Monthly Archives: September 2024

Road to Ruin

My life story nearly had an early ending when, at the age of 18, I was in Israel, traveling on my own and often visiting ancient ruins. One was of a Crusader castle, many of which were built during the centuries after the First Crusade, which had succeeded in capturing, or re-capturing Jerusalem from the […]

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The Esbee Lifestyle

Esbee, the fashion brand, whose name comes from the initials of our Eden by the Beach, is the creation of dynamic duo Andrew Schmoller and his business partner Eli Gill, both of whom attended UCLA. Montecito-based Andrew described the enterprise as a “direct to the consumer and wholesale company” that designs and manufactures clothes in […]

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A Legendary Night 

Two of Santa Barbara’s great dames were lauded for their exemplary work at the venerable century-old Granada Theatre’s Legends Gala. The capacious stage was socially gridlocked when 240 guests, marking the 8th anniversary of the popular event, honored Joan Rutkowski, who was a founding board member in 1997, starting the multi-million dollar renovation project the […]

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Big Hearts Among Them

A record crowd of 215 guests turned out for the 8th annual Heart of New House lunch at the Hilton, raising around $150,000 for the popular nonprofit which has helped men with drug and alcohol problems for the past 69 years. The organization, which has an annual budget of $1.2 million, has three homes in […]

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Having Compassion Over Lunch

The Heroes of Hospice of Santa Barbara – Legacy of Compassion lunch at the Rosewood Miramar, celebrating half a century of service to the community, attracted a record 330 guests and raised around $250,000 for the volunteer organization headed by CEO David Selberg. “When we opened our doors in 1974, we were at the forefront […]

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Sips, Savors, and Zucchinis 

Montecito’s eight-year-old Apples to Zucchini Cooking School hosted a Sip and Savor donor appreciation sunset soirée for 45 guests at the home of board president Dianne Duva and her husband Robert. The organization, founded by Nancy Martz in 2015, brings people together by teaching children, teens, and adults how to prepare delicious, nutritious and affordable […]

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Shimmy Shimmy: Kerrilee’s Goal is Exaltation

The decorous sunken lawn in front of Pierre Lafond is ordinarily a still point of shade-dappled peace, the calming eye of any given day’s hurricane. The trees lean in with leafy solicitude, birdsong seasons the scented air, and the good people of Montecito engage in lively conversation, gesturing and gabbing. Into this bucolic set piece […]

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Local Artists Rally to Support Storyteller Children’s Center’s Annual Gala

Santa Barbara’s artist community is joining together for a cause that brings advocacy and support to local children facing adversity. Storyteller Children’s Center’s Annual Gala, themed “Color the World,” will be held on September 27, 2024, spotlighting the organization’s role in bringing vibrancy into the lives of those who are experiencing poverty and trauma. As […]

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Nicole Belton: Ephemeral Landscapes from Moscow to Montecito

Nicole Belton’s art studio, located at 1019 West in Inglewood, feels like walking into a museum of trees frozen in time. Dream-like hills and extending branches captured in a submerged composition (Skyview Drive); a tree in a moment of transition, poised before fading into a muted, decaying terrain (Ash). For the past six years, Belton […]

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Holding And Folding

Only recently have I been introduced to a well-established genre of music, and particularly of singing, called “Country.” It seems somehow to be peculiarly American, particularly “Southern,” and “Western,” and apparently derives from what used to be called a “Hillbilly” sound. I would say it’s the opposite of sophisticated, embodying the social outlook of people […]

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SEE’s Eye Opening 50 Years of Work

Society Invites reports the upcoming 50th Anniversary of SEE International, an organization founded in our town by Dr. Harry Brown, and dedicated to sight-restoring surgeries and essential eyecare world-wide. To celebrate its Golden Anniversary, the organization is inviting the community to a formal black tie Golden Gala ball on October 24, at the Hilton Santa […]

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