What Does the Community Deserve?
By Montecito Journal   |   March 5, 2024

In 2019, Das Williams said he wouldn’t accept future contributions from the cannabis industry, but he hasn’t kept this promise. The largest contribution Williams has received from the cannabis industry is from CP1 Supply Systems, located near Carpinteria and described by the Better Business Bureau as a company that deals in “Marijuana Sales and Services.” […]

What is to be Gained
By Montecito Journal   |   February 13, 2024

Dear Editor [Gwyn Lurie], You wrote, “And I say, what do we have to lose by giving him [Roy Lee] a chance to prove it? Seems not much.” (Montecito Journal, Feb. 1-8, 2024) It’s not a chance of losing anything. It’s a chance to gain a lot by electing Roy Lee 1st District County Supervisor! […]

 

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In Caltrans We (Don’t) Trust
By Montecito Journal   |   December 26, 2023

When you wrote the article about Caltrans tearing down the iconic trees in the Montecito median in order to expand the freeway, one of their excuses was that it would allow them to limit tearing up the landscape on the edges of the freeway. I wrote a letter questioning many of the positions Caltrans was […]

Love Thy Neighbor
By Montecito Journal   |   December 5, 2023

You’d think someone moving into a new neighborhood would want to maybe take a beat and see what the vibe is like, maybe see how things happen, maybe get a feel for the place. After all, who wants to start off on the wrong foot with the people who are going to be living next […]

Ring Nets Removal Response
By Montecito Journal   |   November 14, 2023

Regarding the “Ring Nets” installed in the canyons above Montecito in response to the disastrous mudslide of January 9, 2018: As the Executive Director of an environmental organization in Santa Barbara, I joined the Board of The Project for Resilient Communities (TPRC) to watch the proceedings from an environmental point of view. The Ring Nets […]

Creeping Totalitarianism
By Montecito Journal   |   October 24, 2023

An unsightly gate was recently installed at the trailhead to Hot Springs Canyon with the given reason that the trail should be closed on days of high fire danger for safety reasons. This is the same canyon that was closed several months ago after heavy rains and where the authorities imposed draconian penalties of possible […]

Re: Roundabouts
By Montecito Journal   |   September 19, 2023

I’m not a civil engineer so I admit to being somewhat confused about the need for roundabouts versus single lane stops due to the improvements to the HWY101. More lanes are not exiting onto San Ysidro or Coast Village at once are they? My concern is one of proper (and pleasing) scale and awkwardness. These […]

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  • A Little Local History on Roundabouts
    By Montecito Journal   |   September 12, 2023

    Traffic circles sound so British, don’t they. I feel like folk in Downton Abbey period garb should be milling around, with an occasional ‘ahooga’ horn barreling into the Olive Mill. Thanks for your softly-wrapped skepticism/wariness about the new “fixes.” I was an outspoken critic when the idea first surfaced and maintained a wary and concerned […]

    Big Box Thoughts
    By Montecito Journal   |   August 8, 2023

    I just read Jeff Harding’s piece on the addition of Restoration Hardware in the Vol. 29 Issue 30 edition of the MJ. While I generally agree with a lot of what Jeff had to say, I feel like the piece requires some clarification. The reason these formulaic retailers he mentions are on Coast Village is […]

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    Summerland IS Beautiful… And Summerland is NOT a Food Desert
    By Montecito Journal   |   July 11, 2023

    Summerland is a unique blend of small-town charm, a vibrant mix of locally-owned stores and restaurants, and an outdoor paradise. Ocean views abound from every street.  We are a close-knit and welcoming community. Our town exudes a friendly and neighborly spirit. We support each other in crisis.   We are NOT a food desert. We […]

    Remembering Milt’s Magic
    By Montecito Journal   |   June 20, 2023

    More than just a “Magic Man,” Milt Larsen was a kind and generous person. It’s inevitable that he and Arlene should marry, because they’re both the same – so friendly and giving. Milt and I first met when I joined the Magic Castle. Over our 50+ year friendship, he was always generous with his time, […]

    Life in Casa
    By Montecito Journal   |   May 30, 2023

    When I moved to Casa Dorinda on January 1, 2009, after being on the waitlist for five years, it was the height of the 2008 financial disaster which cost me a $300,000 loss on the sale of my house. I had friends from the Music Academy of the West here, and the first four years […]

    Food Trucks are Part of the Real World
    By Montecito Journal   |   May 23, 2023

    I read in last week’s edition [of MJ] that someone has told the food trucks not to come to Montecito because of complaints. I find this shocking – that someone would complain when the people eating lunch at these trucks are mainly working for them! I am a direct next-door neighbor to the Olive Mill […]

    “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth”
    By Montecito Journal   |   May 16, 2023

    I am glad that “Robert’s Big Questions” are published regularly in the weekly Montecito Journal. The writer is among my most interesting friends (among other things, he’s the widely grinning high-brow guy cavorting about on his unicycle in parades and events around town), and I find it worthwhile to consider how and what he thinks. […]

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