30 Jun 2026
CIYMCA 26th Annual Reaching for the Stars Fundraiser
The Channel Islands YMCA annual fundraiser “Reaching for the Stars” was held on June 4 at the SB Women’s Club, aka Rockwood, on Mission Canyon Road. The event is the organization’s single largest funding source that supports its organizational overhead and various programs serving youth in Santa Barbara County. This year the event’s team reports […]
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Kass Brings AI Optimism Back Home
The rapidly accelerating world of artificial intelligence often fuels a modern culture of anxiety, but Santa Barbara tech executive and author Zack Kass believes humanity stands on the precipice of its greatest era yet. The audience of about 300 people reacted to his lively talk with applause on several occasions and gave him a standing […]
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Gleaning the Story Behind the Veggie Rescue Cover
About a month ago I enjoyed the surprise of having my photo on the cover of the Montecito Journal (May 14-21, 2026). The feature article highlighted an important, but perhaps little-known nonprofit in our community called Veggie Rescue. I had no business being the face of the article. In case you didn’t read the article, […]
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Madison Square to Montecito
By Lisa Duncan “We all long for music’s emotional stories.” That simple observation from Philip Sheegog set the tone for an extraordinary evening at Hahn Hall, where the 2017 Music Academy of the West alumnus returned alongside violinist Jonathan Miron as the Grammy-winning duo ARKAI. Fresh off bringing Madison Square Garden to its feet during […]
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MOXI@Night Returns and More News Bytes
MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, is turning up the fun this fall with MOXI@Night: Play It Forward, its signature annual fundraiser set for September 26. Inspired by the glamour and energy of the Studio 54 era, the event will transform MOXI into a disco-themed celebration of music, creativity, and community impact. Honorary […]
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Patróna Power
By Lisa Duncan Father’s Day brought family, fierce competition, and two powerhouse patrónas to the field at the Santa Barbara Polo Club for the championship final of the 12 Goal Intra-Circuit Cup. On one side was Brazilian patróna Alecia Seidler, owner of Quite on Z. On the other was Sarah Siegel-Magness, the driving force behind […]
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Driven by Memories
By Lisa Duncan Father’s Day arrived bathed in sunshine in our Eden by the Sea, where dozens of gleaming classics lined the Front Plaza at Casa Dorinda for a festive vintage car show. But among the polished chrome and lovingly restored classic cars, one story stood out. Beside his award-winning 1943 Dodge WC 52, Robert […]
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23 Jun 2026
Freedom Found
By Lisa Duncan Few people embody reinvention quite like Jamie Kern Lima. The Montecito entrepreneur transformed her personal struggle with rosacea into IT Cosmetics, later selling the company to L’Oréal for $1.2 billion. Last week, she welcomed friend and fellow business builder Natalie Ellis to Godmothers in Summerland for a conversation about Ellis’s new book, […]
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805UndocuFund
Many people in Montecito and environs probably only think of 805UndocuFund as the community-based organization on high alert about immigration enforcement activities in the area, one that publicizes the phone number to call when activity is spotted and asking residents to be observant, mobilize, and report what they see. Doing what it can to reduce […]
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Letters from Japan Part 1: An Overview and Bumpy Beginning
“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” – African proverb that speaks to the value of community for long journeys. “If you want to go at all… and get there, make sure your flight leaves on time.” – me After decades of solo globe-trotting – first […]
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The Other Side of the Kahane
The Music Academy could have brought Jeffrey Kahane to town to conduct an Academy Festival Orchestra concert, engaging the former longtime leader of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (or LACO, which appeared at the Granada under his baton for CAMA back in 2015) to conduct the fellows in the middle of the summer. Instead, Kahane […]
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Amish Chairs and Their Imitators
RR inherited a chair with a four-post back. She was told by her grandmother that it was Amish, and she asked me if this was indeed its origin. Perhaps the form has some Shaker or Amish elements, but for the most part it falls into the category of Americana legacy furniture – what my mother called […]
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Tri-Cities Uncorked
Washington wine country is often defined by its AVAs. Walla Walla. Red Mountain. Yakima Valley. The conversation tends to revolve around vineyards and vintages, which is understandable given the quality in the glass. But after several days exploring Tri-Cities, what stayed with me most had as much to do with rivers, orchards, and people as […]
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Talk it Out: Plenty of Verbal Exchanges at SBWC
What is the Santa Barbara Writers Conference doing in a column about the spoken word? It’s a good question, given that writing is a seriously solo endeavor, with the work coming down to a single person sitting down at a keyboard, putting pen to paper or, maybe, dictating into a recording device. No matter how […]
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Armoured
“We sold the book to Leonardo DiCaprio a long time ago,” Michael Armour says. He’s told the story so many times – lived with it for long enough – the episode’s clearly been stripped of its power; except for the power to make Armour’s stomach sink. “He and the director held onto the book for […]
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Velvet Nights
By Lisa Duncan By day, Producer Liz Cole helps bring the hit television series Tracker to life. By night, she slips behind the microphone and into a world of jazz, storytelling, and song. The glamorous Los Angeles vocalist arrived in our Eden by the Sea last Saturday for a one-night-only appearance at The Grand on […]
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Chasing Silver
By Lisa Duncan At the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, next Sunday’s winners won’t simply take home a trophy. Their names will be engraved in silver and entered into the Blue Book, joining a tradition that stretches back generations at one of America’s most storied polo clubs. With the Pacific Coast Circuit Intra-Circuit Cup […]
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The Stunningly Orange Anaea Andria
This vivid orange butterfly is Anaea andria (formerly Paphia troglodyta). The image is mostly a real butterfly, preserved by a unique type of print: the lepidochrome. They are made by pressing a prepared specimen of a butterfly or moth onto printing paper treated with a thin coat of gum arabic adhesive. The body of the […]
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Sheriff Substation, Village 4th & More
The Montecito Association Board met on June 9th and received updates on a wide range of community issues, projects, and upcoming events. Traffic Safety Concerns on Olive Mill Road: Residents raised concerns about speeding and recent accidents near the intersection of Olive Mill Road, Olive Mill Lane, and San Benito Way. The County is currently […]
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