A few months ago, my bestie, Lynn, a librarian and bibliophile, gave me a vintage copy of How to Talk with Practically Anybody About Practically Anything (Doubleday & Co., 1970), a guidebook to the art of conversation, written by none other than the godmother of celebrity interviews, Barbara Walters. Among her subjects: tycoons, royalty, politicians, […]
Lea másMany people seem to forget that the automobile was not the first “horseless carriage.” For most of the 100 years before motor cars began to appear on our roads, self-propelled vehicles originally powered by steam, had been crisscrossing the world’s continents. The main difference was that “locomotives,” as they were called, required a very special […]
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While Fiesta Pequeña at the Mission and Noches de Ronda at the Courthouse Sunken Gardens were cancelled after the significant uptick in coronavirus infections, La Recepcion del Presidente at the Carriage & Western Museum with 200 guests went ahead as planned, raising nearly $50,000 for Old Spanish Days. Drew Wakefield served as emcee and auctioneer, […]
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Fourth-generation Californian and Santa Barbara native Ben Sprague has been the CEO of the Earl Warren Showgrounds (EWS) State of California 19th District Agricultural Association since January 2019, appointed by its nine-person, all-volunteer board of directors. His mission is to bring the EWS to financial stability, modernize the facilities, increase community awareness and support, and […]
Lea másAt a Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting earlier this week, Montecito Water District general manager Nick Turner reported that intensifying drought conditions and increased water usage by district customers has prompted a request from the district that all residents reduce their water usage. “Over the last five years the board has been dedicated to […]
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It is said that Santa Barbara is home to more nonprofits per capita than any other county in the country. After writing about them for 30 years, I believe it. All the executive directors met at Chomp on the Rocks restaurant to celebrate the beginning of their fiscal year and chat about their business. Being […]
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“Such a nice party. I can’t believe it. Such a nice party, I hate to leave it.” — T.S. Eliot, The Cocktail Party In trying to find an adjective to complement a recent birthday party I went to, I found the world “éclat.” It means a “dazzling display.” Perfect! Linda Rosso’s table for 19 of […]
Lea másAlso at the MA meeting, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported on a plethora of crimes that occurred in the area this summer, including a theft from an unlocked vehicle on Butterfly Lane, vehicle broken into on San Leandro Lane, construction trailer broken into on Woodley Road, residential burglary on Cota Lane, vandalism […]
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Montecito Union School’s Nature Lab, its interactive 2.5-acre space that’s beginning to take shape on the Upper Village campus, has been serving as a learning laboratory even before ground was broken on the project. The students at the enviable elementary school were a big part of the process about how to use the land adjacent […]
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Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! I didn’t see any bears, but I saw two human-sized bears running around the big lawn at the Montecito Club. It was time for the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) to have a fundraiser and those ladies had been busy putting together this lovely family event. I entered the […]
Lea másWinemaker Sherman Thacher prefers to chill some of his reds and to use them, even, to shift between courses at dinner. “If you’re going from appetizers to something heartier, and maybe going from a white wine to a red, and you’re sitting outside, maybe barbecuing, a chilled red can really be a great transition,” he […]
Lea másConcern for safety protocols with the ever-changing pandemic caused the Music Academy of the West to commit to converting its annual Opera Scenes production into an audience-free, socially distanced cinematic opus this summer. But for James Darrah, the creative director of Music Academy of the West’s Vocal Institute, Mirrorflores — a clever play on words […]
Lea másTurning a corner is both a huge endeavor, and a welcome relief. We may have turned the corner on the dreaded Senate Bills 9 and 10. A little recap: The bills have seen a third and fourth time, respectively, through the legislature. Former Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson single-handedly torpedoed SB-10’s predecessor, put forth by San Francisco […]
Lea másThe lodgings pictured on the Aug.5-12 Montecito Journal cover convey the “Dream Market” with gigantic accuracy. It was a good issue — the pieces on “pigmobiles” and failing wells helping to sober the frothing real estate euphoria. Having come to Montecito in 1952, I was moved by nostalgia, vexation, and a healthy sense of embarrassment. […]
Lea másThroughout the long trials of COVID-19, one of the main things that has linked humans together and always improves a situation, no matter how dire, is humor. Chances are you have been in a tense situation almost overflowing with anxiety when one person makes a joke or self-deprecating comment that instantly lessens anxiety and makes […]
Lea másLast week, the Montecito Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend to the county’s Board of Supervisors to extend local ordinance provisions related to COVID-19. The provisions have been in place since last summer, when the Board of Supervisors approved the Temporary Development Standard Suspension Ordinance Amendments to implement regulations regarding the temporary suspension of compliance […]
Lea másAmidst the national news that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned for his misogynistic and retro (at best) workplace behavior, I wouldn’t want you to miss our own local cringeworthy episode. Not much shocks me these days. But yesterday, while watching local journalist Josh Molina interview influential Santa Barbara real estate developer Ed St. George […]
Lea másMeanwhile, just down the road in District 6, the race between incumbent Meagan Harmon and well-known challenger Nina Johnson took an unexpected twist due to a local podcast featuring Ed St. George, the owner of St. George & Associates, who has historically been outspoken when it comes to politics and small business topics in Santa […]
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The Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation (PCVF) knows how to produce an unforgettable Fourth of July. This year it was held at the Santa Barbara Cemetery in Montecito, with dozens of American flags lining the roadway leading to the hilltop. Co-founded with wife, Hazel, Lt. John Blankenship (U.S. Navy, ret.) welcomed the crowd and the Vandenberg […]
Lea másWith fire safety and the state of small business as key issues, the race for the District 4 seat on Santa Barbara City Council is officially set. It’ll be incumbent Kristen Sneddon against challenger Barrett Reed, with the filing deadline having expired on August 6. Sneddon says she is focused on showcasing what she has […]
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