Tag archives: vaccinations

Giving Thanks to Our Wonderful Community
By Sharon Byrne   |   November 30, 2021

We just want to take this opportunity to tell you how grateful we are for you, our beloved community, for all the ways you’ve inspired us with your generosity, come through in spades for your community, been through the worst of times and stood so strong, and made this just one of the finest places […]

Hypocrisy … to Murder? Cold Politics Trumps Safety in Texas Yet Again
By Rinaldo Brutoco   |   September 7, 2021

By now anyone who follows the news knows Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas contracted COVID-19 even though he has had both the regular two vaccine injections, and to almost everyone’s surprise, has already received a third booster shot. He received the extra shot despite possibly not being in a category authorized to receive it yet. […]

Proceed with Caution: Back in Schools, but Will it Stay that Way?
By Nick Masuda   |   August 24, 2021

On Tuesday, the bulk of Santa Barbara County snapped “first day” photos for Facebook and returned to the gnarly drop-off lines at area schools — but the cloud of uncertainty surrounding the longevity of in-person instruction remains. With the COVID-19 Delta variant creating disruption at hospitals around the state, local school districts are having to […]

It’s Time to Require Vaccines: Our Students, Teachers, and Staff Deserve Healthy and Safe Schools
By Kate Ford and Laura Capps   |   August 12, 2021

As members of the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) board, we understand that our paramount responsibility is to ensure the health and well-being of our students. Incorporating all we’ve learned about COVID-19, we are determined to open schools safely for all staff and students on August 17. Sadly, our community is still in a […]

Santa Barbara Unified Mulls Mandated Vaccines for Staff, Teachers
By Nick Masuda   |   August 5, 2021

With the school year less than two weeks from starting, a pair of Santa Barbara Unified School District board members are calling for all district staff and teachers to be vaccinated or be tested for COVID at least once per week. The proposal from Board President Kate Ford and Board Member Laura Capps will be […]

Well-Meaning Handouts Not Aiding Homelessness Efforts
By Montecito Journal   |   August 5, 2021

The following is an open letter to the Coast Village Association and the property owners of the Country Mart and Starbucks strip:  We need you to step up now and help your businesses and customers stop enabling homelessness. Help us solve it instead.   We are writing to you as Montecito residents and founding members of […]

A New Danger on the Roads
By Montecito Journal   |   July 29, 2021

Am I the only one noticing the dangerous speeds that e-bikes and riders who push them to their limits pose to drivers and themselves in and around Montecito? They seem to zip around as fast as motorcycles, yet no special license is required. It’s great that more people are getting outdoors and traveling farther afield […]

Here We Go Again? Indoor Masking Recommended as COVID Variants Flourish
By Sharon Byrne   |   July 29, 2021

On July 19, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department issued guidance recommending folks wear masks while indoors, whether vaccinated or not. This isn’t a surprise, given what has been happening with the Delta variant, which includes: •Significant uptick in cases in Israel, the UK, Los Angeles, and now the Bay Area. •Israel resumed mandated […]

COVID-19 Restrictions Lifted Tuesday, but Masking Will Be Around for A While
By Sharon Byrne   |   June 24, 2021

Tuesday marked 453 days since Governor Newsom issued the first stay-at-home order for California. It also acted as a Reopening Day, of sorts, with all tiered systems of restrictions lifted for California. Santa Barbara County barely squeaked into the yellow tier one week ago. Now all the tiers are gone. What does reopening and lifting […]

It’s Time to Move on from COVID, But We Need to Do It as One
By Ann Brode   |   June 17, 2021

The past 18 months have been tough on the emotional body. Dealing with loss, bracing for the unknown, and shouldering through have all taken their toll. If you check in, chances are, you’ll find a layer of tension under a layer of fatigue. The tension is your body’s response to stress and distress; the fatigue […]

Mayo of the West? Sansum President Explains Why Santa Barbara is on the Cutting Edge of Medicine
By Gwyn Lurie   |   May 27, 2021

When my husband and I moved our family from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara in search of a more congenial habitat, we were determined to hold on to one key big city perk — excellent medical care. So, we kept our L.A. doctors despite the time we knew it meant we’d spend in the car.  […]

Taking the Long Road Home: A Vaccine Journey and the Road to Dominion A day trip to Santa Maria: encounters with the good, the bad, the ugly, and more on re-entering the human race.
By Leslie Westbrook   |   May 27, 2021

My “first outside adventure” in a year (a trip to L.A. to visit my hermetically sealed mom on display for her 90th birthday doesn’t count) was on February 20, 2021.  My fellow community activist, board member, and civically minded neighbor John Nicoli texted me a message: “You still looking for a shot?” he wrote, “Available […]

Have Vaccine Passport, Will…
By Rinaldo Brutoco   |   March 25, 2021

At the very least, travelling will be lot easier and safer with your “soon to be issued” vaccine passport. Crystal Cruises has already announced it will not accommodate any future passengers who cannot provide proof of vaccination at the time of departure. And, even then you also have to provide a current negative COVID-19 test […]

From Riven Rock to Windsor
By Richard Mineards   |   March 18, 2021

Former TV talk show titan Oprah Winfrey hosted a two-hour, hotly anticipated interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and it was worthy of a royal soap opera! It was certainly an astonishing and incendiary show, with Oprah’s Harpo Productions raking in between $7 and $9 million, according to the Wall Street Journal, and CBS […]

Vaccine Appointments Open on Mondays
By Montecito Journal   |   March 10, 2021

–From County Public Health Office Appointments for first doses of COVID-19 vaccines are available to eligible Santa Barbara County residents every Monday at 9 am through the county’s public health vaccination sites. People who are eligible for these appointments are those who work in emergency services, agriculture, and food services, and any remaining Phase 1A […]

Montecito Journal Hosts Town Hall Meeting with Local Officials on COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout
By Nick Schou   |   March 4, 2021

On February 19, the Montecito Journal hosted a mid-morning Zoom meeting during which several local politicians and health officials answered questions and addressed the challenges that have affected Santa Barbara County’s ongoing efforts to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to residents. Hosted by Editor-in-Chief Gwyn Lurie and Chief Operating Officer Tim Buckley, the meeting’s guests included U.S. […]

Editor’s Letter
By Gwyn Lurie   |   February 12, 2021

Vaccinating at least 70% of the world’s population is, to say the least, challenging. Especially when you consider the number of variables that must coalesce, like Federal, State, and local governments, private industries, varying political perspectives and trust levels, and, of course, sheer math. It’s a logistical bear. The confusion and inconsistencies that have plagued […]

Vaccine Rollout Bumpy and Confusing
By Sharon Byrne   |   January 28, 2021

If you feel confused and uncertain about COVID-19 vaccinations, you’re in the majority. The rollout has been confusing and startling, at times. The federal government releases buckets of vaccine to states, based on population. States set their priorities, hopefully in line with what the CDC recommends, and then allocate doses to counties based on their […]