I was talking to a young friend on Friday. She grew up in Montecito and is in her sophomore year of college in Santa Barbara. We were commiserating about her school, and my daughters’ local schools, all coming to such an abruptly surreal halt when my friend looked at me and said, “Same thing happened […]
Lea másOne of the advantages of outliving people you knew is that you can write freely about them. The worst best friend I ever had was named Nathan Povich Mensh. We were kids when we met in 1941 in Washington, D.C., where our houses backed onto each other, with an alley between. I was eight, and […]
Lea másIf you’ve ever had breakfast or lunch at the Montecito Coffee Shop – it’s the restaurant next to the San Ysidro Pharmacy at the intersection of East Valley and San Ysidro roads – then you may have been waited on by a petite and unassuming woman who seems to know her way around the establishment. […]
Lea másDespite coronavirus concerns, there were few cancellations when Elliot Wuu, winner of the Music Academy of the West’s solo piano competition, performed at Hahn Hall. The 20-year-old, an undergraduate of New York’s Juilliard School showing great finesse, won the recital and a future one at the Chicago Cultural Center on April 1, based on his […]
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I was interviewed at Maison Mineards Montecito by KEYT-TV reporter Anikka Abbott on the impact of the coronavirus on cultural and entertainment events in our Eden by the Beach. At the time of the taping most social events were still in place with no cancellations, but after California Governor Gavin Newsom banned gatherings of more […]
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Ray Winn and Peter Kavoian opened the doors of their magnificent Birnam Wood home for a Musicale featuring Italian pianist Jacopo Giacopuzzi on the dynamic duo’s Bosendorfer grand piano, one of only seven of its type in the world. The Music Academy of the West fundraiser, catered by Elena Wagner, featured Verona native Jacopo, who studied […]
Lea másJosiah Hamilton, 45, great-great nephew of the late civic leader Pearl Chase and a co-founder of the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, just opened the Berkshire Hathaway National Sales Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, with more than 6,500 agents in attendance. Josiah, who grew up dividing his time between Montecito and London, has been working as an […]
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One of the first casualties of the coronavirus shutdown locally was Marymount School’s annual fundraiser at the Montecito Club which had 200 guests and was expected to gross $400,000 for scholarships and other operating costs. But even though the number was below Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s edict of no more than 250 people at a gathering, […]
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Montecito animal activist Gretchen Lieff and fiancé Miles Hartfeld had their romantic vacation to the Maldives and India cut short after President Donald Trump‘s announcement about new travel measures fighting the spread of the coronavirus. “We found ourselves in the middle of the Indian Ocean on an island 200 miles north of the Equator,” says […]
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Nearly three years after the Whittier Fire ravaged 47 out of 50 structures on the campus of Rancho Alegre, rebuilding is underway, thanks to the financial support of dozens of individuals and companies, many of whom are Montecito residents. The 50-year-old camp, which is located off the San Marcos Pass, had served 10,000 students and […]
Lea másThe provision of safe water, sanitation, and hygienic conditions is essential to protecting human health during any infectious disease outbreak, including the current 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Montecito Water District (MWD) is prepared for the rapidly evolving situation and is actively monitoring guidance from local, national, and global health organizations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) […]
Lea másOn Tuesday, March 17, the Montecito Association Board of Directors met via teleconference. The Board discussed a proposed project by the Montecito Sanitary District that includes a new 5,000-sq-ft Essential Services Building with a new 17-space parking lot, multiple solar canopies, and a new recycled water treatment system, as well as demolition of the existing […]
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With over a week of wet weather, Montecito debris basins, ring nets, and creek channels held up extremely well, according to Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor, who gave us an update on the weather earlier this week. Crews from County Flood Control and Public Works were in Montecito Tuesday morning, assessing the impact of the […]
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A sad goodbye to Layla Azar, who passed peaceful on February 9, and heartfelt condolences to her sweet husband of 37 years Jack Azar, Sr. and their three children Jack, Jr., George, and Danielle. Jack’s father owned the original grocery store in Summerland. After Layla came to this country from her native Lebanon and married […]
Lea másA note from longtime Summerlandian Hilary Hauser of Heal the Ocean informs that their offices in Santa Barbara are closed, but that the leaking Summerland oil wells are still being capped in June/July. “The fishes of the sea don’t know what we humans are doing up here,” Hilary notes in her inimitable cheerful style in […]
Lea másMessage Machines On… & One, Lone To-Go I called a few businesses in Summerland to speak with a human being but got a lot of recordings. Field + Fort has “temporarily closed until it’s safe for staff and community. We hope you all stay healthy,” notes their outgoing message. The brief message at the Nugget […]
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It was a sea of navy blue blazers and Nantucket red pants when the Santa Barbara Yacht Club marked its 148th opening day as the second oldest sailing mecca on the West Coast. Executive chef Michael Blackwell laid on a culinary display of food, accompanied by gallons of mimosas, that would have made Belshazzar green […]
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Gwyn Lurie sits in the back office of the Montecito Journal. Mock-ups of issues are fanned to one side as she types on her laptop at her long wooden desk. A large-scale photograph by Alan Kozlowski is propped on the wall behind her screen, waiting to be hung. The image titled “The Lake of Turquoise […]
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This Saturday, March 14, George Pet Shop in Montecito Country Mart will host a special adoption event to showcase Manny, a senior dog who is looking for his new home. “I would love to help him find his forever home so he does not continue to spend years in a shelter,” said Shelley Greenbaum, a […]
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Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation’s (TBCF) California Clam Bake will be held on Saturday, April 4 at 6 pm at the Montecito Club. The event will feature local KEYT news anchors Beth Farnsworth and CJ Ward, who will share Masters of Ceremony duties throughout the evening. “It’s going to be a beautiful event that will raise awareness and […]
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