Tag archives: Junior

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 […]

Name Dropping
By Ashleigh Brilliant   |   August 27, 2020

The first question I am usually asked: “Is Ashleigh Brilliant your real name?” Yes, it is. My father was Victor Brilliant, and he came from a whole family of Brilliants. The origins are Russian and Jewish. Around the time of Napoleon, Jews were allowed to choose their own surnames. Many chose pleasant-sounding names, such as […]