Last week, thousands of displaced Montecito residents were allowed to go back to their homes, after being mandatorily evacuated for more than two weeks following the mudflow event on January 9. The majority of Montecito residents and business owners are slowly getting back to their day-to-day routine, as others have spent the last week removing […]
On Tuesday, January 23, evacuation orders were lifted on the western flank of Montecito, including Coast Village Road, which was closed for two weeks following the mudslides on January 9. Major utilities including sewer, electricity, and gas, were up-and-running, allowing most businesses to repopulate and welcome customers back to the business district, following the opening […]
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At a District board meeting on January 22, the Montecito Fire Protection District Board of Directors was briefed on the mudslide situation by division chief of operations, Kevin Taylor. As of Monday, the recovery operations for the incident was transitioned to the County’s Emergency Operations Center, with Montecito Fire having an advisory role in the […]
Life on campus is returning to normal this week after Montecito Water District officials certified Westmont’s water supply as drinkable January 20. Of course, “normal” means something different after the devastation of the Montecito mudslides. When students returned January 16, the campus had water but remained under a mandatory boil-water order, so the college supplied […]
Westmont reopened its campus for students January 16 and resumed classes January 17 after the voluntary evacuation on January 9 following the Montecito mudslides. The Westmont campus sustained no damage from the storm, but students were voluntarily evacuated after college officials learned of water restrictions that would affect food preparation and sanitation. Crews delivered portable […]
Last month, after a mandatory evacuation because of the Thomas Fire that destroyed 1,063 homes, which saw me fleeing to animal activist Gretchen Lieff‘s ranch near Santa Maria, and then flying to England to spend Yuletide at a 400-year-old cottage in Cornwall with Santa Barbara Polo Club sponsor Cat Pollon, I thought the disruption was […]
Former Oscars emcee and TV talker Ellen DeGeneres put the generous in her name when she hosted local firefighters to a bash at her Montecito home, Villa di Lemma, to thank them for their help during the Thomas Fire. Ten members of Strike Team 2040A from various departments in Contra Costa County and three fire […]
On January 12 at 5 pm, I received media clearance at the corner of Coast Village Road and Coast Village Circle from the SBPD to view the large-scale Thomas Fire Flood rescue and clean-up operations along CVR through Olive Mill Road to Virginia Road. The SBPD asked that the MJ emphasize to all readers the […]
General Michael Hayden, an expert on cybersecurity and a retired director of the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, will speak at the 12th annual Westmont President’s Breakfast on Friday, February 9, from 7 to 9 am in the Grand Ballroom of Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort. Tickets cost $125 per person and go on […]
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The Coast Village Association and representatives from the City of Santa Barbara will host an emergency community meeting to discuss cleanup and restoration of Coast Village Road and Coast Village Circle following the devastating mudslides affecting Montecito. Attendees from the City of Santa Barbara include Rebecca Bjork, director of Public Works; Paul Casey, City administrator; […]
The first day of 2018 found Montecito with a bright-blue and sun-filled morning sky, balmy with a breeze at 72 degrees, thanks to our brave firefighters who abated the Thomas Fire to 92 percent containment. It also heralded the reunion of the Miramar Beach Club’s Annual Polar Bear Swimmers, who met at Butterfly Beach down […]
On Tuesday, January 9, 2018, Montecito endured the most catastrophic natural disaster of the last several decades as a rain storm created multiple mudslides and flooding, taking the lives of at least 13 people. As of press time, more than 25 Montecito residents remain unaccounted for; there are also dozens of homes lost and even […]
Westmont began spring semester as scheduled on January 8, while preparing campus for rain late that afternoon and the following day. The college was not in Santa Barbara County’s evacuation zone that included many areas below the Thomas Fire burn scar, but public safety officers kept a 24-hour watch for flooding. In the first chapel […]
As another year passes, we reflect on notable events in the Montecito community. From California’s largest wildfire, progress on development and new businesses, school happenings, retirements, and more, 2017 was a busy year in Montecito. While far from all-inclusive, here is a snapshot of our community’s happenings in 2017. Thomas Fire Without a doubt, […]
