Nearly two years after the closure of Cantwell’s in Summerland, a new furniture and décor shop, as well as a café, has opened in the prominent building on the eastern end of Lillie Avenue. Field + Fort is the brainchild of Santa Barbara designer Kyle Irwin and his business partner and friend, Susie Bechtel, who […]
Local author Elayne Klasson will be at Tecolote Book Shop this Saturday, November 16, signing her first novel, which she published at the age of 72. In her bold new fiction, Klasson dives into what it means to sacrifice everything you’ve ever known for a chance at happiness. Love is a Rebellious Bird follows Judith, […]
Los Angeles and Montecito-based full service interior designer Birgit Klein has opened a new showroom and design studio in Montecito, located in San Ysidro Village. A grand opening event is planned for this Thursday, November 14. “I have been coveting this space every since I moved here,” Klein told us earlier this week, during a […]
Local artist, photographer, and art dealer Bobbi Bennett is once again partnering with Coast Village Road’s Allora by Laura owner Laura Dinning for a trunk show and reception. This time the event will feature the iconic photographic work of the late rock-and-roll photographer Guy Webster, who passed away in February. “Guy was a dear friend […]
Santa Barbara County’s Deputy Director of Transportation Chris Sneddon was in front of the Montecito Association on Tuesday, giving a presentation on the roundabout slated for San Ysidro Road. The current intersection includes traffic from North Jameson, San Ysidro, and the northbound entrance and exit of Highway 101. The new roundabout ties each flow of […]
Montecito Fire Department welcomes new Battalion Chief, David Neels. “We are very excited to transition Chief Neels into our already excellent management team and look forward to drawing from his depth of knowledge as an emergency response professional,” said Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor. Chief Neels began his career in 1998 with the Santa Barbara County […]
Ghost Village Road was as lively as ever last week, welcoming thousands of kids and their parents and pets to trick-or-treat on Halloween. Here’s the Scoop owners Ellie and Bob Patterson once again held their Costume Contest, as they have for the last 13 years. “We have always based this contest on originality and creativity, […]
Last week marked the first anniversary in business in Montecito for husband and wife team Brendan Smith and Rachel Greenspan, owners of Bettina in Montecito Country Mart. “It’s been a lot of work, but an overwhelmingly positive experience,” Greenspan told us earlier this week. Riding on the coattails of the success of their mobile pizza […]
On Monday, November 4, the County of Santa Barbara hosted a design workshop to present preliminary sketches of the debris basin slated for Randall Road, as well as give an update on the progress of the quick-moving project. The debris basin project, which includes the acquisition of seven parcels on Randall Road and one on […]
Next Wednesday, November 6, the Friendship Center invites the community to celebrate veterans and their service to our country at the Montecito Center, 89 Eucalyptus Lane. There will be a heroes’ hug line, heart cookies, flag ceremony, and patriotic music. Carol Metcalf-Roth, licensed MFT, Military Family Life Counselor, and comedian, will do live comedy and […]
On Monday, October 28, the Board of Directors of Montecito Fire Protection District approved Resolution No. 2019-08, which calls for the establishment of a standing committee to explore mutually beneficial locations for new fire station locations in the jurisdictions of the Montecito Fire Protection District and the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire District. The Committee, called the Fire […]
Save the date for Montecito Association’s 34th annual Beautification Day, this Saturday, November 2 in the upper village green. Garnering hefty support from the community, the special day of beautifying Montecito is expected to have a large turnout of community volunteers. “It’s the most support we’ve ever seen,” said Montecito Association Executive Director Sharon Byrne. […]
Save the date for Ghost Village Road! The popular trick-or-treat event along Coast Village Road is next Thursday, October 31, from 3 pm to 6 pm. The event draws roughly 2,000 costumed kids, parents, and pets each year. Most of the lower village’s business owners will take part in the festivities, passing out candy and […]
The owners of the Montecito Inn on Coast Village Road announced last week that a new restaurant concept will be coming to the historic hotel, expected to open in Spring 2020. The announcement comes after the closure of The Monarch and Silver Bough, two restaurant concepts by Scratch Restaurants, a Los Angeles-based restaurant group, which […]
Caltrans reported earlier this week that the Montecito Creek Bridge at Parra Grande and Highway 192 is slated to open mid-December, nearly three months later than originally planned. Caltrans Public Information Officer Jim Shivers tells us the reason that the Montecito Creek Bridge is the last to be opened to traffic is due to a […]
Next Thursday, October 24, Montecito residents are invited to learn about how the Montecito Library is currently funded, and learn about several options the County is considering for the future, as the library has been facing some serious financial issues under the current system. “It’s one of the biggest issues we’ve been working on since […]
Montecito Sanitary District staff members Daniel Jacquez, Chief Plant Operator, and Marc Ciarlo, Operator Grade 5, recently received their Advanced Water Treatment Operator (AWTO) certifications. The AWTO certification program was recently developed using a nationally recognized process to define the roles and responsibilities for advanced wastewater treatment. This new certification program is jointly administered by […]
Montecito Union School has received a Certificate of Recognition for valuable contributions towards water efficiency, conservation and stewardship from Montecito Water District. This award recognizes many steps that Montecito Union School has taken to reduce water consumption and model good water stewardship for the community. In recent years MUS has implemented several highly visible projects […]
Next week, Santa Barbara County’s Deputy Director of Transportation Chris Sneddon will take part in the Coast Village Association’s Transportation and Traffic Symposium to unveil the first set of renderings for the roundabout slated at San Ysidro Road and North Jameson Lane. The symposium, set to take place at Montecito Inn, will touch on various […]
In September the Lobero Theatre Associates held their annual luncheon at La Cumbre Country Club, treated to lunch and informal modeling courtesy of Giuliana Montecito and exquisite jewelry from Oliver & Espig Gallery. The mission of the Lobero Theatre Associates is to raise money for the Lobero Theatre Foundation in its efforts to serve the […]
Last week Pat McElroy, Executive Director for the Partnership for Resilient Communities, reported to stakeholders that the group has reached the initial fundraising goal for the first six nets. “Because of your generous contributions, six debris nets will help protect our community during the winter rains,” he wrote. Helicopters are staging this week in the […]
Last month work was completed on the walking path on Channel Drive, making it safer and more traversable. Paid for by Measure A funds, the path was cleaned up, resealed, and filled with decomposed granite; the work was contracted by the County, according to Deputy Director of Transportation Chris Sneddon. Helistop Update Carpinteria Valley Farms […]
Montecito arborist Duke McPherson says there is a “silent killer” among us, and it has the potential to take out hundreds of native trees in Montecito in the coming years, drastically changing the look of our community. Called the Shot Hole Borer, the tiny beetle, no larger than a sesame seed, bores itself deep into […]
Laguna Blanca has announced that Zack Moore, the school’s STEM coordinator and science instructor, is the recipient of the Fulbright Distinguished Teacher Award. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is designed to build relations between the people of the United States and the […]
In an update to a story we brought you last week (MJ # 25/37), over 200 members of the Westmont student body participated in a Safe Routes to School Project for Cold Spring School, with support from the Bucket Brigade, Cold Spring Landscape, Cold Spring School parents and staff, Montecito Trails Foundation, and material donations […]
Montecito Trails Foundation will hold its 55th Annual BBQ and fundraiser this Saturday, September 28. The event, which is themed Moving Trails Forward, will be at Crane Country Day School. The BBQ will be a community celebration of how far we have come since the Thomas Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow. “We’re looking forward to […]
Paving work began on Coast Village Circle earlier this week; the beginning of a two-month long restoration project to rehabilitate the road following the 1/9 Debris Flow in January 2018. The Debris Flow caused major damage to the roadway on Coast Village Circle due to flooding and the presence of heavy equipment; the project will […]
Since 1994, the Montecito Fire Department has partnered with the community to prepare for the High Fire Season by reducing the density of vegetation along strategic portions of roadways as well as on private property. The intent of the Neighborhood Fire Prevention Project is to assist property owners in improving the defensible space around their […]
Nearly 500 people turned out for the inaugural Taste of Coast Village event this past Saturday, September 14. Thirty eateries, breweries, and wineries from Coast Village Road and beyond participated in the event, which took place in a cordoned off and tented area of the parking aisle on the 1100-1200 block of Coast Village Road. […]
This Sunday, September 22, more than 200 Westmont student athletes will be volunteering with a partnership of community groups to restore and beautify three important pedestrian paths surrounding Cold Spring Elementary School. The volunteer workday emerged from a traffic-safety assessment orchestrated by the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation (COAST) in longtime coordination with Cold Spring School […]
Montecito continues to enjoy a healthy real estate market, with sales up 22% over last year; 131 homes and condos have sold so far this year, compared to 107 by the end of August in 2018. By this time in 2017, prior to the Thomas Fire and debris flow, we were at 149 sales. Looking […]
In August, the Old Firehouse building at 1486 East Valley Road in Montecito was purchased by an unnamed investor with ties to the Santa Barbara area. The property was listed for $16 million, and closed for $13,000,000. Francois DeJohn, Kristopher Roth, and Caitlin McCahill Hensel of Hayes Commercial Group represented all parties in the transaction. The 6,357 square-foot […]
Over the last few years, Coast Village Road has seen the arrival of more than a handful of new eateries, offering Montecito’s lower village an array of exciting dining options, the majority of which are locally owned and operated. In an effort to showcase its burgeoning restaurant scene, the Coast Village Association presents the inaugural […]
Friendship Center’s 9th Annual Wine Down & Big Heart Awards will be Thursday, September 5 from 4 to 7 pm. Featuring tastings of wine, beer, spirits, and coffee from 10+ local businesses, this is a fun and festive event to support the adult day care facility. Participating beverage purveyors include Buttonwood Farm Winery, Draughtsmen Aleworks, […]
Interior designer Marc Normand Gelinas has opened up shop in the upper village, opening in the space formerly occupied Blake Ashley Design next to Montecito Executive Services. “It was a fitting way to mark my tenth year in business in Montecito,” he told us during a recent visit to the store. The shop, which opened […]
At a gathering at the Mission Rose Garden on Tuesday afternoon, School Board member – and daughter of Walter and Lois Capps – Laura Capps formally announced her bid for First District Supervisor, challenging incumbent Das Williams in the March 3 primary election. Capps, surrounded by school children, including her son Oscar, her supporters, and […]
Earlier this week, the Journal received a call from a local horse owner asking us to get the word out about a crime that had been committed against one of her horses. Her three retired horses and one miniature donkey live in a large corral on a property on East Valley Road between Sheffield and […]
Last week, Gazebo Gardens owner Steve Domines and artist/sculptor Francis Jansen unveiled a new offering at the garden and flower shop: Pillars of Providence, a pair of limestone pillars representing and exemplifying what Jansen calls the harmonious stewardship of humanity. “This isn’t just a piece of art,” Jansen said, “It has a lot of deeper […]
Montecito Union School students headed back to class this week, arriving to a campus that underwent several updates over the summer. MUS superintendent Dr. Anthony Ranii sat down with us earlier this week to talk about campus upgrades, enrollment numbers, and what’s new for the 2019/20 school year. The day after school let out for […]
Next Monday, August 12, the Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review (ABR) and Montecito Board of Architectural Review (MBAR) will hold a joint hearing to review the design of the Coast Village Road/Olive Mill Roundabout; members of the community are encouraged to attend to see the proposed plans and share their thoughts or concerns. The […]