Tag archives: news

Good Samaritan Shelter’s Benefit Event, and More News Bytes
By Montecito Journal   |   September 1, 2026

Good Samaritan Shelter joins with philanthropic partners and public officials to launch the Santa Barbara Salon Series, four public-policy panels to highlight critical issues facing our county, including homelessness, food insecurity, mental health, and human and labor trafficking. The Salon Series will include the participation of Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch and County […]

Pedestrian Seriously Injured in CVR Collision, and More News Bytes
By Montecito Journal   |   August 11, 2026

A pedestrian suffered serious injuries Sunday night after being struck by a vehicle on the 1200 block of Coast Village Road. According to the Santa Barbara Police Department, the collision occurred at approximately 9:50 pm on August 2, prompting a response from police, firefighters, and paramedics, who found the adult male pedestrian unconscious in the […]

Author Shira Kupperman Boehler to Speak in B’nai B’rith and Other News Bytes
By Montecito Journal   |   April 14, 2026

Shira Kupperman Boehler went on a 6-mile run the morning before doctors told her they suspected she had lung cancer. She didn’t believe them. So begins her saga on Today.com, and Shira Kupperman Boehler continues to avidly spread the word. Santa Barbara will host an intimate and thought-provoking literary event on Sunday, April 19, as […]

SBC Blue Whale Law Goes Statewide
By Joanne A Calitri   |   October 28, 2025

What appears to be a huge gain for environmental and coastal organizations statewide is the signing into law of CA AB14, “California Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program” (BWBS), by Governor Gavin Newsom this past week. The bill asks ocean vessels traveling along the California coast drop to lower their speeds to protect California’s […]

Where Do You Get Your News?
By Robert Bernstein   |   September 16, 2025

Our condominium complex recently had a “meet your neighbors” pool party. One woman “Barb” realized I was on the Board of the homeowner’s association (HOA) and she expressed concern that the HOA fees were rising too much. I explained that our HOA insurance rate had doubled in the past few years due to the Climate […]

News
By Ashleigh Brilliant   |   December 24, 2024

Until the era of electronic communication, getting word of happenings in other places (to say nothing of instantaneous moving pictures in color) used to be a long, slow process. News could travel on land only as fast as the fastest runner or rider. A man living in California might get a letter from his brother, […]

Explosions on July 4th
By Montecito Journal   |   July 16, 2024

On July 4th, neighbors in the Butterfly Beach area reported several large explosions off the ledge on Channel Drive throughout the evening. Debris was reported to have fallen on the roofs and yards of property owners alongChannel Drive.  After several calls to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and officers apprehended a 17-year-old male. When […]

Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee 2024 Endorsements
By Joanne A Calitri   |   January 30, 2024

The Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee (SBWPC) held its annual January Endorsement meeting to review and qualify the candidates for the 2024 election season they are endorsing.  For Santa Barbara County District 1 Supervisor, the vote yielded a “no endorsement” of any candidate.  This is an important clarification for voters, as written campaign materials for […]

Governor Gavin Newsom Visits the Randall Road Debris Basin
By Joanne A Calitri and Zach Rosen   |   January 24, 2023

Governor Gavin Newsom toured the flood damage statewide on Friday, January 13 and stopped in Montecito in the late afternoon to visit the Randall Road Debris Basin, where over 80 California National Guard were deployed and working around the clock to do environmental remedial improvements that would ensure the safety of the area, and direct […]

Governor Newsom Visits Randall Road Debris Basin
By Joanne A Calitri   |   January 13, 2023

California Governor Gavin Newsom visited the Randall Road Debris Basin on Friday, January 13. The visit from Governor Newsom comes after a National Guard unit was deployed from Chico, CA, on January 12, 2023, to assist in clearing out rubble from the Randall Road Debris Basin in preparation for the upcoming storm. As a special […]

In Pursuit of Beauty Exhibit Opens 
By Montecito Journal   |   June 7, 2022

The Santa Barbara Tennis Club’s art gallery, 2nd Fridays, will show Marianna Victoria Mashek’s exhibit In Pursuit of Beauty for the summer. 2nd Fridays features new local artists on the second Friday of every month, and showcases uplifting art and people to enrich and broaden the general and SBTC community. Mashek is a Santa Barbara […]

Teaching Teens News and How to Cramm
By Carly Williams   |   March 8, 2022

“I was twelve years old when I decided I needed to change the world.”  Olivia Seltzer, an 18-year-old Santa Barbara local, was shocked and scared by the results of the 2016 election and by what that meant for her and her peers.  While attending Santa Barbara Junior High, many of Seltzer’s friends came from families […]

Sunshine: The Best Disinfectant
By Jeff Giordano   |   March 1, 2022

March is swiftly approaching and for most California counties that means a bit of spring cleaning. As Santa Barbara County insiders know, however, we are not “most” counties – especially as it relates to transparency and possible corruption. Allow me to explain: Once upon a time, our nation had a rich fourth estate and deep […]

Why Follow the News?
By Robert Bernstein   |   February 15, 2022

I have friends who proudly say they shut out following the news. They find it depressing. I have another friend who is on top of everything in the news. Why should we follow the news? Democracy requires participation. And participation requires informed understanding. My friend who is on top of the news does not attend […]

Montecito Association’s Annual Meeting
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   January 18, 2022

The Montecito Association (MA) Board of Directors held its annual meeting this week, appointing new board members and saying goodbye to several retiring board members, as well as reviewing the Association’s activities in 2021.  Association president Megan Orloff and executive director Sharon Byrne reported on Association activities for the past year, which included extensive pandemic […]

Breaking Out of Our Echo Chambers
By Dan Meisel   |   January 11, 2022

A few winters ago, my son dared me to ski through an oversized doghouse meant for snowboarders. I was feeling old and particularly vulnerable to youthful dares. To my surprise, the floor of this structure was arched, sloping towards the walls on both sides. As soon as I entered, my skis veered in opposite directions. […]

Year in Review: Top 25 Stories on MontecitoJournal.net
By Nick Masuda   |   January 4, 2022

We know that you love picking up the Montecito Journal on newsstands, and it’s always a joy for us to see that. What’s been great in 2021 is to see how you’ve also come to enjoy what we have to offer online, both through our best-in-class newsletter, The Morning MoJo, as well as our revamped […]

A Unique Cover for a Unique Year
By Nick Masuda   |   January 4, 2022

How do you blend businesses closing, a school scandal, a royal interview, the return of in-person events, and an inclusive playground? You just ask artist extraordinaire Karen Folsom to take on the project. On the cover, you will find a playful moment with 13-year-old entrepreneur Marco DiPadova (upper left), the return of live concerts at […]

What’s New?
By Ashleigh Brilliant   |   December 28, 2021

We’ve all heard that “There’s nothing new under the sun.” But that was written (in the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes) long before cameras or computers, and any number of other modern marvels, which have already enabled man to reach the moon. Still, we hunger for novelty. Just think of all the geographical names, starting […]

Knocking Down the Negative News Bias Choosing to see possibility in the face of crisis
By Amelia Buckley and Kristy Jansen   |   August 5, 2021

The old news mantra, “If it bleeds, it leads” has long steered traditional media outlets towards the violent, the negative, and the shocking. It’s hard to blame them when evidence repeatedly shows that negative news stories garner higher viewership, but it also begs the question: How does perceiving the world as largely negative affect how […]