Tag archives: bears

A Bear’s Gift of Food
By Montecito Journal   |   December 27, 2022

Carlos, The Bear, was snug and cozy, reclining in his lazy bear chair perusing the internet, when a memory bubbled up under his holiday cap. He remembered as a very young cub, his mother would take him to Romero creek near their den, in Rancho San Carlos, in hopes of catching some steelhead trout, that […]

Appealing Santa Claus Cannabis
By Montecito Journal   |   November 1, 2022

I will not be able to attend the Santa Claus cannabis retail store appeal hearing on November 1, 2022, however I would like to convey my opposition to its approval and impending existence in this message.  Three things you should know about me before I address my reasons for concern: My family has lived, worked, […]

Politics and Morality Supreme Court Style
By Montecito Journal   |   July 5, 2022

One of the most disturbing aspects of the Dobbs opinion by the majority of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices is the certainty that further assaults on our basic freedoms are coming. Not only on women’s reproductive rights, protected since 1973 under Roe v. Wade, but privileges and liberties Americans have long enjoyed, and encompassed in […]

Black Bear Cub Orphaned by Hit-and-Run Crash
By Jeff Miller   |   May 24, 2022

Time may be running out for an orphaned black bear cub on the loose here after its mother was killed in a hit-and-run crash Friday night.  It happened on East Valley Road near the intersection with Ladera Lane. At about 8:30 pm on Friday the 13th, a nearby resident heard screeching tires, a thump, and […]

Clarification and Public Input Needed Over Riven Rock Parking Problem
By Montecito Journal   |   June 17, 2021

The public’s right to use and enjoy Los Padres National Park and a number of its trails has little meaning when the public has no practical means of accessing Hot Springs Trail and others. Conflicts arise between private landowners and the general public who wish to enjoy wilderness areas that are not accessible without parking […]

Care for Bear!
By Montecito Journal   |   May 20, 2021

After receiving his second shot of Pfizer COVID vaccine, Carlos the Bear was relaxing in his den reading the Montecito Association’s most current email blast. He was eating some tasty takeaway from Pane e Vino and saw that a Town Hall Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 19 at 5:30 pm, regarding his troublesome […]

The Bear is Back. Time for Montecito to Get Serious About Co-Existence — or Euthanasia.
By Sharon Byrne   |   May 20, 2021

Our autumn bear has made a roaring spring appearance. Sheriffs saw him on Romero Canyon Road at the end of April. Neighbors reported the bear hit chicken coops in the Oak Grove area at the beginning of May, where he also dined on guinea pigs. He hit our board member Penny Bianchi’s place at East […]

Letters to the Editor
By Montecito Journal   |   November 26, 2020

Bear Necessities Carlos here! Since I have good Wi-Fi here in my den, I was able to watch the Town Hall meeting a few weeks ago about me. I was grateful for a large attendance of twenty-something people who logged in to learn, listen, and let their thoughts be known about my presence. Fish and […]

Smarting the Average Bear
By Sharon Byrne   |   November 19, 2020

We learned that “Carlos the Bear,” as he’s been nicknamed by locals, has ranged from the San Carlos Ranch and Romero Canyon area through Ennisbrook trail down to Jameson. He’s looking for food, during hyperphagia, when bears try to put on weight for the winter. This behavior is expected to calm with cooler weather as […]

Election Season Haunts: Santa Barbara Area School Reopening Politics
By Nick Schou   |   November 5, 2020

On Tuesday, October 20, a few dozen teenagers held a protest outside the Santa Barbara Unified School District’s headquarters on Santa Barbara Street. Carrying signs bearing messages such as “We Want to Go Back to School” and “Give Us a Choice,” the group had a clear message for local school officials: After more than a […]