Tag archives: local history

A Snapshot in Time The Brilliant and Beloved Dr. Frances Ford and Dr. Helen Sexton
By Joanne Calitri   |   March 15, 2022

Every picture tells a story. On February 11, while researching a Black History Month story to report on, I had a phone meeting with the new Montecito Journal (MJ) Managing Editor Zach Rosen. That same day, Dr. Joseph Pineda DPM dropped off a photograph he had on his office wall to the MJ. Rosen said, […]

The Best Last Place Part 2 of 2
By Lynda Millner   |   March 8, 2022

George Washington Smith was the architect of the Santa Barbara chapel along with Lutah Maria Riggs. It was one of his few public buildings along with the Lobero, the Little Town Club, and the News-Press building (Daily News) because he usually built homes or businesses. The concrete chapel dome is Tunisian and wasn’t painted or […]

The Best Last Place Part 1 of 2
By Lynda Millner   |   February 22, 2022

One of my favorite places to walk is the Santa Barbara Cemetery. It’s green with gorgeous views and lots of history. It’s the “The Best Last Place” according to David Petry, who wrote an everything you want to know book about the Santa Barbara Cemetery. Many prominent folks and movie stars think so too. Even […]

New Montecito Library: Hours Start on August 10
By Kim Crail   |   August 12, 2021

Expanding public library access is important to our entire community. Visitors or folks new to the area often come here first to get a sense of what Montecito is all about and to connect with a helpful person face-to-face. The Montecito Library hours are: • Tuesday and Thursday, 10 am – 5 pm • Wednesday […]

Cultural Moments
By Lynda Millner   |   February 11, 2021

With Valentine’s Day coming up, what did Jose Lobero (born Giuseppe in Genoa, Italy) love? He loved opera and in 1873 he built a theater to house that love. It began as an old wooden schoolhouse and became the largest adobe structure in California for its time, housing the only opera house south of San […]