Birds, Bees, Business, and Beauty by Montecito Journal

Village Beat

by Kelly Mahan

has been Editor at Large for the Journal since 2007, reporting on news in Montecito Kelly and beyond. She is also a licensed Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Calcagno & Hamilton team. She can be reached at Kelly@montecitojournal.net.

Beautification Day Winners

Celebrating Shakespeare@400 in Santa Barbara John Blondell and Mitchell Thomas Theatre Arts Professors at Westmont

5:30 p.m., Thursday, November 10, 2016 University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara Street Free and open to the public. For information, call 565-6051.

Earla and Paul Cronshaw’s bee haven cottage on Tabor Lane

his Saturday morning, November 5, be on the lookout for hundreds of volunteers as they scour Montecito for litter during the 31st annual Montecito Association Beautification Day. This family-friendly event focuses on beautifying Montecito and honoring those who have served our community. This year, the Beautification Committee, led again by Mindy Denson, have chosen three local home and business owners for the Beautification Awards. This year’s honors focus on sustainability and conservation, as well as a commitment to saving local insect populations. The theme of Beautification Day is “Save Our Monarch Butterflies,” and this year’s winners reflect that theme, Denson says. Earla and Paul Cronshaw’s Tabor Lane cottage has been chosen for its drought-tolerant landscape and butterfly and bee-friendly environment. Paul, who has lived in the home since he was born, is the founder of Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association (SBBA) and has kept honeybees since 1971. He teaches beekeeping classes to adults and children, and is the unofficial bee guru of Montecito. SBBA is dedicated to educating and mentoring people about honeybees and beekeeping, and the Cronshaws’ cottage is both a honeybee haven and habitat. Another winner this year is Marlene Vitanza, owner of Peregrine Galleries on Coast Village Road. Vitanza’s window display features monarch butterflies, mason jars with fresh sunflowers, twigs, burlap, and a pumpkin-filled wagon, all a nod to the upcoming Beautification Day. Vitanza has had the shop for nearly 35 years and car3 – 10 November 2016

ries vintage Chanel jewelry, as well as Miriam Haskell, Bakelite, Cartier, and rhinestone jewelry from 194050s, among other items. “The window display is an eye-catching way to remind people about Beautification Day,” Denson said. The third award goes to Katherine Malkin, owner of the vacant lot on the corner of Sycamore Canyon and Hot Springs Road. Malkin, with the help of her nephew Jared, have built a new fence on the property, made with wood from old Montecito Eucalyptus trees. The artistic fence is the first step in building a new residence on the land. “It really is a work of art, and we loved that it’s sustainable,” Denson said. The winners were nominated and chosen by the Beautification Committee, which includes Denson and her co-chair Cliff Gherson, Cindy Feinberg, Trish Davis, Jean von Wittenburg, Caryl Crahan, Christy Venable, Heidi Winston, Patty Zucherman, Jane Burkemper, Nina Terzian, Helen Buckley, Dana Hansen, Andrea Newquist, Michael Edwards, Monica Babich, Connor Rehage, Sylvia Easton, and Marie Larkin. All three winners will be honored at Saturday’s event, following the trash pickup. Another Beautification Day tradition: the honoring of a Citizen of the Year, given to a steward of Montecito. This year, there are two Citizens of the Year: committee members Denson and Terzian. Denson is being recognized for her continued contribution to Montecito, from chairing Beautification Day for 12 years, to

In November 2016, Santa Barbara will play host to a series of performances by an international coalition of theatres and arts organizations, all celebrating the remarkable life and work of William Shakespeare on the 400th anniversary of his death. Westmont Professors John Blondell and Mitchell Thomas offer reflections on the lasting legacy of Shakespeare that endures into the 21st century and share sneak peeks into the creative programming of the celebration, including work by Shakespeare’s Globe, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the National Theatre of Macedonia, the Lit Moon Theatre Company, and Westmont.