Tag archives: grapevine
Long serving Santa Barbara Zoo President and CEO Rich Block is retiring in January after 27 years leading the 30-acre menagerie through the most transformative period in its history. Rich is the zoo’s second director succeeding the late Ted McToldridge, who retired in 1997. The zoo’s board of directors has formed a transition committee, and […]
Montecito’s Friendship Center, founded in 1976 and now with a satellite location in Goleta, marked the Silver Jubilee of its annual Festival of Hearts with a seaside elegance-themed lunch at the Rosewood Miramar for 230 guests. The lunch raised around $75,000 for the nonprofit, which offers supervised and engaging activities for adults living with dementia […]
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have adopted one of former TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres’ ailing chicken, which was being bullied at her $25 million Montecito estate, just a five-minute drive from the Sussexes $14.5 million mansion in Riven Rock. Ellen, 65, updated her 139 million Instagram followers on the progress of Sinkie, so […]
On a personal note, I remember former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has moved to more heavenly pastures at the grand old age of 100. We met through a good friend Pat Buckley, wife of political pundit and National Review founder Bill Buckley, and I attended a few parties at his magnificent home with […]
Members and special guests of Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub, on a cultural tour of Japan, were treated to a rare invitation to visit and partake in a tea ceremony with Kobori Sojitsu, the 13th Grand Master of the Enshu Sado School in Tokyo. The invitation, not normally available to the public, was made possible […]
Pulitzer Prize nominee, poet, and philosopher Noah benShea is now in the movie business! The Montecito resident – who was formerly assistant dean of students at UCLA at the age of 22 – has written a number of books using the character Jacob the Baker, including Gentle Wisdom for a Complicated World, which has been […]
After an extensive national search, the Santa Barbara Foundation has appointed Elizabeth Thasiah as new vice president of programs. A longtime South Coast resident, Thasiah brings more than 15 years of relevant experience – most recently four years with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, where she ledkey strategies. She served six years as division manager […]
I was last at Bellosguardo, the 24-acre oceanfront estate owned by the late copper heiress Huguette Clark, who died in 2011 at the age of 104, for a megabuck fundraising gala five years ago, so it was nice to return to the magnificent aerie when the Bellosguardo Foundation, with assistance from the Santa Barbara Historical […]
Golf clubs replaced mallets when Santa Barbara Polo Club’s Polo Training Center hosted its 5th annual golf tournament at the Montecito Club with 18 teams raising a hefty $100,000 for the Carpinteria-based facility. Players went round the Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole course in foursomes during the Farmers & Merchants Bank-sponsored event, although a BMW donated by […]
Social gridlock reigned when society gadabout Rick Oshay hosted a boffo birthday beano at his Montecito home for his longtime companion Teresa Kuskey, founder of the colorful and energized La Boheme dance troupe. Nearly 70 guests turned out for the sunset soirée when Rick and Teresa returned to our rarefied enclave after catching Les Misérables […]
It wasn’t quite the exotic occasion I envisaged when I celebrated the 20th anniversary of my half century last week, but a fun event nevertheless at Ca’Dario on Coast Village Road. Having not been able to fly to Marrakech, Morocco, for the past few years because of pandemic restrictions, my plans were to join an […]
A profusion of creative and colorful tony tête toppers packed the stands at the Santa Barbara Polo Club for the annual Ladies Day. As usual, I had the difficult job of judging the mélange of magnificent millinery, having learned my “craft” donning my top hat and tails attending the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot races […]
Jenna Hamilton-Rolle, former director of education at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and the Sea Center, is the new director of education and community engagement for UCSB Arts & Lectures. She brings many community connections to her new role, including administrators and educators at the Goleta and Santa Barbara Unified school districts, and […]
Culinary whiz Mitchell Sjerven, owner of the West Victoria Street eatery bouchon Santa Barbara, had a double celebration last week with Bastille Day, which was also the 25th anniversary of his popular restaurant’s opening. “It is a story of enduring relationships,” says Mitchell. “From working side-by-side with my wife, Amy, to having both my daughters, […]
It’s that time again! For the 16th year I have the onerous task of judging Santa Barbara Polo Club’s hat contest on Sunday at the spectacular Carpinteria locale after launching its high goal season with the Left Coast’s top tournament, the Netjets, USPA Pacific Coast Open on September 3. The three categories for the mélange […]
To the historic Santa Barbara Club for an enthralling talk by prolific Hope Ranch-based author Lis Wiehl organized by Montecito Bank and Trust’s MClub. One of America’s most prominent trial lawyers, the Harvard Law School graduate served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle and was a regular contributor on NBC, […]
Society gadabout Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey Nowak, bubbly founder of the La Boheme dance company, hosted their 4th annual Viva La Fiesta bash at Fieldside, the popular Santa Barbara Polo Club restaurant, for 200 gloriously garbed guests. The fun fête featured Teresa’s colorful dancers who led our Eden by the Beach’s Summer Solstice parade, […]
Kevin Costner’s divorce from estranged wife Christine Baumgartner would appear to be getting more acrimonious by the day with claims the Oscar winner is now “homeless,” she splurged $95,000 on his credit card, and has a restraining order against him. The Carpinteria-based actor’s attorneys claim they have made “multiple offers” to get his wife to […]
The Montecito Journal is now by royal appointment, I can exclusively reveal. This illustrious organ is now being read by none other than King Charles III – super singer Katy Perry’s mother, Mary Hudson, informs me. When the former Dos Pueblos High student sang at His Majesty’s coronation concert at Windsor Castle last month with […]
Prince Harry and his actress wife Meghan Markle may have enjoyed celebrating their daughter Lilibet’s second birthday at their Riven Rock estate, but the Duke of Sussex’s behavior didn’t cut it with a top British judge. The top legal eagle rebuked Harry’s barrister when King Charles III’s youngest son was “unavailable” on the first day […]
