A passionate longtime rock climber, Noah Banez (‘18) pursues his sport in an unlikely location: the isolated island of Guam. The co-founder and managing director of Guam Sports Climbing Center (Climbing Guam) in Barrigada, he also coaches the Guam National Climbing Team. He and his wife, Olivia ‘Ozie’ Le Sage Banez, moved to Guam in […]
Brian O’Laughlin was born to it – his awkward orientation at Washington State University notwithstanding. “Everybody shows up and all the other students are holding their major signs. You know, ‘What’s your major?’ And I was just walking around aimlessly looking for my group. I asked someone from admin, ‘Excuse me. Where’s Turf Management?’” The […]
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Today’s increasingly grey digital blandscape could be described as a bummer. Busybody machines that can paint cats, forge photos, and write crummy songs have us all hunching shoulders and shaking our little fists in excitement. Why? (etc.) The numbing Age of Machines is truly upon us and we couldn’t be more thrilled. In this context, […]
Montecitans Mike and Linda Ofner have been a dynamic team – as coaches, mentors, and life partners – through more than 50 years of marriage. Never mind that they’ve also been the backbone of a Santa Barbara waterfront institution for nearly 40 years – a beachfront outfit called Ka Nai’a Outrigger. “So, 1986,” son Greg […]
State Senator Limón Honors Dr. Katrina B. Mitchell at Capitol Ceremony In honor of Women’s History Month, California State Legislature comes together to highlight women in their community. District 21 Senator Monique Limón celebrated Katrina B. Mitchell, MD. In addition to her role as a breast surgical oncologist in Santa Barbara at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center, […]
Montecito’s Trish Davis is being featured in my column for her contributions to preserve the history of Montecito. Davis was recommended to me by the Montecito Fire Protection District Fire Chief David Neels in response to my community request for Montecito women to be featured in my news column for Women’s History Month.Neels stated in […]
As a kid in Long Island, New York, Jackson Gillies woke up one of two ways: his mother Connie stirring him for his type 1 diabetes insulin shots, or his father Billy “cranking the Grateful Dead and Genesis through the floorboards.” What follows is a life of tireless dedication to music and activism for his […]
My friend Joan Curran and I were walking up State Street on a Tuesday afternoon when she called out, “Hey Nathan!” Sitting cross-legged on the curb was a casually clad guy with softly curled blonde hair and an array of beaded jewelry. As I squatted down to the pavement to behold his work, I immediately […]
A class in international politics during his first semester at Westmont inspired David Shiang to consider a career in public service. Now a senior, he serves as student body president following a prestigious summer internship at the White House. The son of Taiwanese immigrants, David grew up in Los Angeles and chose Westmont largely because […]
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My annual Black History Month is launched for 2025 with Wendy Eley Jackson MFA; a filmmaker, TV Director/Producer, and college faculty. She is the Founder and Executive Producer of Auburn Avenue Films with 30 plus years of television broadcasting and film experience in the industry. Jackson’s TV/Film work spans SONY Pictures TV, Turner Broadcasting, and […]
As we continue with our January Wellness features, this week it’s all about detoxing your home environment, the products we use, and other external influences. No point in working on our healthy bodies with great food and exercise if there are external factors interfering with it. With that, I interviewed Karen Bloom, who created her […]
“It was a happy accident,” Oliver Welch recalls. It was June of 2022, his first summer out of college on the gloomy east coast; he’s on Maui to surf, dive, throw pottery, and hopefully find a farming gig to support the whole thing before going home to Santa Barbara. “I’m at dinner with my dad’s […]
Bridget Mitchell is a Montecito native living in Los Angeles pursuing a creative career in costume design. From backstage show repairs for recognizable characters to behind-the-scenes Hulu sets to cruise ship performances at sea, there have been diverse adventures in her craft. Mitchell’s achievements speak for themselves in her over decade-long pursuit towards her craft. […]
Truck racing superstar Dan Chamlee, founder of The Factory Racing, Inc.has officially won the Class 7 Title at the 2024 Baja 1000 race on November 15-16. This is the 9th Baja 1000 win for Factory Racing, Inc. On Dan’s team this year were his wife Laurie as Crew Chief. Riding in the truck with him […]
