Sheila Lodge, the first woman mayor of Santa Barbara and its longest-serving, died on July 8 at age 97. She probably will always be Santa Barbara’s longest-serving mayor, since term limits now restrict her successors to two terms. She is less known all the way over in Montecito, which is not part of Santa Barbara […]
By Lisa Duncan “It doesn’t get any better, especially for a guy like Messi,” smiled Argentine polo player Santi Wulff as families in sky-blue-and-white jerseys gathered at the Santa Barbara Polo Club following Argentina’s appearance in the FIFA World Cup Final. “We are very proud. I know we all want to win, but we are […]
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Among Sally Hall’s carefully organized papers, her family discovered a note she had written years before her health declined. It was tucked beside a stack of addressed and stamped envelopes, ready to be mailed. “Dear Friends, Our beloved mother, Sally Hall, has died very peacefully. Thank you for your long and happy friendships. Gratefully, The […]
By Lisa Duncan “This story goes back 20 years,” laughed Dana Newquist. “There were only three of us on the Fire District board – me, Ron Jensen, and John Venable. John and I were put in charge of hiring new firefighters, and one of the first questions we asked Ben Hauser was, ‘Can you cook?’ […]
By Lisa Duncan “Can I get a ‘Viva la Fiesta!’? Viva!” rang out beneath the arches of historic Casa de la Guerra as Native Daughters of the Golden West welcomed guests to its Pre-Fiesta Tea. This year marked two remarkable milestones: the parlor’s 125th anniversary and 100 years of selecting a Saint Barbara, celebrating the […]
By Lisa Duncan “Seventy-two years… and I’m still working full time!” laughed David Francis Taggart, as though there was nothing remarkable about showing up every day for George Ben Page and his family for the past 72 years. At 89, the SBHS Class of 1954 Don climbed behind the wheel of Mission Linen’s beautifully restored […]
By Lisa Duncan “Growing up here, Bellosguardo was always one of those places surrounded by mystery,” smiled Kathleen Sieck before taking the stage with the Santa Barbara Symphony. “As teenagers, we always wondered what was up here.” This Fourth of July, the Santa Barbara singer returned not as the curious teenager peering through the gates, […]
Glimmers Childhood Cancer Foundation President Vanessa Decker didn’t know what to do with herself when her 13-year-old daughter Ava passed away on May 9, 2024, just 18 months after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare and very aggressive bone cancer, devastating the family already exhausted from a battle with the disease. Fortunately, Ava did. “Even […]
“The theme for this whole panel today is this: Just start!” declared Stephanie Barbé Hammer, summing up the lively final panel discussion at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. Moderated by novelist Nancy Klann-Moren, the conversation quickly became less about writing books and more about building a successful writing life. When asked how they juggle writing […]
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Americans across the country and around the world will be marking the nation’s 250th anniversary this Saturday on July 4th, and perhaps a more impactful celebration of independence three weeks later, when Hillside hosts a festival at its Hidden Valley campus to celebrate National Disability Independence Day. It’s the second year for the festival, which […]
Venezuela, located at the northernmost tip of South America, occupies a typically enviable spot in the middle of the tropics. Gaze northward from a beach there and you’re taking in both the Caribbean and the mighty Atlantic. The country also sits atop a tectonic meeting place, a boundary where the Caribbean and South American plates […]
As guests arrived for Friendship Center’s third annual Senior Prom this spring, there were dresses to admire, jackets to straighten, old friends to greet, and a dance floor waiting just a few steps away. Volunteers and Richie’s barbers gave guests makeovers. Corsages were pinned. Music filled the room. Members arrived hand in hand with spouses, […]
By Lisa Duncan “We all long for music’s emotional stories.” That simple observation from Philip Sheegog set the tone for an extraordinary evening at Hahn Hall, where the 2017 Music Academy of the West alumnus returned alongside violinist Jonathan Miron as the Grammy-winning duo ARKAI. Fresh off bringing Madison Square Garden to its feet during […]
By Lisa Duncan Father’s Day brought family, fierce competition, and two powerhouse patrónas to the field at the Santa Barbara Polo Club for the championship final of the 12 Goal Intra-Circuit Cup. On one side was Brazilian patróna Alecia Seidler, owner of Quite on Z. On the other was Sarah Siegel-Magness, the driving force behind […]
