One Shell of a Name

Beanie Baby billionaire Ty Warner‘s San Ysidro Ranch is going the full Monty!

After suffering considerable damage in the devastating mudslides a year ago, the exclusive 500-acre hostelry expects to be fully operational again in the spring, with the resort’s restaurants, the Stonehouse and Plow & Angel, opening to diners on a full-time basis in the next few days.

In the meantime, the Ranch’s iconic turtle, that used to sit opposite the historic hacienda, went missing after the catastrophe and a new one has replaced it, but until now has been nameless.

A contest in this illustrious organ has now resolved the problem with dozens of entries flooding my e-mail box, with Montecito travel writer William Tomicki suggesting Aristurtle, entrepreneur Bill Nicholson plumping for JJ, in honor of John and Jackie Kennedy who honeymooned at the hotel, and Carpinteria artist Robyn Geddes, who went for the novel name Ordisy, close to Odyssey, but Ysidro spelled backwards.

But the winner, cue the drum roll, was medical equipment executive Miles Hartfeld, beau of Montecito animal activist Gretchen Lieff, who chose to christen the hefty herbivore Monty, after our rarefied enclave and its resilience in the face of disasters.

“Monty, short for Montague, seemed a strong name,” says Maxine Rutledge, SYR’s manager, who judged the contest. “Our turtle looks male and strong, and ends in Ty, the owner’s name. It was gratifying that so many people took part.”

Miles received his prize, a voucher for a champagne brunch for two at the Stonehouse, from Maxine, appropriately enough, next to Monty.