To Our Santa Barbara Family, These past several weeks have taught us all so much more than we may have wanted to know. It has scared us, challenged us, made us much more conscious of our presence in each other’s lives and engendered a spirit of common resolve. At Jeannine’s, we have realized anew, over […]
Nice Surprise Home delivery?! Now, the calm and comfort we feel from living in a small and caring community is complete. What a surprise to find the MJ in the driveway this morning along with the Times and WSJ. From a distance, I assumed we’d received some junk publication, but instead I found our more-valuable-than-ever […]
1stUntitledby Marc Cronin mea culpa… when we booked this trip i should have mentioned the tickets were one way (non-refundable of course) and the destination was astray. retracing the steps of so many who’ve journeyed before us, then retracing our own steps as well, we created a circle. it became vicious. all adventures begin with […]
Some credit to Émile Durkheim, the pioneering French Sociologist, with originating the concept of social solidarity which he defined as the “the interdependence between individuals and across groups.” In fact, the description served for Durkheim as a synonym for the normal healthy state of society, what holds society together, an essential tool for combating infectious […]
At Home in the Age of Corona, March 19, 2020 I am looking out my window at a grey and dripping sky, reflecting upon our new reality. Like millions of people everywhere in the world, I am at home. I am lucky to be in a nice warm house, and to have my wife and […]
The Future of Santa Barbara Your Editorial and article “The Long now of Santa Barbara” (March 5, 2020) provide a great service to our community. You’ve touched on all the hot-button issues that will determine how we grow and adapt to a changing world: density, cars, parking, building height, views, retail, community. I loved the […]
Enough with the platitudes and generic news. I, for one, would love to see this paper get back to its roots – LOCAL NEWS. How about an issue that affects all of us? People thoughtlessly leaving their dog’s business everywhere but where it belongs – in a BAG in YOUR trashcan. I cannot believe the […]
Not Sorry Thank you for your questions and observations regarding the power of apology in the February 20-27 editorial. Among other things, the editorial points to a number of principles of concern, the value of the press and ethics and honesty in politics. After the next election these issues will persist. We count on the […]
Passion and Competence When Das Williams was on the Santa Barbara City Council, I was the wife of a Councilmember, Grant House. Since then Das has been both my State Assembly member and my County Supervisor. I got to know him when he served on the Council, and have seen him grow since. Das was […]
Endorsement Clarification As the Chair of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party, I would like to respond to the recent editorial which portrays the timing of the Party’s endorsement as unfair. All our endorsement deadlines are listed on our webpage in advance, so individuals interested in being endorsed have ample time to apply. I am […]
Water to the Wealthy Last Monday, I attended the Montecito Journal hosted debate between Sup. Das Williams and his opponent Laura Capps, president of the SB School Board. During the debate, I became aware how Montecito struggles to obtain sufficient water. I was not aware that over 80% of Montecito water comes from out of […]
Inaugural Event a Success Congratulations to the Montecito Journal on a very successful and well attended 1st District Supervisor Debate. The evening was informative, professional, well organized, and even had some humor sprinkled in. Although free to those of us in the audience, I’m confident that even with the support from the Montecito Association, the […]
Puppy Love I want to clarify any confusion the “Lutah” article may have generated by confirming that my dear border collie siblings, Alamo, Creek and Ranch, who were named after the ranch I own, no longer live with me. It is true that I have been denied all access to the babies that I raised […]
Cover Story Correction I have to respond to the cover story of January 2, 2020, “LUTAH WHO?” Better fact-checking would have revealed that I purchased Los Suenos in 2003 and I continue to own Los Suenos with my wife, Susan, and we live there with our Border Collies Alamo, Creek, and Ranch. I found out […]
Enough is Enough Conversation following Mt. Carmel’s school Christmas program, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Carpinteria, should have been about the adorable children and plans for the holidays. Instead, it instantly moved to concern about the near contact-high adults and children alike were experiencing that night in the Church. The odor of cannabis in […]
Our Banana Republic County Last month another article appeared in the WSJ about our Cannabis County. Unfortunately, every national story, and there have been many, is like a drip that slowly corrodes our historic brand. This story contained familiar themes: the odor, values, and the reality that cannabis tax revenues continue to underwhelm. What was […]
A Campaign Query Why have so many of us suddenly and recently received political campaign solicitations from Das Williams, when we haven’t heard from him in years? And why are people who didn’t sign up to get official County updates from him now suddenly receiving them? Is he co-mingling his official e-mail lists with his […]
An Incumbent Issue Why have so many of us suddenly and recently received political campaign solicitations from Das Williams? And why are people who didn’t sign up to get official county updates from him now suddenly receiving them? Is he co-mingling his official taxpayer funded work with his campaign? It appears so. When one signs […]
For Your Consideration Bravo on taking the helm at our community’s news hub. I’m excited to see how you balance old and new, and already am encouraged by your first editorial in which you present just one change – no longer publishing anonymous letters. This must be top priority for you to lead with it! […]
(If you have something you think Montecito should know about, or wish to respond to something you read in the Journal, we want to hear from you. Please send all such correspondence to: Montecito Journal, Letters to the Editor, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Montecito, CA 93108, FAX it to us at 805-969-6654 or via e-mail […]
No Risk, No Return, No Electricity In my nearly 30 years of serving as a local government watchdog, I would be hard pressed to recall a more foolish proposition than that which is known as community choice energy (CCE). CCE is a scheme by which local government entities assume responsibility to purchase electrical energy supplies […]
Our beloved father, brother, husband, and friend stepped into the arms of Jesus on Sunday, November 3. He fought a mighty battle but succumbed to cancer within five months of his diagnosis with his children and two brothers by his side. As usual, his attitude was one of bravery and acceptance, stating he had no […]
Firsts and Second My students, Alessandra Robles took first prize, and Dulce Perez (not present for the award) second prize for our school (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) at this year’s Beautification Day art exhibit. We are very grateful to participate in this annual event which is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our school artists […]
Unchained and Untamed Thank you for running “The Nation-State Solution” (Letters to the Editor, MJ # 25/42) though “The Nation-State Problem” would probably been more fitting. I appreciated Bob Hazard‘s expose (“The Public Pension Problem,” MJ # 25/41) of CA and SB (as reported by 4th District Supervisor Peter Adam), fiscal problems attributed to retirement […]
Twisting The Truth Mr. Buckley’s response to Glenn Griffith’s letter in the June 6-13 Journal, is yet another example of twisting the facts to suit one editor’s politics. Robert Mueller’s report did not indict the president, nor did it exonerate him. Rather, the report lays out a roadmap of Mr. Trump’s activities for Congress to […]
“Problem Solvers” Do It Again We had it all: the beautiful ocean along our coast, the great weather, the clean land and the beautiful new and growing economy. We could walk to school, to the store by ourselves and never thought anything would go wrong. We had new shopping centers and movie theatres that sparkled. […]
In Defense of New Sanitary District Building The need for staff showers at the Montecito Sanitary District wastewater treatment plant should be obvious. Staff are working with pathogen-loaded water that also contains antibiotic resistant microbes and their genes. This is biologically loaded pathogenic material (liquid and solids) capable of transferring pathogens to staff, their homes, […]
Bob Hazard has again “hit the nail…” with his “What’s Up in the Sewer System” expose (Guest Editorial MJ # 25/38). How can we ascertain who appointed “those three” Sanitary Board members and change the system to all five elected in the future? No one in Santa Barbara media is performing investigative journalism like Mr. […]
Sue Happy Supervisors The old saying, “What goes around, comes around,” should be the new County motto! That is, our County Board of Supervisors (BOS) has done virtually nothing to prevent forest fires by way of reducing fuel loads or creating adequate buffers between the urban and wildland interface. Moreover, they have not maximized the […]
“Highway” 192’s Two-Year Closure You absolutely buried your cover story (“Village Beat” MJ # 25/36 in a response on page 26 “Two Bridges Too Far”) about the bridge on Highway 192… the biggest problem facing all of us living to the west of it. It’s all we neighbors talk about here on Chelham Way. We […]
John McCann, loving husband, father and grandfather, peacefully passed away on Monday, September 16 from a brief respiratory illness compounded by pulmonary fibrosis. John was born at Fort Meade, Maryland on June 28, 1942 to Peg and Jack McCann, two of the best parents for whom a boy could ask. He was the oldest of […]
Understanding Tragedy As our hearts grieve the loss of our beloveds in the Channel Island boating accident, we search from a deep place within our soul to find a way to process such a tragedy. Every day I look out to the Channel Islands from my home in Montecito. So many times my children and […]
John Dean Caldwell, respected defense analyst and noted national security scholar died unexpectedly following surgery to correct a previously undiagnosed ulcer in Torrance, California. He was born in Pittsburgh, PA on November 14, 1940 to Dr. David Caldwell, a thoracic surgeon and his wife Jean. In 1945 the family relocated to Santa Barbara where Dr. […]
Going Around That intersection at Coast Village-Olive Mill-North Jameson looks so good, but the intersection just requires manners to navigate. And the collision stats are not at all negative. If the southbound entrance to the 101 near Cabrillo Blvd. was never blocked in the first place (and will be for many more years), the traffic […]
No Fly Zones With recent helicopter traffic that has increased in our neighborhood over the last few years, the application for a private helicopter pad by Pat Nesbitt will open the door and set a precedent for more. If granted, the impact will compromise the integrity of our communities, disrupt our environment, safety, privacy, wildlife, […]
Running for Congress I have been called upon by dozens of leaders throughout the Central Coast who believe we need and deserve better representation in the halls of Congress than currently is the case. Whereas, I have never had any personal political ambitions, I am, nevertheless, going to answer that call. That is because, just […]
The Smell of Excess Bob Hazard in his recent column (“Election Intrigue in Montecito,” MJ # 25/29) described me as “a noted investigative reporter [and] an anti-cannabis crusader,” which is not exactly the case. Like the majority of those in Santa Barbara County, I voted for Prop 64 (and, in my case even Das Williams). […]
Scary Stats Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation circulating on the web and social media on political and scientific issues, and few people take the time to fact-check statements that contradict common sense or consensus science. In a recent letter to Montecito Journal, using sign removals and research conducted by a PhD in Sociology, […]
By the Numbers Congress declining to deal with border issues has permitted an “estimated” 11 million illegal immigrants into California. Trying to solve California’s shortages for funding for housing, education, road and bridges repairs and medical care will be like trying to fill a bottomless pit unless, and until, the ultimate number of people using […]
East Valley Road to Perdition I am astonished to be writing again about the Ennisbrook Owner’s Association and their unwillingness to fulfill their responsibilities to us as members and residents. Ennisbrook owns our entire road. It starts at East Valley Road, and continues past ten properties and the four Ennisbrook members are the last four […]