Storming the Gates

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Lame Duck Time: The rush seems to be on, as developers try to snare county supervisors’ 3-2 votes before lame duck Brooks Firestone leaves office. Case in point: The supes’ closed-door easing of restrictions on Matt Osgood’s highly controversial Naples project.

The pro-oil, pro-development folks figure to lose their rock-solid 3-2 block after the 3rd District vote next month, so there’s no time to waste. But with opponents lining up for an almost-certain court suit, the orchards of Naples may still produce a few more seasons of fresh fruit.

On the Beat

Citizen McCaw: Four local screenings of the documentary Citizen McCaw are scheduled this week at the Fiesta 5, Thursday, October 9, through Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30. You can also order DVDs via the CitizenMcCaw.com Web site. Why repeat the documentary? “We will not let this story be swept under the carpet,” vows coproducer Rod Lathim. “The producers have put their money on the line and risked legal entanglements with (News-Press owner Wendy) McCaw so that the community can see the truth behind the News-Press meltdown,” he said. “Countless people have mentioned that they want to see the film. But these will be the last local theatrical screenings we can afford to produce. The filmmakers will be present to participate in a dialogue with the audience after each screening.”

The Citizen McCaw Web site quotes a June 11, 2008 letter to the producers from McCaw attorney Barry Cappello: “On the whole, you and your film mischaracterized and, in fact, defamed Mrs. McCaw, portraying her as one who would crush the First Amendment rights of her reporters. As is entirely too obvious, both from Judge Wilson's order and from the real facts of this case, Mrs. McCaw has done nothing but champion the First Amendment and the rights of owner/publishers. For this thankless pursuit, she has received nothing but character assassination at the hands of you and your film, in addition to the vitriolic statements directed at Mrs. McCaw by the subjects of your film.”

First Thursday: What does it take to lure Santa Barbarans from their TVs to saunter the downtown streets on a weekday evening and peek into art galleries? Well, 1st Thursday -- the first one of every month -- has filled the sidewalks, livened up the town, and found citizens filing into galleries and either ooing-and-awing or recoiling in shock. “Our gallery was full of people,” one owner told me. And restaurants are getting business on what can be a slow night.

Back at the Ranch: Rancho San Julian, one of the few California ranches still owned by descendants of the original Mexican-era owner, was featured in Sunday’s L.A. Times. The 15,000-acre Santa Barbara County spread is owned by descendants of the Dibblee/De la Guerra family, including rancher Jim Poett. His wife is -- guess who? -- Marianne Partridge, co-owner and editor-in-chief of The Santa Barbara Independent. There was a photo of Marianne at the kitchen table, busily cutting up greens. The feature focused on daughter Elizabeth Poett, 28, whose great-great-great-grandfather was Captain Jose de la Guerra y Noriega, former comandante of Santa Barbara’s Royal Presidio. Mexico, according to the Times' piece, awarded him more than 100,000 acres. Three of De la Guerra’s daughters married Americans, a familiar story of the era. The four principal family owners of the ranch are the Poetts, the Russells, the Hoyts, and the Donohoes.

On the Tube: Judging from talk around town, the Food Network, whose tasty menus are on the lips of new-found foodies, has been supplanted in popularity by those TV home-fixer, how-to-sell-the-family-casa shows: how to get the place in shape to look appealing to a would-be buyer, or so great that you want to stay there instead of selling. Most popular, it seems, are the programs that show a couple sizing up three home options around the globe as you wait to see which one they choose. Do you care whether an East Coast couple you never heard of picks the Los Cabos condo, the more expensive place with a view, or the comfy Spanish-style home? Apparently you do. The shows seem to grab people.

Adios, Vince: The last time I saw Vince Falcone was at the Chase Café, where we swapped stories of our big city upbringings. Vince came from a world away from little Santa Barbara and loved it, had a wonderful sense of humor, a passion for politics, and a warm Italian heart. Sadly, that heart stopped beating Monday and the world got a little colder. Vince was the husband of Santa Barbara City Councilmember Iya Falcone. My condolences go out to her. I’ll miss Vince’s stories.

Related Links

• More of Barney Brantingham's On the Beat Columns

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