LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
If you have something you think Montecito should know about, or wish to respond to something you read in the Journal, we want to hear from you. Please send all such correspondence to: Montecito Journal, Letters to the Editor, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite D, Montecito, CA. 93108. You can also FAX such mail to: (805) 969-6654, or E-mail to jim@montecitojournal.net
Remembering the Road (Part II)
During the big rains of January 1969, a river of mud came down Olive Mill Road and, in addition to covering Coast Village Road’s paved roadway, rushing water flooded the basement of the Montecito Inn, where some valuable collector cars were stored
This cover pic, taken by Gil Rosas, features a white-gloved waiter in a tuxedo with tails and was taken to show that the Somerset was still in business
I
know change is happening around us all the time, but sometimes we don’t really notice or appreciate it until many years later. It thrills me to see the interest and the memories that a look back at history brings. It was a fun time, and Montecito had a unique small-village feel. Your cover picture (MJ #21/36) was taken by me at the corner of
Butterfly Lane and Coast Village Road. Because of the extensive roadwork, Paul Vercammen, then manager of the Somerset Restaurant, came up with the idea of running an ad in the newspaper with the caption “We’re open for business,” or something to that effect. His idea was to feature a formally dressed couple at a table being served by a waiter (in tails) Paul and Virginia Vercammen, Gil Rosas, and Otto Berger are in full Fiesta regalia. “We always had great Fiesta evenings away from the downtown crowds at the Olive Mill Bistro. Singers and dancers from downtown would converge and entertain after the shows at the Courthouse and the County Bowl,” recalls Gil.
The best little paper in America (Covering the best little community anywhere!) Publisher Timothy Lennon Buckley Editor At Large Kelly Mahan • Managing Editor James Luksic • Design/Production Trent Watanabe Associate Editor Bob Hazard
Advertising Manager/Sales Susan Brooks • Advertising Specialist Tanis Nelson • Advertising Exec Kim Collins • Office Manager / Ad Sales Christine Merrick • Proofreading Helen Buckley • Arts/Entertainment/ Calendar/Music Steven Libowitz • Columns Erin Graffy, Scott Craig, Julia Rodgers • Gossip Thedim Fiste, Richard Mineards • History Hattie Beresford • Humor Ernie Witham, Grace Rachow Photography/Our Town Joanne A. Calitri • Society Lynda Millner Travel Jerry Dunn • Sportsman Dr. John Burk • Trail Talk Lynn P. Kirst Medical Advice Dr. Gary Bradley, Dr. Anthony Allina • Legal Advice Robert Ornstein Published by Montecito Journal Inc., James Buckley, President PRINTED BY NPCP INC., SANTA BARBARA, CA Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite D, Montecito, CA 93108. How to reach us: Editorial: (805) 565-1860; Sue Brooks: ext. 4; Christine Merrick: ext. 3; Classified: ext. 3; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Letters to Editor: Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite D, Montecito, CA 93108; E-MAIL: news@montecitojournal.net
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MONTECITO JOURNAL
in the midst of all the construction. The Somerset Restaurant, now the Bank Of America, is just behind the Sea Captain’s Motel. During the day, the Somerset Restaurant didn’t look very appealing, but at night it looked charming. In the late 1950s, there was the Somerset restaurant at one end of Coast Village Road and at the other, Olive Mill Road end, was at various times the Montecito Café (not the present one), Montecito Inn, Marco Polo, The Colony Prime Rib House, and the Olive Mill Bistro. For a time at the corner of Olive Mill Road, there was a bank and finally the entire corner was absorbed by the Montecito Inn. The current very fine Montecito Cafe was a beauty shop during the “Bistro” era (1969 to 1980). Gil Rosas Montecito
Clearing the Creeks
I recall the heavy rains we had 20 years ago and that during those periods, much of lower Montecito flooded. It’s possible that we’ll be seeing significant rains like these again. I’m speculating that our creek beds are
• The Voice of the Village •
currently full of debris (e.g., branches), which could again dam the water and lead to similar flooding. Is there any agency in Santa Barbara (Creeks Division?) whose mandate includes clearing our creeks? Bill Korchinski Montecito (Editor’s note: During the 1994/95 flooding, creeks, streams, and most flood channels and tunnels were overwhelmed by the volume of water cascading down from our mountains, heading to the sea. All it took, for example, to cause havoc on Romero Canyon was a boulder and a large branch blocking the flow of water at a pivotal point in a flood channel. In the hedgerow, similar situations developed quickly as large boulders were swept downstream. The culverts under Highway 101 had not been cleared for more than a decade, mainly because of environmental mandates, and quickly filled with limbs, boulders, and other obstructions, causing Oak Creek, Montecito Creek, and others to overflow and flood the surrounding areas, including 101 itself, which was closed for two days. The County Department of Public Works [(805) 568-3000] is in charge. Water Resources/Flood Control District can also be helpful (568-3440). Call to find out what is allowed and what 24 September – 1 October 2015