To UCSB’s Campbell Hall to see the talented Danish String Quartet perform part two of its four-year-old Doppelgänger Project, supported by the college’s Arts & Lectures program, as well as New York’s Carnegie Hall. The project pairs world premieres from four renowned composers with chamber music masterpieces by Schubert, including “Death and the Maiden” and […]

Six communication amazons were honored at the newly renovated Cabrillo Pavilion when the local chapter of The Association for Women in Communications held its 14th annual Santa Barbara event emceed by former KEYT-TV anchor and 2012 award recipient Paula Lopez Ochoa. The resilient and courageous sextet of communicators, who played key roles in getting critical […]

An energized and frenetic program provided a thoroughly entertaining evening when New York-based Ballet Hispánico performed Noche de Oro: A Celebration of 50 Years at the Granada, as part of the popular UCSB Arts & Lectures program. The tony troupe, under artistic director Eduardo Vilaro, performed three very differing works with Arabesque from 1984, an […]

Munificence reigned supreme when the Santa Barbara Education Foundation held its annual Hope Awards at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum honoring Montecito uber philanthropist Sara Miller McCune and Frank Stevens, who has been involved with the organization for its entire 37-year history. Tributes were paid to the dynamic duo by Barbara Keyani, former executive director […]

Head Start, the federal early childhood education program, was established in 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty with a goal of promoting school readiness to young children from low-income families through providing health, educational, nutritional, and social services. Two years later, Community Action Commission, or CAC, incorporated as a nonprofit to […]

It was an evening of decidedly high note when Lebanese-born soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian performed in a Glorious and Free concert at the Lobero, part of CAMA’s – the Community Arts Music Association – Masterseries. The performance of Romani-inspired songs and operetta arias featured works by Dvorak, Brahms, Lehar, Salman, and Yvain sung effortlessly by the […]

My congratulations to my friend and Journal colleague Lynn Kirst who has achieved sainthood! Our illustrious organ’s bridle correspondent has been selected to portray Saint Barbara in this year’s Old Spanish Days fiesta by the 121-year-old Reina Del Mar No.126 of Native Daughters of the Golden West. In a tradition that dates back to 1926, […]

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria celebrated empowering women and girls at its annual Women of Inspiration luncheon recently. And what could be a more powerful example than a NASA rocket scientist, Tracy Van Houten, to give the keynote speech? Tracy is a lead engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). She calls herself a STEMinist (Science, […]

There’s a group of folks who are changing the face of Montecito in a good way – their goal is to “Walk Montecito” safely. The Montecito Neighborhood Trail Network would allow pedestrians to feel safe to bike or walk to school, parks, beaches, and businesses. The movers and shakers are CEO and co-founder Abe Powell […]

It’s been three long years since Transition House Auxiliary has been able to have their Mad Hatter Luncheon. This year the theme was “Roaring ‘20s Revisited,” and indeed it was. The Rosewood Miramar ballroom was filled with fascinators, fringe, and feathers. Carolyn Sweet took home the most beautiful chapeau, Scott Seltzer went away with most […]