Picking the President in 2024
By Bob Hazard   |   February 28, 2023

Political pundits still predict a polarizing presidential prizefight in 2024 between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. It seems inconceivable that voters of either party want a rematch between two tired octogenarians. Trump would be 79, Biden 82. John F. Kennedy was 43 when elected to the Oval Office. How does one choose between the divisiveness […]

In Response to the MPC Removal
By Montecito Journal   |   February 14, 2023

I feel I must reply to the Journal’s article (“The MPC Shuffle”) of Jan. 26 regarding my removal from the Montecito Planning Commission, as it contained several errors. Additionally, there were important issues that I raised at the hearing before the Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors to which they did not respond, and which the Journal […]

 

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Reflection and Gratitude: An Open Letter to Our Community, and Sansum Clinic and Ridley-Tree Cancer Center Teams
By Marjorie Newman   |   February 14, 2023

January 20th marked three years since the first laboratory confirmed case of COVID-19 was detected in the United States, followed a few short months later with the World Health Organization and CDC’s declaration of a global pandemic. At the time, none of us could have imagined how much our lives would be upended, or for […]

A Seat at the Table
By Gwyn Lurie   |   February 7, 2023

Anita Hill never wanted to testify before the Senate Judiciary committee. In fact, despite a stellar academic record, you probably would not know the name Anita Hill if not for veteran NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg. The same way you wouldn’t know the Watergate Hotel, if not for Woodward and Bernstein. How it came […]

Emergency Management Matters
By Montecito Journal   |   February 7, 2023

I read with great interest Gwyn Lurie’s recent editorial Q&A with Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor. As a retired Certified Emergency Manager, with 23 years of experience in County Emergency Management, I find these topics very interesting from both a personal and professional perspective. I’ll preface my comments by saying that I have an enormous […]

Holocaust Memorial Day
By Montecito Journal   |   January 31, 2023

Continued education and understanding of cultural groups are needed across our community. Last month, anti-Semitic flyers were dispersed across the Mesa on the first day of Hanukkah. This was a coordinated effort that occurred in the Second District that Laura Capps represents and is compounded by the horrific displays of anti-Semitism across the country. Like […]

The Wrong Solution to the Wrong Problem at the Wrong Time
By Bob Hazard   |   January 31, 2023

In November, Montecito residents watched in dismay as carpenters and electricians dismantled two-thirds of the popular outdoor dining parklets at Lucky’s Steakhouse and one half of the parklets serving Tre Lune Ristorante to restore four new parking spaces on Coast Village Road (CVR).  Nearby, the city parklet guillotine fell on Jeannine’s Restaurant & Bakery, which […]

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  • To Evacuate or Not to Evacuate?
    By Gwyn Lurie   |   January 24, 2023

    I’m sure I’m not alone in being relieved that our community did not have to be evacuated during the storm this past weekend. Still, I was on pins and needles wondering whether that scary alarm would suddenly come blaring from my phone, informing me it was time to pile my family, my dogs, and a […]

    A Bear’s Gift of Food
    By Montecito Journal   |   December 27, 2022

    Carlos, The Bear, was snug and cozy, reclining in his lazy bear chair perusing the internet, when a memory bubbled up under his holiday cap. He remembered as a very young cub, his mother would take him to Romero creek near their den, in Rancho San Carlos, in hopes of catching some steelhead trout, that […]

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    Citizen’s Suggestion Brings a Safer Montecito
    By Gwyn Lurie   |   December 13, 2022

    This week, Montecito became a little safer. On page 14 you can read about the ALERTCalifornia camera just installed on TV Hill that will provide 24/7 “eyes” on the Santa Barbara Front Country and eventually alert firefighters to new fire starts using artificial intelligence technology.  But before you read about this exciting and potentially lifesaving […]

    McMenemy Trail: Don’t Switch the Switchbacks
    By Montecito Journal   |   December 13, 2022

    On April 26th, 1965, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed Resolution #24671, accepting a trail easement from Logan and Elizabeth McMenemy. This easement solidified a new trail route for a historic trail that crossed the McMenemy lands, and a few years later a second easement was deeded by the San Ysidro Ranch, […]

    Adjusting Views to Come Together
    By Montecito Journal   |   December 6, 2022

    Remember when certain environmental groups made it impossible to talk about nuclear power in a positive way, and Santa Barbara locals demonstrated at Diablo Canyon’s nuclear power plant just up the coast from here? Now Democratic Governor Newsom supports it and the Biden’s Energy Department granted $1.1 billion to upgrade it. California’s last operating nuclear […]

    Giving Back
    By Gwyn Lurie   |   November 29, 2022

    “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”  – John Wesley Of all the places I’ve lived or spent any significant […]

    Thanks From the Roots
    By Montecito Journal   |   November 29, 2022

    On behalf of the entire ownership team, thank you to the community for supporting our application for a new cannabis retail dispensary in the Carpinteria Valley. While we recognize we have some additional hurdles to clear, we are 100% confident that Roots Carpinteria will open for business at 3823 Santa Claus Lane in 2023.  I […]

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