13 May 2025
Book ‘em: Gay’s ‘Delights’ and a Panda’s Predicament
Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights, UCSB Reads’ 2025 selection, is a New York Times bestselling collection of essays – written daily over the course of a year – celebrating small, ordinary wonders. Gay’s humorous, poetic and philosophical essays cover a wide range of topics, with vignettes that include such luminous oddities as sharing a […]
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From Syria to Santa Barbara: Coffee with our Director of County Health
At the recent Budget Workshops, County Health presented their 2025-2026 budget that included $119M in spending and 539 full-time employees. Given the scale, I thought I would sit with Director, Dr. Mouhanad Hammami to learn a bit more about what they do. Dr. Hammami’s urbane charm and dapper style – he really is the best […]
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Help Mothers this Mother’s Day
Mothers’ Helpers, a local nonprofit serving low-income families with infants, will host a Mother’s Day Drive at Montecito Fire Department. Community members are invited to drop off new or gently used baby items from 11 am to 1 pm on May 10. Items most needed include infant and convertible car seats, strollers, pack ‘n’ plays, […]
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C.A.R.E4Paws Happy Tails Celebration and Fundraiser Event
The C.A.R.E4Paws organization held a “Happy Tails Celebration and Fundraiser” event on Sunday, May 4, at the Cabrillo Pavilion. The event focused on celebrating the organization’s establishment 16 years ago this May, its mission, and the work it does for pets and their owners on the Central Coast. Starting with a silent auction during […]
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Channel Islands YMCA’s 25th Annual Reaching for Stars Event
Youth and Family Services division of the YMCA celebrated the 25th Anniversary of its annual fundraiser, Reaching for Stars, on Thursday, May 1, at the Santa Barbara Woman’s Club at Rockwood. The event was attended and supported by many locals. Noted were Marilyn and Steven Gutsche, Steve Lyons, Bob and Patty Bryant, Lynn and Roger […]
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Crime in the Cito: Sheriff’s Blotter 93108
Arrest / 3700 block Santa Claus Lane — Sunday, April 20, at 16:39 hours Deputies initiated a traffic stop. The driver refused to identify himself. The driver resisted arrest and attempted to pull away. The driver was taken to ground and handcuffed, and transported without further incident. Stolen Check / US Post Office Montecito — […]
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Riveting Divots
Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club opened its 114th season on Sunday, kicking off an action-packed schedule with exciting tournaments and events that will showcase some of the world’s most talented equestrians. With a record number of teams and players participating, including a Number Ten rider – the top accolade in the sport – this […]
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Historical ‘Vision’
English-born artist Don Louis Perceval is the focus of the latest exhibition at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum with His Vision of the West, which runs through August 17. Curated by Marlene Miller, Perceval’s interests were mainly the colorful people and cultures native to the desert realms. Perceval made Montecito his home for the last […]
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Good Persons
It was all very in-tents. The Hilton rotunda was socially gridlocked and covered in a marquee when licensed psychologist Dr. Carrie Towbes, and lifelong conservationist George Burtness were selected as the 82nd Persons of the Year, with the Santa Barbara Foundation as the organizing sponsor – and legacy the occasion’s unspoken theme. Burtness’ father was […]
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United in Bloom
The Amazons were out in force at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum for Women United’s Blue in Bloom lunch co-chaired by Alice Hampton and Julie Heider-Gray. The fun fest, which raised more than $20,000 for United Way, featured two keynote speakers Dr. Melissa Drake, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist in Santa Barbara, and Diana Rigby, superintendent of […]
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There’s Hope Yet
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Santa Barbara Foundation hosted its annual Hope Awards at the historical museum, where a record 232 guests raised more than $120,000, a figure then matched by a local foundation. One honoree was the late Margie Yahyavi, who as executive director of the foundation from 2010 to 2022 transformed it from […]
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Courtly Decisions
The Duke of Sussex, 40, lost his battle for taxpayer funded police bodyguards when in the U.K. – putting him on the hook for nearly $2 million in costs. Harry was told his “grievance” over security was not enough to successfully change the decision. The Riven Rock resident believes he’s been “singled out” and “badly […]
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6 May 2025
English Engraving & the Importance of Swimming Lessons
DS sends me a 250-year-old English engraving titled The Sea fight off La Rochelle. The work is an image reproduced from Jean Froissart’s 14th century account of the Hundred Year’s War, Chronicles (1337-1410). The engraving itself is the portrayal of a naval battle from the Hundred Year’s War – 14th century sailors falling in droves into […]
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Miracles
The only reason I studied Latin more intensively than most of my English schoolfellows was that, in those days, (thankfully no longer) one of the requirements for a student wishing to be admitted to either of the two prestigious British Universities – Oxford or Cambridge – was an ability to pass an examination in Latin. […]
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Breaking Down the Break-Ins
The Montecito Association hosted a Community Safety Town Hall for all residents and businesses in Montecito on Tuesday, April 22, at the All Saints-by-the-Sea community hall. Moderating the meeting was MA Executive Director Houghton Hyatt. Present were MA Board President Doug Black and MA Board Members; SBC 1st District Supervisor Roy Lee and his Deputy […]
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May 5. Cinco de Bevrijdingsdag!
As everyone knows, Cinco de Mayo commemorates 1862’s Battle of Puebla. That’s the one in which an underequipped, outnumbered, and profoundly annoyed collection of hastily summoned Mexican army regulars absolutely clobbered several thousand haughty French marines, who at the battle’s denouement could be seen actually fleeing down a hill with the Mexican army in hot […]
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Mother’s Day Specialty Orchids, Restaurants and More
Like your mom or grandmother says, early birds get the worms! It’s time to set up your reservations for flowers, restaurant, spa offerings, and more! Here’s our local delights for our Mother’s Day: San Ysidro Ranch The San Ysidro Ranch is serving a festive Mother’s Day brunch, Sunday, May 11, from 10 am to 2 […]
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