STOP I believe it is ABSOLUTELY SCANDALOUS during the COVID CRISIS to have all five Board Members of the Montecito Water District, during the next 60 days to: 1. Mail a Public Board Notice2. Hold a Public Open House3. Hold a Public Hearing to Massively Raise its New Rates4. Approve its New Rates for Desal […]
Lea másThese days, there’s no shortage of things to get emotional about. Like most of us, other than essential workers for whom I feel deep gratitude, I’ve been home for almost six weeks. Reading and watching the nightly news is painful, but I do it. I worry about my elderly mother. I feel horrible for my […]
Lea másYou’ve probably heard Ogden Nash’s immortal observation on the relative merits of two different methods of seduction: Candy is dandy, But liquor is quicker. Unfortunately, he omitted a third well-known amatory aid, which I now offer you as a suggested last line: And FLOWERS HAVE POWERS. I myself have never been particularly susceptible to those […]
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In the Times of Dis-Ease I am generally described as a cheerful person who tends toward optimism. But lately I find myself lingering over any mention of grief or fear or loss. Rather than turning away and protecting myself… I find that I am, in the face of this pandemic, turning toward the dark, unpleasant […]
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There is a new book just published about Ganna Walska by her niece Hania Tallmadge called Portraits of an Era. The book was meant to coincide with an exhibit at Lotusland. But while we’re all still operating under stay-at-home orders, doesn’t mean we can’t take a moment this spring for some fresh Ganna Walska/Lotusland appreciation. […]
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Responders Eligible for Affordable Child Care Families of first responders are the heroes behind the scenes, those supporting loved ones as they leave to do essential work. Thankfully, the Emergency Child Care Initiative (ECCI) is offering free and affordable child care to first, second, and third responders. Scholarships and opportunities for tuition reduction are available […]
Lea másMontecito real estate broker Charley Egan has been elected to the board of directors of the Center for Successful Aging. Egan, who works at Village Properties, is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz and also earned a Masters at the University of Southern California. He is also certified as a senior real estate specialist, a […]
Lea másBeanie Baby billionaire Ty Warner has launched a new plush toy version to raise money for coronavirus relief. Ty, owner of the Biltmore and the San Ysidro Ranch, has been putting up New York medical workers free of charge at his five-star Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan, as I have chronicled in this illustrious organ. […]
Lea másThe Music Academy of the West, whose 73rd annual summer festival was due to kick off on June 15 until July 10, is launching the Music Academy Remote Learning Institute to connect with audiences online during the lockdown. “Our hope is to bring the faculty and fellows to Santa Barbara and enjoy music together with […]
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Just in time for the coronavirus lockdown, Belgian-born Pierre Nizet, the first medical director of Casa Dorinda, has come up with a series of fiendishly difficult cryptic clues to while away the stultifying boredom. Each clue has two parts, one a normal definition of the answer, the other an additional hint using wordplay. “During my […]
Lea másIt’s the perfect blend of fashion and fabulousness. French society crimper Xavier Scordo, who owns an eponymous salon on Coast Village Road, has become a passionate collector of face masks that match his extensive wardrobe during the COVID-19 pandemic. And Mexican tailor Patty Moo, who owns Perfect Fit just a tiara’s toss away, has been […]
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The coronavirus pandemic has stretched many local charitable organizations to the limit, particularly the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. “The need we are seeing now is unlike anything we’ve witnessed before,” says CEO Erik Talkin.”This disaster affecting everyone in the county, and the world, at exactly the same time is unprecedented. And the precipitous job […]
Lea másWhile there are many listings from “pre-stay-at-home order” days, and there are some few new listings on the market, I thought it might be a good time to focus on what has been selling here in Montecito since the stay at home order fell into place. Of course, many of the sales between March 15 […]
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Back in the day, if you needed your car worked on for whatever reason, you took it to the one place in town that could do the repair job: your full-service neighborhood gas station. And for several decades in the past century, J&S East Valley Garage on East Valley Road was exactly such a spot. […]
Lea másOn Tuesday, April 21, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors received an update from local health officials and executives regarding the status of COVID-19 in our area. In addition to hearing updated case numbers, the Board was given detailed demographic data for the positive COVID-19 cases, which up until this point, had not been […]
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Like the majority of the Montecito community, residents at Casa Dorinda are quietly sheltering at home, acknowledging that they are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19. Casa Dorinda has taken strict precautions to ensure the virus does not make its way onto the 48-acre campus, located in the heart of Montecito. In a recent interview […]
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A nonprofit that was started after the 2018 debris flow is getting much-needed cash into the hands of desperate hourly workers in Montecito quickly and efficiently, so that workers who have lost their jobs can pay for basic necessities like food, diapers, and medicine. The 93108Fund has given away $52,000 to 520 hourly workers who […]
Lea másL.A. hotel opens its doors to the homeless during COVID-19. Communities around the world are under shelter in place orders, but staying home is not an option for homeless populations. A Los Angeles hotel is hoping to protect the health of its community’s most vulnerable residents by opening their doors to those living on the […]
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When you ask Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons what’s new, you don’t hear stories about reordering her spice rack in quarantine, streaming the latest show on Netflix, or growing her own victory garden. She’s kind of busy. Quarantine is a luxury for others. She did mention that she’s taken up marathon running, which is pretty remarkable, considering […]
Lea másThe Santa Barbara Institute for Conscious Studies’ most recent newsletter includes more updates, meditation sessions and other materials from founder Alan Wallace along with another gem: a prayer and practice involving Tārā the Curer of Infectious Disease. H. E. Dagyum Chenmo Kusho Sakya has advised, translated and offered the practice at this time of global […]
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