“The moon is made of green cheese.” Fact or Opinion? This was a question we were given in a high school English unit on telling the difference between facts and opinions. This was a required part of the Montgomery County, Maryland curriculum. It took me many years to learn that it was not part of […]
This political season feels tedious and interminable. Like watching Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar acceptance speech on a continuous loop. Set to elevator music. And then the elevator gets stuck. Unfortunately, for many of the races that matter to us, we still have eight months to go till November – eight months of promises, sniping, wooing, and […]
Recently Trending
More from Montecito
Passion and Competence When Das Williams was on the Santa Barbara City Council, I was the wife of a Councilmember, Grant House. Since then Das has been both my State Assembly member and my County Supervisor. I got to know him when he served on the Council, and have seen him grow since. Das was […]
Why is it so hard for politicians to say: I’m sorry? Why has the apology become the very last resort? I wondered this when Bill Clinton took so long to pseudo apologize for his behavior with Monica Lewinsky… and lied to Congress about it. I wonder this about Donald Trump – who seems to operate […]
Rumors were rampant last Wednesday as federal agents from the Los Angeles Field Division of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) swarmed the Upper Village to serve an inspection search warrant on the iconic San Ysidro Pharmacy and its popular owner Steve Hoyt. The audit began at roughly 9 am and ended by mid-afternoon. Customers were […]
Not many people pay much attention to the Montecito Sanitary District. Neither did I. When solicited by the Water Security Team, I learned how change in the MSD direction was needed for several vital reasons. So, I became a candidate. Woody Barrett and I were voted by you, our community, in as directors, thank you! […]
Endorsement Clarification As the Chair of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party, I would like to respond to the recent editorial which portrays the timing of the Party’s endorsement as unfair. All our endorsement deadlines are listed on our webpage in advance, so individuals interested in being endorsed have ample time to apply. I am […]
It has been more than 25 years since the formal adoption of the Montecito Community Plan, crafted by concerned citizens, who were charged with protecting and preserving the special, small town, semi-rural residential character of our community. Back in 1995, semi-rural meant the lack of sidewalks and traffic lights, narrow winding roads, subtle road signage, […]
I started this column wanting to highlight how people can have an impact or create positive change, find personal meaning, and sometimes even make money doing it. I hoped to spotlight new and existing opportunities to benefit our community – what’s out there and what can be done to achieve these goals, who is doing […]
Read more...
Inaugural Event a Success Congratulations to the Montecito Journal on a very successful and well attended 1st District Supervisor Debate. The evening was informative, professional, well organized, and even had some humor sprinkled in. Although free to those of us in the audience, I’m confident that even with the support from the Montecito Association, the […]
By all accounts, Monday night’s candidate debate at Hahn Hall was a rousing success. Over 300 of Montecito’s finest showed up and packed the house to hear First District Supervisor Das Williams and challenger Laura Capps respond to questions from community leaders and to hear the candidates make their case why he or she should […]
In case you’re wondering why I missed my first column in 25 years last week, it’s because of a new law passed by the state of California. If I’m not a full-time employee of the Montecito Journal, I’m only allowed to write 35 columns a year, not my usual 52. Few small papers can afford […]
Only in California is it possible for two accomplished Democrats, with near perfect party pedigrees, to run for one job to represent the voters of District 1 as a Supervisor for Santa Barbara County. Political pundits promise that this year’s race for the District 1 seat between the incumbent Das Williams and the challenger Laura […]
A story you may have missed while you were busy celebrating the holidays was the December 31 closing of the gargantuan (half million square foot) “Newseum” – just steps from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue – after 11 years and ten million visitors. Various news outlets decried the poignancy and irony of the 450 […]
