I attended Radius Commercial Real Estate’s 15th excellent annual forecast at the Hilton. One of the presenters was economist Christopher Thornberg who gave an optimistic view of the economy, much of which I agreed with. Regarding the world since Trump took office Dr. Thornberg’s rosiness hit a wall. The current state of things? “Chaos,” he […]
Lea másMonthly Archives: March 2025


As a kid in Long Island, New York, Jackson Gillies woke up one of two ways: his mother Connie stirring him for his type 1 diabetes insulin shots, or his father Billy “cranking the Grateful Dead and Genesis through the floorboards.” What follows is a life of tireless dedication to music and activism for his […]
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Santa Barbara Choral Society had an annual gala with a difference with Shamrock at the Rockwood over St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The sold-out bash welcomed more than 130 guests to the women’s club which had been transformed into a giant Irish-themed bar, and where they were welcomed by emcees Larry Schecter and Kathleen Stinnett before […]
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A new comedy about texts, sex, and empty nests, Parents in Chains – written by Emmy and Peabody Award winner Jay Martel – is the latest Ensemble Theatre Company production at the New Vic. Directed by Andy Fickman, the play focuses on six Los Angeles parents dealing with communications from their teenagers driving home from […]
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The venerable Granada rocked to the Motown sound when the Tony Award-winning show Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations rocked the theater in the American Theater Guild production. Electrifying smash hits launched them from their home in Detroit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a fascinating story about […]
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Hahn Hall at the Music Academy of the West was socially gridlocked for the Mariposa series of yMusic featuring trumpeter alumni CJ Camerieri performing a new work inviting listeners to commune with the fragile beauty of natural worlds. A new score, a blend of acoustic performance, featured raw and personal field recordings with California composer […]
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UCSB Arts & Lectures Miller McCune Executive Director Celesta Billeci was honored by the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce in recognition of her 25 years at the university. Celesta, a longtime friend, received the Visionary Arts Leadership Award as part of the Regional Business Awards Gala at the Hilton from Dr. Colin Marlaire, […]
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Dr. Cheryl Chooljian is the new Director of Veterinary Services for the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network. She has a diverse background in veterinary medicine and wildlife conservation. She earned her BA in biology at the University of Texas in Arlington and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Louisiana State University of Veterinary […]
Lea másJim Jackson is the new Board Chair of Santa Barbara Zoo and Ozlem Arconian, Hillary Courtemanche, Rhonda Ledson Henderson, and Jennifer Perry have joined the board. Serving as a trustee of the Ann Jackson Family Foundation for more than 25 years, Jackson brings a legacy of leadership and community commitment to his new board role. […]
Lea másJust a week after launching her new Netflix culinary series With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex is back in the podcast game. Meghan Markle has launched Confessions of a Female Founder with Lemonada Media. “I’ve been having candid comments with amazing women who have turned dreams into realities and scaled small ideas into amazingly […]
Lea másJust over a dozen years ago, the Sonrise Baby Home in Uganda was started by a young woman named Damali Mirembe. She was one of many orphans raised by an American Vietnam War veteran on disability who had, years ago, moved to Uganda to help the orphaned children there. When they grew he put them […]
Lea másChuck Madson knows a lot about the possible consequences of believing that your opportunities are limited. A Central Coast native, he spent more than a decade as an incarcerated convict, half of those before he turned 20, the result of both substance abuse and a challenging childhood. But Madson turned his life around after he […]
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The Montecito Association Land Use Committee (LUC) March meeting was held at the Montecito Library community room and on Zoom. The meeting was called to order by LUC Chair, Dorinne Lee Johnson. Attendees were the LUC, Montecito Association Executive Director Houghton Hyatt, SBC Planning Commissioner Laura Bridley, and Aida Thau representing Roy Lee First District […]
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In what will turn out to be setting the bar for galas in our town, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s 1st Annual Gilded Gala Fundraiser was held on Friday, February 28 at none other than the Rosewood Miramar Beach. The gala’s mission is to raise funds for the SBMA’s “…dawn of a new era, […]
Lea másLaguna Blanca School is announcing their annual Golden Oak Gala on Saturday, March 15 at the Rosewood Miramar Beach Montecito. The event has tickets for sale for 300 to attend and be part of their annual giving for the school. The theme this year to dress for is “Miami Nights.” Event Co-Chairs are Nicholas Miller […]
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IP met me at Avalon Conservation Labs in Goleta where he had brought an antique piece of tapestry, about 42” square, framed inside a Lucite box. The family from whence it came was involved with a major museum, and IP thought it was worth preserving. Yet he knew nothing about it. As beautiful as he […]
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In the evolution of our language, “good enough for government work,” is an expression which has come to mean almost exactly the opposite of what it once did. It began as a way of describing work of high quality, but somehow came to refer to what was just barely adequate. It was probably American in […]
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Groundwater is an important water source for many local property owners and all Montecito Water District customers. Wells are relied upon for local residential, commercial, and agricultural use, particularly during periods of drought. It’s the job of the Montecito Groundwater Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (Montecito GSA) to ensure that groundwater remains a viable water source […]
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Maker House – Clay Studio, founded by Lynda Weinman and Patrick Hall five years ago, is located in Goleta. Studio Director Erin Smith has announced its new Board for 2025 as follows: Yvonne DeGraw, President; Rachel Hammond, Vice President; Elizabeth Guffey, Secretary; and Melissa Cunningham, Treasurer. DeGraw is a tech writer and small business owner. […]
Lea másTrespassing & Theft / Casa Dorinda 300 Hots Springs Road – Wednesday 26, at 22:56 hours The subject was contacted for possible violation of trespassing and theft of firewood at Casa Dorinda. Upon deputy contact, the subject refused commands and continued to walk away. The subject fled, left items behind, and was last seen on […]
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