Kevin Speer, the affable manager of Beanie Baby billionaire Ty Warner‘s Coral Casino, is celebrating his 25th anniversary in the role. But his career at the beachside club came about by chance. “Chris Hart, the former general manager of the resort, asked me to come over to the club from the hotel to correct some […]
Lea másIt seems ironic that Santa Barbara author Nicole Black, who has just published her first book, Fat Shame, is the ex-wife of top pastry chef Renaud Gonthier, who has just opened his latest outpost on Coast Village Road. The pilates teacher, massage therapist, and certified rolfer, describes herself as a survivor of body image and […]
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CAMA – the Community Arts Music Association – kicked off the first concert of its centennial series at the Granada in grand style when the 1,500 music lovers were treated to a bounteous champagne reception an hour before the performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which is also celebrating its centenary. The talented L.A. musicians […]
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Dynamic duo Roger and Sarah Chrisman, who recently took delivery of their new 78-ft. cruiser, Polaris II, welcomed pirates on board when they threw an entertaining Halloween bash in the Santa Barbara harbor. The impressive vessel, festooned with Jolly Roger flags, featured creative catering from the Bear and Star in Los Olivos, including bloody ribs, […]
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The party animals were out in costumed force when the popular charity Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network threw its 30th annual benefit at the Carriage and Western Art Museum, with a record 260 guests raising around $80,000 for the Goleta-based facility that rescues and treats more than 3,500 animals annually. The bustling bash, co-chaired by […]
Lea másCity College student Timothy Jimenez is displaying all the signs of success! The 20-year-old former Carpinteria High School student, who lives on the Mesa, has signed up for a four-year course to learn sign language, spurred on by his friendship with deaf football teammate Guillermo Tavira. “I really wanted to communicate with him and really […]
Lea más“It’s all Trump’s fault”! Leftists instantly reach for the “Hate-Trump Card” as a knee-jerk reaction to virtually every “crisis.” Do you remember Democrats and the seedier media blaming Robert (“F**k Trump”) De Niro for the shooting and attempted assassination of president Ronald Reagan? I don’t. A certified mental case shot at the president because, as […]
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Ghost Village Road, Montecito’s popular trick-or-treating event, went off without a hitch, with an estimated 2,000 kids, parents, and pets making their way to area businesses on Coast Village Road. Business owners passed out candy and other treats, while some had musical entertainment and photo ops. A flash mob performed “Thriller” at multiple places along […]
Lea másLaguna Beach native Baba Bhagavan Das – the master kirtan wallah and orator, bhakti yogi and shakta tantra adept – first traveled to India back in 1963 to find his gur, and became the first American to live in the jungle of the Himalayas as a hermit-sadhu. Bhagavan Das was given the Holy Name of […]
Lea másThe best way to predict the future is to watch those who are working hard to create it. It is fascinating to reflect on how fast the world is changing. The Auto Industry Last week, the Los Angeles Times reported that Alphabet Inc’s Waymo has become the first company to receive a permit from the […]
Lea másAaron Briner, 43, grew up in Santa Barbara and is an eighth-generation Santa Barbara native. He attended San Marcos High School and has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Aaron reminds one of a younger, more handsome brother of Garth Brooks. He seems very Americana, laid-back, and you can […]
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Montecito Association (MA) Beautification Day was a great success, drawing more than 100 volunteers who came out to help beautify several areas of Montecito. With breakfast sponsored by the Rosewood Miramar Resort, lunch donated by Montecito Village Grocery and San Ysidro Ranch (and prepared by Montecito firefighters), the event was a collaborative effort. Multiple groups […]
Lea másYou may remember an old campfire song containing repeated vows that “I ain’t gonna grieve my Lord no more,” interspersed with a lengthy list of ways in which “you can’t get to Heaven.” One of those ways, which I have always remembered (perhaps because this is one case in which I strongly agree with the […]
Lea másYour choice for the Water and Sanitary District (MSD) candidates in the Tuesday, November 6, election will decide what kind of Montecito will be rebuilt from the debris and destruction nine months ago. A few months ago, I spoke to the Montecito Association at “public comment” time about the need for unity while the community […]
Lea másIf the Committee for Montecito Water Security fulfills their promises, you can expect your water bills to increase by about one-third. They raised $80,000 in campaign money two years ago and were successful in having their two candidates elected to the Water District Board. There are only five Water Board directors, and it takes just […]
Lea másWith less than two weeks before the November elections, pollsters, and most media pundits are telling us who will be the next governor of California. Gavin Newsom, former mayor of San Francisco and current lieutenant governor, is their anointed winner. According to articles from some newspapers, Newsom preferred to run against John Cox, the leading […]
Lea más“There’s no angry way to say microbubbles,” Bill Murray said, not the real Bill Murray, just someone pretending to be Bill Murray on Twitter. Does it matter? It’s true even if he didn’t say it. I think that’s one of the reasons in these troubling times microbubbling is so gratifying. The best form of microbubbling […]
Lea másMontecito voters will have a rare opportunity to elect two of five Montecito Sanitary District (MSD) Board members this year in a classic contest between appointed incumbents who have already held their board seats for up to 12 years and an exceptionally competent team of challengers who offer new ideas and a solid plan for […]
Lea másMaybe you’ve seen this bit of sagacity somewhere before: “YYUR YYUB ICUR YY 4ME” The “translation” is: “Too wise you are. Too wise you be. I see you are too wise for me.” Very clever – but so what? For one thing, if true wisdom is really all it’s cracked up to be, how can […]
Lea másLucas Grant, our 31-year-old Steve McQueen lookalike, seems as though he would be just as comfortable stepping into a Formula One as he would a fire engine. He was born and raised in San Luis Obispo with older sister, Ashley. He played lots of sports growing up, mainly basketball, baseball, and football. He developed great […]
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