9 Dec 2025
John Alexander Jameson, Guardian of Montecito
Two roads and a lake are named for him, but few remember John Alexander Jameson or the details behind his tremendous efforts to benefit and protect his adopted hometown of Montecito. Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1868, where his father, John Alexander Jameson Sr., served as a judge of the Superior Court, Jameson Jr. followed […]
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Manning Park Sports Courts Update
Over Thanksgiving, I noted that Manning Park’s new pickleball and tennis courts, begun earlier this year and slated to be completed November 30, are still under construction. On Monday, December 1, I contacted Supervisor Roy Lee for a timeline update and data points on what is delaying the progress. I also went to inspect it […]
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2 Dec 2025
Local Advocates Aim to Bring SB County Back into the Meat Supply Chain
If you live in Santa Barbara County, buying locally-processed beef might prove difficult. Lacking any USDA-certified meat processing facilities, cattle raised within Santa Barbara County’s borders need to be transported outside those borders for butchery. The Santa Barbara County Food Action Network (SBCFAN), a nonprofit devoted to stewarding a more equitable and resilient local food […]
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Large, Flightless, and Flavorless
The holidays approach. In old timey lingo? “The holidayeth approacheth” (I’m pretty sure). December’s “Peace on Earth” pandemonium will be heralded as usual by the early warning system we call Thanksgiving; a commemoration turkeys movingly refer to as “Pilgrims Are Jerks.” Their naming convention is awkward, their ennui more than understandable. Today, many enlightened holiday […]
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The Meandering Midwestern Eyes
A picker with a good eye, AC got lucky and found a small late 19th century watercolor landscape featuring a meandering Midwestern (to my Illinois-bred Midwestern eye) river and a skiff tied to the underbrush. A framer’s label on the back of the simple oak frame tells a great story, almost better than the generic […]
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Sheriff’s Blotter — 93108
Vandalism / 800 block Buena Vista Drive — Sunday, November 09, at 15:34 hours Deputies were contacted after a homeowner returned home following a less than 24 hour absence to find items around her home misplaced, protein shakes missing from her fridge, and closets rummaged through. The Reporting Party discovered an open bathroom window which was […]
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Luxury Wine Travel in Paso Robles: DAOU Mountain and the Central Coast
Some destinations do not clamor for your attention; they quietly unfold around you, and Paso Robles is one of them. Rolling vineyards, mineral-rich hillsides, and luminous evening skies invite you to slow down and experience a wine region through its people, its cellars, and its light. Tucked into the California Central Coast, it offers a […]
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We’re Back! The Library Column Returns
We’re thrilled to say – we’re back! The Library Column is returning, and we couldn’t be more excited to reconnect with you through stories that showcase the heart of our community: your Montecito Public Library. Each month, we’ll bring you a collection of inspiring stories, upcoming programs, and tips to help you get the most […]
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Holiday Concert Unites Classics, Carols, Scripture
The 21st annual Westmont Christmas Festival offers an unforgettable celebration of Advent with the college’s orchestra and choirs creating a magical atmosphere at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara. Tickets, which cost $30 each, are selling quickly for both performances on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7 pm and Sunday, Dec. 7, at 3 pm. Purchase […]
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Talk Examines U.S.’s Long Affair with Tariffs
Alastair Su, Westmont assistant professor of history, expounds on Tariff Nation: The Rise, Fall, and Return of America’s Most Contentious Tax on Monday, Dec. 8, at 5:30 pm at the Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden Street, in downtown Santa Barbara. The Westmont Downtown Lecture is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations […]
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Biologist Offers Community- Illustrated Field Guide
Amanda Sparkman, Westmont professor of biology and director of environmental studies, has released the third volume in the “California Wild Neighbors” series, Neighbors with Fur: A Family Guide to California Backyard Mammals, with illustrations by Westmont professors, staff, students, alums, children and others in the community. “I hope it offers something for readers of every […]
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Home for the Holidays: Week 1
Autumnal Gifting Enlightenment This Holiday Season Another year gone by! And here comes that truly peaceful December closure – a month-long fare thee well to 2025 as we gather, reminisce, and mark the nourishing passage of time. Expect a light snowfall, Victorian carolers on every street corner in their cozy scarves and mufflers and top […]
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Cashmere & Scenic Beauty: 27 Miles Malibu Finds Its Home on Coast Village Road
Ernie and Emily Vallorano were having coffee on Coast Village Road one afternoon this summer when something across the street stopped them: a for-lease sign. The timing felt uncanny. They had just been talking about opening a brick-and-mortar shop for their decade-old clothing brand, 27 Miles Malibu. On impulse, they crossed the street, called the […]
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SB Museum of Art Leadership Circle Event Celebrates its Exhibits
On a very rainy Monday evening, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art saw its celebratory event for the SBMA Circles of Leadership, benefactors, directors, and curators with special guests become its latest nouvelle vague. I was invited to attend and report for our readers by Lindsey Garrison SBMA director of marketing and communications, and SBMA’s […]
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Mike Campbell: Heartbreaker Still Runnin’ Down a Dream
Outside of SoCal, Mike Campbell is largely known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the lead guitarist who spent decades alongside Petty delivering crunchy guitar lines on a bevy of big hits. Campbell also co-wrote many of the band’s singles, including “Refugee,” “Here Comes My Girl,” “You Got Lucky,” and “Runnin’ […]
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Brain Meets Brainin to Birth New TAC season
Last February 2, Rubicon Theatre Company closed out its first-ever partnership to launch the national winter tour by The Acting Company, the veteran New York ensemble co-founded in 1972 by John Houseman via the first dramatic graduating class of The Juilliard School. Exactly 10 months later, RTC and TAC – the latter of which served […]
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Ludmilla Pilat Welch: Journey to Santa Barbara
Ludmilla Pilat Welch married her artist husband, Thaddeus Welch, in Ossining, New York, in 1883 when she was 16 and he was 39. Thad’s adventure-filled journey to become an artist had eventually led him to study in Munich and Paris for six years before returning to the United States in 1881. He settled for a […]
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Curator’s Choice: An Invertebrate “Candy Drawer”
Most museum drawers don’t look anything like this. To help researchers find the specimens they need to consult, a typical drawer of specimens is organized based on how organisms are related to each other, and therefore contains specimens that look similar. This feast for the eyes represents a slice of the mollusk marine diversity preserved […]
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Soup’s On This Season
By Maria McCall As regular customers, my husband and I enjoy OSK’s nutritious soups multiple times a week – favorites include Coconut Curry Lentil (my favorite), Gourmet Broccoli, and this season’s Butternut Squash (his favorite). We top them with Modena balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano Reggiano for a quick, healthy, and delicious meal. Founder Anthony Carroccio, […]
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Trés Chic: Coast 2 Coast Celebrates!
By Maria McCall Bob and Holly Murphy hosted an elegant gathering to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their La Arcada boutique, Coast 2 Coast Collection, beautifully decked out in holiday splendor. Described by Richard Mineards as an “Aladdin’s cave,” this two-story boutique is renowned for offering luxury brands that are rare – or even impossible […]
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