Peter Walker Hunt‘s letter (“Put the Fires Out!” MJ #23/51) brings out the stunning reality of what our communities have just gone through. Current federal policy on wildfire management is choking us in the smoke of burned tax dollars. The devastation and death of wildlife is a by-product of the “goal line” set within a […]
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The first day of 2018 found Montecito with a bright-blue and sun-filled morning sky, balmy with a breeze at 72 degrees, thanks to our brave firefighters who abated the Thomas Fire to 92 percent containment. It also heralded the reunion of the Miramar Beach Club’s Annual Polar Bear Swimmers, who met at Butterfly Beach down […]
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(photos courtesy MFPD chief Chip Hickman) Most in Montecito have no idea how close we came to community decimation two weeks before Christmas. At 6 am Saturday, December 16, 2017, sundowner winds of 30 mph, gusting up to 60 mph, drove the Thomas wildfire, the largest in California history, past the firefighter containment lines on […]
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Advice from a tree: Stand tall and proud, remember you roots, reflect the light of your true nature, drink plenty of water, enjoy the view! My son Dane and daughter-in-law Alli live in Three Rivers, California. Where is that, you ask? Head for Bakersfield and Visalia, turning toward the right following the signs to get […]
Lea másFledgling actor-comedian Lauren Watson first thought of creative performance art mimicking Donald Trump late in 2015, when the real estate mogul and reality TV star announced his candidacy. After Trump won the presidency, Watson also stepped up his game, taking his impersonation into some local retail outlets, such as McDonald’s and Ross Dress for Less […]
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On Tuesday, January 9, 2018, Montecito endured the most catastrophic natural disaster of the last several decades as a rain storm created multiple mudslides and flooding, taking the lives of at least 13 people. As of press time, more than 25 Montecito residents remain unaccounted for; there are also dozens of homes lost and even […]
Lea másStarting out the New Year, I always make it a tradition to recall a few special people who passed away in the last. So, here are those who died in 2017 that I especially want to remember. This is a highly personal and random list, as it is every year. Usually I include those who […]
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Westmont began spring semester as scheduled on January 8, while preparing campus for rain late that afternoon and the following day. The college was not in Santa Barbara County’s evacuation zone that included many areas below the Thomas Fire burn scar, but public safety officers kept a 24-hour watch for flooding. In the first chapel […]
Lea más“Hi, Siri.” “What can I help you with?” “How do you say, ‘My name is Ernie…?’” “I don’t. My name is Siri.” “You didn’t let me finish, Siri.” “What can I help you with?” “I need to know how to say my name…” “I found this website with names.” “…In Japanese. We are going to […]
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Deck the Halls! It was time for the Lobero Theatre Associates’s annual Holiday Tea at The Four Seasons Biltmore. I saw more sparkling wine than tea, but never mind. It’s the season to sparkle. And no one makes better tea sandwiches than the Biltmore, especially the lobster ones. Fredrik Rosvall was at the piano, as […]
Lea másRagan and Alex Thomson met Dale Halaway more than a decade ago, when Alex signed up for a business coaching seminar and immediately felt a connection. Over the years, the Montecito power couple kept working with Halaway, a veteran transformational life coach, in a variety of public and eventually private seminars and coaching sessions – […]
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As another year passes, we reflect on notable events in the Montecito community. From California’s largest wildfire, progress on development and new businesses, school happenings, retirements, and more, 2017 was a busy year in Montecito. While far from all-inclusive, here is a snapshot of our community’s happenings in 2017. Thomas Fire Without a doubt, […]
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“You’ve got a big-ass fire headed straight your way,” was the salty salutation I heard when answering the phone. The caller was William J. Myers, a lifelong family friend and veteran retired firefighter known more familiarly as Bill. I was a bit perplexed, as the only fire I had heard about at the time was […]
Lea másIt was just before 6:30 pm, December 4 – which happens to be Feast Day for the beloved Saint Barbara, the Patroness of Fire and Lightning – when what turned out to be the largest wildfire in California’s recorded history started to burn. The Thomas Fire started just north of Santa Paula. That same night, […]
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Breast Cancer Resource Center (BCRC) board president Rose Hodge and executive director Silvana Kelly welcomed everyone to the Four Seasons Biltmore Loggia Room. “This is our 10th annual tea and fashion show and our 20th anniversary.” Prior to lunch, the ladies had been busy shopping and choosing which pot to put their free raffle tickets […]
Lea másIt may be uplifting to think in terms of constant and inevitable progress – but it’s not very realistic. In many ways, our society seems to be stuck, or even sliding backward. As one example, consider this anachronism: in an era of streamlined electronic cyber-finance, we are still accepting as “legal tender” little round pieces […]
Lea másI have a couple ideas to help our local economy in regards to the recent tragic Thomas Fire. My suggestion is to have a Holiday Re-Do on February 25. This gives all the businesses, companies, nonprofits, clubs, and individuals an opportunity to re-do their parties and events that were canceled due to the Thomas Fire. This […]
Lea másGrammy-winning standup comedian Lewis Black has been working more than 200 nights a year for nearly two decades, ever since his early appearances on The Daily Show led to comedy specials on HBO, Comedy Central, and Showtime. His gigs have taken him across the world, with shows throughout Europe and North America, selling out such […]
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Every year, the Casa del Herrero staff gives a “thank you” Christmas cocktail party for its docents and volunteers. It follows a few days after the gala fundraiser so the house is decorated for that soirée and for the upcoming Christmas tours – a truly special time to visit the Casa. As they say, “It’s […]
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