Tag: Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara Quakers join interfaith challenge to Department of Homeland Security’s rescission of sensitive locations policy

by  •  • Comments Off on Santa Barbara Quakers join interfaith challenge to Department of Homeland Security’s rescission of sensitive locations policy

SANTA BARBARA — Friends General Conference (FGC), a national Quaker organization, joined multiple religious organizations in challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) reversal of the sensitive locations policy, which previously limited immigration enforcement actions at places of worship. The Santa Barbara Friends Meeting (SBFM) as an affiliate of FGC, joined this legal challenge.

We are an unprogrammed meeting of Quakers and we reaffirm that our house of worship serves as a sanctuary for all. The belief that God is within every person has powerful ramifications.

Read more →

Transgender Unity March to be held March 1 in Santa Barbara

by  •  • Comments Off on Transgender Unity March to be held March 1 in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA — On Saturday, March 1st, 2025, the Santa Barbara community will stand in solidarity with a nationwide movement advocating for the rights and dignity of transgender people. The Transgender Unity March will take place at De La Guerra Plaza at noon, 20 East De la Guerra inviting transgender individuals, allies, and community members to join in support of equality and justice.

Across the country, transgender people are facing increasing threats, including policies that restrict access to healthcare, limit mobility, and endanger lives. The Transgender Unity March is a direct response to this growing discrimination, offering a platform for voices to rise against these injustices and for the community to demand action.

Read more →

Former Santa Barbara PASF winner Alexander Lipay takes home two Grammy Awards

by  •  • Comments Off on Former Santa Barbara PASF winner Alexander Lipay takes home two Grammy Awards

Lipay won the awards for Best Classical Compendium 2024 and Best Orchestral Performance 2024 at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles earlier this month alongside the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Gustavo Dudamel. The awards recognized the orchestra’s recording of Revolución Diamantina, a ballet score by renowned Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz. Lipay engineered the recording alongside his father, Dmitriy Lipay.

Read more →

Santa Barbara’s Music Academy of the West announces 2025 board officers, directors and honors retiring members

by  •  • Comments Off on Santa Barbara’s Music Academy of the West announces 2025 board officers, directors and honors retiring members

This remarkable group will help grow the Academy’s mission to provide musicians and audiences alike with transformative music experiences through public performances and community programs. Newly elected Board officers and members began their terms on January 1, 2025.

Read more →

Register now for Community Environmental Council’s Winter Climate Stewards Cohort starting Jan. 28 in Santa Barbara

by  •  • Comments Off on Register now for Community Environmental Council’s Winter Climate Stewards Cohort starting Jan. 28 in Santa Barbara

When climate disasters strike, knowing how to help impacted communities and habitats can be daunting. CEC’s Climate Stewards certification program equips you with the knowledge to take climate action and connects you with a network of local activists working to promote community recovery and resilience.

Read more →

Free, online “Fearless Femme Summit” from Feb 3 to 6 offers career-boosting advice for women in STEM

by  •  • Comments Off on Free, online “Fearless Femme Summit” from Feb 3 to 6 offers career-boosting advice for women in STEM

SANTA BARBARA — More women than ever are working in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, but they’re still vastly outnumbered by men. For many women professionals that can lead to a feeling of isolation, as well as problems with discrimination, unconscious bias and a lack of role models and support.

Leadership coach Mary Jean Vignone, Ph.D., aims to change that. From Feb. 3 to 6 she will be hosting the second annual “Fearless Femme Summit: Propel Your Career in STEM” The free event, which will be held entirely online from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day, is designed to help women in STEM reach new heights in their careers and become authentic leaders.

Registration is open to STEM professionals, students and the public at no cost by signing up at www.fearlessfemmesummit.com. Participants can also sign up for a paid group coaching program and individualized emotional intelligence assessments that include free access to Fearless Femme Summit speaker videos.

Read more →

Community Environmental Council — 2025 is the year for climate leadership!

by  •  • Comments Off on Community Environmental Council — 2025 is the year for climate leadership!

CEC’s Climate Stewards certification program is designed to foster connection, confidence, and inspiration for grassroots climate action. Gain the tools and support to tackle climate impacts in your life, work, and community. Let’s work together for a sustainable future — the climate movement needs YOU!

Our Climate Stewards program empowers participants to play an active role in their community to advance rapid and equitable solutions to the climate crisis. Together, our community of 200-strong Climate Steward alumni are leading climate justice initiatives and pushing forward thousands of local solutions.

The next cohort starts January 28, 2025. Now is the perfect time to invest in your future, and the future of our planet!

Read more →

Jan. 8 — District 216 announces upcoming events

by  •  • Comments Off on Jan. 8 — District 216 announces upcoming events

Description: Bob & Kevin will present overviewing psychedelics as a promising treatment for chronic pain conditions, including cluster headache and migraine. They will cover the history of research in this area dating back to a study of mescal/peyote in 1896. Bob & Kevin will explain the Mechanisms of Action that are believed to be involved in pain relief and will detail the substances, doses, schedules and adjunctive therapies that are most commonly used when using psychedelics for chronic pain.

When: Wednesday, January 8th, 2025 from 5pm to 9pm (Speaker at 6:30pm)

Read more →

Oct. 23 — Lila Downs to perform — Music and Dances of Mexico — Día de los Muertos — at the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara

by  •  • Comments Off on Oct. 23 — Lila Downs to perform — Music and Dances of Mexico — Día de los Muertos — at the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara

Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning icon Lila Downs brings her powerful voice and magnetic stage presence to a vibrant celebration of Día de Muertos. Raised in Minnesota and Oaxaca, Downs blends traditional Mexican and Mesoamerican music with folk, jazz, blues and originals in a deeply personal interpretation of Día de Muertos. This festive evening will also feature mariachis and dancers, evoking the rich spirit and color of Day of the Dead on both sides of the border.

Read more →

Bilingual report — Community Environmental Council announces get up to $2,000 for an E-Bike

by  •  • Comments Off on Bilingual report — Community Environmental Council announces get up to $2,000 for an E-Bike

The California E-Bike Incentive Project is a statewide program making eco-friendly transportation more affordable and accessible. Eligible applicants can receive up to $2,000 toward the purchase of an e-bike. Applications open December 18, 2024 at 6 p.m.

Read more →

Santa Barbara’s Community Environmental Council update — How We’re Building Resilience to Wildfires

by  •  • Comments Off on Santa Barbara’s Community Environmental Council update — How We’re Building Resilience to Wildfires

Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and extreme weather events are driving the severity and frequency of wildfires. So far this year, California has had more than 7,000 wildfires — including our region’s recent Lake and Mountain Fire — that have ravaged a million acres, destroying homes and communities, impacting air quality, and releasing massive amounts of pollution into the atmosphere. Every one of these fires represents a setback to carbon reduction efforts.

But we have the collective power to stop this climate chaos.

The Community Environmental Council recognized early on that the California Central Coast provides the perfect climate lab to test solutions that can protect our and other regions from future fires. The good news is our solutions are working.

Read more →

LEAP in Santa Barbara Receives National Diaper Need Awareness Week Proclamation

by  •  • Comments Off on LEAP in Santa Barbara Receives National Diaper Need Awareness Week Proclamation

The proclamation, introduced by 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann and co-sponsored by 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps, acknowledges the critical issue of diaper need – the inability to afford enough clean diapers. It highlights the adverse impact this has on the health and well-being of children and families. National surveys conducted by the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) indicate that nearly one in two families struggle with diaper need, with many parents being forced to skip meals or delay changing diapers to extend their supply.

Read more →

Arlington Financial Advisors Names Financial Professional to Guide Strategic Business Development

by  •  • Comments Off on Arlington Financial Advisors Names Financial Professional to Guide Strategic Business Development

SANTA BARBARA — Arlington Financial Advisors has named an trust professional, Frank Tabar, to guide Strategic Business Development for the Santa Barbara-based firm.

Before joining Arlington in May, Tabar spent 12 years as a Senior vice president technology officer with the Farmers & Merchants Trust Company of Long Beach; the last seven of those years he was also a senior vice president trust manager with the Farmers and Merchants Trust Company, Santa Barbara Branch. He spent two years with Bank of the West as vice president and strategic project and trust operations manager, and 15 years at Santa Barbara Bank & Trust in a variety of roles including trust client management, trust operations and compliance.

Read more →

Teacher’s Fund in Santa Barbara Launches 2024 Back to School Supplies Drive to Support Local Educators and Students

by  •  • Comments Off on Teacher’s Fund in Santa Barbara Launches 2024 Back to School Supplies Drive to Support Local Educators and Students

SANTA BARBARA — The non-profit Teacher’s Fund has launched its annual Back to School Supplies Drive with the goal of raising $75,000 to purchase educational supplies for Santa Barbara-area teachers and students.

This year’s fundraising drive launches August 20 and runs through September 20. Anyone interested in donating to the drive can do so here http://www.tfsuppliesdrive.com/. Donors can contribute to specific items requested by teachers or submit a general donation. Common teacher wish list items include STEM supplies, learning toys, art supplies, electronics, and classroom furniture.

Alternatively, individuals and organizations can sponsor the supplies drive. Sponsorship levels start at $250 and include social media mentions and entries for the chance to win one of numerous prizes and other recognitions.

Read more →

Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara announces 2024 Marilyn Horne Song Competition Winners Mariam Mouawad mezzo-soprano & Eric Head piano

by  •  • Comments Off on Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara announces 2024 Marilyn Horne Song Competition Winners Mariam Mouawad mezzo-soprano & Eric Head piano

SANTA BARBARA — The Music Academy of the West, 2024 Summer Music Festival, which kicked off June 12 and runs through August 3 at the Music Academy’s idyllic campus — and throughout the stunning setting of the American Riviera in Santa Barbara, California — has featured nearly 130 live events including the Academy Festival Orchestra, Bizet’s opera Carmen, public masterclasses, and world-renowned competitions in solo piano, duo, and song. 

Read more →

805 CoWorking Collective Announces New Member and International Coworking Day Celebration

by  •  • Comments Off on 805 CoWorking Collective Announces New Member and International Coworking Day Celebration

SANTA BARBARA — The 805 CoWorking Collective welcomes Flow Community Workspace in Santa Maria as its newest member, further expanding the network of coworking spaces available to professionals on the Central Coast. “By joining the 805 CoWorking Collective, Flow is…

Read more →

Bilingual report — REACH Fellowship in Santa Barbara Announces Summer Trips for REACH Fellows

by  •  • Comments Off on Bilingual report — REACH Fellowship in Santa Barbara Announces Summer Trips for REACH Fellows

Fellows during their Backpacking Trip, Photo Credit Rob Balloch *** Becarios durante su viaje de mochilero, Crédito de Foto Rob Balloch.

SANTA BARBARA — REACH Fellowship, a leading organization dedicated to empowering students through educational and experiential learning opportunities, is thrilled to announce their summer trips designed to inspire and educate the participants in the program, referred to as Fellows. This year, REACH Fellows will attend a variety of enriching trips, including college tours, backpacking adventures, and culminating experiential trips, both international and domestic. REACH staff carefully select these Fellows during the fall of their junior year of high school through a rigorous selection process, and each cohort is supported through the summer of their first year of college. The primary goal of the program is to support first-generation, low- to moderate-income students in Santa Barbara County. REACH is able to fund the program, these trips, and other workshops through the support of the Audacious Foundation and other generous donors. This support enables us to offer the program to students at no cost to them or their families.

Read more →

Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara — Step Inside the 2024 Gala: Exclusive Photos & Highlights

by  •  • Comments Off on Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara — Step Inside the 2024 Gala: Exclusive Photos & Highlights

The Gala raised $325,000 which supports the Music Academy’s full-scholarship program that brings 137 fellows from across the country and around the world to study and perform with world-class teaching artists in Santa Barbara during the annual eight week Summer Festival, benefits the Academy’s Sing! Children’s Chorus of Santa Barbara County youth, and subsidizes 3,000 Community Access Tickets for the Santa Barbara community to attend live performances.

Read more →

Village Properties in Santa Barbara launches commercial real estate division

by  •  • Comments Off on Village Properties in Santa Barbara launches commercial real estate division

SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara area’s largest independent real estate company, Village Properties, has established a new division to provide dedicated advice and representation to clients with commercial properties.   

The new Village Properties Commercial Group will work closely with clients seeking to purchase or sell multi-family dwellings, boutique commercial and retail properties, mixed-use buildings, and agricultural or buildable land.

Read more →

Village Properties in Santa Barbara welcomes five experienced realtors

by  •  • Comments Off on Village Properties in Santa Barbara welcomes five experienced realtors

SANTA BARBARA — Village Properties, the Santa Barbara area’s largest independent real estate company, recently attracted five seasoned agents to its growing team of Realtors.

Jen Plana, David Marchetti, Deja Rabb, Nicole Wesley and Nicole Powers join the more than 180 accomplished Village Properties’ Realtors serving clients across the Santa Barbara region including Montecito, Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez. Agents are hired based on their expertise, credentials, local knowledge and commitment to superior customer service, as well as their desire to support Village Properties’ mission of giving back to the community.

Read more →

Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation announces 2024 music contest winners

by  •  • Comments Off on Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation announces 2024 music contest winners

SANTA BARBARA — Six young musicians took home thousands of dollars in scholarships Sunday, April 28, after competing in the annual music contest organized by the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation.

A professional panel of judges selected first and second place winners in the adult instrumentalist, junior instrumentalist and vocalist categories. Eleven finalists performed at the event. Awards ranged from $500 to $6,000 and totaled $26,000 overall. The contest took place at Music Academy of the West in Montecito.

This year’s vocal division winner is Ava Kimmel, 22, a soprano and junior at Westmont College. Second prize goes to Xeni Tziouvaras, 29, a mezzo-soprano and freelance vocalist embarking on an international opera career following graduation from the Manhattan School of Music.

Read more →

Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation in Santa Barbara welcomes board member Jil Felber

by  •  • Comments Off on Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation in Santa Barbara welcomes board member Jil Felber

SANTA BARBARA — Jill Felber, an internationally acclaimed recording artist and a music professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has joined The Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation board.

Felber is a dynamic flute recitalist, chamber musician, legendary contemporary music specialist, and distinguished flute professor for the UC Santa Barbara’s Woodwind, Brass and Percussion Program in the Department of Music. Her performances have received media acclaim worldwide and are known to dazzle and excite audiences. She’s been described as an “outstanding American flutist” and praised for her “consummate musicianship.”

Read more →

Michael Yang at Arlington Financial Advisors obtains CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation

by  •  • Comments Off on Michael Yang at Arlington Financial Advisors obtains CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation

SANTA BARBARA — Michael Yang, formerly a paraplanner with Registered Investment Advisory firm Arlington Financial Advisors, has stepped into a new role as financial planner for the company after completing the rigorous requirements to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™.

Yang, who joined Arlington Financial Advisors in February 2021, completed the demanding CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) Certification Professional Education Program after more than a year of study and passed the exam needed to earn the nationally recognized CFP® designation.

Read more →

LA Posada Grand Opening Attracts Hundreds from Our Community

by  •  • Comments Off on LA Posada Grand Opening Attracts Hundreds from Our Community

La Posada is an 80-unit temporary supportive housing community serving people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in South Santa Barbara County. Permanent housing is the longer-term goal, and La Posada closes the gap between living outdoors and housing stability, where residents can be safe and receive the critical supportive services needed. La Posada is a public-private collaboration between DignityMoves, the County of Santa Barbara, and Good Samaritan Shelter, the service provider and operator.  

Read more →

Eleven finalists to compete at 2024 Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation contest

by  •  • Comments Off on Eleven finalists to compete at 2024 Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation contest

SANTA BARBARA — Eleven instrumentalists and vocalists will compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships on April 28 after being selected as finalists for the annual Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation’s Competition Concert.

The foundation’s Audition Committee selected the finalists during auditions held April 5 and 6 at Music Academy of the West’s Weinmann Hall in Montecito. A total of 24 adults and youth competed to earn a place in the final competition.

Read more →

Bilingual report — Our Collective Impact: 2024 Community Report Presented by CenCal Health

by  •  • Comments Off on Bilingual report — Our Collective Impact: 2024 Community Report Presented by CenCal Health

“Together with our partners, CenCal Health is now one year into carrying out the transformative priorities of our Strategic Plan,” said Marina Owen, CenCal Health CEO. “As a tribute to the efforts of so many, we have dedicated this Community Report to highlighting the collaborative accomplishments essential to improving the well-being of our members. I am confident we will reach new heights through local innovation and build healthier communities.”

Read more →

Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara Launches Alumni Performance Award

by  •  • Comments Off on Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara Launches Alumni Performance Award

Open to all alumni, the annual award will support an emerging Music Academy alum in their professional pursuits as a performing artist.

The inaugural recipient of the award is solo piano alum Evan Shinners (‘09), who is slated to perform in the galleries on Feb 24 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

Read more →