Looters Attack More Than a Courthouse
By Bob Hazard   |   August 6, 2020

Many in Montecito are conflicted. The senseless killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has jarred 100 percent of us into re-examining the fight for equal rights and justice under the law. Unfortunately, while our country attempts to come together in its search for racial justice, a highly visible minority of violent rioters and anarchists has […]

A Look Back and Forth
By James Buckley   |   July 2, 2020

Way back in the Dark Ages (say, the year 1970 or so), the “political season” began the day after Labor Day, in early September. That allowed for a nearly 10-week stretch of politicizing and polarizing to lead up to the first Tuesday in November, which was, putatively, Election Day. Over the years, that paradigm shifted […]

 

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An Open Letter to Michelle Obama
By David Rintels   |   July 2, 2020

Dear Ms Obama, I take you at your word that you have no wish to be a candidate for Vice President on the ticket with Joe Biden. No one can fairly blame you. You have already given eight years of your life to serving the country and our people with self-sacrifice and devotion. And remembering […]

Divided America – The Importance of National Unity
By Bob Hazard   |   June 25, 2020

The glue binding America is coming undone. Every aspect of life is becoming strained by growing divisiveness. Which media do we trust? Who is worthy of federal aid? How can we ever put this country back together as “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”? Trust in our political leadership has […]

Dueling Dens
By Bob Hazard   |   January 23, 2020

Only in California is it possible for two accomplished Democrats, with near perfect party pedigrees, to run for one job to represent the voters of District 1 as a Supervisor for Santa Barbara County. Political pundits promise that this year’s race for the District 1 seat between the incumbent Das Williams and the challenger Laura […]

Leadership by Laura
By Bob Hazard   |   January 16, 2020

The hottest ticket in Montecito for the month of January is a seat at the Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall on Monday evening, January 27, 6 to 8 pm, for a FREE, 1st come, 1st served, debate between the Democratic incumbent, 1st District County Supervisor Das Williams, and the Democrat challenger Laura Capps, […]

Alternative Solutions in a Single-Party State
By Bob Hazard   |   January 9, 2020

California has been reliably blue for most of the last 20 years and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. At the state level, Democrats control the Governorship (Gavin Newsom), the Lieutenant Governor (Eleni Kounalakis), the Attorney General (Xavier Becerra), and the Secretary of State (Alex Padilla). They have attained a super majority […]

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  • The Governor Speaks
    By James Buckley   |   October 17, 2019

    At the beginning of our telephone conversation, when I said to the former governor of Ohio and 2016 presidential candidate John Kasich that my most impressive memory of him was in the mid-1990s, when he teamed up with then Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich as the face of the Republican Contract With […]

    Why I am Seeking Re-Election to Montecito Sanitary District Board
    By Bob Williams   |   October 18, 2018

    When my wife, Carolyn, and I moved to Montecito, a primary goal of ours was to volunteer and give back to the community. We have since given of our time to local nonprofits and community organizations supporting the community of Montecito. When told of an opening on the Montecito Sanitary District Board, I expressed that […]

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    Why I am Running for Montecito Sanitary District
    By Woody Barrett   |   October 4, 2018

    I am running for the Board of Directors of the Montecito Sanitary District because I want our neighborhoods to have a diversified and secure source of water for the safety and well-being of our community. Montecito deserves water security. Our family has called Montecito home going on 18 years. Our children all attended Montecito Union […]

    Why I am Running for the Montecito Water District Board
    By Brian Goebel   |   September 27, 2018

    I am running for the Board of Directors of the Montecito Water District because I believe that sound governance can deliver a more resilient and secure water future for our community. After years of inaction, we must shift to a more reliable, local, and sustainable water supply that will maintain our quality of life and […]

    Mud in Your Eye
    By Judy Ishkanian   |   September 20, 2018

    Hello, from Judith Ishkanian. Surely nobody expected Mother Nature to inundate Montecito with mud and debris nine months ago. But she did, It has been a remarkable experience for Montecito residents ever since. According to the Sanitary District records, 10 percent of our population is off-line, whether because of total ruin, major repairs, disruption of […]

    Why I am Running Again
    By Dick Shaikewitz   |   September 20, 2018

    I, Dick Shaikewitz, am an incumbent Montecito Water District (MWD) director since 2006, holding a business degree from Northwestern University and a law degree from Washington University. I practiced law in Southern Illinois; primarily doing litigation. Montecito has been my home for 21 years. I served six years as a Montecito Association director. The Music […]

    Praying for Rain Not Good Enough
    By Woody Barrett   |   September 13, 2018

    We should thank Judith Ishkanian and Bob Williams for their service to our community as appointed board members of the Montecito Sanitation District (MSD) for the past 12 and four years, respectively. I also want to thank the employees of the MSD who worked long and hard hours to restore our systems after the debris […]

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