I am pleased that the Miramar is proposing adding affordable workforce housing for their employees alongside apartments and shops. Workforce housing helps local residents build a stronger foundation in the neighborhood: it helps both community and business. As the retired Director of the All Saints by the Sea Parish School next door, I was continually […]
Sandra Nelle Ventress, 61, of Santa Barbara passed away peacefully on March 22, 2024, after a brief illness. She was a loving daughter, sister, and friend. Sandy was born on October 30, 1962, to Kenneth and Geraldine Nelle in Oxnard, California. Sandy spent her younger years living in numerous locations throughout the states including Montana, […]
Celebrate your mom, grandmother and woman in your life with a variety of amazing experiences from the area’s finest! On behalf of the Montecito Journal, we wish all mothers a wonderful weekend celebrating love! Start Mother’s Day early on Saturday, May 11, from 1:30-4:30 pm with Casa del Herrero’s first Mother’s Day Weekend Garden Party […]
I thought you might be interested to know there has recently been more land loss on Butterfly Beach. Also, I have been reporting for years to various bodies about how undermined the pedestrian/bike path is. Well over a month ago they put out signs to warn people. It has been reported in local news that […]
My family home is within walking distance of the Miramar. I am a seventh generation Santa Barbarian. My family and I, along with many neighbors both nearby and across Montecito, firmly support the plan to add affordable housing for the workers of the Miramar, which in part is funded by the addition of retail shops […]
The Montecito Fire Department is hosting a community event on Monday, May 6, at 4 pm to celebrate the arrival of their newest fire engine, Engine 92. The event will take place at Fire Station 92, located at 2300 Sycamore Canyon Road in Montecito, and will feature a traditional push-in ceremony where firefighters and community […]
Our community mourns the passing of an icon… Diana Basehart, longtime animal activist, actress, sculptor, and mother passed away on April 12 at Cottage Hospital surrounded by family and friends. She was born May 29th, 1934, in London, England. Daughter of Edward and Gwenyth Lotery. In 1939 the family fled to New York to escape […]
A fourth generation Californian, Alfred “Fred” Earl Hayward was born on September 2, 1936, at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California. He attended Laguna Blanca at the Hope Ranch campus and graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1954, ultimately matriculating from Claremont McKenna College (Business / Economics) in 1958. Significantly, Fred was elected class […]
Philip Glen Beaubien safely departed this life March 24, 2024, in Santa Barbara, California surrounded by family and friends with his wife, Gillian Christie, at his side. Phil was a classical intellect and philosopher, who read voraciously from Will Durant to Thomas Paine to Omar Khayyam, but it was this quote from Phil’s literary hero, […]
One of Montecito’s most elegant, fashion forward, socially dynamic woman has left us. Lynda Lee Millner passed away peacefully in her home on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, surrounded by her family and loved ones. Lynda was born in 1936, in Washington state, to Aage and Zula Olesen. She grew up in Spokane, WA where she […]
In these troubling times both domestically and abroad, it’s great to see, in the just-certified election of Carpinteria’s Roy Lee as the new Santa Barbara County 1st District Supervisor, a heartening example that our system of one-person, one-vote does actually on occasion work as it was intended, and to be reminded of the essential role […]
Our beloved Toni passed away on August 20, 2023, after a long and courageous battle with melanoma. She is fondly remembered by family and friends for her warmth, contagious smile, and vivacious personality. Toni V. Fox was born in Los Angeles to Vance and Carole Basler and was one of three children with an older […]
The dates above are merely the frame of Dave’s life on earth. It is what he invested in that small dash in-between that has had a lasting impact on the lives of those of us who knew him, and what we will remember about him. This brief recount of his life serves only as a […]
John “Jack” Kerr Wilson, born on August 29, 1937 in New Jersey to John and Elizabeth Wilson, passed away on February 25, 2024. He leaves a legacy filled with laughter, steadfastness, and a deep love for his Scottish heritage. Jack, known for his friendly demeanor, hospitality and exceptional humor, made a significant impact on many. […]
Cynthia I. Nolen, a lover of dogs, birds, books, and gardens passed away peacefully at Casa Dorinda in Montecito, California on February 27, 2024. A self- proclaimed “collector” of plants, her gardens and landscape designs continue to inspire around the U.S. Anyone who knew Cynthia was aware that she never left the house without dog […]
In 2019, Das Williams said he wouldn’t accept future contributions from the cannabis industry, but he hasn’t kept this promise. The largest contribution Williams has received from the cannabis industry is from CP1 Supply Systems, located near Carpinteria and described by the Better Business Bureau as a company that deals in “Marijuana Sales and Services.” […]
The Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation supports charter amendment (Measure A2024) featured on the March 5th ballot. In partnership with the Santa Barbara Public Library and the City, the Foundation has been working to revitalize the Library Plaza since 2012. After many years of working through the City Hall approval process and completing a successful […]
With a life lived fully, we bid farewell to Leo (Lee) Artman, a remarkable soul whose presence graced our lives in countless ways. Lee ascended peacefully on February 9, 2024, surrounded by his wife, Heidi, and family and friends, leaving a legacy of love, kindness, and joy that will continue to resonate with all those […]
Money in politics has been something we have seen for too long, and the results have been devastating. The 1st District Supervisor race pits incumbent Das Williams against challenger Roy Lee. Williams, with substantial campaign funds, has continued to accept financial contributions from the cannabis industry, despite the ethical concerns highlighted by the 2020 Santa […]
Health officials have closed Miramar Beach just west of Montecito on Tuesday due to a spill of approximately 1,025,000-gallons (initially estimated at 2,500 gallons), the largest sewage spill in recent local history. The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department issued the closure for Miramar Beach from a quarter mile east to an eighth-mile west of […]
Your recent editorial describing Das Williams as ‘commitment to self rather than to public service’ surprised me. That is a term I have never associated with him. I have personally worked with Das over these last 20 years on issues that touched on his passion for improving our Environment – bike and pedestrian safety improvements, […]
Lillian Pierson Lovelace, 96, wife, mother, and gracious philanthropist, died at her home in Montecito on Tuesday, January 16, herfamily announced. Born September 9, 1927, in Los Angeles, CA, Lillian Claire Pierson grew up in Santa Monica, the youngest child of George Mercer Pierson and Rena Waltz Pierson. She attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, […]
Dear Editor [Gwyn Lurie], You wrote, “And I say, what do we have to lose by giving him [Roy Lee] a chance to prove it? Seems not much.” (Montecito Journal, Feb. 1-8, 2024) It’s not a chance of losing anything. It’s a chance to gain a lot by electing Roy Lee 1st District County Supervisor! […]
Friends of Maryan Schall are invited to join her family in a celebration of her life on April 18th at 4:30 pm at Birnam Wood Country Club. Seating is limited, so please RSVP at: celebratemaryan@gmail.com.
Santa Barbara and the surrounding areas were rocked last week by a series of four burglaries, including one targeting an estate in our tight-knit community. The break-ins all occurred over the course of a single evening, Wednesday, Jan. 24, according to a statement from Raquel Zick of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. The modus […]
The Montecito Association has announced several new directors joining its board this year. The new members are Joseph Pennino, Jacqueline Duran, Jillian Wittman, Melissa Miller, and Carol Monteil. Joseph Pennino brings over 31 years of experience in the fire service, having served in the Santa Monica Fire Department in positions ranging from firefighter to fire […]
Construction activities on Highway 101 are ongoing in the Montecito, Summerland, and Padaro segments. Work includes roadway, drainage, bridge, and sound wall improvements. The recent rains have altered the closure schedule and subsequent scheduling of crews for the work at the southbound off-ramp at San Ysidro Road. The off-ramp closure will begin as early as […]
Work is ongoing along several stretches of Highway 101 between Carpinteria and Montecito. The project team recently received approval to begin work on the Santa Barbara segment between Olive Mill Road and Sycamore Creek. In preparation for the Santa Barbara work, the team scheduled an earlier closure of the southbound San Ysidro off-ramp to avoid […]
“Who can turn the world on with her smile…?” Those of us of a certain age hear those lyrics and immediately think of the theme song to The Mary Tyler Moore Show. We propose those words could fit just as nicely as the theme to the life of Maryan Strathy Schall, who turned the world […]
Beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother Colleen Kirst passed peacefully into heaven on December 21, 2023, at the age of 99. A brilliant, beautiful woman inside and out, Colleen devoted her life to God, family, country, and community. Colleen’s life history is a classic American story of faith and hard work resulting in success, but she […]
Karen Louise Morley, of Santa Barbara, went to be with the Lord on December 13, 2023. In recent years, she had fought a long and often painful battle with ocular melanoma, but in her last weeks and days in this world she was peacefully surrounded by family and friends in the light and comfort of […]
When you wrote the article about Caltrans tearing down the iconic trees in the Montecito median in order to expand the freeway, one of their excuses was that it would allow them to limit tearing up the landscape on the edges of the freeway. I wrote a letter questioning many of the positions Caltrans was […]
Keith Roger Austin, beloved father and grandfather, entrepreneur, traveler, lover of life, and rock ‘n’ roller, passed away on September 22, 2023, at the age of 79, after a short battle with cancer. Keith, still working in his studio, listening to vinyl records and was on air with his radio show The Rock Files, doing […]
Frank Davis Umanzio was born on September 10, 1934, in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Pasquale and Felicia Umanzio, and passed from this life on December 7, 2023, at age 89. Frank and his beautiful wife Jean met in Medford, Massachusetts, in 1956 and married in 1957, living happily together for 66 years. In 1974, Frank […]
You’d think someone moving into a new neighborhood would want to maybe take a beat and see what the vibe is like, maybe see how things happen, maybe get a feel for the place. After all, who wants to start off on the wrong foot with the people who are going to be living next […]
As we bid farewell to a soul who embraced life with an extraordinary fervor, we mourn the passing of Reuben Walker Eliyahu Smith. His departure leaves an indelible void, and we reflect on the poignant words from one of his own poems, asking the profound question: “Did you love this world of ours the best […]
Donnie Carolan, 66, of Santa Barbara, California, passed away on October 18, 2023. He was born on May 28, 1957, in Morristown, New Jersey. Donnie was a passionate individual who had a deep love for music. He was actively involved in various choirs such as the Master Chorale and the Trinity Episcopal Church Choir. Donnie’s […]
Rare Brazilian Cabochon Paraiba Tourmaline surrounded by 114 diamonds, set in 18 kt yellow gold and platinum. For over 40 years, Silverhorn has been renowned for its handcrafted jewelry, using rare gemstones and exemplary craftsmanship. Known for award-winning creativity, each piece is artfully crafted with precision. At their Design Studio in Montecito, clients can observe […]
Regarding the “Ring Nets” installed in the canyons above Montecito in response to the disastrous mudslide of January 9, 2018: As the Executive Director of an environmental organization in Santa Barbara, I joined the Board of The Project for Resilient Communities (TPRC) to watch the proceedings from an environmental point of view. The Ring Nets […]
Last week while reporting on the upcoming Beautification Day event on November 4, we mistakenly omitted an important sponsor: Occhiali Fine Eyewear, which is providing cupcakes for the event from Violette Bakeshop. Owned by Samantha Eve, the bakery specializes in custom cupcakes for various celebrations. We regret the omission. For more information about Beautification Day, […]