Tag archives: Ukraine

Can Ukraine Help Us Finally Understand the U.S. War in Vietnam?
By Robert Bernstein   |   August 8, 2023

Growing up in D.C. in the ‘60s and ‘70s, my parents took me with them to marches, rallies, and demonstrations against the U.S. War in Vietnam. Note that I do not call it the “Vietnam War.” For my parents, I think they saw it as an extension of the lessons of the Holocaust: that we […]

An Ongoing Court Trial
By Richard Mineards   |   April 4, 2023

Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow, 50, is used to being in the limelight, but her current appearance in a Utah courtroom – where she is being sued for $300,000 over a 2016 ski crash on the slopes of the Deer Valley Resort in Park City – must be quite a new experience. Retired Soda Springs optometrist […]

Goodwin Offers Historic Perspective on Ukraine
By Scott Craig   |   March 21, 2023

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer-Prize winning historian and bestselling author, drew parallels between the United States’ response to aid Britain in the early years of World War II, and the U.S.’s partnership with Ukraine in its war with Russia at the 18th annual Westmont President’s Breakfast on March 10. President Gayle D. Beebe gave Goodwin, speaker […]

ShelterBox Hosts Panel of Women Leaders
By Rachael Quisel   |   March 21, 2023

On March 8, ShelterBox USA hosted an event at UC Investments property on Ortega Hill in Summerland with more than 80 attendees to celebrate International Women’s Day and recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The international nonprofit organization, which provides emergency shelter and essential tools and supplies to vulnerable people affected […]

Dunn School
By Steven Libowitz   |   March 14, 2023

Dunn School’s Kalyan Balaven, head of school for the private co-ed college prep boarding and day school in Los Olivos, had no idea of the floodgates that would open when he decided to find a way to help a student from the Ukraine who early last year was initially only seeking a few extra days […]

A Word (and Shelter) from Kyiv
By Gwyn Lurie and Zach Rosen   |   February 28, 2023

I’ve long thought the most important and interesting work being done in Santa Barbara County, by far, is taking place in the nonprofit realm. I cannot think of a stronger example than the critical work currently being done by ShelterBox, which annually helps provide emergency shelter and essential items to more than 400,000 displaced people […]

Cate Hosts U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink
By Montecito Journal   |   November 1, 2022

Cate School held their annual Fall Family Weekend event for students and their families on October 20 through 23. Saturday’s program featured Keynote Speaker Bridget Brink, the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and parent to Cate Student Jack Higgins (’23). Brink began with an acknowledgement of a Ukraine family in attendance. She talked about her role, […]

DakhaBrakha, Sunflowers, and  Support for Ukraine Along State
By Steven Libowitz   |   October 4, 2022

UCSB Arts & Lectures caps off the opening week of its new season in a culturally significant and community-oriented way, hosting a Ukraine Fest in front of the Granada before Kyiv-based band DakhaBrakha takes the stage inside for its Santa Barbara debut on Thursday, October 6. The free festival, which takes place during the monthly […]

Wow! Fareed Got it Wrong Again. Read the Science
By Rinaldo Brutoco   |   August 2, 2022

Fareed Zakaria is a man deserving of considerable respect. He is not only a great columnist, television host, interviewer, and pundit, but he is also an opinion maker. The general public listens to him. So do kings, potentates, politicians, and major corporate executives all over the globe. Hence there’s no joy when we are compelled […]

Fareed Zakaria got it wrong! A dishonorable peace
By Rinaldo Brutoco   |   July 26, 2022

No doubt many of you know of Fareed Zakaria, the very intelligent columnist for the Washington Post and popular host of Fareed Zakaria GPS (where GPS stands for “Global Public Square”). Fareed is more than a popular pundit; he is a significant opinion maker himself. For years his prestigious interviews of global elites in government […]

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 […]

ShelterBox Hosts Benefit Concert for Ukraine Efforts
By Montecito Journal   |   June 14, 2022

Local residents were in for a treat on Saturday afternoon when a group of renowned musicians played a backyard benefit to raise awareness for ShelterBox, a Santa Barbara-based global disaster relief organization, that is providing much needed help to people displaced by the crisis in Ukraine. The audience picnicked on blankets and lawn chairs, relaxing […]

United Women Fundraise for Ukraine 
By Montecito Journal   |   June 7, 2022

On May 24, United Women for Ukraine gathered the community for a fundraising luncheon that marked the three-month anniversary of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine. Attendees honored Ukraine with its national anthem and were moved by concert pianist Miroslava Kisilevitch’s performance of Ukrainian classical music, including Ukraine’s spiritual anthem “Melody.” Guests were also able to learn […]

The Locals Helping Ukraine
By Zach Rosen   |   May 31, 2022

While Ukraine can seem very far away and hard to help from here, these are some stories of local organizations and people that are helping Ukrainians both close by and afar.  ShelterBox USA For years ShelterBox USA has been helping communities in crisis around the world, even being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in […]

How to Stop the Killing in Ukraine?
By Bob Hazard   |   May 10, 2022

The Russian military strategy for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has been to unleash a campaign of genocide, defined as “the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation (or ethnic group) with the aim of destroying that nation (or group).” A deliberate attempt to maximize civilian casualties using targeted cruise […]

Guns and Butter Stagflation or Taxes
By Rinaldo Brutoco   |   May 10, 2022

A macroeconomic argument circulating during World War II stated that the nation couldn’t afford both “guns and butter,” pitting the costs of waging war against luxuries like silk stockings and abundant food choices like creamy milkfat. In fact, this saying originated decades earlier, with the passage of the National Defense Act of 1916 as the […]

Studies Are Vital in Policy Process
By Montecito Journal   |   May 3, 2022

I look forward to reading the studies that the Montecito Water and Montecito Sanitary districts have jointly commissioned, one by Carollo Engineers to evaluate recycling options and the other by Raftelis to explore the pros and cons of a business case for district consolidation.  The need for recycled water supplies is rather self-evident.  The self-evident case […]

Ukraine War Hits Close to Home
By Scott Craig   |   May 3, 2022

The war in Ukraine is leveling cities and devastating lives, including friends and family of the Westmont community. Igor Rozhko, Westmont’s network manager since 2005, has shared the desperate need from his sister-in-law, Vera, in Kyiv, where she and her husband are missionaries with Ukraine Christian Radio and Video and where they attend the large […]

A Tale of Three Vlads
By Gwyn Lurie   |   April 12, 2022

This is the story of three Vlads. Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Volodymyr Palahniuk, whom you knew by his stage name: Jack Palance. I did not know until recently that Jack Palance died here in Montecito at the home of his daughter Holly. Nor did I know until fairly recently how much Holly Palance has […]

Ukrainian Support
By Richard Mineards   |   April 5, 2022

Carpinteria dynamic duo Ashton Kutcher, 44, and Mila Kunis, 38, who have raised around $35 million for Ukrainian refugees, were lauded for their efforts by the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a video call. Zelenskyy, 44, thanked Kunis, who was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, and Kutcher for launching a GoFundMe campaign to help transport supplies […]