Tag archives: pandemic
Since 1979, Montecito’s non-profit Friendship Center has provided group therapy for senior citizens from Monday through Friday at its rustic headquarters on Eucalyptus Lane. Normally by mid-morning on a weekday, the center would be a buzz of activity, with caregivers dropping off members to enjoy a day full of live music, therapy dog yoga, talks […]
Nice Surprise Home delivery?! Now, the calm and comfort we feel from living in a small and caring community is complete. What a surprise to find the MJ in the driveway this morning along with the Times and WSJ. From a distance, I assumed we’d received some junk publication, but instead I found our more-valuable-than-ever […]
Unity Shoppe has come a long way back since a huge gap in its funding forced the nonprofit agency – the largest, single direct distributor of food, clothing, and necessities in the county – into briefly closing its distribution doors for two months in the fall of 2019. The nonprofit shut its doors for the […]
Information for Action She wrote a manifesto, which became flattenthecurve.com. It was originally a Google Doc. Her document was uploaded so fast that it broke the Google drive features. She had no idea who was sharing it. It was just staggering. Then someone reached out to her and said they had reserved the domain flattenthecurve.com […]
When we look out at the Pacific from Butterfly Beach it’s clear. The ocean still works. When we turn to look at the Santa Ynez Mountains it’s easy to see the mountains are just fine. Clouds, too. It also turns out that the valleys and fields and surrounding farms continue to produce food, with even […]
When I committed to write a regular column for the Montecito Journal about our local community and the people who care for it, I could never have imagined COVID-19 and how it has overtaken our collective world. But here we are in this moment of fear and “social distancing” and the crushing of livelihoods, and […]
Hello, my social distancing, hand washing friends out there! How are you coping amidst all this mayhem? Does anyone even know what day it is? As the apocalyptic pandemic of COVID-19 intensifies and our collective anxiety increases exponentially each day we remain under quarantine, I think it’s remarkable that any of us can peel ourselves […]
On a personal note, I mark the passing of singer Kenny Rogers at his home in Georgia at the age of 81. Rogers, who was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, used to entertain at a number of charity events in New York where I last saw him at the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation […]
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep us indoors, online streaming and video content has helped us feel a sense of connection as we remain isolated. From online concerts to exercise lessons, this time is showing us the importance of video content in allowing one to share their story and connect to the community. A […]
The Santa Barbara Polo Club is delaying the start of its 109th season, which was scheduled to kick off on May 1, because of the coronavirus. Instead, the hotly anticipated initial equestrian event, the Folded Hills Pope Challenge, has been rescheduled for May 15, with the 12-goal schedule continuing through July 5. “The club is […]
Award-winning writer and producer Vicki Riskin, who wrote a delightful book about her parents, Oscar winning screenwriter Robert Riskin and King Kong actress Fay Wray, has been nominated for a Los Angeles Times Book Prize for best biography, 2019. The awards, which were scheduled to be announced later this month, have now been postponed until […]
The elderly residents of Casa Dorinda, currently under lockdown because of the coronavirus, are waxing poetic! Longtime resident Linda Beuret says residents are watching movies and participating in exercise classes on Casa TV, while food is delivered to the doors of cottages and rooms. “Keeping six feet from anyone you pass is absolutely mandatory,” says […]
Billionaire L.A. real estate developer Rick Caruso is also doing his considerable best during this pandemic. Despite having now closed the Rosewood Miramar temporarily, he is still paying staff who work at the 124-room, 27-suite hostelry, which opened a year ago. In a further effort to support our rarefied enclave and thank the heroic first […]
Island Brewing Company recently introduced same-day beer delivery for Summerland (and Carp) residents. Orders placed before 2 pm are delivered the same day between 4-7 pm, orders placed after 2 pm come the next day. All beer must be dropped off with an individual who can display legal ID of being 21+ years old, no […]
Hey Summerland and beyond, time to show a little love to Summerland Beach Café. The café is open for take-out (8 am – 3 pm) and will deliver to Summerland! Their ever-popular Hamburger Tuesday is still on ($6.99/half price), so order burgers for the family, your neighbors, or someone who may be shut in alone. […]
Episode nine of The Lucidity Festival, which was slated to take place April 10-12 at Live Oak Campground, has solidified new dates for its Regeneration Earth-themed weekend: November 6-8. The aim is to keep things as close as possible to the spring selections, from music to workshops and more, although shifting schedules always create some […]
Note to Readers: In 2007, when I wrote about the 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic in Santa Barbara, I never thought its story would ever be timely and relevant to today. I am sorry to have been wrong. I offer it again for your curiosity, instruction, and hope. They got through it then, and we’ll get […]
Don’t even try to tell Mary Sheldon about how COVID-19 is hurting local businesses. After all, the owner of Tecolote Book Shop in Montecito’s Upper Village has been a bookseller for 30 years, the last 20 of which had the misfortune of taking place after the unprecedented rise of online shopping spearheaded by Amazon. Technically, […]
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Caltrans has announced that the first phase of the highway widening from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara will begin the evening of Sunday, April 5. This phase of the project is called Highway 101: Carpinteria, and it will add a peak-period carpool lane to the freeway in each direction within the City […]
Last week, the Santa Barbara City Council voted unanimously to pass a moratorium on evictions for both residential and commercial tenants through the end of May; a similar moratorium was passed by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors as well, ensuring that residential and commercial tenants in unincorporated areas of the County are not […]
