Tag archives: Anthony Ranii

Last week Montecito Union School, in conjunction with the MUS Foundation, hosted its first ever “Grandfriends” Day, an opportunity for MUS students to show off their school to their grandparents or other friends or family members. “We wanted the event to be completely inclusive, so we did not limit it to only grandparents, as many […]

Montecito Union School students headed back to class this week, arriving to a campus that underwent several updates over the summer. MUS superintendent Dr. Anthony Ranii sat down with us earlier this week to talk about campus upgrades, enrollment numbers, and what’s new for the 2019/20 school year.  The day after school let out for […]

At this month’s Montecito Association monthly board meeting, SB County Water Resources Deputy Director Tom Fayram reported on Montecito’s debris basins following the strong storms over the last several weeks. “We’ve been going full throttle since January,” Fayram said, adding that hundreds of trucks have been in Montecito clearing debris basins, sometimes 24 hours a […]

Last Wednesday, January 9, on the one-year anniversary of the 1/9 debris flow that devastated our community in 2018, nearly 1,500 residents turned out to mark the occasion with a gathering in Lower Manning Park followed by a candlelit walk down San Ysidro Road, culminating at All Saints-by-the-Sea Church.  As community members began gathering in […]

Next Wednesday, January 16, the Partnership for Resilient Communities and Montecito Union School’s superintendent Anthony Ranii will host an informational community meeting to discuss realistic opportunities to mitigate future debris flows.  In late December, the Partnership received emergency permits to proceed with the installation of 11 debris flow control nets in San Ysidro, Buena Vista, […]

After eight years of service, Montecito Union School Board president Gwyn Lurie opened her final board meeting on Tuesday, December 11. “It’s been a privilege to serve this school and this community, but now it’s time to let other capable people lead,” Lurie told us during an interview last week.  Lurie joined the school board in the […]

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 […]

Also at the Montecito Association Board meeting, Montecito Union School superintendent Dr. Anthony Ranii announced that he is recommending to the MUS Board of Trustees that necessary facilities improvem vhu7yents needed on campus be done with in-house funds instead of a tax bond, with November marking four years since the failure of Measure Q, the […]

At this month’s Montecito Association (MA) Board meeting, board members thanked the co-chairs of the Village Fourth festivities for one of the best turnouts in event history. “Every year I say, ‘This is the best year yet,’ but this time I really mean it,” said board president Charlene Nagel. Mindy Denson, Trish Davis, and Kathi […]

At this month’s Montecito Association (MA) Board meeting, Coast Village Association president Bob Ludwick addressed board members to give an update on the CVA’s initiatives and mission. Representing about 125 businesses, 85 of which are retail or restaurants, as well as nearby residents, the CVA has three active committees, including Beautification, Events & Promotion, and […]

(The following was sent to us from MUS board member Gwyn Lurie.) This is a picture of the fifth-grade children from Montecito Union School on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. The students went on their colonial trip last week and also visited Jamestown, and Williamsburg, Virginia, and Philadelphia.  This trip has […]

On Monday, April 9, Cold Spring School and Montecito Union School campuses were both placed on lockdown for a short time after both schools’ superintendents received an email that threatened students’ safety. It was quickly determined that the email was a hoax, and it had been received by several school districts throughout the state including […]

At this month’s Montecito Association (MA) Board meeting, Montecito Union School superintendent Dr. Anthony Ranii gave thanks to the community for the support the school has received following the January 9 debris flow. Earlier this week, the school held a special event, “A Night of Heroes”, to personally thank the people and groups who helped […]

On March 5, the Montecito Union School Board voted to move forward with expenditure reductions to help mitigate the reduction in revenue expected from the Montecito mudslides. The exact decrease is not yet known, but it could be as high as 13 percent next school year.  Superintendent Dr. Anthony Ranii recommended three categories of reductions […]

The last couple of months have been, well, to put it mildly, a massive challenge. As a result of the Thomas Fire, some of us have been impacted by loss, many others by smoke inhalation or voluntary and mandatory evacuations, along with ensuing respiratory issues. Then, within a few days, tragedy struck again with the […]

At this month’s Montecito Association meeting on February 13, the board began by holding the 70th annual assembly to install new board members a month later than originally planned. Members of the board, as well as a standing-room-only audience, held a moment of silence for the members of our community who perished in the January […]

During a special meeting last week, Montecito Union’s school board discussed several important issues at length, all related to the recent mudslide and its effect on the school’s finances, enrollment, and facility updates.  Unlike 95% of elementary schools in California, MUS is a basic aid funded school, meaning that its revenues come from District property […]

Several Montecito schools – Montecito Union, Cold Spring, Crane, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Laguna Blanca, All Saints-by-the-Sea – have resumed classes at various locations. “Getting the students back in school and on a regular schedule is a top priority, and MUS administration and staff have been working around the clock to bring this about,” […]

As another year passes, we reflect on notable events in the Montecito community. From California’s largest wildfire, progress on development and new businesses, school happenings, retirements, and more, 2017 was a busy year in Montecito. While far from all-inclusive, here is a snapshot of our community’s happenings in 2017.  Thomas Fire   Without a doubt, […]