Tag archives: locals

What Gets Buried
By Stella Haffner   |   March 7, 2023

Santa Barbara’s young art scene emphasizes identity, voice, and change. All three can be found in the work of 21-year-old Isa Saldivar. Working their way out of the foster care system, Isa came to Santa Barbara as a queer, Chican@ outsider – a perspective that continues to inform their art. In our conversation, Isa reflects […]

Hope Sterling Kelly February 2, 1929 – January 8, 2023
By Montecito Journal   |   February 21, 2023

Hope Sterling Kelly passed away peacefully in Santa Barbara on January 8, 2023. She was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to anyone she had ever met.  Hope was born on Groundhog’s Day, February 2, 1929. She grew up in West Los Angeles and attended University Elementary School, University High School, UCLA for two […]

Miramar After the Storm
By Stella Haffner   |   January 31, 2023

Dear Montecito, I took a walk on Miramar Beach on January 6, about 20 hours after the first of the storm system had left our local area. Now in general I find writing about the beach to be a tricky thing. Perhaps because it is well-worn territory or simply too easy to become sentimental. Perhaps […]

Barbara Levenson: January 31, 1942 – December 29, 2022
By Montecito Journal   |   January 17, 2023

Barbara Levenson, 80, of Santa Barbara, sadly left us on December 29, 2022. Barbara was born on January 31, 1942, to Harry and Ruth Eisenberg in Los Angeles. She was raised in West Los Angeles and built a community of friends she cherished from her days at Fairfax and Beverly Hills High School. Always one […]

Jacqueline Duran Key to your Finances
By Dalina Michaels   |   January 10, 2023

Jacqueline Duran knows money – but more than helping you make cash – she wants to help her clients plan for their futures with confidence and integrity. “I didn’t start out wanting to be in finance,” Duran explains, “I went to college for biology and pre-med and was on track to go to med school. […]

You Should Be Reading More Queer Stories
By Stella Haffner   |   January 10, 2023

It is always a pleasure to host artists in the Dear Montecito column. I feel that their stories and reflections help ground us, particularly when the current event landscape feels so urgent and so claustrophobic. As the opening to our 2023 column, I wanted to invite a young writer to use this space to reflect […]

Wedding Announcement
By Joanne Calitri   |   December 27, 2022

The Montecito Journal is pleased to announce the wedding of Jessikah Moran and Jacob Fechner. The couple was married in a private ceremony on Friday, December 16, by an officiant at the Santa Barbara Courthouse, where they read their wedding vows that they wrote for each other.  The bride wore a long, white lace-over tulle […]

Margaret Ann Baker: December 7, 1947 – November 2, 2022
By Montecito Journal   |   December 20, 2022

Margaret Ann Baker passed away peacefully on November 2, 2022, from complications associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). She was born on December 7, 1947, in Long Beach, California, to parents Willis Daniel Baker and Mary (O’Rourke) Baker. Margaret graduated summa cum laude from Western High School Anaheim, California, in 1965 and received a Bachelor […]

‘Whiskey Throttle’: A New Short Film by MUS Alum Matthew Rollins
By Stella Haffner   |   December 13, 2022

When a motocross racer crashes in the middle of nowhere, a mysterious man responds in haste. But who is he – A lonely doctor? A good Samaritan? A satanic mechanic? Watch Matthew Rollins’ new short film Whiskey Throttle to find out!  Q. How did this project get started? A. I took a year off from […]

We have 8,000 Reasons to Be Grateful in This Week of Giving Thanks
By Sharon Byrne   |   November 29, 2022

It’s the height of autumn now, with cold nights, falling leaves, pumpkins everywhere, and the most heartwarming of holidays this week. As we look back over this past year, we have a tremendous amount to be grateful for here in Montecito. Yes, the weather and scenery are lovely, and it’s fun to visit the villages […]

Waterhouse Turns 38
By Richard Mineards   |   November 29, 2022

Social gridlock reigned when Ralph and Diane Waterhouse celebrated the 38th anniversary of their eponymous art gallery in La Arcada. The popular establishment, just a tiara’s toss from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, was founded in 1984 by Diane. It moved to its current location in 1991 and represents some of the city’s finest […]

New Rocking Racks
By Richard Mineards   |   November 29, 2022

Local fashion designer Catherine Gee has opened her eponymous 2,400-square-foot flagship boutique in La Arcada. Around 150 guests turned out for the opening bash, which showed off a host of all-silk wares she has been designing since 2015. Catherine became known for her core slip dress style and has since grown the brand into full […]

Thanks From the Roots
By Montecito Journal   |   November 29, 2022

On behalf of the entire ownership team, thank you to the community for supporting our application for a new cannabis retail dispensary in the Carpinteria Valley. While we recognize we have some additional hurdles to clear, we are 100% confident that Roots Carpinteria will open for business at 3823 Santa Claus Lane in 2023.  I […]

A New Dreamy Book by Bill
By Richard Mineards   |   November 22, 2022

Montecito author and illustrator Bill Dalziel has published his second children’s book Charlie’s Dream, a sequel to his first Ulma, the Kidnapped Tree, which he will help launch at Tecolote in the Upper Village on December 3, with 10 percent of the book purchases at the bash donated to Storyteller Children’s Center, a local nonprofit. […]

Scott Starr
By Michael Brooke   |   November 1, 2022

Scott Starr was not only an amazing photographer, he was also a truly generous person. Back in 1997, when I was working on my history of skateboarding book, I put an announcement in Transworld Skateboarding Business magazine asking for photos. The only photographer to contact me was Scott. He seemed to have a deep understanding […]

Otto W. Laula
By Tom Moore   |   November 1, 2022

by Tom Moore This is a photograph of Otto Laula on his BMW motorcycle, Glen, and his beloved daughter Jessani, now the mother of four wonderful, grown children. Jessani’s mother Sue was killed in a tragic landslide on Mount Shasta 46 years ago, and since that time Otto has been a devoted single parent to […]

Jeanette Petrus Le Renard: Baby Steps
By Dalina Michaels   |   November 1, 2022

Jeanette Petrus Le Renard gets to play every day with her clients, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I work with babies on their level – and their parents as well. My goal is to meet them where they are and help them get where they need to be!” As a pediatric physical […]

Jacqueline Rubinstein: July 25, 1958 – September 6, 2022
By Montecito Journal   |   October 25, 2022

Jacqueline Hiske Rubinstein passed away September 6th at the young age of 64. Jacqueline was born July 25th, 1958, in Singapore to Hiske and Jack Forsyth. Jacqueline was a citizen of the world; speaking five languages and growing up in areas including Suriname, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, New York, Montecito, and Los Angeles. She was a […]

Montecito Residents Win WaterWise Garden Recognition 
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   October 4, 2022

Water-efficient residential gardens are beautiful, and earlier this month, Montecito residents John and Teri Keating were awarded the grand prize winner for their native garden. The 2022 WaterWise Garden Recognition Contest launched this spring to recognize beautiful, water-efficient residential gardens throughout Santa Barbara County. The Santa Barbara County Water Agency and participating local water providers […]

Cal-SOAP: Providing Education about Financial Aid to Boost Local College-Going Rate
By Stella Haffner   |   September 20, 2022

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, questions concerning “education accessibility” become central to our discussion about school. But as the team at Cal-SOAP Santa Barbara knows, barriers to education did not simply appear with the pandemic lockdowns. At California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP), they ask: What is keeping students out of higher […]