At a September 1 Santa Barbara City Council meeting, in a 6-1 vote, the Council approved the State Street Master Plan, which converts a once-thriving main street to a playground. I was surprised since the City has no money for this $96 million project. The Master Plan, a 495-page report including appendices, was drafted by […]
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The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art presents “Haptic Knowing,” a new exhibition showcasing five artists whose work explores touch not merely as a physical action, but as a form of inquiry and a way of thinking, learning and understanding the world. The exhibition runs through November 7. Derived from the Greek word haptesthai, meaning to […]
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Driven by the belief that collective collaboration far outweighs individual effort, nearly 20 theater professionals from across the country gathered at Westmont College on August 13–14 to launch the Association of Christian Theatre Schools (ACTS). Funded by a grant from the Lilly Network, the new initiative helps faith-based drama faculty grow spiritually, artistically and vocationally […]
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“Service above self” is at the core of what it means to be a firefighter. At Montecito Fire, we look to our elected Board of Directors as representatives of the community to decide policy issues and set priorities for the Fire District. Our most recent Board President, Peter van Duinwyk, has set an example of […]
Lea másHello Loves! September starts directing our attention to the upcoming holiday season. Indeed yes, summer feels long over, kiddos are back in school, and the stores are adding sections of holiday decor and gift ideas weekly. If it’s fashion you crave, Montecito is now the second home to Viva O Sol, an on-trend fashion boutique […]
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“It’s your club, not theirs, not anybody else’s, not the billionaire next door. It’s our club,” Henry Walker told the tuxedoed crowd at Birnam Wood Golf Club, setting the tone for the black-tie Pacific Coast Open Ball, celebrating the patrons who make Santa Barbara’s high-goal polo season possible. The room was dressed nearly as smartly […]
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“This town is amazing,” said Grassini Family Vineyards CEO Katie Grassini, looking around a tasting room filled with supporters raising their glasses for the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation. The gathering at Grassini’s El Paseo tasting room brought together TBCF Director Brittany Wazny, Development Director Julia George, events director Kirsten Stuart and friends of the organization […]
Lea másEditor’s note: The following letter remembers Pedro Rivera, the longtime Santa Barbara and Montecito bartender who was struck and killed by a car on Coast Village Road on August 2. My family (Cheri, Garret and Sierra) enjoyed talking with Pedro at the restaurant, Teddy’s by the Sea, every other week for the past two years! […]
Lea másTheft / Hollister Street and Lillie Avenue, Summerland —Monday, August 24, 2026, 3:26 am Two subjects were reported looking into vehicles and “casing” the area. The subjects were located and, after an investigation and a consent search of their vehicle, deputies located gloves and a crowbar. They were arrested and booked at Santa Barbara Jail. […]
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Coast Village Week is here. From September 10 through 17, the boutiques, restaurants, and galleries along Coast Village Road are running promotions, receptions and events all week long. The biggest question of the weekend, though, is whether your dog is about to become famous. Top Dog Days Photo Booth | Saturday, Noon to 3 pm […]
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The Community Environmental Council’s annual Green Gala is giving the first word of the event’s name extra emphasis for this year’s event. The 2026 fundraiser, slated for Saturday, September 19 at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, carries the theme of “Rooted in Hope,” which springs from the concept that hope has roots, and many important […]
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There is something very DC Comics about Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue. One minute Clark Kent is strolling around the Daily Planet newsroom and in the next he’s in a phonebooth frantically struggling into tights. For SBCSAR’s volunteer rescuers the tights-and-phone-booth situation has been obsoleted, but not the sudden call to arms. When someone […]
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These are our daily traffic concerns going into the roundabout, with road closures, people not letting you in, people not sharing. The road is all long lines. It seems to be heavy traffic, daily now, and with the overpass being built, what is it that local traffic can do to bypass some of this inconvenience? […]
Lea másIntoxication / Ortega Hill Road, Summerland — Sunday, August 16, 2026, 10:19 am A man was contacted outside of Sandpiper Liquor store. He displayed signs of extreme intoxication from alcohol. Multiple witnesses reported seeing him urinate in front of the store and fall into nearby bushes. He was arrested and transported to jail for being […]
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This week I interviewed Montecito Fire Department (MFD) Chief Brian Fallon, who has been leading MFD since April of this year. But first, there is a September 14, 4:30 pm, Montecito Community Meeting at Montecito Union School on the upcoming wet-weather months. Presenting are Montecito Fire, Santa Barbara County Flood Control, and Supervisor Lee’s Office. […]
Lea másAllan Gary Brostrom passed away peacefully in Santa Barbara, California, on August 3, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones, after a courageous battle with cancer. Born in Stillwater, Minnesota, to Robert and Lucille Brostrom, Allan spent his early childhood there before his family moved west. He grew up alongside his brother, Steve, in Menlo Park, […]
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Dr. Harlan Theodore “Ted” Thoreson, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, died peacefully of natural causes August 8, 2026, at Casa Dorinda in Montecito, CA, with his daughter SJ by his side. Ted was born January 25, 1931, to Evelyn and Harlan V. Thoreson in Doland, South Dakota, where he lived with his grandmother […]
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“It was close! A big battle. It’s an amazing feeling to win,” said Most Valuable Player Nachi Viana after Klentner Ranch captured the Pacific Coast Open Sunday afternoon, defeating La Karina 16–9 at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. For Jake Klentner, the victory still felt unreal. “It’s just amazing. I still can’t believe […]
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“It’s all about appreciation, sportsmanship, loving and caring for your horse,” said Mindy Denson, summing up the spirit of Saturday’s children’s tournament at the Polo Training Center. And there was plenty to love. Tiny tots, little riders, proud parents and patient ponies filled the field for an afternoon that felt less like high-goal polo and […]
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Montecito has two new temporary firefighter housing sites for use during periods of elevated fire risk and other significant weather events thanks to a strong partnership between the Montecito Fire Department and Montecito Water District. Strategically located on the east and west ends of Montecito Fire’s service area, these sites will provide enhanced public safety […]
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