At the April 1 Supervisor meeting a variety of monumental decisions were made – not the least of which was a 3-2 vote approving a $179M expansion of our North County Jail Mahal. A more hopeful sidenote, however, had to do with decisions that the Board made regarding our majestic open spaces. Allow me to […]
Lea másAs concerns about home security and neighborhood safety continue to rise, the Montecito Association invites residents to attend a Community Safety Town Hall – an informative and proactive event designed to empower residents with practical tools to help protect what matters most. The event will feature a panel of security professionals offering guidance on crime […]
Lea másTrespassing / Eucalyptus Lane — Wednesday, April 4, at 05:50 hours Subject returned to the trespassed property from which they had been escorted the day prior. Subject was arrested and booked at SBCJ for trespassing. Fraud / 1470 East Valley Road — Wednesday, April 4, at 08:32 hours The victim posted a check for $1,295 […]
Lea más
REACH is a small local organization that provides comprehensive transformative support and development opportunities to first-generation college-bound students as they navigate the transition from high school to postsecondary education. The name is an acronym that stands for Resilience, Education, Adventure, Community and Health, but the word itself perfectly describes what the organization does, which is […]
Lea más
In case you’ve wondered, our word “royal” stems from “Roi,” the French word for “King.” I was born in 1933, and in my childhood, the British Royal Family consisted of a King and Queen and two little Princesses. But there were, and are, many other things and people called Royal, including the Royal Air Force, […]
Lea más
Monarch butterflies don’t make any noise, but it was way too quiet in the dense eucalyptus grove at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, CA. It felt like there was no life at all in this damp riparian corridor along the wave-battered North Coast. Not seeing any orange flutters was deflating. With our binoculars, […]
Lea másWalking through the farmers market this past week, the baby bok choy at Mt. Olive Organic Farm caught my eye. This crisp, super tender vegetable is so delicious steamed, added to a stir-fry, or even eaten raw. This cruciferous vegetable, which is native to China, has been eaten for more than 1,500 years and has […]
Lea más
The mastermind behind the whimsical Future Perfect wine brand is also the driving force behind the inaugural Corkscrew Comedy Festival, slated for this weekend. It’ll be three days of stand-up comedy across multiple venues in the Santa Ynez Valley. Barrels of wine – and laughs – guaranteed. “I’ve always loved producing,” says Doench Stricker, who’s […]
Lea másOn April 1st, our Supervisors made decisions relating to new jail construction (384 beds) and in-custody care that will cost us $200M. These decisions – ones that will affect our County for decades – were squeezed into a 45-item agenda that included such things as proclaiming the week of April 21 “International Dark Sky Week.” […]
Lea más
The Montecito Association Land Use Committee (LUC) April meeting was held at the Montecito Library community room and on Zoom. The meeting was called to order by LUC Chair, Dorinne Lee Johnson. Attendees were the LUC members, Montecito Association Executive Director Houghton Hyatt, Montecito Fire Chief David Neels andBattalion Chief/Fire Marshall Aaron Briner, Lotusland Trustee […]
Lea másThe left used to want tariffs on imports to protect American union jobs. Now it is the far right MAGA that wants tariffs. Why? Trump had no economic policy until he asked Jared Kushner for one. Jared searched on Amazon for a cool book title Death by China. Co-author Peter Navarro cited expert Ron Vara […]
Lea másConfession! I have a doll phobia, and there’s a name for that: “pediophobia,” an intense irrational fear of a humanoid form when appearing too realistic, seemingly too close to becoming one of US. In fact, the more realistic the doll, the more frightened I become. Thus, when JP sent me that shocking photo of a […]
Lea más
The village headman padded over to greet us, his bare feet slapping the ground, his soles as furrowed as the African earth. The mud huts of the Maasai people stood behind him, corralled by a thorn fence to discourage lions. I expected the headman to make some tribal gesture of welcome, and he held up […]
Lea más
Brian O’Laughlin was born to it – his awkward orientation at Washington State University notwithstanding. “Everybody shows up and all the other students are holding their major signs. You know, ‘What’s your major?’ And I was just walking around aimlessly looking for my group. I asked someone from admin, ‘Excuse me. Where’s Turf Management?’” The […]
Lea másThe California Coastal Commission will be meeting at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Hotel from Wednesday, April 9, to Friday, April 11. Among the packed agenda, several key local issues will be heard on Thursday, April 10, including a Cease & Desist Order, Restorative Order, and an Administrative Penalty to Sable Offshore Corp. regarding the […]
Lea másFollowing the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand, ShelterBox has sent a response team first to Bangkok to begin its assessment of what to deploy after the powerful earthquake that caused widespread destruction. ShelterBox USA President Kerri Murray says it’s anticipated the humanitarian needs will be high, especially for durable, moveable tents. “ShelterBox is […]
Lea másThe Summit for Danny is the most anticipated annual fundraiser for the Daniel Bryant Youth and Family Center, a key program at the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CADA). Each year the summit holds a local and an international event to raise funds for the center. The summits are designed and led by Bob […]
Lea másOn March 14th, the Senate passed a continuing resolution for fiscal year 2025, providing funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through September 2025. On the evening of March 14th, President Trump then ordered that the IMLS – the singular federal agency dedicated to funding library services – “be eliminated to the […]
Lea más
Local nonprofit Summer Solstice Celebration, now in its 51st year, has announced the addition of three new Board of Director members, Kari Lane, Ron Glover, and Forrest Leichtberg, to their Solstice leadership team. Ron Glover, a native of Santa Barbara specializing in event management and serving in nonprofit leadership roles, brings a wealth of experience […]
Lea más
As the spring hits its peak, the Rancheros Visitadores will continue their annual tradition of parading through the streets of Solvang to old Mission Santa Inés on Saturday, May 3, at 2:30 pm. Community members will gather to witness a blessing of the riders and presentation of a check to the Cancer Foundation of Santa […]
Lea más