Tag archives: gossip

Tea Time at the Club
By Richard Mineards   |   November 28, 2023

Members and special guests of Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub, on a cultural tour of Japan, were treated to a rare invitation to visit and partake in a tea ceremony with Kobori Sojitsu, the 13th Grand Master of the Enshu Sado School in Tokyo. The invitation, not normally available to the public, was made possible […]

A Bellosguardo Affair
By Richard Mineards   |   October 3, 2023

I was last at Bellosguardo, the 24-acre oceanfront estate owned by the late copper heiress Huguette Clark, who died in 2011 at the age of 104, for a megabuck fundraising gala five years ago, so it was nice to return to the magnificent aerie when the Bellosguardo Foundation, with assistance from the Santa Barbara Historical […]

Birthday Boy Mineards
By Richard Mineards   |   August 1, 2023

It wasn’t quite the exotic occasion I envisaged when I celebrated the 20th anniversary of my half century last week, but a fun event nevertheless at Ca’Dario on Coast Village Road. Having not been able to fly to Marrakech, Morocco, for the past few years because of pandemic restrictions, my plans were to join an […]

Fieldside Fiesta Bash
By Richard Mineards   |   July 25, 2023

Society gadabout Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey Nowak, bubbly founder of the La Boheme dance company, hosted their 4th annual Viva La Fiesta bash at Fieldside, the popular Santa Barbara Polo Club restaurant, for 200 gloriously garbed guests. The fun fête featured Teresa’s colorful dancers who led our Eden by the Beach’s Summer Solstice parade, […]

Attorneys’ Fees Continue
By Richard Mineards   |   June 27, 2023

Kevin Costner’s divorce from estranged wife Christine Baumgartner would appear to be getting more acrimonious by the day with claims the Oscar winner is now “homeless,” she splurged $95,000 on his credit card, and has a restraining order against him. The Carpinteria-based actor’s attorneys claim they have made “multiple offers” to get his wife to […]

Bidding on ARISE
By Richard Mineards   |   June 27, 2023

The Montecito Journal is now by royal appointment, I can exclusively reveal. This illustrious organ is now being read by none other than King Charles III – super singer Katy Perry’s mother, Mary Hudson, informs me. When the former Dos Pueblos High student sang at His Majesty’s coronation concert at Windsor Castle last month with […]

Man Missing in the ‘Mirror’
By Richard Mineards   |   June 20, 2023

Prince Harry and his actress wife Meghan Markle may have enjoyed celebrating their daughter Lilibet’s second birthday at their Riven Rock estate, but the Duke of Sussex’s behavior didn’t cut it with a top British judge. The top legal eagle rebuked Harry’s barrister when King Charles III’s youngest son was “unavailable” on the first day […]

Security Concerns
By Richard Mineards   |   June 6, 2023

Prince Harry has suffered a major defeat in the British courts and now faces a hefty $620,000 legal bill. The Riven Rock resident sought a judicial review over a Home Office decision that he should not be allowed to pay U.K. police for his personal protection. The Duke of Sussex, 38, was stripped of police […]

Presidential Nuptials
By Richard Mineards   |   May 30, 2023

President Ronald Reagan’s school principal granddaughter Ashley, 40, married her police officer beau, Joe Dunster, 44, in an intimate ceremony at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel before a reception at the nearby Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara. During the reception, the newlyweds were surrounded by photos of America’s 40th president and memorabilia, which included […]

Happening Hadelich
By Richard Mineards   |   May 9, 2023

Italian violin genius and Grammy Award-winner Augustin Hadelich, making his fifth CAMA appearance since 2015, played a rapturous performance at the Lobero as part of the organization’s Masterseries. Bach featured prominently in the delightful program, launching with “Partita for Unaccompanied Violin No. 3 in E major” and ending with “No. 2 in D minor,” with […]

Spirit and Junior Spirit Named
By Richard Mineards   |   May 2, 2023

In a spirited competition at the Lobero with more than 600 eager attendees, Jack Harwood,19, was donned as this year’s Spirit of Fiesta, marking the first time ever a male Spirit of Fiesta was selected.  Jack is the son of Riley and Dacia Harwood, the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. My Montecito […]

Wining and Dining at Blackbird
By Richard Mineards   |   May 2, 2023

To Blackbird at uber-vintner Bill Foley’s Hotel Californian for a four-course winemaker dinner delightfully prepared by longtime executive chef Travis Watson with senior winemaker Michael Beaulac explaining the intricacies of the process with each course served to the 33 guests, including gourmands and oenophiles from far and wide. Having covered the eatery’s opening six years […]

Who’s on the List?
By Richard Mineards   |   April 18, 2023

Forbes magazine has just released its 37th annual World’s Billionaires list, with 2,640 billionaires worth a total of $12.2 trillion ranked, down by $500 billion last year. At Number One is Frenchman Bernard Arnault, 74, the owner of Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Tiffany for the first time with $211 billion, while Tesla magnate Elon […]

An Evening with Wynton
By Richard Mineards   |   April 18, 2023

World renowned trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, bandleader and composer, who I’ve seen many times on the Granada stage courtesy of UCSB Arts & Lectures, was back at the historic venue after a tour of Asia with the Wynton Marsalis Septet. Marsalis, 61, artistic director of Jazz at the Lincoln Center and director of Jazz Studies at […]

USS Santa Barbara Bash
By Richard Mineards   |   April 18, 2023

It was definitely a ship to shore moment when hotel magnate Pat Nesbitt and his wife Ursula hosted a boffo bash for the captain and crew of the newly commissioned USS Santa Barbara at Bella Vista, their scenic oceanside 20-acre Summerland estate. The fun fête, assisted by the local council of the U.S. Navy League, […]

Loggins Logging Off
By Richard Mineards   |   March 28, 2023

Montecito rocker Kenny Loggins is on the road to retirement. The iconic guitarist and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is playing just 18 concerts on his upcoming “This Is It” farewell tour, and then that’s really it! “I just had my 75th birthday and I feel like it’s time,” Kenny told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. His tour, which started […]

MBT’s Anniversary Grants Give Back
By Richard Mineards   |   March 28, 2023

Montecito Bank & Trust’s 31st annual Anniversary Grants reception, originally scheduled for the courtyard of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, had to be changed at the last minute to the bank’s imposing State Street headquarters because of the heavy rains. More than 100 guests turned out for the popular fête celebrating the bank’s 48th anniversary, […]

Fieldside Birthday Fun
By Richard Mineards   |   March 28, 2023

Social gridlock reigned when society gadabout Rick Oshay took over the Fieldside restaurant at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club to celebrate the 13th anniversary of his half century. Fifty guests descended on the clubhouse locale to nosh on a five-course dinner after beluga caviar canapés and champagne and then dancing the night away […]

The Symphony Plays Williams
By Richard Mineards   |   March 28, 2023

Hollywood musical giant John Williams, 91, who was featured in last week’s Oscars coverage, was celebrated in grand style by the Santa Barbara Symphony under Fresno Symphony guest conductor Rei Hotoda at the Granada. The hugely entertaining performance, dubbed John Williams: A Symphonic Celebration, included music from most of his major hits, including Jaws, E.T., […]

Oprah’s Hawaiian Digs
By Richard Mineards   |   March 21, 2023

While former TV talk-show titan Oprah Winfrey has been reducing her waistline as a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers, now rebranded WW, she has been expanding her property empire. The longtime Montecito resident, 69, now owns nearly 1,000 acres of land on the Hawaiian island of Maui, I learn. She has splashed out $6.6 million on […]