Good morning, Santa Barbara.

Maryam D. Farhas from Orcutt has been named executive director of the Santa Ynez Valley Children’s Museum.

She brings strong nonprofit leadership, many degrees, and local experience to guide the museum’s growth—she looks forward to serving local families.

The City of Santa Barbara invites local residents to share their feedback on the Paseo Nuevo Mall redevelopment project—planned to convert a shopping center into housing and new retail spaces while retaining museum and theater uses.

Public comments will be accepted until November 1.

Fred and Janice Maggiore won the 2025 City of Santa Barbara WaterWise Garden Contest for their water-saving garden that replaced a thirsty lawn with low-water plants and green features.

Their garden shows off a solar-powered fountain and a rainwater harvesting system — a plan meant to inspire other residents to save water.

Melodee’s paternal grandmother announced a double-purpose candlelight vigil—set for Friday at sunset in front of Ashlee and Melodee’s house in Vandenberg Village—to honor her late son and keep focus on the missing 9-year-old now called Melodee Buzzard-Meza, with Santa Barbara County Sheriffs and the FBI asking for public help after she disappeared on October 14.

Robert Krut, a senior lecturer at UCSB, released his fifth poetry book 'Oh Oblivion' containing 43 poems written after the pandemic lockdown and published by Codhill Press.

The collection uses a three-act structure — dividing the book into an opening, a middle and a close — and reflects his passion for classic writers while he continues to teach students.

Research shows that computer programs teaching phonics helped Santa Barbara preschoolers boost reading skills and cut failure rates by 80%—yet some schools still resist using the technology.

Students at Vieja Valley Elementary raised over $5,000 through a coin drive to support clean drinking water projects in South Sudan and later met nonprofit founder Salva Dut at a school visit.

They learned how water access helps save lives—an effort that shows young people can make a global impact.

Vista Del Mar Union School District has finished building a new playground and laying a fresh blacktop area for outdoor lessons.

The district will soon launch a fundraising campaign to fix its school field (full of gopher and squirrel holes) and add safety features (professional repairs and long-term upkeep) so students can play safely.

Researchers and eight taxonomists completed a bioblitz in the Santa Barbara Channel yesterday—collecting small sea creatures from Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures to set a baseline for studying how warming and marine protections affect ocean life.

The Santa Barbara Trust Company opened in downtown Santa Barbara yesterday, led by Frank Tabar and local financial experts who value personal service and community ties.

The firm offers trust and fiduciary services such as estate settlement and asset management (affiliated with Arlington Financial Advisors) to help families protect their wealth.

The California Behavioral Health Directors Association selected Santa Barbara as the host for its 2025 Policy Forum, which runs from today until Oct.

24. The forum will gather behavioral health leaders—providers and advocates to discuss workforce development, housing and homelessness, Medi-Cal changes and new legislation such as Senate Bill 43, CARE Act and Proposition 1.

Former Cottage Health CEO Ron Werft was elected Board Chairman of the World Telehealth Initiative—an organization that uses telehealth to help doctors and nurses care for patients in 18 countries.

The Carpinteria High surf team swept Division 3 at the Scholastic Surf Series event last Saturday at Emma Wood Beach in Ventura—winning 64 to 4 over Cate.

John Morrison, Maddox Keet and Izzy Scott led the team and they will compete in Malibu on Nov. 8.

At Monday's SBART press luncheon, Celeste Alcaraz of Dos Pueblos girls’ golf and Grant Nelson of Dos Pueblos boys’ water polo were named SBART Athletes of the Week—both earning key league titles through standout performances.

The event also reviewed playoff brackets for local volleyball and flag football games.

Santa Barbara Golf Club will host two sports events this weekend.

On Saturday the club will hold the 28th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Tournament with check-in at 11 a.m., a 1 p.m. shotgun start and a 6 p.m. dinner and auction—proceeds benefiting local breast cancer centers—while on Sunday a Monster Day 2-person scramble will start at 9 a.m. with rates of $95 per player or $85 for preferred club card members and a Best Costume Contest to add extra fun.

Flamingosis Live Performance

8-11 p.m. — EOS Lounge — Tickets required — Experience the eclectic sounds of electronic music producer and beatboxer Flamingosis.

Santa Barbara Halloween Bar Crawl

4 PM – 11 PM — Unbearable Skee Lodge — Ticket required — The Halloween Event of the Year featuring access to the best spots in town!

Journey Through Jazz

7:15-9:15 p.m. — Lobero Theatre — Free entry — Experience a vibrant musical journey through jazz history from Dixieland to Fusion.

Halloween On The Harbor

8 p.m. - 12 a.m. — The Anchor Rose — Ticket prices vary — Celebrate Halloween with a festive rooftop party featuring stunning views.

ZZ Top Live Concert

7:00 - 8:30 p.m. — Santa Barbara Bowl — Ticket prices vary — Rock out to the legendary ZZ Top and special guests Night Ranger for an unforgettable night.

Jack Johnson's Double Feature Surf Film Night

6-8:30 p.m. — Arlington Theatre — Tickets available through request system — Enjoy classic surf films paired with live music from Jack and Friends.

David Sedaris Live

7:30-9 p.m. — Arlington Theatre — Tickets available — Experience the wit and charm of David Sedaris as he shares new stories and diary entries.

Santa Barbara Half Marathon & 5K

7 AM – 12 PM — Loquita Santa Barbara — Cost info not specified — Experience the scenic beauty of Santa Barbara while running in a half marathon or 5K.

Repair Cafe Santa Barbara

6-8 p.m. — Rancho Goleta Lakeside — Free entry — Gather with neighbors to repair, recycle, and restore your items in a friendly community setting.

Evening with Judy Collins and Tom Rush

7-8:30 p.m. — Lobero Theatre — Ticketed event — Experience the enchanting voice of Grammy award-winner Judy Collins alongside the legendary Tom Rush in a memorable concert.