Tag archives: Hot Springs trail

Montecito Association Meets
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   April 19, 2022

At this month’s Montecito Association meeting, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported on the most recent crime events in Montecito.  Arnoldi noted an abandoned rental car on East Mountain Drive; vandalism at Hot Springs trailhead; mailbox destroyed on Buena Vista; intoxicated subject breaking into vehicle on Lilac Drive; embezzlement scam on School House […]

Reservoir Becomes Empty
By Montecito Journal   |   March 22, 2022

On Thursday morning (March 10, 2022) the reservoir on upper Hot Springs Road was empty so no water was going to the estates below. This was because the main pipe had been disconnected for days on end, and the hot springs water that normally flowed into the reservoir poured onto Hot Springs Trail.  Will the […]

Rock, Peace, and the Nature of Bears
By Montecito Journal   |   March 15, 2022

Carlos, The Bear, set his Fender Telecaster guitar on its stand, sat back in his bean bag chair, crossed his arms, and began humming a tune. His mind was remembering his early days. He was a smallish bear, nothing like the one he saw on CNN earlier that day, Hank the Tank. No, Carlos was […]

Putting the Cart Before the Horse
By Montecito Journal   |   March 1, 2022

In a perfect universe there would be unlimited funds and proactive civil, charitable and political involvement on the Hot Springs Trail issue that seems to engender such considerable interest on the part of Bryan Rosen. No one can reasonably dispute that his desire to clean up the trail from potentially dangerous and unsightly impediments makes […]

Response to Jon Emanuel’s Letter to the Editor in Support of Using Hot Springs Water to Irrigate Estates
By Montecito Journal   |   February 22, 2022

It’s interesting that one person getting water from the Montecito Creek Water Company, Mr. Jon Emanuel, and not the company itself, responded to my letter advocating return of the Montecito hot springs by the ruins (Cliff Spring and Barn Springs) to the people. He claims I said things that are “factually incorrect,” yet he characterizes […]

Brutoco for President!
By Montecito Journal   |   February 1, 2022

His essay last week on the oppressive travesty of the California Utilities’ profit-grab to punish small-scale solar adopters is incisive, intensely angry, and wholly alarming.  Not to mention using a great metaphor in “Jabberwocky!”  (English majors always appreciate an apt literary reference to make a mockery of something so absurd as this “plan.”) So, thank […]

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 […]

Threat of Vandalism Near Hot Springs Trailhead
By Montecito Journal   |   May 27, 2021

On May 17, 2021, a car was parked on Mountain Drive near the corner of East Mountain Drive and Hot Springs Road. It was barely sticking into the road, less than other hikers’ cars further west, near Ashley Road. A note was placed on it which said, “Park here again and you will be towed […]

Loss of Parking for Hot Springs Trail — How to Remedy the Situation
By Bryan Rosen   |   May 20, 2021

The process for removing parking on Riven Rock Road was disrespectful because there were no public hearings or solicitation for hiker input. Notices could have been placed on the Hot Springs trailhead but weren’t. Parking access for trails should not be limited in the future without notice given to hikers and the community, so all […]

Hundreds of SB Residents Tell Governor: No! on Das Williams for Coastal Commission
By Montecito Journal   |   April 16, 2021

We are deeply dismayed to learn that Das Williams is seeking an appointment to the California Coastal Commission for the Central Coast. A controversial supervisor synonymous with Santa Barbara’s much-contested cannabis ordinance, Williams was barely able to retain his position in 2020 (even with the political and financial muscle of the cannabis industry). Indeed, there […]

Loss of Parking for Hot Springs Trail
By Montecito Journal   |   April 15, 2021

On March 31, 2021, I rode my bicycle to Riven Rock Road. Signs were placed there saying “No Parking,” threatening tickets to those who did so. I asked Gary Smart of the road crew what was going on. He told me that white lines were going to be painted on both sides of the road […]

Freedoms Taken Away at Hot Springs Trailhead
By Montecito Journal   |   April 8, 2021

On Saturday, March 28, 2021 at about 5:30 pm, I took my bicycle to the Hot Springs Trailhead, which is about a 10-minute ride from where I live. A vehicle which had printed on it “Hillcrest Security” had stopped on Mountain Drive next to the trailhead parking lot. I asked the driver, Mark, what he […]

Fixing Issues at Hot Springs Trail
By Sharon Byrne   |   March 4, 2021

If you live near the Hot Springs Trail: You are likely already well aware of the jammed up street parking and trail users overcrowding the area. A countywide Fire Chief’s Public Safety Task Force has looked at this, and multiple other issues, including homeless encampment fires. For the folks on Riven Rock and East Mountain […]

Denying Dana
By Montecito Journal   |   August 30, 2018

Dana Newquist stated in the latest MJ (#24/34) that the Montecito Sanitary District is “dumping partially treated sewage water just off shore at Butterfly Beach.” This is a false, slanderous statement. Secondary treatment is treated to the same level as tertiary treatment, but the salinity is modulated to match the ocean salinity. Tertiary is the […]

Hold Your Kids Tight
By Montecito Journal   |   January 25, 2018

We are sending this email to all our friends and family who have reached out to us in regard to the Montecito fire and mudslide tragedies and evacuations. The story begins over a month ago, when Lynda and I were forced to evacuate our Romero Canyon home due to the largest wildfire in California history. Three […]