Tag archives: Santa Barbara
When M.E.R.R.A.G. was formed in 1987 as Montecito Emergency Response and Recovery Action Group, the uber-local organization started serving a vital purpose as the Montecito Fire Protection District’s neighborhood eyes and ears through a cohort of trained, embedded local volunteers augmenting our first responders’ efforts to keep the community safe. Growing out of a newly […]
Most locals are probably aware of the best Santa Barbara place to visit every Memorial Day weekend for a glimpse of the chalk drawings during the I Madonnari street painting festival. They know they can spend a colorful summer evening watching music and dancing from Mexico and other indigenous Californios cultures during La Fiesta Pequeña, […]
“The best part of competition is that through it we discover what we are capable of — and how much more we can actually do than we ever believed possible.” — Anonymous When it comes to Downtown Santa Barbara, these words ring truer now than ever before. The pandemic has brought massive change to the […]
When I arrived at the Montecito Journal, I received some push back for writing about affairs outside of Montecito. But I felt strongly then, and still do, that many aspects of life in greater Santa Barbara are integral to the lives of Montecitans. That goes for healthcare, social impact work, the development of downtown, the […]
The real estate market in Santa Barbara and surrounding areas continues to be stronger than ever, with the first quarter statistics confirming that sellers currently have the advantage over buyers. With staggeringly low inventory, and an influx of out-of-town buyers adding to our already strong local buyer pool, home prices are at an all-time high. […]
I started at UC Santa Barbara in 1976, almost on a whim. I thought I would attend UC San Diego, but my high school girlfriend had her heart set on UC Santa Barbara, and though she was a junior, my romantic ass decided to head north and wait for her. When she finally arrived at […]
The 2020 political season is over. Mostly. But like California’s fire season, once reserved to only certain months of the year, election cycles now seem to be with us 24/7-52-365. I guess there’s no rest for the weary. So let me be the first to welcome you to the early days of the next important […]
For centuries, pilgrims have walked the Camino de Santiago in northwestern Spain looking for absolution, healing, and spiritual inspiration. In recent years, seeking a reprieve from the complexities of ordinary life, people of all faiths have been trekking this ancient route, staying in dormitory-style hostels and collecting stamps in a pilgrim’s passport. Similar to Joseph […]
For decades State Street has been the hope or bane of Santa Barbara’s existence. Today, the moment of truth has arrived as a groundswell of public opinion favors the Mediterranean town square model: closing State Street to traffic and opening up the street to pedestrians, retail and outdoor dining, in hopes of making the city vibrant again […]
During the recent severe drought, water restrictions coupled with financial penalties were adopted to encourage water conservation. For single family residence (SFR) the penalties affected consumption of water above 25 hundred cubic feet (hcf) per month. Since the average Montecito SFR uses 5 hcf/month for interior use and 17 hcf/month for exterior use the financial […]
California has been reliably blue for most of the last 20 years and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. At the state level, Democrats control the Governorship (Gavin Newsom), the Lieutenant Governor (Eleni Kounalakis), the Attorney General (Xavier Becerra), and the Secretary of State (Alex Padilla). They have attained a super majority […]
The life and accomplishments of one of the most influential but least known Santa Barbara architects will be celebrated at the Lobero Theatre on January 5. LUTAH A Passion for Architecture: A Life of Design tells the story of Lutah Maria Riggs (1896-1984), a protégé of famed architect George Washington Smith, who, among other landmark local buildings […]
The first of Erin Graffy‘s almost always informative and often amusing talks, this time covering (and uncovering) the history of four different Santa Barbara neighborhoods has already taken place, but there are three more and they’re all worth attending. The neighborhoods are Samarkand, Hope Ranch, Montecito, and Hidden Valley, and Erin says her four-part series […]
Aussie music maker Peter Clark has debuted his homage to our Eden by the Beach, 16 months after the Thomas Fire and devastating mudslides. Montecito-based Peter, whose songs have been recorded by Eartha Kitt, Jane Russell, and Don Ho, is currently producing 2013 Teen Star winner Mary-Grace Langhorne, whose first CD will debut next month. […]
I learned a lot of new terms when I moved to Santa Barbara in 1977. I got a job at a small medical manufacturing company on lower Chapala called Browne Corporation. (Thank you Larry and Sue Browne. I’m forever grateful for taking a chance a on a long-haired bumpkin from New Hampshire who said things […]
