“What do you recommend? What should I read next?” At the library, it is easy to see what’s new and in demand, hear rave reviews or scathing critiques. I feel like I’m in the know, surrounded by booklovers. With this lengthy library closure, I thought it might be useful to share some “from home” tricks […]
Lea másAfter nearly 40 years of service, Peter Jordano, 85, has retired from the board of directors of Montecito Bank & Trust. Peter is chairman and CEO of Jordano’s, the 105-year-old Santa Barbara grocery distributorship. “He has been an integral part of our growth to today’s nearly $1.8 billion in assets,” says Janet Garufis, the bank’s […]
Lea másAlong with key community partners, United Way of Santa Barbara County is leading a multi-pronged response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on needs assessments conducted with dozens of community partners, the response efforts are focused on providing direct assistance to local individuals, families, and nonprofit organizations, supporting essential workers and workplaces with emergency childcare services […]
Lea másTribute to a Community treasure, John Venable It’s extremely rare to find a person that gives so much of themselves unselfishly to their community as John Venable. John was always “there” and “ready” for whatever task that lay ahead. He was the first to volunteer to help organize and videograph our first Village 4th Parade […]
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The spectacular flyover by four California Air National Guard F-15C Eagle fighter jets honoring frontline healthcare workers was particularly poignant for longtime Montecito resident Annie Perkins. Her nephew Major James Hastings of the 144th Fighter Wing, who lives in Paso Robles, was one of the four pilots who took off from Fresno and soared over […]
Lea másI am writing this article both as a memorial to a dear friend of 50 years who just succumbed to COVID. And as a reminder to all that the coronavirus remains a clear and present danger to everyone. After eight weeks of hibernation, I am as stir crazy as everyone else, although I have the […]
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Monday morning… animal rescue phones at the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network ring endlessly. Breathless callers trying to save a wild life, Samaritans rush in babies of all shapes and sizes; fawns from the Gaviota Fire, Red tail fledglings, bunnies and squirrels and pelicans and racoons and hummingbirds and on and on and on… Cars […]
Lea másThe past few weeks of suspended routines, social isolation, and uncertainty have been tough on us and a challenge for our bodies. Regrouping at home and grappling with the full scope of health and financial considerations is a full-time job with lots of scary variables. Even such basics as shopping for food and pumping gas […]
Lea másIn our recent four-part series, “New Federalism in a Post COVID-19 World,” we extensively reviewed the pre-Colonial origins, the subsequent history, and the modern evolution of the Federal government’s relationship with the individual states. That’s what the subject of “Federalism” usually means in a political context, as if the only governmental authorities in the United […]
Lea másDuring this challenging and bizarre pandemic moment, the Montecito Journal, like every other business, has tried to pivot to meet this unexpected time. One of the ways we have tried to do this is to initiate free home delivery (thanks to some local angel sponsors), so that community members who did not feel safe to […]
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Not much opportunity for exercise right now. Gyms are closed. Yoga classes are cancelled. Swing dance lessons have gone dark… “Oh, ah, umpf. Someone turn on the dang lights willya?” So, we head to the great outdoors and we walk until our motivation starts to wane. “You can do it. Just pretend there is a […]
Lea másMost of us have twenty digits, but the upper ten get nearly all the attention. Once we’ve outgrown the days of “this little piggy goes to market,” the lower ten are usually hidden in some protective footwear, and little account is taken of them – until something goes wrong. The classic case of something going […]
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If things were different, if the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 hadn’t turned into a global pandemic shutting down almost everything across the world, this would have been a weekend of wonder for Otto Layman. The theater director had planned a big blowout of a show to serve as his crowning achievement in a career that […]
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On Friday, March 13, yes Friday the 13th, all schools in California, public and private, closed their doors for the foreseeable future. Then Santa Barbara, like much of the rest of the state, had at most a single week to switch to an entirely new, online model of education, by now known to most as […]
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Where Have You Lived in Montecito? “My husband and I were fortunate to live at El Mirador, the old Armour estate, on Coast Village Road. The owners had been there since 1916. In fact the grand dame, Lolita Armour, just passed away a couple years ago. You would go in on a Friday after work, close […]
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For decades State Street has been the hope or bane of Santa Barbara’s existence. Today, the moment of truth has arrived as a groundswell of public opinion favors the Mediterranean town square model: closing State Street to traffic and opening up the street to pedestrians, retail and outdoor dining, in hopes of making the city vibrant again […]
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This month, roughly 4,600 households in Montecito and Summerland received a special insert along with their monthly water bill. “WATER RATE UPDATE!” the flyer declared in urgent all caps, adding that the “Montecito Water District has Plans for Delivering a Secure Water Future.” Stating that its customers “want their drinking water to come from local, […]
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If things were different, if the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 hadn’t turned into a global pandemic shutting down almost everything across the world, this would have been a weekend of wonder for Otto Layman. The theater director had planned a big blowout of a show to serve as his crowning achievement in a career […]
Lea másMore Gretchen, Please Last week’s article “A Man and His Dog” (by Gretchen Lieff) touched me – as so many of your articles do. I know I speak for many when I say we’d love to be able to follow more of Gretchen’s musings – and adventures – in your Journal. Sincerely Sharon Kantanen Free […]
Lea másCarter Willis Hines: July 24, 1941 – May 1, 2020 Carter Willis Hines, 78, passed away Friday evening, May 1, 2020, at his Montecito home with his beloved wife, Victoria, at his side. Carter’s sudden death from a heart attack followed a prolonged illness of several years. Carter was born in Long Beach, California to […]
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