CADA Celebration
CADA – Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse – held its 8th annual gratitude lunch at the Biltmore, with more than 80 guests raising nearly $100,000 for the nonprofit’s 24-year-old mentor program, which matches fourth and eighth graders with adult help.
Ed Stonefelt, president and CEO, described the 25-year-old program, which has helped more than 3,400 youngsters over the years, as “a matter of time, patience, and love” with 75 percent of children showing significant improvement at school and 92 percent resilience to substance abuse challenges.
Founder of the KEYT-TV mentor marathon Anne Towbes, chairman of Montecito Bank & Trust Janet Garufis, and Santa Barbara Man of the Year non-profit veteran Ernesto Paredes spoke at the bustling beano with Jai Ranganathan presented with the Penny Jenkins’ Mentor Champion of the Year Award.
Among the supporters turning out were Catherine Remak, Gerd Jordano, Diana MacFarlane, Perri Harcourt, Marybeth Carty, Michael Baker, Mark Danielson, Geoff Green, Alixe Mattingly, George Leis, Natalie Noone, Terry Ryken, David Edelman, Gloria Clark, Eileen Mielko, Victoria Hines, Val Montgomery, Aimee Delevett, Christine Emmons, Merryl Brown, Anne Gersh, Ronnie Mellen, Jean Schuyler, Hollye Jacobs, and Hazel Blankenship.
Lowe Down Dirty Shame
Rob Lowe, a resident of our rarefied enclave for many years, says he felt “humiliated” by Santa Barbara City College’s decision to scrap reciting the Pledge of Allegiance because of its links to “white nationalism.”
The college says it decided to “discontinue the use” of the pledge to the American flag at meetings for reasons related to its history and symbolism.
The board then reversed the decision as members had “First Amendment Rights” to comment, which had to be respected.
Despite the U-turn Rob, 54, took to Twitter to express his strong disapproval of the initial decision.
“Humiliated for Santa Barbara City College making national news for their idiocy,” he thundered.
Our Days Are Numbered
Former Montecito resident actor Michael Douglas, 74, says that now that he is older he plans his life better because, as he puts it, “time is finite now.”
“There is much more planning your time because you don’t have this infinite amount of time,” says the Oscar-winning son of acting legend Kirk Douglas, who celebrated his 102nd birthday in December.
Michael, who is married to Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, 49, also says surviving stage IV throat cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2011, was a “rebirth” when he was declared cancer-free in 2013.
“You see priorities differently,” he tells London’s Daily Mirror. “You have a much deeper appreciation of marriage and your children. You see everything a little bit clearer, a little brighter.”
