To Cut or not to Cut… that is the Question! Standing with elementary school scissors in hand facing the mirror, I stopped to think: Do I start cutting now or might a storied professional be a better choice? If I’m suggesting this was the first time for that question, I’d be lying. Years of disastrous […]
Imagine looking down into a tide pool and discovering a creature that seems to have come from another universe with dozens of arms and hundreds of “feet” – a creature that moves with surprising speed across the sea floor. This resident of the diverse world beneath the waves, known as the sunflower star, is one […]
On Dean Noble’s very first day as the new executive director of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM), it was my completely coincidental good fortune to be perched on the Museum’s patio with a cup of Java from Dart Coffee and in possession of pad, pencil, and laptop. Any plans I may have had remain […]
The 41st Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) has completed yet another voyage around the sun. Under the capable baton of Executive Director Roger Durling and his talented team the festival remains dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema and attracting Oscar nominated talent worldwide. Over 100,000 attendees reveled […]
What happens when ocean mist meets mountain light? When a brush meets canvas, and local talent meets natural wonders? Where the Mountains Meet the Sea, a new exhibition of landscape paintings by 12 predominately Santa Barbara-based artists, is soon to be on view from January 22 through March 29, 2026. This absolutely ‘must see’ display, […]
What a Night! The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s halls resounded with laughter with an old-fashioned Celebrity Roast – think Dean Martin! – and a panel of friends and colleagues to celebrate Executive Director Greg Gorga’s retirement after helming the organization for 18 years. Welcomed were over 200 guests (not including crashers) who noshed on delicious […]
AHOY! Last week the sea breeze carried more than salt air and sunshine – it carried with it a celebration! On Sunday, October 12th at the Yacht Club Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse designated the 110–foot–tall schooner, Mystic Whaler, as the Official Tall Ship of Santa Barbara. Who has a replica of a seamlessly crafted […]
Imagine a miniature Jurassic Park-like adventure, an amazing world of discovery, with awesome surprises and new connections – almost as if you’d stepped into another era! Tropical Wonders, the newest exhibit at the Santa Barbara Zoo, definitely transported this California girl into the rainforests of the world! The exhibit is turning heads, opening eyes and […]
The glorious shades of Santa Barbara’s midsummer madness, the pinnacle being the traditional colors of Fiesta Week, seemed a little less bright this year. Could this have been the grey skies and minimal sunshine that dampened the landscape or … could it possibly have been the deeply felt absence of the person who embodied the […]
Santa Barbara is a city with spectacular events, exciting adventures, and a ton of surprises in between! The highlight of the season is Old Spanish Days with its confetti-ladened Fiesta celebrations, although the summer months are packed with fun stuff everywhere! One of my favorites is the Hawaiian Cruise aboard the Condor Express. The whale […]
Viva la Fiesta, Everyone! Brightly colored ruffles rim the hem of the traditional Spanish dress, fluttering fans and colorful confetti stirs the air to the strum of guitars, clicking castanets, and high heeled shoes. An entire city in excited preparation is a reminder that at month’s end Old Spanish Days will host Fiesta Week in […]
The subject of this column and my delight and admiration for the organization are both the same: AHA! Exactly the kind of nonprofit organization needed in our community to foster the creative arts in young people in an era of lightning speed technology! AHA! is designed to promote self-awareness and creative expression through a variety […]
On a sunny Spring Friday afternoon, the Santa Barbara community gathered to celebrate a powerful moment in maritime history – the unveiling of the Deepwater Diving Monument located at the entrance of the harbor. The 10-foot bronze statue of a diver is a tribute to the pioneering commercial divers whose innovations helped shape the modern […]
A Whale of a Weekend celebrating the first anniversary of the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area (SBCWHA), a nonprofit organization, was launched the evening of Friday, November 22nd, at the luxurious Ritz Carlton Bacara. The jubilee was a joyous event in honor of the magnificent whales that grace our local waters and to celebrate […]
The Labor Day holiday, now in the history books, allegedly ended our summer and its many activities. Other than a couple of notations in our 2024 calendar, it appears that no one else in Santa Barbara has gotten the memo! Activities and events continue unabated all over town, especially at the harbor! The Santa Barbara […]
It’s Fiesta time again in Santa Barbara! Old Spanish Days is celebrating its 100th year – a Century of tradition! – embraced in a rainbow of colors, sights, and sounds. Brightly colored ruffles rim necklines and hems of the traditional Spanish dress, fluttering fans, the strum of guitars and clicking castanets are all reminders that […]
On the chilly, overcast afternoon of Thursday, May 15th the atmosphere on the patio of the historic building that houses the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) reflected the warmth of a sunny summer day. The crowd outside the building were present to applaud the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce official ribbon cutting ceremony for a […]
In keeping with the celebration of March 2024 as Women’s History Month (spoiler alert!) this column is going to contain some seriously shameless bragging! At the close of this month I’d like to send the memo that, both in a professional capacity and as volunteers, every month of any year Santa Barbara women make huge […]
There is something very exciting happening at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum! Of course, there are always exciting things going on at SBMM, however this is something very special to be enjoyed (and loved!) by the entire family. Having opened on Wednesday, February 8th, the Maritime Museum’s new exhibit, ICE BEAR, puts on display a […]
Hello Santa Barbara! There’s a new charity in town. Organizations devoted to charitable endeavors are the beating heart of our generous community, but this foundation brings something very special into the mix. Officially designated as the Central Coast Ocean Adventure Foundation (CCOAF) its main venue is a 110-foot-tall ship called the Mystic Whaler, areplica of […]
On the first weekend after Labor Day, the Santa Barbara Yacht Club (SBYC) members gathered for the 19th year to raise funds in support of VNA Health’s mission of caring with compassion. The Charity Regatta took place on Saturday, September 9, 2023, celebrating both VNA’s 121st year history of compassionate caring as well as the […]
Brightly-colored ruffles rim the hem of traditional Spanish dress, fluttering fans stir the air, the strum of guitars, clicking castanets, and high-heeled shoes are all reminders that August has been a special time in Santa Barbara with the celebration of Old Spanish Days! Music, dance, and vaquero traditions have had their day with the Fiesta […]
The Santa Barbara Yacht Club (SBYC) has a beloved, fun-filled tradition of racing boats and raising funds through its annual Charity Regatta, this year on Saturday, September 9 from 11:30 am until 7 pm. The event is in support of the community care programs and services of VNA Health. The annual Charity Regatta, hosted by […]
After a week of sizzling hot weather followed by the remains of tropical storm Kay complete with Florida-style humidity, the Santa Barbara Yacht Club (SBYC) community gathered to raise funds in support of VNA Health’s mission of caring with compassion. The 18th Annual Charity Regatta took place on Saturday, September 10, 2022, celebrating both VNA’s […]
On a recent Santa Barbara spring morning, with early clouds with a chill in the air, Dr. Deborah Smilovitz Foster and I sat down together at Pierre Lafond in Montecito. The red umbrellas were up in anticipation of the sun’s appearance as we sipped our tea and chatted. It soon became apparent that I was […]
One of the gems presented in the short film program of the 2022 Santa Barbara International Film Festival was a 13-minute beautifully shot piece titled Kissy and the Shark helmed by writer/director Lola Blanche. In its brief running time, the film covers a myriad of topics that include nuanced views of interpersonal relationships, humanity’s deep […]
The iconic multilevel campus of the historic Santa Barbara High School was my destination to meet James Claffey, English teacher extraordinaire. An instructor at the Visual Arts and Design Academy (VADA) division of the school he was highly recommended by a most reliable source: one of his students! In an attempt to make a timely […]
It’s autumn in Santa Barbara and the landscape is painted with a golden glow as falling sycamore leaves carpet the ground. Halloween is just around the corner. And, at long last our kids are settled back in school and ready to celebrate the season. During these uncertain times, “back in school” has become an event […]
What more can I possibly say about the nationally and internationally lauded Cate School located in the hills above Carpinteria overlooking the ocean? So much has already been written about this excellent 9th through 12th grade co-educational college preparatory school that offers a rigorous academic yet broad-based curriculum and an all-embracing student life. Cate’s diverse […]
I have been writing this column for years and I wonder how I could have missed a visit to the Howard School, the oldest operating private school in Santa Barbara. Once located on San Ysidro Road in Montecito, the 1934 designed campus, now the Laguna Blanca Lower School, is a community landmark. On a crisp […]
On a pleasantly balmy Tuesday afternoon, somewhere between the way too cold or searing desert heat of our current weather, I had the opportunity to spend some socially distant, in-person, fully masked time with Montecito Union School’s reading specialist, Lynne Olerich. Our conversation included her tenure at Montecito Union, her journey from Rutherford, New Jersey […]
As my fingers tap the keyboard I’m reminded of an observation about coping in the world of the new normal: “Somehow it feels like we’re building the airplane while it’s in the air.” How true that is, not only now but possibly for the foreseeable future. Santa Barbara’s Fiesta parade, as an example, reimagined and […]
Entering the campus of All Saints-by-the-Sea Parish School was actually a homecoming of sorts for a variety of reasons, the most recent being that our granddaughter, now 10 and a big fifth grader, attended the Parish School as a toddler. Not that long ago she could be seen hopping around the playground laughing, playing, and […]
Containing myself from shameless bragging about the outstanding schools in our community is something that is extremely difficult to do! I’ve had the good fortune to visit quite a few of them over the last few years – from preschool to high school – and there’s never been a moment where I haven’t been impressed, […]
On a beautiful fall day, after the lazy days of summer had passed and schools were back in session, I made my way to the Marymount campus situated above the city. The winding roads of Santa Barbara’s Riviera community, the views of the ocean and the Channel Islands in the far distance, was a precursor […]
On a beautiful sunny Saturday, Suzy Dobreski and I met on the deck of the Santa Barbara Yacht Club. It was one of those “see-forever” days, and as she was kind enough to spend a few hours of her weekend with me, we decided a location with an ocean view might be the ideal place. […]
On a recent sunny day, I stopped by Crane Country Day School for a visit. It was one of those special days when the entire school was out on the quad being served a potpourri of luncheon delights. Food stands, tended by kids and parent-volunteers, burgeoned with a huge variety of offerings: everything from salads, […]
The 2018 holiday season is finally upon us and preparations are now being made for the arrival of Santa Claus and the gifts of love and laughter he leaves behind. If Santa has his magic iPhone plugged in at the North Pole, what very special transmission might he be hearing from Santa Barbara? If you […]
Outside Wendy Foster‘s signature store in Montecito’s upper village, the tables were completely occupied, but I was lucky enough to find a spot under a tree dressed in the colors of the fall season. From my perch, I could appreciate the park’s green lawn, the tables nearby under which a few furry friends had made […]
An open garden gate and lively chatter from inside the house greeted me as I made my way across the lawn to the Montecito home of Cate and Matt Stoll. Hostess Cate welcomed me and we entered the garden, where overhead lanterns glittered and tables surrounded the pool for the evening’s 160 dinner guests. A […]