Tag archives: first district supervisor

It Starts with the Dishes
By Gwyn Lurie   |   April 2, 2024

Jimmy Stewart played a version of this character in the well-known classic, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. The difference is, our newly elected soon to be 1st District County Supervisor is for real. Or is he? Time will certainly tell. But for now, Roy Lee is on his way to the county to do what […]

Election Eve Opinion: Newsmakers’ Editorial HQ Resides in 1st District — Three Reasons Why We’re Voting for Roy Lee
By Jerry Roberts   |   March 4, 2024

Jerry Roberts hosts the weekly Newsmakers with JR show. Newsmakers’ editorial operation is based in Santa Barbara County’s First District, so our interest in the campaign for its seat on the Board of Supervisors’ is both professional and personal. A longtime independent, No Party Preference registered voter, this columnist has reported, written and commented on […]

What is to be Gained
By Montecito Journal   |   February 13, 2024

Dear Editor [Gwyn Lurie], You wrote, “And I say, what do we have to lose by giving him [Roy Lee] a chance to prove it? Seems not much.” (Montecito Journal, Feb. 1-8, 2024) It’s not a chance of losing anything. It’s a chance to gain a lot by electing Roy Lee 1st District County Supervisor! […]

Montecito, The Das, and a New Kid in Town
By Gwyn Lurie   |   February 6, 2024

For the first 11 years my family owned our home in Montecito this town was represented on the Board of Supervisors by then Supervisor, now Congressman, Salud Carbajal. Carbajal was and is a politician with the soul of a civil servant who prioritizes constituent services. Which is one of the reasons the MJ supported his […]

Love Thy Neighbor
By Montecito Journal   |   December 5, 2023

You’d think someone moving into a new neighborhood would want to maybe take a beat and see what the vibe is like, maybe see how things happen, maybe get a feel for the place. After all, who wants to start off on the wrong foot with the people who are going to be living next […]

DCC Puts Thumbs on the Scale for its Curated Cadre of Candidates
By Nick Masuda   |   October 26, 2021

When back room deals and influence peddling are discussed, certain places come to mind. Chicago. New Orleans. Atlantic City. Could “sleepy” Santa Barbara be headed in that same direction?  With Election Day looming, political posturing is expected. Less expected was Santa Barbara County First District Supervisor Das Williams‘ recent meeting with mayoral candidate Deborah Schwartz, wherein he […]

Sitting Down with Salud
By Gwyn Lurie   |   February 6, 2020

I asked Salud Carbajal, our Congressman from the 24th district, if he would sit with me for an interview. Three plus years into his job in Washington, he is playing a far different role from the role he played for 12 years as our 1st district County Supervisor. These are challenging times for anyone in […]

First District Supervisor Debate
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   January 30, 2020

It was standing room only on Monday, January 27, at Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall for the Montecito Journal Media Group’s inaugural event: the First District Supervisor Debate. Incumbent Das Williams and challenger Laura Capps faced off to answer several questions formulated by MJ CEO Gwyn Lurie and KCRW host and reporter Jonathan […]

Montecito Takes a Seat at the Table
By Gwyn Lurie   |   December 19, 2019

In a little more than 80 days (March 3) we will have the opportunity to vote for, among other things, one of two candidates vying for the First District Santa Barbara County Supervisor seat: the incumbent Das Williams or his challenger, Laura Capps. Why does this election matter to the nine thousand plus residents of […]

Laura Capps Announces Campaign
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 29, 2019

At a gathering at the Mission Rose Garden on Tuesday afternoon, School Board member – and daughter of Walter and Lois Capps – Laura Capps formally announced her bid for First District Supervisor, challenging incumbent Das Williams in the March 3 primary election.  Capps, surrounded by school children, including her son Oscar, her supporters, and […]