Author spotlight: Joanne Calitri

I was invited to attend the May 6th opening of the Helena Mason Art Gallery. The address – 48 Helena Avenue – brought me back to a 2005 world where, in that exact location, magic happened by underground artists and scientists, who spun their current creations late on Wednesday nights. If you know… you know. […]

Spring has sprung, bringing with it the revival of our town’s neighborhood block parties. Recent Montecito town gatherings were the Holiday Tree decorating on San Ysidro Lane in December, and the last block party in April 2019 before the lockdowns. Both events were spawned by members from the Montecito Association, whose love of our town […]

John Cleese Presents “An Evening of Exceptional Silliness” on May 25 at the Granada Theatre. John Cleese has revealed his upcoming tour stop in Santa Barbara, May 25, at the Granada Theatre. In our exclusive interview, he gives an affectionate nod to Montecito, his former home for himself and his daughter Camilla, along with a […]

As the third female and a second-generation Santa Barbara Yacht Club (SBYC) Commodore, Andra Escola led the club renovations that started last year and were completed this April for its 150th anniversary. Escola held the position in 2021, following Joanne Gordon (2015) and Francie Lufkin (2013), the only females of the 149 commodores in the […]

Bobbi McGinnis is the current Chair of the Santa Barbara County GOP committee, a position she has had since 2019, after being its secretary and committee member since 2013.  She is a first-generation U.S. born citizen. Her parents moved to the U.S. from England in 1949, choosing Santa Barbara as their new home, with her […]

April 2 is the opening of an exhibit titled Paradise Revisited, by artist Sandy Ostrau, at the Thomas Reynolds Gallery on State Street downtown Santa Barbara. Ostrau, an abstract artist of 40 years and exhibiting for 15 years, graduated UCSB in 1982 with a Liberal Studies Degree comprised of art history, sociology, and economics. She […]

The latest business addition soon to open in Summerland is the newly remodeled former gas station, now called The Point Market and Fuel Depot, located at 2285 Lillie Avenue. The property owner, Sharon Kussman, is the successor Trustee of the Rose T. Robertson Revocable Trust (property owner since May 1988).Its new business owner is John […]

Fusing hard rock with their own edge, the LOC DAWGS band is tearing up venues from Santa Barbara-Goleta south through Anaheim, due to play at the vintage club, The Mint,in Los Angeles in March.  The group was birthed by multi-instrumentalist songwriter Christian Pelonis (Stolen Thunder and the Shaun Cassidy Band), who wrote, played, and recorded […]

Every picture tells a story. On February 11, while researching a Black History Month story to report on, I had a phone meeting with the new Montecito Journal (MJ) Managing Editor Zach Rosen. That same day, Dr. Joseph Pineda DPM dropped off a photograph he had on his office wall to the MJ. Rosen said, […]

“Black History is World History” We read and hear this, but are we listening? Are we showing up to support the Black/African community we share this town with, to learn and heal, to ensure they feel safe and free to be who they are to live and thrive here? To begin our important work in […]

The rampant increase in social media influencers on health and fitness since the pandemic added to the plethora of data on exercise, diets, supplements, herbs, CBD, teas, juicing, protein drinks, meditation, breathwork, and mental health. Suddenly everyone is an expert on getting outside, adding Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and zinc to our diets, and how […]

Famed photographer and guru to students of the craft, Ansel Adams, is being celebrated at the Wildling Museum of Art & Nature in Solvang with an exhibit curated and hand printed by his former assistant and Master Photographer, Alan Ross, who, for the first time is showing his photographs side by side with Ansel’s at […]

Our beloved annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held on Saturday, January 1, with over 200 volunteers ringing in New Year’s Day by counting our area’s birds for the Santa Barbara Audubon’s submission to the National Audubon data bank. Although it was a sunny and normal cold temperature for the count, the head birders shared […]

One can hear it in the streets from Atlanta to L.A.: We miss NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants’ annual event held every January in Anaheim.  Fret not guitar freaks, Lugwig lovers, jamming DJs, audiophiles, technos, and recording rascals, for Shure due to an abundance of caution,the NAMM show moved to June 2022, with […]

To start 2022 off strong in the local art world, renowned painter Stephen Holland, at 80 years young, is exhibiting his latest works in a show titled “Longneck Circus,” at the Silo118 Gallery in the Funk Zone in Santa Barbara.  The new art is a breakout session for Holland, who spent his career painting commissioned […]

On January 8, more than 80 town residents of all ages came to volunteer to provide a much-needed loving hand to Ramiro ‘Beto’ Arroyo, Santa Barbara Parks & Recreation supervisor, and his team, along with Master Rosarian Dan Bifano and the Santa Barbara Rose Society President Bud Jones and wife, Kay, to do the annual […]

Luca James Rintoul rang in the New Year with his parents at exactly 12 am on January 1, weighing in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces and 20 inches long, and is the first child of Cortney Hebert-Rintoul and Joel Rintoul. He was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with both his dad and grandmother, Sandie, […]

One of our most renowned musical residents, Alan Parsons, held a star-studded fundraiser at the Alcazar Theatre Carpinteria on his birthday on December 20, to raise funds for the nonprofit venue in lieu of gifts.  The event, produced by Mike Lazaro, of Lazaro Event Management and founding board member of the Alcazar Theatre, started with […]

Here is a look at four more holiday concerts that provided plenty of holiday cheer as we inch toward the new year: Crane Country Day School The school had a wonderful evening outdoor concert planned for Thursday, December 16 for families only, but as the much-needed rain continued that day, the school made the tough […]

‘Tis the season to celebrate the plethora of annual holiday concerts at schools around Montecito, with many restricted in-person events held outside due to ongoing concerns over COVID-19. Here is Part I of our roundup from Santa and me: Cate School Cate School’s motto is “Servons” (we serve), which is noted in its holiday tradition […]

The annual beloved boat parade was back in the harbor for live viewing with social distancing and masks along Cabrillo Boulevard and Stearns Wharf. The theme for this year’s parade was “Magic Under the Moonlight.” A double-bell salute rang out to City of Santa Barbara’s Christopher Bell, the Waterfront Department’s administrative analyst and public information […]

More than 150 guests arrived at The Well in Summerland on December 1 to view owner Shane Brown’s first art exhibition at the venue, co-curated by Ashley Woods Hollister and Tedde Minogue, who chose the work of photographer Michael Haber. The exhibition features nine black-and-white large-scale framed photographs of the collaboration of Haber and his […]

With the theme “Holiday Magic,” it was indeed a magical evening for the 1st Annual Montecito Holiday Car Parade. Huge nod to the co-chairs Sharon Byrne, Mindy Denson, and Dana Newquist, along with their committee members, for a most upbeat treat for our town and its annual visitors.  Kids from 1 to 92 lined the […]

The St. Vincent’s Santa Barbara 12th Annual Fashion Show and Luncheon fundraiser on November 27 is a story of firsts for the organization. This event, which began more than 10 years ago on humble grounds at the organization, and then at Bishop Diego High School, was held at the Rosewood Miramar Beach Montecito, who donated […]

The hot film news of the week is our own super talented actor-writer Michael DeVorzon in his latest role as Smith opposite Bruce Willis as Ron Whitlock, in Jared Cohn’s new action thriller Deadlock, which opens in theaters, on digital, and On Demand on December 3, 2021. DeVorzon and I talked Monday this week about […]

Richie’s Barber Shop on Coast Village Road is having its 10th Annual Holiday Donation Drive, this year for Domestic Violence Solutions (DVS) Santa Barbara, with the theme, “The Limit Does Not Exist.” Shop event lead and barber Jessica Jay is coordinating with DVS Executive Director Jan Campbell to ensure the donated items will work for […]

SCORE International (Southern California Off Road Enthusiasts) is the sanctioning body for desert racing, featuring four Baja races annually, most noted is the Baja 1000, slated for November 18, 2021. More than 300 registered Pro and Sportsman class racers of all ages worldwide participate with cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles, and quads.  Our town’s top racers […]

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s happily returned to Santa Barbara on November 6, following a two-year hiatus. A total of 551 registered participants and 79 teams met in Chase Palm Park for the 3.1-mile loop around Cabrillo Boulevard or met in their neighborhoods around the county.  Walkers sported a purple t-shirt and carried a flower […]

The annual Ghost Village Road was more than packed, with trick-or-treaters starting early at 2:30 pm and parents happily leading in full-on costumes themselves. It was the perfect pairing of gloomy overcast skies and lots of goodies from the generous shops and restaurants from the Montecito Country Mart down Coast Village Road. The kids wore […]

Science and quantum physics-based author, speaker, and consultant Pam Oslie is a professional psychic intuitive and aura expert. She has been a guest lecturer at TEDx American Riviera, the International Forum on New Science, Fortune 500 companies, and at seminars for professionals in the psychology, education, and health fields. Her TV guest appearances include ABC, […]

Rod Rolle’s commissioned works in a public exhibit entitled “Spirit of Community” at the Santa Barbara County Administration Building Garden Atrium opened on October 15. Rolle is a professional news and public relations photographer with SIPA USA and jazz drummer in his band, The Stiff Pickle Orchestra. This exhibit is commissioned by Sarah York Rubin, […]

On October 9, Rod Lathim and Chris Gocong premiered their collab art — large-scale abstract acrylics on canvas with neon light accents — at Commen Unity, a new Funk Zone barbershop and art gallery owned by Isaac Gonzalez.  Lathim, no stranger to our town for his prolific work to establish live theater as the founding […]

“Finding Light” is an eclectic exhibition featuring artworks by 60 artists from the Ojai Studio Artists (OSA) collective, now on view through October 11 at the Ojai Valley Museum (OVM). The theme of the exhibit was directed by OSA Exhibition chair and artist Richard Amend, based on Amanda Gorman’s 2021 Inaugural poem, “The Hill We […]

It’s open – and it’s beautiful. On Monday, September 27, there was a ribbon cutting and VIP guest reception for the new 5,500-square-foot Center for Science and Innovation at Laguna Blanca School’s Hope Ranch campus, which houses the Nakamura STEM Research and Innovation Lab, the updated Jackson Physics Labs, the Mosher Foundation Outdoor classroom, Gainey […]

Attention all stargazing scientists and students, sharpen your galactic pencils to apply for the first equity grant in astrophysics to work with the Rubin Observatory’s LSST (Legacy Survey of Space and Time) Project newly constructed 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey 3-mirror telescope and 3-billion-pixel solid state detector digital camera. The camera records time-evolution 6-color images for both […]

A month into his position as the Los Padres National Forest (LPNF) Santa Barbara District Ranger, Daryl Hodges is now dealing with the statewide Los Padres National Forest closure due to fire prevention and mitigation, with support directed to the Caldor Fire. That, along with decreased staffing and his entire budget focused on fire prevention, […]

On August 28 and 29, the UCSB Department of Music is presenting its annual Summer Music Festival, focusing on cross-cultural world music, “Under One Sky.” The concert is under the artistic direction of graduate student Alie Jones, her first at UCSB. The concert is free and open to everyone via the Department of Music’s YouTube […]

Joey Castanon, the Santa Barbara Bristol Farms store director,and his team are celebrating their one-year anniversary on August 21. With a last-minute pivot to adhere to the updated mask protocols, they are proceeding with in-store special events and freebies, like having their chef make your guacamole order with ingredients you select, 40% off meats from […]

Fourth-generation Californian and Santa Barbara native Ben Sprague has been the CEO of the Earl Warren Showgrounds (EWS) State of California 19th District Agricultural Association since January 2019, appointed by its nine-person, all-volunteer board of directors. His mission is to bring the EWS to financial stability, modernize the facilities, increase community awareness and support, and […]