Election campaign season is about to begin, and the local election for Montecito Sanitary and Montecito Water Districts is on the November 6 ballot. I have served on the Montecito Sanitary District for 12 years, and this is the first time I have run in a competitive re-election campaign. Who would imagine that this year, […]

Recycling of treated wastewater is environmentally responsible and can create a significant new water supply for both landscaping water (sometimes referred to as non-potable or “purple pipe” water) by surface spreading, or even better, indirect potable reuse (IPR) by injecting the purified water into local groundwater basins as recharge water for later withdrawal as a […]

This November, three seats on the five-member Board of the Montecito Water District (MWD) will terminate, allowing interested candidates to run for the open positions. The MWD, formed in 1921 is governed by a majority vote of the five elected directors who serve four-year terms. These directors determine policy and approve the expenditure of funds […]

Earlier this week, travelers driving along southbound Highway 101 at night and in the early-morning hours were detoured off the freeway along Coast Village Road, as Caltrans began a four-month project to replace the bridge rails on the 101 overcrossing at Olive Mill Road. Full overnight closures are expected through the end of the week, […]

Santa Barbara mayor Cathy Murillo was able to take a well-deserved bow last week as she and Josh Haggmark, City Water Resources manager; Cathy Taylor, Water Systems manager; Randy Rowse and other civic leaders celebrated the one-year anniversary of the reopening of the City’s Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant. All hailed the addition of desalinated […]

Opening to a warm welcome from the community, Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro softly opened the doors to its newest location in Coast Village Plaza on August 15. Owner Renaud Gonthier sat down with us last week to discuss the new bistro and bakery, which is currently serving breakfast and lunch and will eventually serve dinner […]

Four months after opening for business in April, Frankland’s Crab & Co at the Montecito Inn is closed for modifications, and will reopen in a few weeks with a new concept: Chaplin’s Martini Bar. The new concept will offer guests staying at the hotel, as well as residents and visitors, a sleek lounge serving cocktails […]

At a hearing on August 13, the Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission (HLAC) heard from both sides of a contentious third party nomination for historic land marking in Montecito. Rancho San Carlos, the 237-acre property on East Valley Road, long owned by the Jackson family, was being considered for nomination as a Santa Barbara County Historic […]

At this month’s Montecito Association (MA) Board meeting, three new faces joined the organization, including new executive director Sharon Byrne. Outgoing executive director Allison Marcillac, hired in November, lost her home in the mudslide in January, and has decided to resign in order to focus her time and effort on rebuilding her home. “I have […]

After 43 years, Antoinette Boutique in Coast Village Walk has moved! Still in the same shopping center, Antoinette is now located between Occhiali and Sakana, in the space formerly occupied by Dance Fever Studio, which closed last month. “We are thrilled, and it’s a really good move for us,” said longtime manager Marissa Fritz. “It’s […]