‘Nothing Could be Finer’ Than This Birthday Bash
By Richard Mineards   |   July 29, 2021

It was a super sunset birthday soirée by degrees when yours truly marked the 18th anniversary of his half-century with a boffo bash at the University Club hosted by Gretchen Lieff and her beau, Miles Hartfeld. Having been scheduled to wing to an old friend Cat Pollon’s home outside Marrakech for the past two years, […]

Let the Shows Begin!
By Richard Mineards   |   July 15, 2021

Santa Barbara’s venerable Granada Theatre is back in business! The eight-story icon that towers over State Street, originally built in 1873 and rebuilt in 1924, has been eerily silent for the past 15 months, other than intermittent audience-free video filming by the Santa Barbara Symphony under maestro Nir Kabaretti. But it will finally be all […]

 

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Celebrating a Different Red, White & Blue
By Richard Mineards   |   July 8, 2021

Santa Barbara music man Alan Parsons’ organic avocado ranch in the Goleta foothills turned into a colorful outpost of his native England when 150 guests turned out to celebrate his newly awarded OBE — Order of the British Empire — from Queen Elizabeth in her birthday honors list. The red, white, and blue of the […]

Merry Chrismans
By Richard Mineards   |   July 5, 2021

The party animals were out in force when Roger and Sarah Chrisman hosted a nautical bash for the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network on their new 78-foot cruiser, Polaris II. The 30-year-old nonprofit, which cares for 3,400 animals each year and has more than 200 volunteers, has just launched a $1 million capital campaign to […]

A Birthday Bonanza
By Richard Mineards   |   July 1, 2021

Teresa Kuskey Nowak’s deliciously decadent La Boheme Dance Company, who were attired in Versailles 18th century Marie Antoinette costumes at the Santa Barbara Polo Club earlier this month, were back at the picturesque locale for the birthdays of ubiquitous KEYT-TV reporter John Palminteri and former Cottage Hospital orthopedic nurse Rochelle Mirabello. As guests feasted on […]

Tip of the Hatter
By Richard Mineards   |   June 24, 2021

More than 30 volunteers attended a Transition House auxiliary lunch at Arnoldi’s celebrating the annual Mad Hatter fundraiser which was held virtually this year given the pandemic. Thanks to a $100,000 matching gift, the event raised more than $240,000 to continue the charity’s mission to address the needs of Santa Barbara’s homeless children and their […]

The Hills are Alive
By Richard Mineards   |   June 24, 2021

It was the perfect pairing when Folded Hills winemaker Andy Busch, a former patron at the Santa Barbara Polo Club, debuted his 2018 Polo Syrah at his rustic Gaviota locale, which produces 3,200 cases of wine annually. The new vintage was made by winemaker Angela Osborne, who has now moved on to devote her time […]

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  • 68 Years and Counting . . .
    By Richard Mineards   |   June 24, 2021

    Hillside, the residential care community for adults living with intellectual and developmental abilities, celebrated the 77th birthday of its most senior resident, Barbara Williams, who has been living at the home since 1953. She has the double distinction of not only being the oldest resident, but the one who has lived at the 78-year-old home […]

    A Royals Record
    By Richard Mineards   |   June 17, 2021

    I went to the historic Rockwood Woman’s Club to speak to a record turnout of 80 guests for a Royal Tea. After British-born Janet Bullock, who served finger sandwiches and clotted cream scones on her Royal Crown Derby china, alongside dainty cups of Earl Grey tea, I regaled the club members — many wearing colorful […]

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    When Harry Met America . . .
    By Richard Mineards   |   June 17, 2021

    Prince Harry, Montecito’s latest celebrity resident, is apparently suffering an identity crisis. The Duke of Sussex, 36, may be known in major metropolitan areas like New York and Los Angeles, but when it comes to small-town America, he’s an unknown. Britain’s Daily Mail, for whom I used to scribe in the mid 1970s for Nigel […]

    History in Motion: The Roots of La Primavera
    By Lynda Millner   |   June 10, 2021

    “La Primavera” means springtime and came from the annual season when hides and tallow trade ships arrived to do business in Santa Barbara — a big industry for many decades. The rancheros would join together for the cattle round-up and get together for a meal and a party with dancing and entertainment during those old […]

    In the National Spotlight
    By Richard Mineards   |   June 10, 2021

    Laura Flores, a Girls Inc. of Carpinteria member and high school senior, was one of 100 students across the U.S. invited to participate in a virtual graduation ceremony with Vice President Kamala Harris, a primetime special that aired on CNN. Laura was one of three Girls Inc. seniors — all Teen Advocacy Council members — […]

    This Inside Joke is Headed for the Mainstream
    By Richard Mineards   |   June 10, 2021

    Santa Barbara High Junior singer Sydney Rae is going global! A self-taught musician who plays guitar, bass, and ukulele, says she has been singing since she could talk, naturally leading to the launch of her first original song “Inside Jokes” on Spotify, one of the world’s largest music streaming service providers, with more than 356 […]

    Telly Us More About It
    By Richard Mineards   |   June 10, 2021

    TV Santa Barbara, the area’s community access center that operates channels 17 and 71, is the recipient of four 2021 Telly Awards, including the prestigious Gold Award for the production of “Make Goleta Count!” Silver and bronze honors were also earned for video productions created in partnership with the Central Coast Division of the American […]

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