Beauty and the Beach

The Music Academy of the West suffered social gridlock when Santa Barbara Beautiful hosted its 55th annual awards, co-chaired by Mark Whitehurst and Kerry Methner, at the Miraflores campus.

Ubiquitous KEYT-TV senior reporter John Palminteri emceed the ceremony in the Lehmann Ballroom after a welcome by organization president Penny Haberman, who revealed SBB had provided more than 13,000 trees for the renewed beautification of our Eden by the Beach’s streets and parks over the years.

The President’s Award went to the 57-year-old Santa Barbara Inn, owned by Richard and Mimi Gunner, which underwent complete renovation three years ago, while the Jacaranda Award for outstanding community service went to Beebe Longstreet, who has been commissioner of the city’s parks and recreation department for the last 24 years.

Explore Ecology received the Playa de SB award for environmental stewardship, with State Street’s 30-year-old Indigo Interiors receiving the Arts Advisory Committee’s Business in Art Award, and SB Museum of Natural History garnering the SB Commons – Public Open Space accolade.