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, […]

An unsightly gate was recently installed at the trailhead to Hot Springs Canyon with the given reason that the trail should be closed on days of high fire danger for safety reasons. This is the same canyon that was closed several months ago after heavy rains and where the authorities imposed draconian penalties of possible […]

A special event will be held today, Friday, September 29,  to welcome Sansum Clinic into the Sutter Health Integrated Health System. A ribbon cutting will celebrate the partnership, which takes effect October 2, with the CEOs, key executives, and staff touring the renovated spaces of the Foothill Surgery Center, including the locations where three new […]

I’m not a civil engineer so I admit to being somewhat confused about the need for roundabouts versus single lane stops due to the improvements to the HWY101. More lanes are not exiting onto San Ysidro or Coast Village at once are they? My concern is one of proper (and pleasing) scale and awkwardness. These […]

Traffic circles sound so British, don’t they. I feel like folk in Downton Abbey period garb should be milling around, with an occasional ‘ahooga’ horn barreling into the Olive Mill. Thanks for your softly-wrapped skepticism/wariness about the new “fixes.” I was an outspoken critic when the idea first surfaced and maintained a wary and concerned […]

Carolyn Pesnell Amory passed away August 13th at 101 years. Carolyn led an exciting life and was well-known for her charity work. From 1979 to 1985 Carolyn was Chairman of the Board of the New York City Division of the American Cancer Society receiving every award given by the Society and breaking many fundraising records […]

I came to Casa Dorinda in October 2020, in the middle of Covid. Despite the uncertainties and hurdles presented by the pandemic, I was thrilled at the prospect of moving here. As a single woman with no living relatives in this country, I had been exploring senior living communities for several years. Unlike many Casa […]

In his dirge over the demise of print daily newspapers, James Buckley seems to assign the initial cause of the recent shuttering of the Santa Barbara News-Press to The New York Times’ purchasing of that publication in 1985. He expounds on that curious contention by stating that The New York Times didn’t “know” Santa Barbara […]

Ed and his twin sister, Anne Carty, co-own and manage Carty & Carty Antiques in Montecito’s Upper Village, where their business serves as a resource for historical expertise. With the help of their mother’s early savviness, their establishment has become a hub of knowledge within the community. “We’ve been in Santa Barbara since 1865, came […]

Gwyn Lurie’s Editorial, “Wreck-Quiem for the Santa Barbara News-Press” (MJ August 3-10) should be required reading for every high school Civics class in the land. It captures the infinite value of “The Third Estate” (sic), as journalists and newspapers were once called. It describes in fearsome detail what happens when there are no gatekeepers watching […]

I just read Jeff Harding’s piece on the addition of Restoration Hardware in the Vol. 29 Issue 30 edition of the MJ. While I generally agree with a lot of what Jeff had to say, I feel like the piece requires some clarification. The reason these formulaic retailers he mentions are on Coast Village is […]

The Profant Foundation’s Fiesta Finale Gala will be held on Sunday, August 6 starting at 5:30 pm at the historic open-air El Paseo Restaurant; included is a delicious gourmet dinner, a dazzling professional performance, a live auction led by Erin Graffy, a costume contest, and dancing under the stars. It was those same stars and […]

On Thursday, August 10 at 5:30 pm, Drs. Tiff Thompson and Nick Dogris, of NeuroField Neurotherapy, Inc., will be giving a talk at the Faulkner Gallery (40 West Anapamu).  They will share information and insights from their extensive knowledge of neurotherapy to demystify and inform on this subject. Any who are curious about neurotherapy, neurostimulation, […]

Nicholas Proctor Palonen, beloved son, brother, husband, and father, was welcomed into the world by his parents, Marjorie and Craig Palonen, on April 10, 1981, in Santa Barbara, California. From that day forward, he became an indispensable part of a loving family, joining his older brother, Tye, on countless childhood adventures — from explorations of […]

Teresa McWilliams, born in Warsaw, Poland in 1937, relocated to Santa Barbara in September 1949 and has been a resident of Montecito for longer than many of us have been alive. Reflecting on the community’s transformation, McWilliams reminisces about a Montecito from a past era. “I’ve lived here for a long time, over 70 years, […]

Summerland is a unique blend of small-town charm, a vibrant mix of locally-owned stores and restaurants, and an outdoor paradise. Ocean views abound from every street.  We are a close-knit and welcoming community. Our town exudes a friendly and neighborly spirit. We support each other in crisis.   We are NOT a food desert. We […]