Richard Mineards

Father's Day arrived bathed in sunshine in our Eden by the Sea, where dozens of gleaming classics lined the Front Plaza at Casa Dorinda for a festive vintage car show.

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.

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.

“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.

“Without AI, they both would have died,” said Margo Redfern , recalling the Friday night one of her mini cows went into labor at Wanderment Farms. Alone on her hilltop farm in Toro Canyon with no vet available, the woman who once launched products for Microsoft and Yahoo in Palo Alto suddenly found herself using AI for something Silicon Valley probably never imagined. Guided step by step by AI instructions, Margo reached in, carefully repositioned the calf, and delivered the baby herself, saving both mother and calf.

By Lisa Duncan “I was one of those kids that didn't know where he belonged,” Brian McDonald , artistic director of Ensemble Theatre Company, told supporters at ETC's annual Curtain Up!

“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 1923 truck for his 29th Montecito Fourth of July Parade. Riding beside him was his granddaughter, Roxanna Taggart , proudly riding shotgun since she was a toddler.

“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, but as the featured vocalist before hundreds gathered on Bellosguardo's spectacular oceanfront lawn.

“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 women who've preserved our heritage for generations.

“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?' He said, ‘Yes!'”