Los Olivos, a quaint community of about 500, lies quietly among the oaks, rolling hills, wineries and the horse, cattle and alfalfa ranches of central Santa Barbara County. The two-block "downtown" is home to a dozen art galleries and there's nary a traffic signal.
But Los Olivos is where letters addressed "Michael Jackson, USA" wind up. "It happens a lot," Los Olivos Postmaster Michael Stewart said. "Day before yesterday we had a foreign letter, and it said 'Michael Jackson, Somewhere in the United States. ' You could barely read the writing; it must have been from a little kid. But we knew exactly where it was going. " In fact, about 90 percent of the superstar's mail arrives without an address. No matter, Stewart said. "We just get so much mail for him, that, basically, by now, the Postal Service knows where to forward it," Stewart explained.
The lack of address isn't surprising, he added. Jackson, not only the town's most famous resident but arguably the most recognizable person in the world, does little to draw attention to Los Olivos.
His residence often is mistakenly identified _ as it was during Jackson's interview with Oprah Winfrey last week _ as Santa Ynez, a small town five miles southeast of Los Olivos. Los Olivos is 125 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Stewart said the error is understandable. After all, Los Olivos lies in Santa Ynez Valley, and there are no banners or signs that read "Los Olivos _ Home of Michael Jackson. "
Actually, there's little reason to pay such a tribute, according to the townspeople. The superstar is as reclusive at home as anywhere. "It's not like he's a presence in the community," said Ann Jardee, front-office manager of the town's only lodging facility, the Grand Hotel, where Winfrey stayed. "It's known that he lives here, but there's nothing that he does locally. He doesn't patronize the local businesses, with the possible exception of the grocery stores. And, then again, it's probably not him who does the shopping. "
It seems as if the rest of the world knows more about Jackson than his own neighbors. His extravagant 2,700-acre estate, Neverland Valley Ranch, at the western base of Figueroa Mountain, is famous for its Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, menagerie of animals, movie theater and generous hospitality to chronically ill children. It also is 15 miles north of President Reagan's Santa Ynez ranch.
Once a working cattle ranch previously owned by a golf course developer, the posh compound is large enough to accommodate more than 30 Disneylands. But it's only during the big events, like the Winfrey interview and Elizabeth Taylor's wedding in October 1991, that it becomes obvious that Jackson lives there, residents said. "Last night and the night before it was lit up like daylight," said Los Olivos real estate salesman E. David Davis, who lives five miles to the east of Jackson's spread.
But Jackson is less neighborly than the black bears that occasionally press their noses against Davis' porch window. Davis, 62, has lived and worked in the Santa Ynez Valley since 1946, but he's never met or seen the multimillionaire musician who lives on his street. "I pass his gate every day on my way to work," Davis said. "He may have driven by me, I guess, but he's never come by the office to see me. " Cathy Mehl, bookkeeper at the winery owned by actor Fess Parker that abuts Jackson's property, has never seen the Gloved One, either. She's also never heard of anyone dropping by or calling for directions to the Jackson place. The closest she's gotten to the celebrity was last year, when she received two of his fan letters that came addressed care of Fess Parker.
Postmaster Stewart has never glimpsed the entertainer, either.
But he gets inquiries about Jackson all the time. Up to three times a month someone will come by the post office to ask for directions to the Jackson estate, and calls come in constantly. "The phone rings off the wall," Stewart said. "I get calls from Canada, England, everywhere. I have one girl from Kansas who calls once a month. "
Stewart wants to clear the confusion over his hometown. He said that any letters to Michael Jackson should be sent to his business address: Neverland Valley Ranch, PO Box 9, Los Olivos, Calif. 93441-0009.