Tag archives: community

Every once in a while, something happens that reminds you how extraordinary are the people who call Montecito home.  On Friday afternoon, July 3, I brought my beloved two-year-old blue merle Mini Australian Shepherd, Daisy, to our CalPrivate Bank office in Montecito, as I often do on Fridays. Because many of our clients had the […]

These days, knowing your neighbors is a dying art. While some may meet others through systems like school, faith groups, or country clubs, it can be a challenge to meet new community members if you exist outside these spaces. For young people, this is exacerbated by social media and the rising cost of participating in […]

As organic molecules go, C8H10N4O2 is a winner two thumbs up green light all systems go punch that pedal is it warm in here oh I really like your shoes where’d you get those drapes my uncle carl had a Buick that color – ahem. Chemistry as a subject brought some of us low in […]

I’d like to speak about the escalating federal immigration enforcement.  I respect the Chair’s request for us to not unnecessarily wade into national issues, but what is happening with ICE is an issue affecting the people we represent on a daily basis. ICE is here on any given day, in our neighborhoods on our streets, […]

Written by Maria McCall Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub gathered in the Kenny Loggins Community Room at Unity Shoppe for an uplifting afternoon to learn about one of Santa Barbara’s most cherished charities. Executive Director and CEO Angela Miller-Bevan delivered an informative presentation on the organization’s fascinating history, and how today this community cornerstone serves […]

There was recently a “Letter to the Editor” published about the sale of the Battistone properties that could be misunderstood. After reading it, I thought I should reach out to provide important information about the potential sale. For over 50 years, the Battistone Foundation has been dedicated to its charitable purpose of providing low-cost housing […]

Tension hung thick in the air at the Franklin Community Center on Tuesday evening, July 15, as residents packed the room – and spilled out into the parking lot – to demand answers about recent ICE activity in Santa Barbara. Some even brought blankets and picnic dinners, watching the proceedings from an outdoor screen when […]

The fifth annual Impact Conference, Cultivating Community in the Age of AI, brings together senior technology leaders in higher education to explore ways to apply AI to strengthen – rather than replace – human connections on July 24-25 in Westmont’s Global Leadership Center. Purchase tickets, which cost $129 per person for two full days with […]

We reached out to a number of Pete’s longtime chums and family members and asked them to weigh in on the subject of Pete Jordano. Dodgers bat boy, U.S. Marine, business legend, raconteur; to paraphrase Sinatra, Pete Jordano is a many-splendored thing. Pete’s Santa Barbara “journey” has been defined by people – business contacts, customers, […]

The Friendship Center Montecito held its annual Legacy Society Award Luncheon on Wednesday, May 28, at the University Club. This annual event has returned from its lockdown-related hiatus. The organization honors those who have committed to allocate funding via their estate to support the FC endowment. FC Board Finance Chair and Legacy Leadership Committee member, […]

Visit the Montecito Library (1469 E. Valley Rd. | 805-969-5063) for books, events, and more! Upcoming events and programs include:  Stay & Play: Tuesdays, 9-10:30am – Drop by to learn and play, sing and share stories with other young children. Enjoy the company of other caregivers. Best for children under 5. Knit ’n’ Needle: Thursdays, […]

Fictional detective Harry Bosch, the star of more than a dozen best-selling books by Michael Connelly and two TV series on Amazon Prime, operates with a credo he adopted early in his career: “Everybody counts, or nobody counts.”  That’s basically the same philosophy behind Savie Health, the nonprofit free clinic in downtown Lompoc. It’s the […]

Eighteen months ago, White Buffalo Land Trust (WBLT) celebrated the culmination of its year-long pilot of the organization’s Artist in Residence program. The program represents the dipping of a toe into expressing – through fine art – the Trust’s work to restore the ecosystem by practicing, promoting, and developing systems of regenerative agriculture at Jalama […]

Richard Weston-Smith is a co-founder & COO of One805 – alongside cofounder/CEO Kirsten Cavendish Weston-Smith and cofounder/CFO John J. Thyne III. What exactly did these folks cofound? It’s a fair question. The nearly indescribable One805 can rightly be called First Responder to our First Responders. Like many nouns in the English language, though, First Responder […]

January 9th, 2018, is a night that Montecito will never forget, yet nature has provided some unwanted reminders. In 2023, heavy rains, flooding, and evacuations all took place on the very day of the 5th anniversary of the tragic Debris Flow in Montecito that took 23 lives. Even now, as the community prepares for the […]

Adam’s Angels celebrated their fifth annual Holiday Community event at the Veterans Building when more than 100 volunteers prepared 650 meals of both meat and vegetarian lasagna, salad and dessert to make sure no one was left hungry during Yuletide. A ‘pop up shop’ had racks of new jackets, warm gear and shoes provided by […]

Thirty years ago this coming April, FEMA-Certified Canine Search Specialist Wilma Melville and her black lab Murphy spent a week rummaging through the rubble of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma. What stood out was just how few other rescue dogs were on site to search for survivors. When Melville realized only […]

For the past 15 years, the nonprofit organization Mothers’ Helpers has supported low-income families in Santa Barbara county by providing them access to essential baby items. This holiday season, the organization is hosting a Christmas program that allows community sponsors to purchase and wrap gifts for selected families, bringing a bit of magic and cheer […]