Tag archives: Sharon Byrne
On April 8, the telecom industry, in the person of Crown Castle Rep. Jerry Ambrose, attempted to pull the wool over the Montecito Architectural Board of Review. He told them he needed to put a new cell antenna on a pole at 75 Eucalyptus Lane. The reason? “Capacity gap.” Yet, if you take a walk […]
At this month’s Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, April 13, executive director Sharon Byrne gave an update on several housing bills at the State level which the Association is watching; Byrne wrote about the issue in last week’s Montecito Journal. The MA has hired former state senator Hannah-Beth Jackson as a legislative […]
We are deeply dismayed to learn that Das Williams is seeking an appointment to the California Coastal Commission for the Central Coast. A controversial supervisor synonymous with Santa Barbara’s much-contested cannabis ordinance, Williams was barely able to retain his position in 2020 (even with the political and financial muscle of the cannabis industry). Indeed, there […]
Montecito school superintendents Dr. Amy Alzina, Superintendent of Cold Spring School District, and Dr. Anthony Ranii, Superintendent of Montecito Union School District, recognize the leadership of three outstanding women leaders in the local community in honor of Women’s History Month, including Montecito Association Executive Director Sharon Byrne. In addition to her work with Montecito Association, […]
After six years in business, Coast Village Road consignment boutique, Sepi, has closed. Owner Sepideh Babri took over the shop in early 2015, when it was named Matti & Me after then-owners Matti Bourgault and Wendy Nanon Smith.The high-end luxury consignment store featured women’s clothing, handbags, shoes and boots, belts, sunglasses, jewelry, and accessories, in […]
The Montecito Association Land Use Committee met earlier this week, and took a look back at the major land use projects the committee worked on in 2020. “We recognized early on after the debris flow that there would be multiple large scale projects to tackle,” said MA Executive Director Sharon Byrne, adding that the projects […]
Last Wednesday, December 16, reps from the Rosewood Miramar Resort were in front of the Montecito Planning Commission providing an annual compliance update related to parking, events, and hours of operation of the hotel’s Beach Bar. “Our primary goal is to be a good member of the community,” said Miramar owner Rick Caruso’s Vice President […]
On Tuesday, October 20, a few dozen teenagers held a protest outside the Santa Barbara Unified School District’s headquarters on Santa Barbara Street. Carrying signs bearing messages such as “We Want to Go Back to School” and “Give Us a Choice,” the group had a clear message for local school officials: After more than a […]
There’s a long history in Montecito of well-intentioned yet pricey local school bond measures that have failed to win at the ballot box. In 2012, Montecito Union School unsuccessfully sought to raise $27 million for various campus improvements, an effort that collapsed under the weight of criticism by property tax paying opponents who viewed it […]
In the middle of another heat wave, it’s 95 degrees near the beach in Montecito and everybody has moved indoors. Everybody except our small group trailing behind Luis Alvarado, a determined homeless outreach specialist with the Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness Department who has come to Montecito to make contact with as many homeless people […]
On Tuesday, September 1, the Board of Supervisors considered revisions to an ordinance pertaining to short-term vacation rentals (STRs) in unincorporated Santa Barbara County. The last ordinance drafted was in 2017/2018, but was quickly denied by the Coastal Commission, which cited the failure of the ordinance to protect existing overnight accommodations in the Coastal Zone. […]
At their monthly board meeting on Tuesday, July 14, the Montecito Association Board of Directors voted to approve a pilot program to help homeless people in the Montecito area get the help and resources they need. The program includes partnering with outreach coordinators from City Net, an organization comprised of a team of nonprofit professionals […]
More Gretchen, Please Last week’s article “A Man and His Dog” (by Gretchen Lieff) touched me – as so many of your articles do. I know I speak for many when I say we’d love to be able to follow more of Gretchen’s musings – and adventures – in your Journal. Sincerely Sharon Kantanen Free […]
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. […]
According to the Wall Street Journal, California has 12% of the nation’s population, but accounts for half of the homeless population. San Francisco is only a few degrees cooler than Orlando in January, but the homeless rate in the City by the Bay is 30 times higher than Orlando. In the last year, homelessness in […]
At an assembly last Wednesday, June 5, the entire student body at Crane Country Day School gathered to bid adieu to two longtime fixtures on campus: teacher Pat Bixler, who is retiring, and employee Anne Perkins, who is moving on to her next chapter. Crane staff and students spoke about both Bixler and Perkins, sharing […]
Earlier this week, the Montecito Association’s new ad hoc committee met to discuss insurance woes and debris flow zones. “We heard from our members that they really feel a need for more information about getting and keeping insurance, as many of them are being hit with non-renewals from their insurance companies,” said Sharon Byrne, the […]
At this month’s Montecito Association (MA) Board meeting, three new faces joined the organization, including new executive director Sharon Byrne. Outgoing executive director Allison Marcillac, hired in November, lost her home in the mudslide in January, and has decided to resign in order to focus her time and effort on rebuilding her home. “I have […]
Many quiet heroes of these last few months have escaped the deserved visibility that first responders and other notables have received in this and other local media. But, we must try to name some of these quieter-but-not-lesser heroes, and thank them as best we can and as frequently as they come to mind. From my […]
“Sips and Nibbles” was the title of a benefit for Food from the Heart (FFH) – a nonprofit I’d never heard of. Founder Evelyn Jacob informed me, “We have been around for 24 years.” I would soon learn Food from the Heart is all about feeding people. We were gathered in the courtyard of El […]
