in 2008 and launched the group to bring awareness to the severe dangers that accompany car surfing.

Over two days last week, Richardson appeared in court to settle some legal issues. He could no longer afford his criminal defense attorney, Steven Andrade. Attorney Josh Webb offered to defend Richardson for free, contingent upon the investigation fees being paid by the state, much like a public defenders investigation fees would.
Judge Clifford R. Anderson blocked this on grounds that the state could not afford to pay these fees in the financial predicament it is already in.
Richardson was assigned public defender Rafael Amezaga to fight the charges, including second-degree murder, parole violation, driving without a license and while intoxicated. His bail remains at $1 million.

On Thursday, Richardson pleaded not guilty on all charges.  A preliminary hearing is scheduled for late July.

“This is not something that’s going to be solved quickly,” Amezaga said. “It’s the first step in a process of getting through the criminal justice system.”

Amezaga said the murder charge is unnecessary and that it was a case of “young people searching for fun and having a tragic accident.”

Meadows’ family was in attendance on Thursday and could be seen shedding  tears,  but would not comment on the case at this time.

Amezaga said that his client is remorseful, shocked at the murder charge and unsure of what lies ahead. He also confirmed that police interrogated Richardson the morning of the accident, and that he was let go before his arrest two days later.

It was clear that Amezaga is playing catch up after being just put on this case. He was unaware of some of the facts after being peppered with questions.

Richardson’s bail remains at $1 million and Amezaga said his client will not be able to make bail.

The California Highway Patrol is handling the investigation and is still not releasing any more information about the case.

It was about two years ago (August 2010) that she opened her first retail location at 201 West Carrillo Street. A week ago, The Grapeseed Company celebrated the opening of its second retail location, at 4193 Carpinteria Avenue #9, Carpinteria.

The formula for expanding a business amid the current economic doldrums may be as elusive as creating a standout skincare product line, but Cotte seems to have the formula for both. When asked about what’s driving The Grapeseed Company’s forward progress, there wasn’t a moment’s hesitation in her answer.

“Diversify, diversify, diversify,” she said. Cotte cited a “kickin’ wholesale” and a thriving private label business as keeping the operation moving forward, even should the retail aspect of the business slow down.

She also believes, however, that Grapeseed sees some benefit from skincare industry trends.

“People are more aware of natural skin care and its benefits,” she shared. “It’s a growing market.”

The company has successfully capitalized on this trend in several ways. Grapeseed Company products are now carried in T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, both divisions of retail giant TJX, as well as Canadian divisions HomeSense and Winners.

The company also continues to supply and design private label products for spas, including higher-profile names such as Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley and Allison Inn & Spa in Willamette, Oregon.

Accordingly, there’s little wonder that manufacturing at the W. Carrillo store had become challenging in some ways. For instance, said Cotte, when 75-foot freight trucks would negotiate the small-yet-busy available space to pick up orders. So when she found a space in Carpinteria that was also zoned for retail, she took advantage. The company’s production largely moved to the new Carpinteria location in April.

It was largely during the past three weeks that the approximately 300-square-foot retail space was built out, through the hard work of Kristin and her husband Peter Cotte, CFO.  He shared that “Just pulling it together with all of the wholesale stuff we have going on,” was a major challenge.

Yet on Saturday, there wasn’t a bottle out of place in the modest yet welcoming and bright space. Attendees enjoyed specials on certain products as they welcomed Grapeseed to the location—a seemingly fitting addition to the lifestyle-centric row of businesses that include a specialty wine shop, a purveyor of stand-up paddle boards, and a chocolatier.

Looking forward, Cotte said that the additional space offers several other benefits. She sees potential in the freed-up manufacturing space at the W. Carrillo store to install a dedicated spa room, for instance. And while the Carpinteria store will be open most days to the public, Cotte is setting Tuesdays and Wednesdays for appointments with buyers, something that previously happened at the Santa Barbara location during the course of normal retail business.

The Grapeseed Company

4193 Carpinteria Avenue #9, Carpinteria

Open M, Th, F, & Sat. 10:30 a.m.-5:30p.m.

201 West Carrillo Street, Santa Barbara

Open M-Sat. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Online: www.thegrapeseedcompany.com; in-store pick-up available no charge

By JOSHUA MOLINA

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday that it had filed a second degree murder charge against the man accused of running over two women, killing one of them, in Montecito last Wednesday.

Lanie Tyrone Richardson also faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving while his privilege to drive was suspected for a DUI conviction.

The District Attorney’s Office said that Richardson had three prior DUI convictions.

“This murder charge is based upon an allegation that the actions of the defendant showed a conscious disregard for human life.

Richardson is in County Jail with a $500,000 bail. His is schedule to be arrained on June 20.

Authorities arrested L. Tyrone Richardson on Friday in connection with the death of the woman, Allison Meadows. Richardson was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with bail set at $500,000.

The California Highway Patrol said the driver fled the scene after hitting two pedestrians near East Valley Road in Montecito.

A second woman hit, identified by the CHP as Lindsay Keebler, 25, suffered major injuries and is in Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Community celebrates restored tower clock and the renovated Spirit of the Ocean fountain.

By Kelley Drechsler

The sound of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse bells rang throughout downtown Santa Barbara on Tuesday in celebration of the newly restored tower clock and the renovated Spirit of the Ocean fountain.

The commemoration, organized by the nonprofit Courthouse Legacy Foundation, attracted about 100 people.

As the clock approached 11 a.m., Bill Mahan, President of the Courthouse Legacy Foundation, led the crowd in counting down until the minute hand reached the hour.

A round of applause erupted at the sound of the bells and, shortly afterward, water began gushing in the fountain for the first time in decades.

“This is not just a typical courthouse used by lawyers—it makes me feel like I’m in London,” said Mahan, in his speech honoring the renovated fountain and tower clock.

Also present were Doreen Farr, Third District Supervisor, Salud Carbajal, First District County Supervisor, and Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara.

Farr described the unveiling of the restored tower clock and fountain as “important milestones in the history of Santa Barbara.”

“The people who live here care so much about this place and donate so much,” Farr said.

Farr described the event as a “legacy” because the community has been so willing to restore and preserve the beauty and rich history of Santa Barbara.

“This legacy will be enjoyed not just by people who live here but also by people from the state and the country,” Farr said.

Officials then revealed a plaque observing the fountain.

“Isn’t that beautiful?” asked Mr. Mahan, as the spectators clapped in appreciation.

The fountain, finished in 2011, was originally designed in a Spanish-Moorish style and completed in 1929 after the 1925 earthquake had destroyed most of the city, including the old Greek revival Courthouse.

In 2010, the local architectural conservators identified that the fountain was one of the many features of the Courthouse that needed to be renovated.

“This fountain is the spirit of the ocean,” Salud Carbajal said, speaking both literally and figuratively.

Carbajal made an honorary speech for Naomi Schwartz, a founding member and former president of the Courthouse Legacy Foundation, who died last week.

“Every day for years she would look here and appreciate it so much,” he said. “She was just an extraordinary person…and I would like to say that we (restored the foundation) in her honor.”

After the speeches, a guitarist began playing music and the guests enjoyed refreshments as they conversed about the beauty of the Courthouse.

One of the guests, a local artist, was fascinated by the manual labor that was required to restore the fountain.

“They had a stone yard [in front of the fountain] while two men carved the fountain by hand. They used very few tools to minimize the sound,” he explained in admiration.

The design of the sculptures originated from England, but the materials that were used are local. The stones came from Slippery Rock Ranch in Goleta and the tiles for the pond are from NS Ceramics.

“This is the most important element when you walk into the courthouse,” said Mahan. “I think it’s the most beautiful monument in the country!”

Mayor backs off controversial ballot measures

By JOSHUA MOLINA

Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider on Tuesday announced that she will tweak two of her ballot proposals — and push them all back to the Nov. 2013 ballot.

Schneider has dropped one of the most controversial measures — a plan to charge higher business license fees to downtown bars and restaurants that serve alcohol past 11 p.m.

She also now wants to include the Hope School District and Santa Barbara City College along with the Santa Barbara Unified School District, in her proposal to use sales tax money to fund schools.

Schneider said delaying the ballot measures to next year would allow people more time to help shape the proposals. Her goal is to create a community consensus and she said more time would allow her to do that.

“There was definitely a shock factor of surprising people, however I think people appreciated something to talk about,” Schneider said of her proposals. “People were appreciative that I was willing to work with them. From that came a conversation that I don’t think would have happened had I not put these ideas forward.”

Schneider surprised many community leaders in February when she announced a package of reforms from a private suite above Starbucks in downtown Santa Barbara. She stood alone and announced her “Invest in Santa Barbara 2012” ideas, which also included requiring public safety unions to pay 100 percent of their employee contributions to their public employee retirement plans. She also proposed a half-cent increase in the local sales tax.

The announcement appeared to be an unusual political misstep for Schneider, who is typically politically smart, savvy and careful.

But it was a different story on Tuesday. Schneider announced her new measures at Casablanca on lower State Street to widespread support and fanfare.

This time she was surrounded by dozens of people, including Santa Barbara School Unified School District board members Kate Parker, Susan Deacon and Ed Heron, former Mayor and Santa Barbara City College Trustee Marty Blum, Santa Barbara Police Detective Greg Hons and Tony Pighetti, president of the Santa Barbara Firefighters Association.

Several downtown bar and restaurant owners also now support her proposal. Schneider no longer wants to raise business license fees for downtown retail establishments that serve alcohol past 11 p.m. at least six nights a week. Instead she wants all businesses that sell alcohol throughout the city, regardless of location, to pay business license fee proportionate to their alcohol sales.

Right now, convenience stores and mini-marts, on Milpas Street, for example, pay a business license fee proportionate to their sales — excluding alcohol. Schneider wants to change that so that the business license fees would include alcohol, leveling the playing field with nightclubs and restaurants.

Her pension reform and sales tax proposals remain the same.

Schneider also said she didn’t want her ballot measures to compete with the several tax increases scheduled for the state ballot.

The change in timing, however, means that the ballot reforms would go on the ballot at the same time that Schneider is up for re-election, a fact that Schneider said she wanted to avoid.

“My original proposal was that I thought it would be a benefit to keep it out of the mayor’s race,” Schneider said. “But Invest in Santa Barbara will be part of what I did as mayor whether I did it this year or next year.”

She is grateful for of all of the support and excited about the relaunch of her reforms.

“I really do appreciate the thousands of voters who signed petitions,” Schneider said. “They wanted to see it on the ballot, and they will, just in 2013.”

 When did you start Joyful Noise and why?

I started in 1988 with myself and 6 kids.  A few months later, I found my first assistant, Nicola Ghersen, and grew to 12 kids.  There wasn’t any other place for toddlers, ages 18 months to 2 and a half years, and it seemed like a wise business decision.  I didn’t know a lot about toddlers as my background was elementary teaching.  The idea scared me at first, but then I quickly found out how much fun toddlers were. I figured I’d eventually go back to elementary teaching in a few years when my own kids, Josh and Noah, were a little older, but it just never happened because I found I loved my job.  So I tailored it to fit my schedule: 9am to 1pm, summers off.

What is your educational background?

I attended Westmont and graduated from Cal Poly SLO with a degree in English.  After teaching elementary school in Santa Ynez, I started Joyful Noise Preschool.  I returned to school and got a graduate degree in Early Childhood Education and started teaching part-time at SBCC.  It is a nice change to teach students who don’t make faces and keep their fingers out of their noses!

Can you share some funny memories?

Well, there are definitely too many to mention!  I have been asked by a two-year-old if we are having red wine with our lunch.  I have also been told by a two year-old that her diaper is “degusting.”  Once a toddler said to me that “Mommy said Daddy is a jerk.”  One day, when unveiling a new hairdo I had, I was told, “Miss Susie, I think you forgot to comb your hair.” There was also a two-year-old that I recall who refused to answer to his given name and insisted on being called “Batman.”  One time when changing a diaper, I discovered that a two-year-old had slipped on his dad’s blue bikini briefs over his diaper.  Then there was the time how I was  reminded that these are Montecito kids when a two-year-old thought the toy drill press was a cappuccino machine!  Sometimes when I run into my young charges, they don’t recognize me and just stare. I think they can’t believe I shop and eat out like everyone else. Its fun to run into “graduates” of Joyful Noise, some now in their mid-twenties. They usually don’t remember their time here, but I remember them.

Why retire now and what will you spend time doing?
Well, it makes sense to retire now because both my married sons will be having their first babies in 2012. I look forward to being a grandma.  They both live in Texas, so I want the freedom to travel.  My husband, Dan, retired two years ago after 36 years in education.  For now, I’m just looking forward to getting my backyard cleared of climbers and dump trucks and swings, and spending lots of time gardening and reading.  Twenty-four years of hugs, runny noses and sweet memories.  I have never regretted not going back to my old job teaching fifth grade. Two year olds rock!

This steak recipe is inspired by one I read from David Tanis’ Heart of the Artichoke (one of my favorite cookbooks for the eat-drink-garden way of life, by the way). Searing the meat on the cast-iron skillet gives it a terrifically crispy crust and a tender, juicy interior for this delicious, simple preparation.

Valerie Rice

Since my husband is a no muss, no fuss kind of guy, I’m keeping the serving simple as well. Crispy roasted potatoes, a green salad with sliced cherry tomatoes, and a special occasion bottle of red burgundy to keep the meal focused on the steak’s classic flavors.

At our place we like our steaks on the rare side, but if you prefer them more well-done, you can simply cook them for a minute or two more on each side. I hope all you dads (and the rest of the bunch) enjoy this simple, delicious Father’s Day dinner as much as we will.

Pan-Fried Steak

Serves 6-8

4  New York steaks 1” thick (more than 1″ thick and you’re getting into grill territory)

Salt and pepper

4 cloves garlic, thickly sliced

2 springs of herbs of choice (I normally use oregano or thyme)

Olive oil

Season the steaks generously on both sides with salt and pepper.  Scatter the garlic over and under the steaks, then drizzle a little olive oil over the top and rub it in.  Normally, I just do this whole process on the paper that the steaks came wrapped in – less clean up.  You can prep the steaks hours in advance and store them in the fridge. If you do this, though, be sure to take them out 1-2 hours before cooking to allow them to come up to room temperature.

Heat your cast-iron skillet on medium high heat until it’s really hot (that’s a technical term). Remove the garlic slices from the steaks and discard.  When the pan is good and hot, lay 2 steaks in and let them sizzle.  Do not touch them. Do not move them.  After 4 – 5 minutes, sneak a peek at the cooked side to see if it’s beautifully seared and browned, and when it is, turn each steak over. Flip the steaks and put the sprigs of herbs on top of the cooked side.

Cook just until the juices appear on the surface, about 4 minutes more. Remove the steaks to a cutting board and let rest for about 5-10 minutes.  Repeat with other steaks (if you have two skillets and enough room on your stove, you can cook all four steaks at once to save some time).

Slice and serve, pouring the natural juices over the steak.  Finish with a drizzle of excellent quality extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt – I like Maldon or Murray River (both can be found at Whole Foods).

Roasted Potatoes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

4-5 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes or baby yellow Dutch

1/2 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves with husk attached

8 sprigs thyme

Salt

Pepper

Wash and dry potatoes.  Quarter the potatoes and store in cool, salted water until ready to roast.  Dry well and toss all of the ingredients together in a large oven-safe Pyrex dish (this is the best vehicle to roast vegetables).  Cook the potatoes in your oven for 35- 40 minutes until cooked completely and golden brown.  Sprinkle with some sea salt, garnish with thyme, and serve.

Cheers to Dad!

“Live life deliciously” is the mantra entertaining and gardening expert Valerie Rice carries into every occasion. Like all things delicious, the formula is refreshingly simple: eat, drink, garden—and have fun while you’re at it. On her popular blog, www.eat-drink-garden.com, Val shares her best tips, recommendations and recipes gathered from her garden, kitchen and her own table—which is often surrounded with laughing, happy and well-fed guests.

But it could also be generating heat from residents who feel it’s in the wrong place.

The new station would occupy a 2.5 acre area on 2500 East Valley Road with a three-story, 2,168 square foot training and hose drying building, a 6,949 square station building, and a 2,679 square foot maintenance building.

Montecito Fire Chief Chip Hickman said the new station is necessary to get full protection across the district. Not only does it allow for additional coverage, but the new training building will allow personnel to hone critical rescue skills without leaving the area.

“This is something that’s absolutely needed,” Hickman said.

But some residents like Joseph Cole, who also represents the Pines Trust that owns property across from the proposed station, aren’t certain a new station is the answer. Cole feels the right questions haven’t been asked or answered about whether the district can afford a new station and if the current site is really the right place for it.

“It’s really not anti-fire, it’s figuring out what the best way to spend the resources we have to maximize fire protection for Montecito,” Cole said.

Plans for the station began in November of 2003 when then-chief Ron McClain outlined the need for more personnel and additional facilities. In 2004 the board authorized the chief to begin looking into the process of starting up a new station. The district has a little over $8 million set aside for a new station.

The district tries to set a five-minute response time goal for any area. Most of Montecito enjoys this response time. But parts of the Eastern area near Sheffield and Romero Canyon don’t enjoy that same response time. A 2008 study estimated response times to be closer to nine minutes. Hickman said there’re about 385 residents living in that area.

Hickman said that’s too long for any situation. After a heart attack or stroke, the brain gets stuck on a spiral towards death after four minutes without any aid. A minute can be the difference between life and death.

The same is true for structure fires. Depending on material, it can take three to four minutes for a fire in the corner of the room to get out of control. Again, a minute can be the difference between losing a carpet and losing a home.

“If we don’t get there and get a quick knockdown then the chances of that being a much larger issue is a problem,” Hickman said.

A similar principle applies to wildland fires, one of the bigger threats to a community like Montecito. Being able to hit a fire hard and fast can be the difference between a few acres and a few thousand acres, though in some cases such as the 2008 Tea Fire, the district wouldn’t have enough to begin with. And Hickman pointed out that parts of underserved area have not burned for 80 years.

“It’s not ‘If,’ but ‘When,’” Hickman said.

The Montecito Fire District has mutual aid agreements with other agencies, such as Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara City, and Summerland/Carpinteria. But those agencies have response times five minutes longer than the Montecito stations.

Safety standards within the industry have also increased over the years. A response team for a building fire often needs two people on the inside, two on the outside, plus four people with ventilation issues, and four handling the utilities. Combined with many of the large homes that populate Montecito, and the district could come up short on staffing.

“All of the sudden four engines doesn’t look like a whole lot,” Hickman said.

Finally, the new station offers a training building for the district. Personnel often have had to do training outside of the district for low frequency, high-risk procedures, like collapsed bridges, or urban search and rescue. To do any training in the district, the department has had to use parks, parking lots, and even had to borrow churches and homes.

“We’re dependent on that to do the standardized evolutions that we need to practice in order to be effective, efficient, and safe,” Hickman said.

The district has spent much of the last year taking conceptual designs to the various committees. But even as the story poles on the site have gone up, so has the chance of controversy.

Cole said many of the studies done, including the initial study calling for a new station, are years out of date and the data may not apply. He, along with some other residents, filed a lawsuit in May alleging that the Environmental Impact Reports don’t conform to the California Environmental Quality Act requirements.

The proposed site is on historical agriculture land on the Palmer Jackson ranch and he thinks sites closer to population areas would be better for a station.

“If you think you need to have a new fire station, have it closer to where everybody lives,” Cole said.

He also said consideration needs to be given about whether the money for a station might be better spent hiring more firefighters or acquiring new technology and equipment.

“I have to ask the question, are we in a commando era and we’re just building big forts instead?” Cole said.

Montecito Fire public information officer Geri Ventura said the district believes the suit is without merit, but is still going through the process and they haven’t gone to court yet.

“It hasn’t gotten to that point yet,” Ventura said.

Schwartz, regarded as one of Santa Barbara’s pioneer environmentalists and activists, died on Monday, after complications from surgery. She was 78.

“No one cared more deeply about Santa Barbara, and California generally, or worked more passionately to preserve its quality and the public’s enjoyment of it,” said Salud Carbajal, First District County Supervisor, who succeeded Schwartz and was her chief of staff.  “Our community has lost a great public servant, leader and friend. Naomi’s legacy will live on for many generations to come.”

Those that knew Schwartz say she had the combination of intelligence, empathy, integrity, and industriousness that allowed her to get results both in politics and her activism. J’Amy Brown, former president of the Montecito Association, said that helped Montecito get better representation at the county level.

“She had the ability to coordinate between people with different political concerns and walk away with everyone happy,” Brown said.

A New York native and Queens College graduate, Schwartz came to Santa Barbara in 1967. She earned her law degree from the Santa Barbara College of Law. She worked as an elementary school teacher and psychology researcher.

Schwartz’s political involvement started after the 1969 Platform A oil spill where she helped gather signatures to establish the California Coastal Commission. She would later be appointed to the South Central Regional Commission and ultimately the state commission in 1976, eventually serving as chair.

She went on to be Chief of Staff for State Senator Gary K. Hart from 1982 to 1992.

In 1992, a seat opened up in the county’s first district and Schwartz ran for and won the seat. She served on the board for three terms, retiring in 2005. Former county supervisor Susan Rose described her as one of the smartest and hardworking women she’d ever known, and she could always be counted on for advice.

“Her voice mattered,” Rose said.

As a supervisor Schwartz set many of the county’s land use policies geared toward preserving the environment that are still in effect today. She teamed with fellow supervisors to fend off efforts to put in more offshore drilling and protect the Gaviota coastline.

She also helped the county establish representation in Sacramento by hashing out a solid legislative platform and hire the county’s first legislative advocate. To make political involvement easier for citizens, she worked to make county reports and documents more accessible and readable to the public.

Schwartz had a profound love for the Montecito’s semi-rural character and left a legacy in the form of community planning. She helped get the Montecito Community Plan solidified and then also broke gridlock on the board to form the Montecito Planning Commission and establish Montecito’s own Architectural Board of Review.

After the creeks overran in 1995, causing massive flooding and several near-fatalities, Schwartz pushed for the infrastructure upgrades that resulted in the Montecito Debris Basin’s construction.

But Schwartz’s accomplishments didn’t stop at the dais.

She had been a trailblazer for women in politics. As one of the founding mothers of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee in 1988, she helped shape an organization that changed the political landscape for women in Santa Barbara.

Figures such as Congresswoman Lois Capps, former Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson, and Rose herself all had their origins with the committee.

“It started to enable women to make a difference in the community,” Rose said.

Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, said Schwartz had been a mentor for her and a tremendous fighter for the environment, families, and the Santa Barbara community.

“Naomi was a wonderful person and a dedicated public servant who represented our community with exceptional diligence and decency,” Capps said. “She was never afraid to tackle the difficult problems – and did so with a can-do spirit and graceful tenacity.”

Transportation activist Alex Pujo credited Schwartz with helping to change the mindset of transportation planners. Schwartz had been responsible for getting the Highway 101 Task Force up and running in 1993.

“Ms. Schwartz changed the way projects were planned and funded by dramatically improving public participation in processes previously controlled by Public Works directors,” Pujo said.

Schwartz also built a reputation for reaching across political boundaries. Former Santa Barbara City Council member Dan Secord recalled Schwartz’s willingness to reach out to any council member at times when county-city relationships had been touchy.

“She walked the talk,” Secord said.

Schwartz was a founding member of several community organizations including the Fund for Santa Barbara, Courthouse Legacy Foundation, and Coastwatch. So profound was Schwartz’s influence on the community that the county building at 130 East Victoria Street now bears her name.

A vast array of today’s political heavyweights consider her a mentor. Her own daughter Deborah Schwartz serves on the Santa Barbara Planning Commission.

Assemblyman Das Williams agreed that Santa Barbara might not be the community that it is today without Schwartz.

“The politics of the community and the environment of the community would be much different without Naomi Schwartz,” Williams said.

Growing up, I watched as my mother’s relationship with her brothers deteriorated almost irreparably over issues related to control, access, and decision-making on behalf of my grandmother.  My mother and uncles suffered over what was happening to my grandmother as well as the burden and frustrations it triggered within the family.

In my practice I’ve also seen that ensuring care of an aging loved one can sometimes be fraught with painful family interactions. I’ve also learned that family “support members” can learn to be conscious of their own dynamics. In the same way that successful professional support networks work, family ‘support members’ can create clear roles and responsibilities to get the most benefit for their loved ones  – and their own peace of mind.

One common family dynamic is when one grown child of a senior parent lives nearby and another lives out-of-town.  Often the local sibling can feel under-appreciated, overwhelmed and unsupported for their day-to-day efforts.  In contrast, the out-of-town sibling feels shut-out, excluded, and guilty for their inability to contribute in the same way as the local sibling does. They can feel resentful that the support they can offer seems to goes unappreciated by the local sibling.

Add a lifetime of dynamics from childhood to the stress of having a beloved parent developing new needs – and one can see how families can be strained to the breaking point. One person compared his out-of-town sibling to a seagull – “he just flies in, poops all over everything, and flies out.”   The out-of-towner had all kinds of suggestions after talking with experts; suggestions that the local sibling would be left to implement.  No wonder the local sibling wasn’t so eager to listen and the out-of-town sibling felt unwelcome.

The good news is that this can be addressed by a conscious effort to understand each person’s role, resources, and emotional needs.  Start by creating time and space for family meetings.  Especially for the first meeting, the close-by sibling can offer insights into day-to-day issues and the long-distance sibling can offer impressions of change over time. Work toward agreement of what is going on, what things need to be done day to day, and changes that may need to me made over time. Look to the strengths of each person to assign roles and tasks.

Usually the one who lives closest will be the main caregiver and see to most coordination.  If you are the main caregiver, living close by, be thoughtful about delegating tasks. Reach out before and after doctor’s appointments to share information and concerns. Let your long-distance family help; you need the support too.

Often the long-distance caregiver can help keep household and other care matters in order, and even coordinate professional services and appointments. Between visits, you can take the initiative to make regular phone calls to check in with brothers, sisters and extended family or friends in addition to your senior loved one. Being a sounding board and a good listener takes patience, but it’s well worth the effort.

I am happy to report that my own family has been able to successfully put these principles into practice. We know there will always be tough moments to work through, but over time we have learned how to work through them together. We have learned how to create healthier checks and balances across the distance and we have become so much closer for it.

Next time I’ll be talking about another common issue related to senior caregiving and how families with aging loved ones can communicate better with each other.

Suzanne McNeely, , MSW, CMC, NCG, CLPG, is president and founder of Senior Planning Services and Coastal Home Care.  Senior Planning Services provides exceptional professional caregiving services to Santa Barbara County families, and offers free presentations for local organizations as a resource for seniors and their families: www.seniorplanningservices.com.

Part of that answer lies with Maria Wilson, the charismatic owner of this “paint bar” who has created a space that lends itself to fun and fraternizing.

Armed with paint, brushes, aprons and a glass of wine or two, patrons create unique pieces of art under the ebullient tutelage of an instructional artist.

There’s music, laughter, even some dancing in the aisles.

Maria, born in 1961 in Columbia, South America, is barely a baby boomer but she’s definitely ready for her next chapter.

She moved back to Santa Barbara two years ago, after a couple of decades of being away.  Her family emigrated to California when she was 10, after a cousin, who was doing a residency at St. Johns Hospital in Oxnard, convinced them to leave their native country which had become dangerous due to kidnappings.

It was a tough adjustment for the third grader who didn’t speak English, but pretty soon she became a California girl and Santa Barbara was where she wanted to be.

Marilyn Gillard

Maria moved here after receiving a business degree from Sawyer College and worked at the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara for 7 years, doing administration and fundraising.

Although she loved the work, she and her first husband couldn’t afford to buy a house so they moved to Denver.

She continued her work for major hospitals, building skills along the way.

“I had a great ease with computers,” she said. “I was the one in charge of automating the cancer center in Denver.  I learned computer graphics by doing them.”

Her first marriage didn’t work out, but when she met Monte Wilson at a restaurant in Denver, it was “love at first sight.” They soon married and when their daughter Alex was born, Maria opened up her own medical marketing company, doing websites and graphic designs for clients such as world renowned plastic surgeon, Dr. David Broadway.

She worked exclusively for him for seven years, creating a huge marketing campaign, paving the way for other doctors to realize the benefit of advertising.

Monte was VP at a software company that dealt primarily with defense and military organizations and he had been commuting to Washington for work.

It became difficult to sustain their family life, so they all relocated to DC in 2006. Ironically, right after the move,  Monte became Vice President of Adobe for all of North America, handling the creative side: Photoshop, the movie industry, etc. and he began commuting to California. So after 25 years of being away, Maria returned to her beloved Santa Barbara, which is where she had always wanted to retire.

She knew she wanted to work but was ready to try something different.  Monte had suggested a car wash or a gelato place (NOT what Maria envisioned when she said she wanted to be “hands on”), but once she saw the “Canvas and Cocktails” concept in Denver, Maria knew it was perfect for her and for Santa Barbara.

According to The Painted Cabernet website, “the upscale, urban studio, located in the heart of Santa Barbara, offers a friendly, hip and creative environment for an evening on the town”.

Maria dove into the work, creating a business plan, finding the perfect location, acquiring all the necessary permits, etc.

“I don’t waste time,” she said. “I go full force, day and night. This business is like having a baby: lots of aches and pains and sleepless nights. But ultimately worth it.” Her marketing background was priceless in setting up all the  social marketing and advertising and the savvy entrepreneur has begun targeting the tourist trade via hotels and cruise ship connections.

“It’s a lot more fun that I thought it would be.  It’s really exciting.” she said. “I work 7 days a week and nights…there’s something to be said about putting on regular clothes and make-up and talking to people after you’ve been working from home and wearing sweats.”

Maria Wilson is determined to make The Painted Cabernet a uniquely Santa Barbara experience, staffing it with local artists, selling local crafts and jewelry and serving high end local wines.  Even local non-profits will benefit due to her plan of hosting 3-4 fundraisers a month.

She says “to start a business, you really need the support of your partner or spouse.  If they’re not into it, it won’t work.”

When husband Monte began the now popular Cars and Coffee, which meets every Sunday morning in Montecito,  Maria worked with him on the marketing, newsletters and postcards that helped spread the word.

The event has become so successful that they’re running out of space on Coast Village Road for the weekly array of spectacular vehicles.

Danny Kaye said that “life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.”

Maria Wilson is doing just that.

Marilyn Gillard can be reached at mgillard@mac.com.

Located for the past 8 months inside a beautiful  ocean view office on the second floor inside Simpatico Pilates studio,  Dr. Stauber has set up his new practice.

Originally from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Dr. Stauber graduated from Palmer Chiropractic  school in 2002 and has practiced in New York and Ontario, Canada prior to moving to the Central Coast.

Dr. Stauber felt that Santa Barbara with its vibrant, heath-conscious community, was a good place to open a practice. Dr. Stauber explained to me before performing a delicate adjustment that involved no cracking or crunching how you hold your head has a lot to do with overall health.

Misalignment of the uppermost cervical vertebra of the spine affects blood pressure, and can cause headaches, back and arm pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, dizziness, vision problems, pain and even allergies, said Dr. Stauber.

The part of the body next to the base of the brain stem is call the “atlas.”

The serious, but affable, Dr. Stauber showed me with the help of a plaster model why upper cervical doctors joke a lot about “getting your head on straight.”

‘People go through life brushing their teeth because they know it is good for them. The same holds true for the spine, especially the upper part of your neck,” he said. “There is reason why people’s shoulders come up around their ears when they are stressed out or they are scared. The body naturally protects your neck because it is so vital to your health.”

Dr. Aaron Stauber

1235 Coast Village Road Suite 1

(Inside Simpatico)

Montecito, Ca 93108

805-258-8734

drstauber@drstauber.com

www.drstauber.com