Monthly Archives: March 2025

Jackson Gillies: A Santa Barbara Main Stage Staple

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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Singing Green and Guinness

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 Whirl of Texts and Fun

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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‘Ain’t Too Proud’ Ain’t Too Bad

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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yMusic Rocks

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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Visionary Leadership

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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New to SB Wildlife Care

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 […]

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Floor Area Ratio at Land Use Meeting

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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1st Annual Gilded Gala for the SB Museum of Art

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, […]

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Hindu Shrine Cloth

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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Government Work

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 Sustainability: An Approved Plan for Montecito

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 and Clay Studio’s 2025 New Board

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. […]

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