#Santa Barbara City Council

[bethestaryouareradio]

Reducing Gun Violence

“If guns don't kill people, why do mass killers arm themselves with guns?” - DaShanne Stokes

Sharanya and Keerthi host a program about a critical topic that affects Americans: gun control. Reducing gun violence is challenging because of the polarization around the issue. Keerthi talks about advocating for the Second Amendment while also requiring safety for gun storage. They interview teen activist, Amelia Vander May, who led a youth team to successfully lobby an ordinance in Santa Barbara that requires firearms to be stored in a locked container and disabled by a trigger lock. Amelia spearheaded the Santa Barbara Youth Council initiative to write and lobby for a safe storage ordinance aimed at preventing youth gun deaths. For a year, she gathered public support for the ordinance, worked with city advisory groups and nonprofits, and presented to the city council. The ordinance, which requires firearms in residences and vehicles to be stored in a locked container and disabled by a trigger lock, was passed into law and became effective in April 2024. Created to reduce gun violence, the Safe Storage Ordinance prevents unauthorized access to firearms, lowering the risk of unintentional injury, mass shootings, and gun suicides. She talks about how teens must get involved, even though many adults don’t take young people seriously. She suggests that teens be professional, do the research, get involved, and have those difficult conversations. Make others aware that guns are dangerous. Banning guns is not a feasible solution. We need bipartisan support and community outreach. Background checks, safe storage methods, services for mental health, addressing racial disparity, and healthy discussions are avenues for creating a safer environment. Sharanya shares a history of firearms and the U.S. grappling with the high rates of gun violence. What are the root causes? Tune in for an educational conversation about reducing gun violence.

Follow us: https://www.starstyleradio.com/expressyourselfteenradio

•       https://www.facebook.com/ExpressYourselfTeenRadio/

•       https://www.facebook.com/BTSYAcharity/

•       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/expressyourselfradio/

Bio:

Seventeen-year-old Amelia Vander May is a dedicated activist with a passion for women’s and children's rights, particularly reducing gun violence. As a Santa Barbara Youth Council member, she led a team in writing and successfully lobbying for an ordinance that requires firearms to be stored in a locked container and disabled by a trigger lock; the law went into effect in April 2024. She thrives in leadership roles and is the founder of a girl’s empowerment summer camp and the editor-in-chief of her school’s yearbook. Amelia is committed to using her activism, journalism, and entrepreneurship to make a positive difference in her community. instagram is @santabarbarayouthcouncil

Listen at Voice America Network, Empowerment Channel:

https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/150338/reducing-gun-violence

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 12.4 (before 1930)

771 – Austrasian king Carloman I dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne as sole king of the Frankish Kingdom. 963 – The lay papal protonotary is elected pope and takes the name Leo VIII, being consecrated on 6 December after ordination. 1110 – An army led by Baldwin I of Jerusalem and Sigurd the Crusader of Norway captures Sidon at the end of the First Crusade. 1259 – Kings Louis IX of France and Henry III of England agree to the Treaty of Paris, in which Henry renounces his claims to French-controlled territory on continental Europe (including Normandy) in exchange for Louis withdrawing his support for English rebels. 1563 – The final session of the Council of Trent is held[5] nearly 18 years after the body held its first session on December 13, 1545. 1619 – Thirty-eight colonists arrive at Berkeley Hundred, Virginia. The group's charter proclaims that the day "be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God." 1676 – The Battle of Lund, becomes the bloodiest battle in Scandinavian history. 1745 – Charles Edward Stuart's army reaches Derby, its furthest point during the Second Jacobite Rising. 1783 – At Fraunces Tavern in New York City, U.S. General George Washington bids farewell to his officers. 1786 – Mission Santa Barbara is dedicated (on the feast day of Saint Barbara). 1791 – The first edition of The Observer, the world's first Sunday newspaper, is published. 1804 – The United States House of Representatives adopts articles of impeachment against Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. 1829 – In the face of fierce local opposition, British Governor-General Lord William Bentinck issues a regulation declaring that anyone who abets suttee in Bengal is guilty of culpable homicide. 1861 – The 109 Electors of the several states of the Confederate States of America unanimously elect Jefferson Davis as President and Alexander H. Stephens as Vice President. 1864 – American Civil War: In the Battle of Waynesboro, Georgia, Union cavalry forces defeated Confederate cavalry, opening the way for Sherman's army to approach the coast. 1865 – North Carolina ratifies 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, followed soon by Georgia, and U.S. slaves were legally free within two weeks. 1867 – Former Minnesota farmer Oliver Hudson Kelley founds the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry (better known today as the Grange). 1872 – The American brigantine Mary Celeste is discovered drifting in the Atlantic. Her crew is never found. 1875 – Notorious New York City politician Boss Tweed escapes from prison; he is later recaptured in Spain. 1881 – The first edition of the Los Angeles Times is published. 1893 – First Matabele War: A patrol of 34 British South Africa Company soldiers is ambushed and annihilated by more than 3,000 Matabele warriors on the Shangani River in Matabeleland. 1906 – Alpha Phi Alpha the first intercollegiate Greek lettered fraternity for African-Americans was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. 1909 – In Canadian football, the First Grey Cup game is played. The University of Toronto Varsity Blues defeat the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club, 26–6. 1909 – The Montreal Canadiens ice hockey club, the oldest surviving professional hockey franchise in the world, is founded as a charter member of the National Hockey Association. 1917 – The Finnish Senate submits to the Parliament of Finland a proposal for the form of government of the Republic of Finland and issued a communication to Parliament declaring the independence of Finland. 1918 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sails for the World War I peace talks in Versailles, becoming the first US president to travel to Europe while in office. 1919 – Ukrainian War of Independence: The Polonsky conspiracy is initiated, with an attempt to assassinate the high command of the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine. 1928 – Cosmo Gordon Lang was enthroned as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the first bachelor to be appointed in 150 years.

[wikiuntamed]

On this day in Wikipedia: Monday, 25th September

Welcome, Velkommen, Willkommen, Bienvenue 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 25th September through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

25th September 2018 🗓️ : Event - Bill Cosby Bill Cosby is sentenced to three to ten years in prison for aggravated sexual assault. "William Henry Cosby Jr. ( KOZ-bee; born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian, actor, spokesman, and media personality. He has made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and gained a reputation as "America's Dad" for his portrayal of Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show..."

Image licensed under CC BY 2.0? by The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia

25th September 2013 🗓️ : Death - Billy Mure Billy Mure, American guitarist and composer (b. 1915) "Sebastian "Billy" Mure (November 4, 1915 – September 25, 2013) was an American guitarist and songwriter who recorded several albums in the 1950s and 1960s in a variety of styles, including surf, Hawaiian, swing, pop, and lounge music.Mure was born in New York City and played violin at age of nine,..."

25th September 1973 🗓️ : Birth - Bridgette Wilson Bridgette Wilson, American actress, singer, model, and beauty queen "Bridgette Leann Wilson Sampras (born September 25, 1973) is an American former actress, singer, model, and Miss Teen USA award winner. Wilson began her career as an actress after being crowned Miss Teen USA in 1990, playing the character of Lisa Fenimore on the soap opera Santa Barbara from April..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by ThomasDowney0810

25th September 1923 🗓️ : Birth - Robert Laxalt Robert Laxalt, American author and academic (d. 2001) "Robert Laxalt (September 25, 1923 – March 23, 2001) was a Basque-American writer from Nevada...."

25th September 1816 🗓️ : Birth - Georg August Rudolph Georg August Rudolph, German lawyer and politician, 3rd Mayor of Marburg (d. 1893) "Georg August Rudolph (25 September 1816 in Kassel – 13 December 1893 in Marburg) was a German politician and from 4 December 1856 until 2 August 1884 mayor of Marburg. ..."

Image by Unknown authorUnknown author

25th September 🗓️ : Holiday - Christian feast day: Sergius of Radonezh (repose) "Sergius of Radonezh (Russian: Се́ргий Ра́донежский, Sergii Radonezhsky; 14 May 1314 – 25 September 1392), also known as Sergiy Radonezhsky, Serge of Radonezh and Sergius of Moscow, was a spiritual leader and monastic reformer of medieval Russia. Together with Seraphim of Sarov, he is one of the..."

Image by anonimous

[ainews]

In 1959, a strange yet incredible event took place in Santa Barbara, California: the creation of a life-sized crow, sewn entirely from spidersilk. It was a remarkable example of textile art, garnering significant local attention.

Local textile artist, J. Paul Neverette, crafted the remarkable piece using spidersilk obtained from the local criadero of the San Marcos growing grounds. Carefully stitching together hundreds of spidersilk strands, he created wings that flapped, eyes that blinked, and a beak that opened and closed.

The crow quickly became a popular attraction throughout the community, appearing in parades and fairs. It became emblematic of Santa Barbara, often inspiring the town's residents. Its creation marked an important shift in the way people viewed textile art, one which served to elevate fiber art to a level once thought unattainable.

A few years later, the crow was exhibited in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, where it joined an impressive collection of textile works by Neverette, further demonstrating its cultural significance.

Although the crow may be long gone, its legacy has been passed on through tradition. In 1987, the Santa Barbara City Council named "Crow's Day," an annual holiday in honor of the remarkable feat of textile art. Even today, people can be found stitching together pieces of spidersilk in remembrance of the incredible feat.

Today, the crow remains an inspirational figure within the Santa Barbara community, a reminder of the power of imagination and hard work to create something truly extraordinary.

[ledenews]

WLU Selects Schulman as Interim VP of Academic Affairs and Provost

West Liberty University welcomed a new interim vice president and member of the President’s Cabinet last week as Washington, D.C. native Mark Schulman joined the administration. “I am pleased to welcome Dr. Schulman to our campus and look forward to his expertise and leadership in this important role,” said Dr. Cathy Monteroso, interim president. Monteroso served as interim provost prior to Schulman. Utilizing the assistance of an outside higher education interim placement agency known as The Registry, WLU selected Schulman to serve in this position until a full-scale search is launched. Schulman’s official title is interim vice president of academic affairs and provost and his office is located on the second floor of Shaw Hall. Schulman has worked as a higher education consultant since his retirement from the presidency of Presidio Graduate School (San Francisco and Seattle) in 2017. Prior to Presidio, his presidencies included Saybrook University (San Francisco and Seattle) from 2010 to 2016, Goddard College (Plainfield, Vt., and Port Townsend, Wash.) from 2003 to 2010, where he led the successful turn-around of the institution, and Antioch University Southern California (Los Angeles and Santa Barbara). Other administrative and faculty appointments include: academic dean/vice president, dean of the college, and professor at Pacific Oaks College (Pasadena, Ca.); chairperson, communication department/director, graduate media studies/lead faculty, distance learning/distinguished lecturer in communications at the New School for Social Research (New York); chairperson, communications, film and video department, and associate professor at City College of New York. He also served in positions at Saint Mary’s College of California (Moraga, Ca.), Antioch College (Yellow Springs, Ohio), and Mount Vernon College (Washington, D.C.). He has an extensive background in communications and education consulting and higher education administration. He served as the president of the Vermont Higher Education Council in 2006-2007; on the executive committee of the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges from 2005 to 2010; and on the Board of Directors of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility from 2005 to 2010. Schulman received his Doctor of Philosophy in Communications degree from the Union Institute and University. Schulman also earned the following degrees at Indiana University, (Bloomington): Specialist in Education, Master of Science in Education, Instructional Systems Technology and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Literature at Antioch College, (Yellow Springs, Ohio). West Liberty University is West Virginia’s first public institution of higher learning and offers more than 70 undergraduate majors, plus a growing number of graduate programs, both online and on campus.  For more information, please call 1.866.937.8542 (WESTLIB), visit westliberty.edu or follow WLU on social media. To view more about WLU, please visit westliberty.edu/youtube. Read the full article

[petnews2day]

Modifications are underway to the Santa Barbara downtown parklets to open a path for storm water runoff

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/fdgn

Modifications are underway to the Santa Barbara downtown parklets to open a path for storm water runoff

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The dry weather is giving many downtown Santa Barbara business owners with a parklet time to comply with a recent city requirement to create a path for storm water runoff. Work has been underway for some owners, since last weekend, ahead of a December 1 deadline. The Santa Barbara City Council […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/fdgn #ReptileNews

[wellesleyunderground]

Wellesley in Politics: Meagan Harmon ‘08

Meagan Harmon ‘08 was appointed to the Santa Barbara City Council in early 2019 and is currently running in this fall’s Santa Barbara municipal election. Harmon is a lawyer who, after Wellesley, received a Master of Arts in Near and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University and a law degree from New York University School of Law. 

Thanks for chatting with us, Meagan! You were appointed to the Santa Barbara City Council earlier this year. Tell us a little bit about the community in which you serve.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to share a little bit more about the work we’re doing in Santa Barbara! I represent Santa Barbara’s Sixth District, which covers the heart of our downtown and its adjacent neighborhoods. We have such an awesome group of folks living in the Sixth District; I am so honored to be serving them on City Council. Those of us living in the Sixth District have a little bit of a different profile than someone you might typically associate with Santa Barbara. First of all, we’re primarily renters - at least 80% of us rent, rather than own our homes so issues like housing affordability and availability and renters’ rights are of particular importance to us. There is a huge range of income levels in our district, from a few very wealthy folks, to many low and moderate income families (we are definitely of a microcosm of the economic demographics in the city more broadly). Many of our neighbors are Latinx, and many speak multiple languages at home or live in multi-generational households. I’m extremely proud of the many amazing, hard working people that live in our District and of how much they contribute to our city every day. 

You mentioned in an interview that you are a relative newcomer to Santa Barbara. When the City Council seat opened up, what made you put your name forward this year?

I grew up in Lompoc, a small town to the north of Santa Barbara. It is a small, deeply connected county, though, so while I’ve only been living in the city for about three years, this place and the Santa Barbara way of life is elemental for me. That said, it was actually a pretty difficult decision for me to put my name forward for this position, but I’m so, so glad that I did. My daughter, Maura, is two years old and she’s both the reason I got involved and the reason it was such a difficult decision. 

As most Wellesley folx will understand, service is a core value that I’ve tried to let guide and drive me in my life. Before I had my daughter, though, I thought of service in a really broad way, and on a global scale. I spent time as an international humanitarian aid worker, including a year working in rural Afghanistan, and tried to do good work within that framework. When Maura came into our family - and this is one of the most unexpected and beautiful ways that motherhood has changed and shaped me - she refocused me on the challenges and injustices occurring in my own neighborhood, on my own block, and in my own city. So she was really the catalyst to thinking about local government as a means to affect the kind of systemic change that I believe is necessary in our world. It is a little cliché, I guess, but I want her to come of age in a city that reflects and celebrates all our neighbors, so she really drove me be part of the process of getting us there.

By the same token, it made me hugely nervous to take on such a public role during this phase of my life. Being a mom is hard, and though I am so lucky to have a truly equal partnership with Maura’s dad, the responsibilities and expectations we place on mothers (not just the childcare piece, but the mental load piece and the sort of “aesthetics” of modern parenting) are very real and they can sometimes be harsh. I wasn’t sure I was ready to take it on, while also maintaining my professional life (I still work as a lawyer) and trying to keep some semblance of my personal life going. 

Ultimately, I made the decision to step forward because I love my neighborhood and my neighbors and I wanted to work with them to bring our progressive values to City Hall. It seemed, at the time I took this step, that we were at a real crossroads in Santa Barbara - that we were, and still are, at a moment where we could implement policies that actually reflect the best of who we are, in contrast to what we see on the national stage. I wanted to be a part of that conversation. I also wanted to be part of paving the way for other moms of young kids to get involved in local government. I won’t lie, it can sometimes be super difficult and exhausting, but for the most part everyone has been so supportive and I think having the credibility to talk about the challenges faced by working families in Santa Barbara, as I’m currently living them myself, has allowed for some really productive legislative movement for our local families.

Issues of concern for you include housing and downtown revitalization, two significant issues for many communities across the country. In what ways, would you say that challenges faced by Santa Barbara in these areas are similar to what other communities are facing? Alternatively, how are Santa Barbara’s challenges unique?

As all Californians know, issues of housing affordability and availability have reached crisis levels in this state. Santa Barbara is experiencing that, too. We are seeing so many people priced out and dealing with housing insecurity because we don’t have enough rental units and the units we do have are far too expensive. That said, while it is absolutely true that the housing challenge isn’t unique to us, I do think the scale and scope of what we’re facing is pretty remarkable (in a bad way). 

According to some sources, Santa Barbara is the 16th most expensive city in the entire country, and it is in the top five most expensive in California. It is almost whiplash-inducing to think about the wealth gap in Santa Barbara: we have such incredible wealth in our community, but there is a startling high rate of poverty, as well. In fact, Santa Barbara County has the third highest poverty rate in the state and, according to a 2018 report, more than 26% of children in our county live below the poverty line. With the ever increasing cost of housing in Santa Barbara, it won’t be a surprise if we see these numbers going up. 

So, yes, housing is a huge challenge everywhere in California, but coastal communities like ours are faced with particular challenges that are exacerbated by the very extreme gap between those with economic status and privilege, and those who don’t enjoy those same advantages. Our housing prices - our rent prices in particular - are, in my view, the primary driver of increasing income inequality in our city. As city leaders, we have to lean hard into responsible, sustainable building that produces housing stock which is affordable to our working families. This is something I’m fiercely advocating for in my position on City Council. 

I am sure that being on the City Council has introduced to a variety of concerns facing your community. What is one issue that, perhaps you had never thought about before, but you have learned is of importance to the larger Santa Barbara community?

This is such a good question! There are so many things that I had no idea about before taking office. One area that immediately comes to mind: dealing with parking, transportation corridors and speed limits on our local roads!  I never thought too deeply about traffic and circulation before joining the Council, particularly because my family lives downtown and walks most of the time, but circulation planning requires a huge amount of time and effort (and a huge amount of study on my part as one of the decision makers). Take changing parking angles on a street, for example: that kind of change can have incredibly significant consequences both in terms of safety and circulation in our neighborhoods. So many experts are engaged in making these decisions for our city and I love being a part of the conversation. It has definitely opened my eyes to how much thought is required to make everything run efficiently and well - cities definitely do not plan themselves! 

I noted that in my own community, voter turnout in municipal elections is tends to be relatively low. How would describe your own community’s engagement at the very local level? How does this influence how you campaign?

You’re absolutely right, voter turnout in municipal elections is pretty low in a lot of places in this country and that is true in Santa Barbara, as well. Now that I understand just how important our local elected officials are - I mean, we make a decision at a Tuesday meeting and it can literally change the quality of life for our neighbors by Wednesday morning - I can’t do enough to encourage folks to vote in their municipal elections. 

It is true that local electeds don’t set policy on many issues that are taking center stage in today’s political discourse, but I honestly believe city government can and should be the front lines of transformative political and social change in this county. We don’t have a say in our immigration policy, for example, but municipal leaders can influence the national conversation by crafting policy that is grounded in service to all our neighbors. Here are a few examples of what I mean: we now require that translation services be made available so our whole community can participate in our meetings, our police department does not cooperate with ICE, and we recently passed a Just Cause eviction ordinance to protect the rights of all tenants in our city (after thirty years of politicians trying to do so!). So, while we don’t talk directly about things like immigration policy at our Council meetings and we can’t change what is coming from Washington through our votes, we can and do implement policies that reflect our values and that are themselves acts of resistance to immoral policies of exclusion. 

That’s a very long-winded way of saying that my number one goal when I go door to door is to try and communicate how absolutely vital local government is in our everyday lives. I am in a unique position in this race because I’m unopposed, so I have the opportunity to get out and just chat with people about how important municipal elections are to determining the character of our city. 

Since your appointment, what have you learned about city governance and being a public official? 

I had never held public office before coming on the Council in February and, in many ways, it has been a very steep learning curve. My most important lesson learned thus far has been about how best to communicate difficult news or unfavorable decisions. On the dais, I strive to find creative solutions that speak to all our neighbors' needs and concerns, but sometimes that isn't possible and folks walk away disappointed. I've learned the incredible importance of speaking clearly and honestly about my decision making process; I see effective communication as one of the central tenants of my job as an elected official. In light of that, I really try to speak as openly as possible both from the dais and in private meetings. If I articulate my thinking well enough, though it may not change the response to a given outcome, it is better understood by stakeholders that I have engaged with all sides of the issue and truly, meaningfully considered it. I have found that goes a long way to making all parties feel heard and respected - a cornerstone of both the democratic process and our Santa Barbara identity.

Finally, we at Wellesley Underground are big proponents of self-care. With all that you have going on, how do you care for yourself?

Honestly, this is something I really struggle with. Sometimes it feels like there is never enough energy to go around, between my family, my city, my law practice, myself, and I end the day with a sense that while I may be doing it all, I’m definitely doing it all poorly. My key to self-care has been to give myself grace every day, which has become a very conscious practice for me. This is a lot about managing my thoughts and the way I “talk” to myself. The more aware I am of my own thoughts, the better I’m able to manage my stress. Also, I’m so lucky to live in a place with incredible natural beauty, so I’ve been trying to make time every week to get out and root myself in the world. My daughter loves being outside so seeing her joy has really inspired me to get engaged in our natural environment in a new way and that has been an unexpected, but wonderful source of self-care for me. 

____

Follow Meagan on social media: 

Facebook

Instagram: @meaganharmonsb

___

Interview by Cleo Hereford ‘09

[ex-vengeancedemon]

Averting Disasters and Other Ways to Avoid Your Problems

Characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Mentions of things that occurred in Angel: The Series season 5.

Main Pairing: Buffy x Spike

Characters: Buffy, Spike, Giles, Willow, Xander, Andrew, Faith, Dawn

Summary: Set in 2008, five years after Spike's resurrection at Wolfram & Hart. Buffy is living in Cleveland guarding the hellmouth. Spike has left Angel and company and is hiding out in Chicago. The Scoobies are scattered. When something starts going wrong with the slayers around the world, it's time to get the gang back together.

Changing POVs (Buffy & Spike) but clear about shifts. I know nothing about the comics, just the TV shows.

Chapter 1 below cut. Or read on ao3. Or read on EF.

Chapter Index:

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (all subsequent chapters are on ao3 and EF)

Chapter 1

Cleveland, Ohio

2008 

The house was quiet. It normally was. Especially just before dawn, before the birds would quite start singing. Quiet house in a quiet suburb in a not-so-quiet city located directly over a hellmouth, another supernatural beacon for the weird, freaky, and dangerous. It should feel just like home, like Sunnydale. But it didn't. Not really. And it wasn't just the weather.

Sunnydale was gone of course. Nothing left of it but a crater in the earth turned conspiracy theorist tourist trap. Buffy hadn't been back since they blew it sky high. Why would she? There was nothing to go back to there. Even her mom's grave, lost. Gone. Gone like everyone else.

Buffy shrugged off her jacket and tossed it on the couch, rolling out her shoulders as she did so. Just another day on the job. Another night down. It had been a quiet week.

The answering machine blinked green indicating someone had left a message. She grabbed a granola bar and hit the button on the machine. It had to be Giles. Or maybe Faith. They seemed to be the usual suspects. Occassionally there would be a call from Willow, Xander, or Dawn, but those were few and far between.

Buffy didn't blame any of them for the lapse in communication. After all, it's a two way street. Dawn was off at college at UC Santa Barbara, starting her nice normal life with nice normal friends where she wasn't constantly in fear for her life. She was happy. She sent pictures. She had gotten a cat. She was doing well in school. It was everything Buffy could've hoped for her.

Willow and Xander had been enlisted by the newly restored Watcher's Council to help recruit and train the new slayers that had popped up all over the globe after Willow's spell in Sunnydale. They didn't always have the most reliable access to communication and Buffy rarely knew exactly where they were at any given moment. She had joined them, of course, at first... She had helped - led even - the first 3 years. Helped with training, fighting, recruiting, organizing, anything and everything in between. And it was good. It was better. There were more people to help ward off the darkness.

But she was tired.

"Hey B," Faith's voice rang out from the machine. "How's it been?"

Faith had been living in Cleveland since Sunnydale was wiped off the map under a fake identify courtesy of the Watcher's Council funds. Just like their houses. They were the guardians of the hellmouth. Forever and always it seemed.

"Look, I just wanted to check if things have been pretty quiet for you lately," Faith's slightly robotic voice continued. "Like suspiciously quiet. I didn't even dust one vamp last night. Let me know."

Buffy sighed as the machine beeped and went silent. Things had been slow lately...at least she was pretty sure they'd been slow. The last week was a bit of a blur. But why did she have to use the word suspiciously? Couldn't it ever just be a nice change of pace? Or putting a dent in the evil?

Buffy made her way upstairs to her practically bare bedroom and sunk into her bed without bothering to change out of her clothes that were still coated in a light dusting of ash. It could wait. It could all wait.

***

Chicago, Illinois 

At least it's better than LA. That was the thought that ran through Spike's head as he took another punch to the face from a 600 pound chirago demon. It was all claws and scales and bloody strong. Spike slammed back against the wall and held up a hand as he grimaced and regained his bearings.

"Now, I'm sure we can work this out," he said. "No need to do anything rash, yeah?"

The demon only roared back and charged him. Spike dodged at the last second and the scaly demon crashed into the wall headfirst behind him with a howl. Bad thing about being 600 pounds is it's pretty hard to stop once you get going. Spike sidestepped and brought his fists down sharply on the back of the demon's hefty neck. He heard a satisfying snap and the demon collapsed limply to the ground.

"I told you that temper would do you no good mate," Spike said as he wiped the blood from his nose. He glanced over at the spectators to his little brawl. "The hell are you all looking at?"

There were a few mumbles and mutters, but the other demons in the establishment mostly turned back to whatever it was they had previously been doing. They were there to gamble and drink. Not brawl. That was for the arena next door. 

Spike grabbed his jacket and left. Poker still wasn't his game.

***

Spike returned to his apartment, which was really just a dingy old basement he was renting from the elderly lady who lived upstairs. Mrs. Jefferson was nice. She made him cookies sometimes. Unfortunately, he was running on the last of the money he'd managed to scrounge from Wolfram and Hart before that whole fiasco. He wouldn't be able to stay in the basement much longer. He had thought about finding another crypt. Or perhaps leaving Chicago entirely. 

He grabbed a cup of cold pig's blood from the fridge and sunk into his chair. It was dark and quiet. Mrs. Jefferson wasn't awake yet. He downed the cold and partially clotted liquid with a bit of a grimace. Should've microwaved it. 

Since leaving Los Angeles 4 years ago, Spike hadn't had all too much purpose. And he didn't have practice. Living as a vampire with a soul, that is. And without... a reason. At least he didn't have to put up with Angel's whining. He got enough of that from his subconscious. 

Of course there was no real point to any of it. He simply had to stay alive. To stay out of hell. The lesser evil. He could help people, or not help people. It wouldn't change his outcome. Maybe it shouldn't. He probably deserved it. But he would try to avoid it all the same. 

Then again, maybe he was already there. Hell.

He shook the thought from his head. Spike had made an effort to stay off the radar. At least, off of Angel and associates' radar. He was done there. Retired. Solo agent only. He'd done his part.

"What's it take?" he muttered under his breath.

***

Spike woke up to a harsh pounding on his basement door. Far as he could tell, it was about midday. He groaned and sat up.

"The bloody hell do you want?" he shouted. "Whatever you're selling I'm not interested. Sod off!"

The knocking continued without pause and Spike sprung up with an audible groan. It wasn't really wrong to kill a con man salesman, right? They were essentially demons... by proxy. More or less. 

He ripped open his door with a loud screech as it scraped across the concrete floor where the wood had over-expanded from the damp. Standing at the base of the steps was... bloody hell.

"Spike!" Andrew exclaimed with a grin as he flung himself into a hug.

Spike pulled Andrew inside and shoved him off into the wall.

"How did you find me?" he growled. "Can't a man find a bit of sodding peace from you Watchers? I'm reformed. I'm not your bloody lap dog."

Andrew chuckled somewhat nervously and shrugged him off. "Like it was hard?"

Andrew hadn't changed much since Spike had last seen him in LA. He was still wearing a tacky suit with styled hair that didn't seem to match his general demeanor. That this kid had survived the demolition of Sunnydale was beyond him. But apparently he was big in with the new and improved Watcher's Council... and with Buffy.

"Does anyone else-" Spike started briskly before pausing. "Does anyone know you're here?"

Andrew shuffles slightly on his feet. "Well... just Willow."

Spike's jaw clenched and he turned away from Andrew taking a few paces.

"Not to worry though!" Andrew added hurriedly. "She's sworn to secrecy. Though she did have a few choice words-"

"The point, Andrew," Spike snapped. "You wanna keep your head, I suggest you get to it."

"It's the slayers," he stammered. "Something's wrong. With all of them."

Spike froze. "All of them?"

[l2fmpnathan]

Ruth Roots

ANDREW KREPS GALLERY22 CORTLANDT ALLEYNEW YORK, NY 10013TEL (212) 741-8849FAX (212)741-8863WWW.

ANDREWKREPS.COMRUTH ROOT Born 1967, Chicago, IL. Currently lives and works in New York City.

Education2003Yaddo1994 Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture1993 MFA, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago 1990Brown UniversityAwards1996 National Endowment for the Arts, Mid-Atlantic Grant in Painting1996 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Painting Solo Exhibitions2019Forum, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA2017356 Mission, Los Angeles, CA2016Marta Carvery Gallery, Madrid2015Old, Odd & Oval, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT Andrew Kreps Gallery, Nailery Nikolaus Ruziicka, Salzburg, Austria2014The Dartmouth Experiment, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH2011The Suburban, Oak Park, IL2009Galerie Nikolaus Ruziicka, Salzburg, Austria Maureen Paley Gallery, London2008Gallery Minmi, Tokyo2007Andrew Kreps Gallery, New Yorkdale Marta Carvery, Madrid2005Galerie Nikolaus Ruzicska, Salzburg, Austria2004Maureen Paley Interim Art, LondonGaleria Marta Carvery, Madrid2003 Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York2001 Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York2000Galleria Franco Nero, Turin, Italy1999Andrew Kreps Gallery, New YorkMuseumExhibitions2018Inherent Structure, Wexner Centerport the Arts, Columbus, OH Surface/Depth, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY2015New York Painting, Kunst museum Bonn, Bonn, Germany2008Unique Act, Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane,Dublin2007Don’t Look.

Contemporary Drawings from an Alumna’s Collection Martina Yamen, class of 1958, Davis Museum at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA2005Extreme Abstraction, curated by Claire Schneider and Louis Gracchus, Albright Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY2004City Maps, ArtPlace, San Antonio and TX.

ANDREW KREPS GALLERY22 CORTLANDT ALLEYNEW YORK, NY 10013TEL (212) 741-8849FAX (212)741-8863WWW.ANDREWKREPS.COM2003Permanent Collection On View, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles The ContemporaryArtProject Collection, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA2002Emotional Rescue: The ContemporaryArtProject Collection, Curated by Linda Farris, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WAS am collect –contemporary art project, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA2000Greater New York, Duplex solo installation, Curated by Klaus Eisenach and Laura Hauptman, PS1 Contemporary Art Centre, New York Group Exhibitions2019Painters Reply: Experimental Painting in the 1970s and now, curated by Alex Glauber and Alex Logsdail,Lisson Gallery, New York, NY2018Twist,fused/Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, CA2018 Invitational Exhibition of Visual Arts, American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, NY 2017Man Alive, Mariana Mercier, Brussels2016Looking Back, The 10thWhite Columns Annual –Selected by Matthew Higgs, White Columns, New York Life Eraser, Brand New Gallery, Milan Shapeshifters, Luring Augustine, New York The Congregation, Jack Hanley Gallery, New York 2014Les Plaisirs Démodé (The Old-Fashioned Way), Galerie Nikolaus Ruziicka, Salzburg, Austria2013Wit, The Painting Centre, New York2012To the Venetians II: Chris Martin, Matt Rich and Ruth Root, curated by Carrie Moyer and Dennis Congdon, RISD Painting Department Providence, RI2011-12The Indiscipline of Painting, Tate St. Ives, Cornwall, UK, touring to the Mead Gallery, University of Warwick, UK2009Trail Blazers in the 21st Century, The David and Ruth Robinson Eisenberg Gallery, New Brunswick, NJ Print, Mushroom Works, Newark upon Tyne, United Kingdom2008Take Me There Show Me The Way, Haunch of Venison, New York David Reed Studio, New York Gallery Minmi, Japan2007 NE integrity, Derek Eller Gallery, New York Bushels, Bundles & Barrels, Superfund Investment Centre, New York The Painting Show-Slipping Abstraction, Mead Gallery, Coventry, United Kingdom2006Untitled (for H.C. Westermann), The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, HI Ruth Root, Alex Brown, Cameron Martin, Sally Ross, Gallery Minmi, Tokyoite is, “what is it”, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York2005The Early Show, White Columns, New York Trade, White Columns, New York2004Painting & Sculpture, Mark Moore Gallery, Santa Monica, CA2003Greetings from New York: A Painting Showalterian Thaddaeus Ropak, Salzburg, Austria20thAnniversary, Welcome Home, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York2002Jump, Curated by Ross Nether, The Painting Centre, New York-Beam, Cynthia Brogan Gallery, New York Inheriting Matisse: The Decorative Contour in Contemporary Art, Curated by MichelleGrabner, Rocket Gallery, London Acme Gallery, Los Angeles Abstract Redux, Danes Gallery and New York.

ANDREW KREPS GALLERY22 CORTLANDT ALLEYNEW YORK, NY 10013TEL (212) 741-8849FAX (212)741-8863WWW.

ANDREWKREPS.COMState of the Gallery, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York2001The Approximative, Galerie Ghislaine Huss not, Paris Painting show, Curated by Laura Owens, Chicago Project Room, Los Angeles2000 Fuel Serve, Curated by Kenny Schachter, Kenny Schachter/Rove, New York Salty Salute, Westing Art Space, Toronto Perfidy -Exhausted Embrace, Curated by Martyn Simpson and Daniel Sturgis, Convent Sainte Marie de La Tourette, Evreux, FranceKosmobiologie, Curated by Nancy Chaykin, Bellwether Gallery, Brooklyn, NY1999Fifteen, Deutsche Bank, Curated by Walter Robinson, New York Free Coke, Greene Naftali Gallery, New York1998Home and Away, Curated by Kirsty Bell, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York Son-of-a-Gusto, Curated by Nina Bovisa, Clementine Gallery, New York Cambio, Part 2, Curated by Kenny Schachter, Museo Universitario Del Choop, Mexico City Sassy Nuggets, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York New Museum Benefit Auction, Pierogi 2000 Portfolios, New York Superfreaks: Part II, Odyssey, Greene Naftali Gallery, New York1997Cambio, Curated by Kenny Schachter, 526 West 26th St., New York Wrong Place, Right Time, Curated by Giovanni Garcia-Fenech, Temporary Space, New York Vague Pop, Curated by Giovanni Garcia-Fenech, View room, New York1996The Experimenters, Curated by Kenny Schachter, Lombard-Fried Fine Arts, New York Taking Stock, Curated by Kenny Schachter, 25 Broad Street, New York Texas Meets New York, Curated by Kenny Schachter, Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, Texas Bump, The Greene County Council on the Arts, Catskill, NY The Death of the Death of Painting, Curated by Kenny Schachter, New York1995Lookin’ Good, Feeling’ Good, 450 Gallery, New York Eat or Be Eaten/ Painting, Not Painting, Anderson Gallery, Buffalo, NYX-Sightings, Anderson Gallery, Buffalo, NY1994Crash, Thread Waxing Space, New YorkBibliography2017Gerwin, Daniel.

“Ruth Root” Artform, September2016 Hodari, Susan. “

Painting Overtakes Pixels in Aldrich Museum Exhibition.”

The New York Times, 18 February2015Biswas, Allie. “

Ruth Root: ‘I love to see how artists create such a joy from colour’ “Studio International, December 17. Campbell, Andriana.

“Ruth Root.” Artforum.com, 13 July Pfeiffer, Produce. “Ruth Root.” Artform, October Vogel, Wendy. “The Lookout: Ruth Root” Art in America Online, 2 July Vogel, Wendy. “Ruth Root” Art in America, September Hawley, Anthony. “Ruth Root” The Brooklyn Rail, 8 September Yau, John. “Two Ways of Making Painting in the 21stCentury” Hyperallergic, 19 July The New Yorker, 27 JulySchwendener, Martha.

“Review: Ruth Root, Minimal and Opulent, at Andrew Kreps Gallery, The New York Times, 2July2009James, Nicholas, “Between Painting and Sculpture,” artslant.com, 25 January 2009.

ANDREW KREPS GALLERY22 CORTLANDT ALLEYNEW YORK, NY 10013TEL (212) 741-8849FAX (212)741-8863WWW.ANDREWKREPS.COMNickas, Bob.

“Colour and Structure.” Painting Abstraction: New Elements in Abstract Painting. London, UK. Phaedo Press. 2009Carrier, David. "Ruth Root.” aruspices 24/24 Fall -Winter2008McKeon, Belinda.

“Taking Root on Gallery Walls.” The Irish Times, March 11Maine, Stephen.

"Brand Boosters.” The New York Sun, March 6Ruth Root. The New Yorker, March 3Rosenberg, Karen.

"Ruth Root. “The New York Times, February 222007 “The Painting Show -Abstracts at Warwick University Mead Gallery.”24 Hour Museum.org. Kmart 15 Jannuzzi, Waldemar.”

The pleasures of undescriptive colour. “Times Online, February 182005Huntington, Richard. "A sampling of all things abstract—old and new.

“The Buffalo News, August 13 Flynn, Barbara. “Exhibition round-up: New York. “Artform. 546Rimanelli, David. "Greater New York 2005.” Artforum,MayColes, Alex. "Ruth Root.

“Modern Painters, May, p.112.De Chasse, Eric. "Painting (Cont'd).” art press, n310, March 2004Campagnola, Sonia.

"Ruth Root. “Flash Art, Summer Pozuelo, Abel H., "Ruth Rote Cultural, May Carpio, Francisco. "Ruth Root. “

ABC Cultural, June Pardo, Taneal. "Ruth Root. “Exit Express, June Boyce, Roger. “Ruth Root at Andrew Kreps Gallery.”

Art in America, February 2003Richard, Frances “Ruth Root: Andrew Kreps Gallery.”

Artforum,September Kerr, Merrily. “New York New York: Art Fragments from the Big Apple. “Flash Art, July-September Burton, Johanna. “Ruth Root. “Time Out New York, May 15-22“Ruth Root.”

www.flavorpill.com,May 10Smith, Roberta. “Ruth Root. “The New York Times, May 92002Pagel, David. “

Some Things Old, Some Things Mewls Angeles Times, May 102001Isé, Claudine. “Coughlan, Reeder, Root, Weatherford.” Team Celeste, September/October Schmirler, Sarah. “Gallery Beat. “

Art on Paper,July-AugustJohnson, Ken. “Ruth Root. “The New York Times, April 27Mahoney, Robert. “Ruth Root. “Time Out New York, May 10-17Naves, Mario. “These Paintings Are Watching You. “

The New York Observer, May 7Wehr, Anne. “Cigarette break. “Time Out New York, April 19-262000Cibulski, Dana Mouton. “New York. “Art Papers Magazine, November / December Conti, Tatiana. “Ruth Root. “Team Celeste, November Adult, Gary Michael. “Salty Salute at the West Wing Art Space.” The Globe and Mail, September 30Orange, Mark. “Greater New York.” Untitled,AutumnKino, Carol. “The Emergent Factor. “Art in America, July Hunt, David. “Symbiology. “Time Out New York, July 27Shave, Stuart. “Man Made.” idrapril Sumpter, Helen. “Ruth Root.” Hot Tickets, March Cook, Mark. “Ruth Root. “The Big Issue, March Cotter, Holland.

“New York Contemporary, Defined 150 Ways. “The New York Times, March 6Turner, Grady. “Beautiful Dreamers. “Flash Art, January-February 1999Cotter, Holland. “Ruth Root.”

Art in Review, The New York Times, March Pinchbeck, Daniel. “Ruth Root. “The Newspaper of New York and March.

ANDREW KREPS GALLERY22 CORTLANDT ALLEYNEW YORK, NY 10013TEL (212) 741-8849FAX (212)741-8863WWW.ANDREWKREPS.COMSchmerler, Sarah. “Ruth Root.” Time Out New York, March Sapid, Sue. “Met Life.” The Village Voice, March Turner, Grady.

“Son of a Gusto.” Flash Art, January1995“Eclectic Exhibition Opens at the Anderson Gallery. “Metro Weekend, November Huntington, Richard. “The Expected and Unexpected -A Fun Mix from Near and Far.”

The Buffalo News, July Huntington, Richard. “Nasty at Times. “The Buffalo News, December Victor, Mathieu. “Eat or Be Eaten.” Artvoice, NovemberCatalogues2015Smith-Stewart, Amy. Ruth Root: Old, Odd, and Oval.

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. Ridgefield, CT2014Artist-in-Residence Spring 2014: Ruth Root Paintings. Jaffe-Frieda Gallery, Hopkins Centre for the Arts, Dartmouth College.

Hanover, NH2005Schneider, Claire and Gracchus, Louis. Extreme Abstraction. Albright Knox Gallery. Buffalo, NY. The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy Reddy Young, Tara.2002Sam Collects Contemporary Art Projects.

Seattle Art Museum. Seattle, WA2001Dailey, Meghan and Gingers, Alison M. The Approximative. Mink Ranch Productions. Paris, France2000Groom, Simon. Perfidy: Surviving Modernism.

Kettle’s Yard. Cambridge, UK1999European Galleries. Art Forum Berlin. Berlin, Germany Swenson, Susan (ed.). Pierogi Press. vol. 3, New York, NY1997Schachter, Kenny. Cambio. Mexican Cultural Institute of New York.

New York, NYLectures2001Conversations with Contemporary Artists, MoMA, New York, NY Public Collections Austin Museum of Art, Austin, TX Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C.Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA Whitney Museum of American Art, New York and NY.

[chronicbatfictioner]

Exchanges and Compromises - Chapter 9

The first time Barbara saw him, she thought she was seeing things.

The first time Barbara noticed Tim noticing him, she turned towards Dick while wondering out loud if she was seeing things. Dick had answered not-helpfully, "no, but I have been watching you both glaring at them monitors for a really good long time that my eyes are getting sore. And my eyes are kind of surgically and genetically modified."

Turning to Dinah for encouragement and/or clarification was not helping. She has been alternating her glare at the monitors, Tim, and when she saw Barbara's glare, she quipped, "this may be the beginning of a very, very interesting telenovela."

"What's a telenovela?" Dick wanted to know, there was a shit-eating grin on his face that was directed to Tim, who was still glaring at the monitors almost unblinkingly.

"It's... something I'd rather you don't know of..." Barbara replied mindlessly, trying to refocus at the scene on the monitors before her. But to say the sight was somewhere between odd and - dare she thought it - endearing would and should be constituted as an understatement.

There has been quite a ruckus in Gotham since the discovery of the bodies of the Court of Owls' High Council. Dick's data was sent over to the GCPD - discreetly and exempt from all or any incriminating snippets. The GCPD matched the names with the headless carcasses they had found throughout the city. The names were haphazard, and even Barbara could not figure out the direct relationship between most of the victims.

There were a few, however, whose link was rather obvious. One was a Harriet Arkham, and the other was a Philip Kane - both are members of Gotham's Founding Families. Philip Kane was the brother of Martha Wayne, wife of Dr. Thomas Wayne; whereas Harriet Arkham was the wife of Philip Kane and daughter of Amadeus Arkham, the founder of Arkham Asylum.

From then, they were stuck to the point where Barbara decided that they ought to keep the 'why' under 'because they were members of the Court of Owls', and not look further for the time being.

Figuring out the 'Bane' guy was proven to be less difficult.

Born in a prison city of Peña Dura at the island country of Santa Prisca, where his mother was incarcerated for an unknown reason, Bane was said to have overturned the 'corrupt and vile Government of Santa Prisca and came to Gotham for business opportunities' - or so his visa statement said. He came under a diplomatic passport, alright. But Barbara knew that the passport was forged nine ways to Sunday. The Immigration's excuse when an inquiry was sent to them - under the pretext as a federal agency - was that they have no information of legalities of Santa Prisca, and thus have no reason to deny Bane's entry to the US.

It has only been a month since Dick got 'integrated' to the Birds of Prey, but he was proven to be quite an asset. Bane-matters aside, there were a number of missions in which Dick's stealth skills - be it in an enter-exit situation or in providing physical backup - were immensely useful. Dick himself turned out to be quite an easygoing person - not to mention that he looked quite exotic and very well-built that is pleasing to the eyes.

When it comes to a new alias, he had requested the name 'Robin Goodfellow', and Barbara complied without thinking much aside for the literary reference. It was Tim who commented that he recalled that the name 'Robin' was something Dick's mother used to call him.

Today, they were greeted with a rather brutal scene from the surveillance cameras around the Wayne Tower. A group of heavily armed people was attacking someone who apparently was quite versed in fights and lethal forces. From a distance, the person looked like Ra's Al Ghul, the supposedly immortal Master of the League of Assassins in all of his gloriously extravagant costume. Green, overflowing cloak with gold lines that Barbara knew were made of real gold; loosely fitted tunic; a long wraparound belt made of very, very soft leather that hid several weapons; loosely fitted pants with cuffs on the ankles; and shoes that would cost approximately as much as her monthly electricity bills.

Given that Ra's Al Ghul was also the CEO of Algol Enterprises - the company that owned half of Gotham along with Wayne Industries, the attire was not overly curious. Barbara had met him once in a gala held to benefit the Gotham PD. Her subsequent investigation of Al Ghul eventually discovered that the man was using the Algol Enterprises as a front; and that his real money came from assassination business through a group called the League of Assassins. It was rumored that he controlled two-thirds of Africa's indigenous tribes, as well as two-thirds of the Indochine's indigenous tribes. And not a single law enforcement agency in the world had ever even come close to find evidence of the 'assassination business'.

The person was holding a small bundle of a child under one arm while fending both of them against costumed thugs. While he looked like he would be able to finish the job, Tim commented that several groups of armed thugs seemed to be coming on to help their fallen comrades.

"I'mma go and help." Dick eventually decided. "Really, people are having a free-for-all brawl right on my doorstep and they're not inviting me? Rude."

She didn't stop him, or Tim, when they went out and vaulted over several buildings toward the rooftop where the altercation was taking place. Once she could switch on Tim's goggle-cam, she realized that the man was not, in fact, Ra's Al Ghul.

He was a few inches shorter, but a lot wider than Al Ghul, albeit with similar jet black hair that was not as long as Al Ghul's would have. His features were decidedly caucasian, in spite of the tanned skin. His facial bone structures were square-ish, different than Al Ghul's longish structure. He was also still very young, approximately her age with the scowl, probably less without.

Within minutes, Dick and Tim's assistance of the man managed to drive the thugs away. The next step should be - if the guy was willing - Tim would take them to the Birds' safehouse. Otherwise, and if the guy was not willing to be persuaded, Tim would place a tracker so that Barbara could figure out who they were.

Right now, though, Barbara wondered if Tim would be as effective and diplomatic as she needed him to be and not affected by the other man's... charisma.

Tim was smitten. Clearly and absolutely. Every inch of his body language screamed, 'hi, let's frolic. And by frolic, I don't mean the PG-rated one!' - and Dick confirmed her suspicions by giving a stage-whisper through the comm-links, "O, did our kitten has just reached puberty?"

She didn't groan. Oh wait, she did. "I was hoping he won't get it for another year or two - decades, that is. Or ever. Mama cat is sharpening her shotgun's bullets by now, I think." she quipped back.

"What even, you two... I can hear you, you know," Tim growled at them and glared at Dick for a moment before turning back to the other man. "But, anyway. Hi, hello! We're with the Oracle and would like to extend the invitation to you and your... charge here to get some rest, and maybe stitches," he told the stranger. "I'm Stray, by the way."

"I'm Talon," Dick waved at the guy from a safe distance - both out of range of his sword and of Tim's claws. Tim, on the other hand, stood a mere few feet away right in the guy's personal bubble.

"I have heard of the Oracle. I am the Red Ghost." The stranger growled between gritted teeth. "We duly appreciate your hospitality, gentlemen, madame. Especially since I reckon our reservation at the Ritz has likely been compromised."

At the comment, Barbara promptly searched for new reservations of the presidential or junior suites made under Al Ghul's company, name, or anyone linked to Ra's Al Ghul. She found one, hidden deep under several shell companies and nominees, for the Presidential Suite.

She also found the bug planted within the hotel's international server that would alert whoever planted that thing for reservations under about three hundred names, including some quite formidable politicians and dignitaries. Being - as Tim said it - the data hoarder that she was, she downloaded and stored the names for future references. Maybe one of these days, she could send herself on vacation to a Ritz somewhere under one of those names. If she's lucky, somebody might try to assassinate her and she could practice her defense and evasion skills.

Come to think of it, a girls' night out in a presidential suite sounded quite cozy. Adding assassins or ninjas to the mix would've been the highlight of their year.

She shook herself out of the daydream and refocused on Tim. The little child has been set on the ground and was scrutinizing Tim intently.

"I am Damian Al Ghul Wayne," he stated in an oh-so-high-pitched-yet-so-regal voice. "I duly thank and shall accept your hospitality before continuing my journey to reach my father, Bruce."

The pen in Barbara's hand fell to the floor.

"Houston," Dick quipped, "we have a problem."

[seeselfblack]

The city of Los Angeles founded

On this date, [September 4] in 1781, the city of Los Angeles was founded. This episode is part of African American history and heritage.l

Originally established as El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles, the second largest city in America was founded by 44 pobladores (people of color) from (then) New Spain, now called Mexico. The heads of the eleven founding families were Antonio Clemente Villavicencio, a Spaniard; Antonio Mesa, a Negro; Jose Fernando Lara, a Spaniard, Jose Vanegas, an Indian; Pablo Rodriquez, and Indian; Manuel Camero, a Mulatto; Jose Antonio Navarro, a Mestizo; Jose Moreno, a Mulatto; Basillio Rosas, an Indian; Alejandro Rosas, an Indian; and Luis Quintero, a Negro. The two Spaniards and three Indians had Indian wives; the remaining six had Mulatto wives. Despite their varied racial background, they shared a common language, culture and religion since all were Spanish subjects and Catholics.

The first Spanish civilian settlement in Southern California, the pueblo helped provide food for the soldiers in the presidios and secure Spain's hold on California. When an election was held in Los Angeles in 1788, Jose Vanegas, an Indian, became its first mayor. Manuel Camero, a Mulatto, and Felipe Garcia were elected to the first city council a year later. Juan Francisco Reyes, an early Mulatto settler served as mayor from 1793- 1795. Originally the owner of the San Fernando Valley Rancho, he traded it to the Franciscans in 1797 so they could establish a mission there. Tiburcio Tapla, the grandson of a Negro, Felipe Tapia, became a powerful figure in Los Angeles after 1833 serving three times as mayor and later as a judge. Catarina Morengo, granddaughter of the Mulatto founder Jose Moreno, married General Andres Pico of the famous Pico family. Her brother-in-law, Pio Pico was the last Governor of California under the Mexican regime. The Pico brothers had some Indian & African ancestors and central Los Angele’s Pico Boulevard is named after the family.

Several descendants of the Negro founder Luis Quintero are living in Los Angeles today. A grandson served as mayor of Santa Barbara; Eugene Biscailuz, a great grandson, as sheriff of Los Angeles. Maria Valdez, a granddaughter, once owned the rancho, which is now known as Beverly Hills. These are only a few of the many individuals of varied backgrounds who made important contributions to the development of Los Angeles, a great cosmopolitan city that now ranks second largest in the United States of America.

See also:

- Cajon Pass brought first black pioneers to San Bernardino Valley

- ALLENSWORTH: CALIFORNIA’S FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY

- The Root.com: Blackness In Los Angeles Is Historic and Trend Setting

- First black mayor, Fatburger founder: These are some snapshots from L.A.’s black history

- Mexicans of African Descent Established Los Angeles on This Day in 1781

- The History of South Central Los Angeles and Its Struggle with Gentrification

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 12.4

771 – Austrasian king Carloman I dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne king of the now complete Frankish Kingdom. 1110 – The Kingdom of Jerusalem captures Sidon. 1259 – Kings Louis IX of France and Henry III of England agree to the Treaty of Paris, in which Henry renounces his claims to French-controlled territory on continental Europe (including Normandy) in exchange for Louis withdrawing his support for English rebels. 1563 – The final session of the Council of Trent is held. (It had opened on December 13, 1545.) 1619 – Thirty-eight colonists arrive at Berkeley Hundred, Virginia. The group's charter proclaims that the day "be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God." 1676 – The Royal Danish Army under the command of King Christian V engages the Swedish Army commanded by the Swedish king Charles XI at the Battle of Lund, to this day it is counted as the bloodiest battle in Scandinavian history and a turning point in the Scanian War. 1745 – Charles Edward Stuart's army reaches Derby, its furthest point during the Second Jacobite Rising. 1783 – At Fraunces Tavern in New York City, U.S. General George Washington bids farewell to his officers. 1786 – Mission Santa Barbara is dedicated (on the feast day of Saint Barbara). 1791 – The first edition of The Observer, the world's first Sunday newspaper, is published. 1829 – In the face of fierce local opposition, British Governor-General Lord William Bentinck issues a regulation declaring that anyone who abets suttee in Bengal is guilty of culpable homicide. 1861 – The 109 Electors of the several states of the Confederate States of America unanimously elect Jefferson Davis as President and Alexander H. Stephens as Vice President. 1864 – American Civil War: Sherman's March to the Sea: At Waynesboro, Georgia, forces under Union General Judson Kilpatrick prevent troops led by Confederate General Joseph Wheeler from interfering with Union General William T. Sherman's campaign destroying a wide swath of the South on his march to the Atlantic Ocean from Atlanta. 1865 – North Carolina ratifies 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, followed soon by Georgia, and U.S. slaves were legally free within two weeks. 1867 – Former Minnesota farmer Oliver Hudson Kelley founds the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry (better known today as the Grange). 1872 – The crewless American brigantine Mary Celeste, drifting in the Atlantic, is discovered by the Canadian brig Dei Gratia. The ship has been abandoned for nine days but is only slightly damaged. Her master Benjamin Briggs and all nine others known to have been on board are never accounted for. 1875 – Notorious New York City politician Boss Tweed escapes from prison; he is later recaptured in Spain. 1881 – The first edition of the Los Angeles Times is published. 1893 – First Matabele War: A patrol of 34 British South Africa Company soldiers is ambushed and annihilated by more than 3,000 Matabele warriors on the Shangani River in Matabeleland. 1906 – Alpha Phi Alpha the first black intercollegiate Greek lettered fraternity was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. 1909 – In Canadian football, the First Grey Cup game is played. The University of Toronto Varsity Blues defeat the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club, 26–6. 1909 – The Montreal Canadiens ice hockey club, the oldest surviving professional hockey franchise in the world, is founded as a charter member of the National Hockey Association. 1917 – After drafting the Declaration of Independence, the Finnish Senate headed by P. E. Svinhufvud submitted to the Parliament of Finland a proposal for the form of government of the Republic of Finland and issued a communication to Parliament declaring independence of Finland. 1918 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sails for the World War I peace talks in Versailles, becoming the first US president to travel to Europe while in office. 1928 – Cosmo Gordon Lang was enthroned as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the first bachelor to be appointed in 150 years. 1939 – World War II: HMS Nelson is struck by a mine (laid by U-31) off the Scottish coast and is laid up for repairs until August 1940. 1942 – World War II: Carlson's patrol during the Guadalcanal Campaign ends. 1943 – World War II: In Yugoslavia, resistance leader Marshal Josip Broz Tito proclaims a provisional democratic Yugoslav government in-exile. 1943 – World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt closes down the Works Progress Administration, because of the high levels of wartime employment in the United States. 1945 – By a vote of 65–7, the United States Senate approves United States participation in the United Nations. (The UN had been established on October 24, 1945.) 1948 – Chinese Civil War: The SS Kiangya, carrying Nationalist refugees from Shanghai, explodes in the Huangpu River. 1949 – Sir Duncan George Stewart was fatally stabbed by Rosli Dhobi, a member leader of the Rukun 13, in Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia during the British crown colony era in that state. 1950 – Korean War: Jesse L. Brown (the 1st African-American Naval aviator) is killed in action during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. 1956 – The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash) get together at Sun Studio for the first and last time. 1964 – Free Speech Movement: Police arrest over 800 students at the University of California, Berkeley, following their takeover and sit-in at the administration building in protest of the UC Regents' decision to forbid protests on UC property. 1965 – Launch of Gemini 7 with crew members Frank Borman and Jim Lovell. The Gemini 7 spacecraft was the passive target for the first crewed space rendezvous performed by the crew of Gemini 6A. 1967 – Vietnam War: U.S. and South Vietnamese forces engage Viet Cong troops in the Mekong Delta. 1969 – Black Panther Party members Fred Hampton and Mark Clark are shot and killed during a raid by 14 Chicago police officers. 1971 – Indo-Pakistani War of 1971: The Indian Navy attacks the Pakistan Navy and Karachi. 1971 – The PNS Ghazi, a Pakistan Navy submarine, sinks during the course of the Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971. 1971 – During a concert of Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention at the Montreux Casino, an audience member fires a flare gun into the venue's ceiling, causing a fire that destroys the venue. Rock band Deep Purple, who were to use the Casino as the site for the recording of their next album, witnesses the fire from their hotel; the incident would be immortalized in their best known song, "Smoke on the Water". 1974 – Martinair Flight 138 crashes into the Saptha Kanya mountain range in Maskeliya, Sri Lanka, killing 191. 1977 – Jean-Bédel Bokassa, president of the Central African Republic, crowns himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire. 1977 – Malaysian Airline System Flight 653 is hijacked and crashes in Tanjong Kupang, Johor, killing 100. 1978 – Following the murder of Mayor George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein becomes San Francisco's first female mayor. 1979 – The Hastie fire in Hull kills three schoolboys and eventually leads police to arrest Bruce George Peter Lee. 1981 – South Africa grants independence to the Ciskei "homeland" (not recognized by any government outside South Africa). 1982 – The People's Republic of China adopts its current constitution. 1983 – US Navy aircraft from USS John F. Kennedy and USS Independence attack Syrian missile sites in Lebanon in response to an F-14 being fired on by an SA-7. One A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair are shot down. One American pilot is killed, one is rescued, and one is captured. 1984 – Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Army soldiers kill 107–150 civilians in Mannar. 1986 – The MV Amazon Venture oil tanker begins leaking oil while at the port of Savannah in the United States, resulting in an oil spill of approximately 500,000 US gallons (1,900,000 l). 1991 – Terry A. Anderson is released after seven years in captivity as a hostage in Beirut; he is the last and longest-held American hostage in Lebanon. 1991 – Pan American World Airways ceases its operations after 64 years. 1992 – Somali Civil War: President George H. W. Bush orders 28,000 U.S. troops to Somalia in Northeast Africa. 1998 – The Unity Module, the second module of the International Space Station, is launched. 2005 – Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong protest for democracy and call on the government to allow universal and equal suffrage. 2006 – Six black youths assault a white teenager in Jena, Louisiana. 2014 – Islamic insurgents kill three state police at a traffic circle before taking an empty school and a "press house" in Grozny. Ten state forces die with 28 injured in gun battles ending with ten insurgents killed. 2015 – A firebomb is thrown into a restaurant in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, killing 17 people. 2017 – The Thomas Fire starts near Santa Paula in California. It eventually became the largest wildfire in modern California history to date after burning 440 square miles (1,140 km2) in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. 2021 – Semeru on the Indonesian island of Java erupts, killing at least 68 people.

[art-now-usa]

"My Love Canal", Emanuele Cacciatore

Short Bio Emanuele Cacciatore has exhibited his paintings in Europe and the United States since 1982. Notable venues include the Albright-Knox Art Museum and Hallwalls Gallery in Buffalo, New York; The Montclair Art Museum, New Jersey State Museum, and Robeson Center Gallery in New Jersey; The Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum in California; and galleries in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Buffalo, and Paris. His work has been reviewed by Artnews magazine and by regional art publications and newspapers throughout the country. He is the recipient of many artist awards, including the Armand Hammer Award in Visual Art from the Los Angeles Arts Council. Emanuele was born in Buffalo, New York and received an M.F.A. in painting from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He currently lives in Weehawken, New Jersey. Artist’s Statement Emanuele Cacciatore addresses how we perceive and define gestural painting without relying solely on conventional aesthetics or contemporary ideology. The gestural passages in his artwork, although realized through accidental, intentional, and mechanical manipulation of the material, ultimately reflect a genuine and thorough investigation of painterly content. He uses brushes and stencils in conjunction with an array of industrial tools and various painting techniques to create both a concrete and ephemeral reorganization of form and space.

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-My-Love-Canal/59003/3138970/view

[riveir]

info dump                    canon au verse.

writing in this verse is set in an alternate universe scenario, in which river’s death occurs later in life than his senior year of high school. i’m very hesitant to say that it wouldn’t occur at all, for reasons explored below; because i would prefer writing in this verse to be heavily plot-based anyways, all of this can be altered & explored on a very individualized basis. i want to keep this plot-based because a big factor in river’s suicide is that he feels himself buckling under pressure without enough positive things or emotions in his life to, in his own words, ‘balance [him] out.’ writing river past senior year of high school assumes he has at least temporarily overcome these obstacles or found some reason to want to keep pushing through them. general reasons are outlined in each scenario below, but i think a lot of it would depend on individual specific relationships between river and the opposite muse. i think river’s mental health struggles extend beyond things like his parents and santa barbara and st. sebastian, though those things are certainly all factors in their own ways, and i hesitate to say that the things/changes applicable in each scenario below would be agents of such major change. a big part of this is acknowledging the lack of change that resulted after river’s first suicide attempt, which largely centers on his parents; no one else knew about his mental health struggles nor that he had received treatment until river breaks down and reveals it to the entire school because the family wanted to keep it between them, and his parents do not change their attitudes or treatment of river in the aftermath. in short, i just don’t take altering river’s death and its circumstances lightly, and this is all still contingent on individual plotting. however, because i’m not opposed to writing things in such a verse at all, i though doing an info dump for it would be helpful (: 

river living past senior year fall means that he would still be running for student council president. this can also be plotted individually, but as far as dealing with the rest of the canon timeline of the politician, it can be assumed that river continues running until he has an admissions interview with stanford that seems to virtually guarantee admission ( though family donations likely play a large factor in that as well ), at which point the student body presidency is deemed unnecessary and he drops out to try and allow payton an easier path to victory, though it can also be assumed that astrid takes his place on the ticket. exploring a scenario in which river does actually win the election, though, is definitely a possibility on an individual plot basis.

there are two default scenarios in this verse. the first is that river gets into stanford, attends, and continues along the path intended for him by his parents and continues giving into them, hoping that at some point he’ll feel some significant reassurance from their pride and happiness and that it will make a real difference in his life. the second is that he chooses to go against their wishes, elects to attend columbia university in new york city, and pursues a dual major in education and psychology and intends to spend some time as an english education teacher in the peace corps before he begins formally teaching, deciding that the inevitability of shouldering their disappointment would be outweighed by the chance of pursuing a future he feels as though he actually wants. 

“ i had to do it if i had a shot of getting into stanford. i mean, i had to do something to get my parents off my back. ”

despite applying to and getting into other schools, including other ivies like columbia and yale, river accepts his offer from stanford university, much to his parents’ pleasure. though he expects to feel some relief, given how much of the pressure put on him was contingent on admission to stanford, its motivation only shifts. his parents begin advising him on what extracurriculars to join even well before he arrives on campus, and put even more pressure on him as far as his grades, and constantly try and push him to forge useful business connections and almost even just choose summer internships for him. there continues to be extremely high standards for him to live up to; it seems to be never-ending, and despite hoping that getting into the school and agreeing to pursue a finance degree would have satisfied his parents and would have made them proud, river still can’t seem to be able to get off that hamster wheel. it is mentally and emotionally exhausting.

by the time he died in the politician canon, river had not really figured out exactly what his sexuality was, nor was he entirely comfortable with exploring it openly ( referring to his tense reaction to payton’s threat to tell the entire school they’d slept together ). choosing to dedicate himself to being the man his parents want him to be means that the fear of allowing himself to fully come to terms with his sexuality does not go away. it was made very clear to him that the expectation was that he would find a nice wife and raise a j. crew catalog family. still counting on familial pride being a saving grace, he continues to keep ‘that part of him,’ in astrid’s words, largely a secret.

essentially, circumstances do not change much from the politician canon, despite his continued hope that one day he will be enough for the people he cares about and so desperately wants to make proud ( which still exists largely because of payton and the faith in him he always showed and the support he gave that no one else did ).

“ you’re gonna go to college, and join the peace corps. ”

despite getting into stanford, river rejects the offer to attend columbia university instead. attending school on the opposite coast gives the opportunity for a break from the suffocation he associates with california, and ultimately decides for once to act on his own best interests and put himself in an environment where he thinks he might have a chance to finally breathe and be himself. away from the ghosts of his parents and their influence, river feels hopeful that new york will provide a new lease on life. however, the decision comes with a price, and the weight of his parents’ displeasure and disappointment is even heavier than river expected.

reports back home of his schooling and college experience are received with passive aggressive jabs, muttered wistful expressions of what could have been. “well, if you were at stanford, you could’ve been set up with [insert name of roland’s connection here] and been on a fast track to a high-paying job at the firm right out of college.” “you’re accustomed to a certain lifestyle, river, i’m not sure how you expect to maintain it on teaching degrees.” “seems like all those opportunities we worked to provide you with growing up were not quite as useful as we’d hoped they’d be.” it’s difficult for river to disappoint people; we see his willingness to please others in his decisions to run for student body president on others’ advice, in keeping the end goal of stanford in mind at the beginning of senior year, and even in the fact that he mentions trying something new every time he has sex with astrid in hopes of getting a more positive reaction from her, instead of her standard ‘you were great.’ he’s so used to living up to expectations and at the very least having that recognized, even if it’s always followed by the addition of a higher standard, so despite the liberation he anticipates coming with choosing to live for himself, to experience the opposite is crushing.

and how can he disappoint his parents even more by crushing the dreams they have for his personal, family life? distance gives him freedom, but he still knows he’s going to inevitably be returning to the superficial, inauthentic life that instilled in him habits he can’t quite break yet, that boxed him into someone he didn’t want to be and so distanced himself from the person he did want to be that river sometimes fears he won’t be able to make that his reality.

the peace corps is discussed as a stepping stone, a resume builder for when river inevitably does get that high-paying finance job, working in a skyscraper. “it could give you a leg up on international business.” but for river it’s so deeply personal, a way to give the knowledge and and facilitate the cultural exchange that he’d experienced growing up to those without the privilege that had given it to him in the first place.  it’s heartbreaking for it to be looked down upon, as well as the career he’d like to have as an educator, especially given his intent to emphasize the importance of mental health in youth in the way he might have benefitted from, in the way he would have wanted to at st. sebastian.

river is still faking it, and never feels that he’s given the freedom to actually be happy, at least to his full potential. river is so good at pulling vulnerability out of people and spends so much time and energy searching for authenticity in his life because he’s looking for permission to be his true authentic self, too. he’s terrified of what people would say or do if they knew what was under his easy-going, unfailingly friendly facade ( and this is even worsened by the way his parents handle it ), and how can he be comfortable living freely when no one else in this life is? he’s accepted for the person he is pretending to be, and being that person still proves difficult; for most, it isn’t enough. and even if / when river does get a little freedom, the rigidity of needing to keep it together and the habitualness ( so much so that it almost feels automatic ) of hiding this overwhelming depression are certainly and absolutely difficult to break and escape from.

[ledenews]

WLU Selects Schulman as Interim VP of Academic Affairs and Provost

West Liberty University welcomed a new interim vice president and member of the President’s Cabinet last week as Washington, D.C. native Mark Schulman joined the administration. “I am pleased to welcome Dr. Schulman to our campus and look forward to his expertise and leadership in this important role,” said Dr. Cathy Monteroso, interim president. Monteroso served as interim provost prior to Schulman. Utilizing the assistance of an outside higher education interim placement agency known as The Registry, WLU selected Schulman to serve in this position until a full-scale search is launched. Schulman’s official title is interim vice president of academic affairs and provost and his office is located on the second floor of Shaw Hall. Schulman has worked as a higher education consultant since his retirement from the presidency of Presidio Graduate School (San Francisco and Seattle) in 2017. Prior to Presidio, his presidencies included Saybrook University (San Francisco and Seattle) from 2010 to 2016, Goddard College (Plainfield, Vt., and Port Townsend, Wash.) from 2003 to 2010, where he led the successful turn-around of the institution, and Antioch University Southern California (Los Angeles and Santa Barbara). Other administrative and faculty appointments include: academic dean/vice president, dean of the college, and professor at Pacific Oaks College (Pasadena, Ca.); chairperson, communication department/director, graduate media studies/lead faculty, distance learning/distinguished lecturer in communications at the New School for Social Research (New York); chairperson, communications, film and video department, and associate professor at City College of New York. He also served in positions at Saint Mary’s College of California (Moraga, Ca.), Antioch College (Yellow Springs, Ohio), and Mount Vernon College (Washington, D.C.). He has an extensive background in communications and education consulting and higher education administration. He served as the president of the Vermont Higher Education Council in 2006-2007; on the executive committee of the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges from 2005 to 2010; and on the Board of Directors of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility from 2005 to 2010. Schulman received his Doctor of Philosophy in Communications degree from the Union Institute and University. Schulman also earned the following degrees at Indiana University, (Bloomington): Specialist in Education, Master of Science in Education, Instructional Systems Technology and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Literature at Antioch College, (Yellow Springs, Ohio). West Liberty University is West Virginia’s first public institution of higher learning and offers more than 70 undergraduate majors, plus a growing number of graduate programs, both online and on campus.  For more information, please call 1.866.937.8542 (WESTLIB), visit westliberty.edu or follow WLU on social media. To view more about WLU, please visit westliberty.edu/youtube. Read the full article

[rabbitcruiser]

West Beach, Santa Barbara (No. 1)

West beach is in Santa Barbara, California.  It is home to Santa Barbara's New Years and 4th of July Fireworks shows.

It is an industrial beach and swimming is prohibited, however kayaking, windsurfing, and sailing are common activities.

West Beach is also the home to the West Beach Music & Arts Festival.

The 2008 lineup featured Ziggy Marley, Jason Mraz, Natasha Bedingfield, and Big Head Todd and the Monsters.

In 2009 the festival sold out.

In 2010, local government bureaucracy denied the event permit, resulting in an appeal of the decision by the organizers. In February 2009, with local politics and the Nederlander controlled Santa Barbara Bowl fiercely competing against the event, the Parks & Recreation director, went as far as to say the decision to deny the permit was unappealable. Citing due process in the United States Constitution to the City Council, the appeal process was allowed.

On May 19, 2010, the production company won the appeal to run the event and was granted its permit by the Park & Recreation Commission.

13 days later an appeal of this decision was filed. Three days past the allowable date for appeal - two appellants, Hilary Kleger, UCSB's associated student's "Community Advisor"and Tony Romasanta, owner of Harbor View Inn, separately submitted their appeals at the same time.

As a result of the appeals, the city made new requirements, which increased the costs, moved up deposit deadlines, and reduced the capacity of the festival. Forty days following the festival, the local production company, Twiin Productions, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Source: Wikipedia