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 […]

“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 […]

For more than 40 years, Human Rights Watch has enjoyed an international reputation for taking on and often accomplishing its mission to scrupulously investigate abuses to widely expose the facts and then relentlessly press those in power, ranging from governments to armed groups to businesses — all in the name of change. Its ability to […]

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 — […]

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 […]

The Friendship Center serves an often overlooked, but much-needed niche for the aging adult community — providing a daytime home away from home where the dependent seniors can take advantage of companionship and engaging activities. They also receive necessary supervision while their family caregivers receive respite and a much-needed break from the demands of caregiving […]

It was all two grand for words when Roger and Sarah Chrisman, just back from their home in Indian Wells after six months of lockdown, opened the doors of their charming Ennisbrook home for a concert by singers from Opera Santa Barbara’s Chrisman Young Artists Program. A pair of grand pianos, a Steinway and a […]

Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC) executive artistic director Jonathan Fox was already talking about reopening when he was interviewed for the original Giving List book connecting philanthropists and nonprofits that we published last November. At this point, to the surprise of no one, six months later that still hasn’t happened as the pandemic pounced once again […]

As I was heading up to the Paseo Nuevo parking lot roof to go to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), I saw two artists painting a gigantic mural on the wall outside. Turns out it was due to be finished the following day in honor of Earth Day. Check it out the next time […]

Breast Cancer Resource Center’s (BCRC) main word is “Thrive.” “From the core of oneself, a Thriver taps deeply into innate courage so as to reshape and redefine life’s undesirable circumstances and emerge vibrantly anew.” To thrive is like a plant; to grow vigorously. Every year, BCRC gives a fashion show and luncheon with the models, […]