Tag archives: locals

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Writing from the Wound: Resh Grewal
By Stella Haffner   |   August 23, 2022

For young writers, the advice is often “write what you know.” And so, the question becomes: What do I know? In many ways, this may be a question that young people seek to avoid. In painful periods of self-growth and in mundane life trials – your chemistry pop quizzes and the like – what you […]

John Joseph Macker
By Caitlin Macker   |   August 16, 2022

John Joseph Macker, a longtime Montecito resident, beloved father, and Emmy and Peabody award-winning executive producer, passed away on July 26, 2022, at the age of 78. Before moving to Montecito in 1994, John lived a vibrant, Hollywood lifestyle working in television. He orchestrated television shows garnering 14 Emmys and served as the creator and […]

Growing Up in Neverland
By Stella Haffner   |   August 2, 2022

When I started this column, I knew essentially what I wanted to do.  For new endeavors, what you want to do is largely defined by what you can do. And for me, that meant speaking to, about, and for Montecito’s young alumni.  Along the way, I learned that good newspapers strike a balance between the […]

A Bear’s Conversation
By Montecito Journal   |   June 14, 2022

Carlos, The Bear, was grieving the loss of his sister, Carla Bear, as he lumbered up the animal trail that runs from East Valley Road to Summerland, when he ran into Connie, The Cougar.  “Hey there Bear, I haven’t seen you for quite a while, Carlos. You look sad. What’s up?” said Connie. Carlos gave […]

Youth Makers Market
By Stella Haffner   |   June 7, 2022

If one thing is true about Santa Barbara, it’s that our young people have a world-class entrepreneurial spirit. Sisters Aaliyah and Bella Rubio are no exception.  Starting as a way to escape pandemic boredom, Aaliyah (14) and Bella (12) dreamt up the Youth Makers Market as a space for the young people of Santa Barbara […]

Helene Zalk Pollock
By Montecito Journal   |   June 7, 2022

Helene Zalk Pollock was born on January 8, 1919, in Duluth, Minnesota. Her parents Estelle and Louis Zalk moved to Los Angeles in the early 1930s. Her father Louis found success in the early days of the steel industry and later as a business leader when he introduced theosophy to Southern California and co-founded the […]

Local People: Addi Zerrenner
By Rachael Quisel   |   May 31, 2022

If health is wealth, why isn’t everyone rushing to work out? Or making time every day to meditate? Addi Zerrenner, Personal Trainer at Physical Focus and Olympic qualifier, addresses common barriers to getting healthy and talks through techniques you can use to boost your physical and mental wealth.  Q. When it comes to getting fit, […]

Cox in Your Mailbox
By Montecito Journal   |   May 31, 2022

As longtime residents of Montecito, we are writing to share our experience and warn the community to watch out for Cox Communications. Sneaky, inept, and arrogant is an understatement. To date, their egregious mishandling of the proposed installation of a state-mandated gas generator on our property has cost us over $20,000 in both legal and […]

Zander Meyer
By Stella Haffner   |   May 24, 2022

It was easy to get swept up in the liminal space of lockdown. Who can appreciate this more than the high school students who were asked to pivot from hour-to-hour classes to the vacuum of a stay-at-home education? With this country’s competitive college admissions space, our high school students are masters of the micro-scheduled and […]

David Mitchell: Blue Ridge Honey
By Carly Williams   |   May 17, 2022

Hot tea or golden toast topped with a drizzle of locally crafted honey in the morning is therapeutic… and delicious. Crafted locally in Ventura, each drop of the delicate, sweet molten gold of Blue Ridge Honey is 100% pure, raw, and unfiltered. Beginning as a family hobby in the late 1970s, Blue Ridge Honey has […]