I’m reluctant to report on our experiences with the January 9th flood. It was difficult because 45% of our home was damaged. We couldn’t even get into our property for a month to view the damage. Yet the final result turned out to be very successful. But we mourn the 23 people who died as […]
Last week, the usual crew of Montecito locals gathered to decorate the giant pine tree near the Manning Park tennis courts. It’s a festive tradition that goes back many decades, and we retell it here each year to keep the memory alive. As the story goes, in the early 1960s, then Montecito Fire Chief Don […]
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With the pedestrian paths that now run down State Street, it is easier than ever to do some holiday shopping or just spend a day downtown with the family. In week three of our Home for the Holidays Guide, here are just a few of the fun events and spots to stop in along the […]
We’ll have the coolest classic cars, lit up to brighten the night sky (briefly). We’ll have dancers, singers, and so much fun! The route starts from the Upper Village, and heads down Hot Springs to Coast Village, and then back up Olive Mill to the end. We encourage you to support our local merchants and […]
The second in a four-part series on shopping locally in Montecito, we’re shining a light on the Lower Village: Montecito’s Coast Village Road and beyond, which has long been a shopping and dining destination for locals and visitors. Many shops along Coast Village Road are gearing up for the holiday season, decorating their windows and […]
The turkey has been put to rest (or maybe it put us to bed), and the holiday season is underway. With so much around our beloved town, it is easy to shop and support local. This is part one of four articles featuring the local stores that make our area so distinct. This week features […]
You’ve read in these pages about Hands Across Montecito, a very successful homeless outreach and placement team of the Montecito Association, made up of Montecitans, Sheriffs, Montecito Fire, Behavioral Wellness, and City Net. Our first client, Andrew Verlikanje, really hates litter, so he picks it up. Andrew impressed Heal the Ocean when he wanted to […]
Unless you’re a dog, most of us never think about fire hydrants until you need one. Such was the case when Robin Donaldson, an architect for a residential renovation project on Padaro Lane in Carpinteria, applied for a routine building permit with the county. His plans had already been approved by the California Coastal Commission […]
Entering the Santa Barbara Club this summer, I met with the newly elected Montecito Association member, Stan Roden – a former Santa Barbara County District Attorney now working as a climate ambassador and filmmaker. Having heard of his interest in guiding the community towards more sustainable and resilient practices, especially amidst the ever-growing environment turmoil, […]
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This year the Montecito Journal co-hosted a handful of Zoom candidate forums, all involving local school board races for which Montecito residents will have a vote (the one exception is the SBUSD area #1 seat, for which a smaller portion of our readers will have the chance to weigh in). This is not to say […]
As an advisor to four U.S. Presidents, Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton, David Gergen had a front row seat to the highest levels of power and leadership in this country. As an editor for U.S. News and World Report, and a commentator on PBS and CNN, Mr. Gergen became a steady and rational voice on […]
The businesses that run up and down Coast Village Road (CVR) make up a neighborhood brimming with pride. There are old, fabled institutions like Lucky’s, generational property owners à la Jeff Harding, and small business owners who took leaps of faith and ended up with dreamy storefronts such as the folks atWhiskey & Leather. The […]
Twenty years ago, in 2002, Nikki Katz (née Simon) recognized that families enduring a pediatric cancer battle needed so much more than thoughts and prayers; they need tangible, meaningful, year-round support. Thus a small idea sparked into a big dream, and the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) was born. When Katz was a young professional […]
The Thomas Fire and debris flows that plagued Montecito and the area in over a month spanning 2017-18 was an unprecedented tragedy that caused great devastation to the community. But out of the ashes and mud rose a brand-new nonprofit called One805, which has not only raised funds to support the First Responders who worked […]
