Tag archives: YMCA

The Montecito Association Land Use Committee [LUC] November meeting was held Thursday, November 7, in person at the Montecito Library community room and on Zoom. The meeting was called to order by its Chair, Dorinne Lee Johnson. Attendees were the Land Use Committee members, MA Executive Director Houghton Hyatt, MA President Doug Black, and Montecito […]

The Channel Islands YMCA has appointed Ryan Power as the new Executive Director of the Montecito Family YMCA. Power brings a breadth of experience in recreational management, having worked as the General Manager at La Costa Beach & Tennis Club, the Operations Manager at Pierpont Racquet Club, and leadership positions with the City of Ventura, […]

Our town’s eight schools are holding their graduations from May 24 through June 14th this year. The Montecito Journal wishes much success and offers congratulations to the class of 2024, the heads of school, superintendents, principals, faculty, staff, and parents! The Montecito YMCA Preschool The YMCA Preschool 2024 Graduation was held on Friday, May 24, […]

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 […]

The Youth and Family Services YMCA’s Reaching for the Stars Annual Fundraiser was held on Thursday, May 2, at the Santa Barbara Women’s Club.  The sold-out event commenced on the patio with flamenco music by guitarist Chris Judd, libations, and hors d’oeuvres. Guests included District Attorney of Santa Barbara County (June 2022) John Savrnoch who […]

What to get the man who pretty much has everything? That was the quandary faced by Montecito Bank & Trust president George Leis when, as chairman of the National YMCA, he had an audience with 87-year-old Pope Francis at the Vatican earlier this month. His Holiness was presented with a book created by Fr Joe […]

George Leis is Montecito Bank & Trust’s President & Chief Operating Officer, a familiar presence in the Village – and a famously nice guy. Once described in these pages as “…so upbeat, ordinary bankers shrink from his presence like goblins nearing sunlight,” Leis is a dedicated and indefatigable volunteer for the community he loves. In […]

The Montecito Association (MA) held its Land Use monthly meeting February 6 via Zoom. Key issues on the table were pedestrian paths, YMCA Update, the Debris Nets and a Montecito resident’s creek issues with neighbor. MA Chair Bill Babbitt called the meeting to order. Present were Pat McElroy, Executive Director for The Project for Resilient […]

The Channel Islands Youth and Family Services organization held a Donor Appreciation Event to thank the donors of Reaching for Stars 2023. The wine and cheese celebration on Wednesday, September 6, was at the Hope Ranch estate of Board member Marsha Roberson with husband, Al.  Event Chair Carolyn Williams shared: “The generous funds raised in […]

George Leis, president of Montecito Bank & Trust, is having a new lease on life! George, who is also a board member of Santa Barbara Zoo, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, and the Channel Islands YMCA, becomes chairman of the national YMCA in February, succeeding CiCi Rojas, the first Hispanic […]

After 31 years of loving what she did, the Montecito YMCA Preschool Director Annie Fischer retired at the end of the school year. She was lauded for her steadfast teaching legacy of children and helping their parents at her retirement party on Wednesday, July 26, held at the outdoor playground area of the Y.  The […]

Our town’s schools are holding their graduations from May 21 through June 9th this year. The eight local school graduations are covered in order of occurrence.  This issue has Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the YMCA Preschool. The Montecito Journal wishes much success and congratulations to our graduates, school faculty, staff and parents! Our […]

The County of Santa Barbara Planning and Development Department (P&D) is soliciting comments on the adequacy and completeness of the environmental document prepared for the proposed renovation, enhancement, and expansion of the Montecito YMCA, located at 591 Santa Rosa Lane.  The YMCA is seeking to revise its Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to update the Montecito […]

The Channel Islands YMCA Youth & Family Service (YFS) held their 23rd annual fundraising event titled, Reaching for Stars, at the Cabrillo Pavilion on Wednesday, April 26. The event funds its five-tiered service programs for youth through age 24: Youth and Family Services, Noah’s Anchorage Youth Crisis Shelter, St. George Youth Center, My Home, and […]

Elevated, Luxurious Dental Practice Cosmetics, Implants, & Aesthetics Serving the Santa Barbara & Montecito Community Hlavaty Dental Arts737 Garden Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101(805) 564-3600www.hlavatydentalarts.com Nonprofit wellness organization whose mission is to build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. Montecito Family YMCA591 Santa Rosa LaneMontecito, CA 93108(805) 969-3288www.ciymca.org/montecito Premium personal training services including Private […]

Our town’s schools held their 2022 graduation ceremonies from May 29 through June 10. The eight local school graduations are covered in order of occurrence, in two news reports, part one today and part two on June 16. This issue has Cate School with 66 grads, Montecito YMCA Preschool with 14 grads, Cold Spring School […]

For the 22nd time, Youth and Family Services (YFS) YMCA (a branch of the Channel Islands YMCA) held its Reaching for Stars event. The funds raised make good things happen for youth. All 11 local chefs donned their chef’s hats to prepare the five-course dinner for a room full of guests at the Santa Barbara […]

After a more than 13-year journey, plans for renovating and enhancing the Montecito YMCA on Santa Rosa Lane are moving forward once again, amid some angst and concern from neighbors and members of the community at large. With story poles going up earlier this month in anticipation of last week’s Montecito Board of Architectural Review […]

Here is a look at four more holiday concerts that provided plenty of holiday cheer as we inch toward the new year: Crane Country Day School The school had a wonderful evening outdoor concert planned for Thursday, December 16 for families only, but as the much-needed rain continued that day, the school made the tough […]

Race, class, family, and belonging are central themes in Members Only, a novel by local author Sameer Pandya. Accused of racism at both his tennis club and university teaching job, the main character’s experiences provide ample opportunity for readers to use the book as both a mirror and a window.  How do we respond when […]