8 minute read

across our state. Santa Barbara is among them

Dear Montecito by Stella Pierce Montecito Alumni Write Letters from Life’s Front

My generation needs to be taken part of an initiative to make navigatdown a peg. Those born after ing the internet more accessible to all 1995 are known as “interpeople and ease the isolation of the net natives” and navigate the digital elderly population during COVID-19. world with appropriate instinct. It is In her letter, you will hear about Web this same instinct that causes us to of the Week (WoW), a project aiming giggle when a professor has a hard to make the digital world seem less time working their PowerPoint precomplicated to those who are “intersentation or, more often these days, net foreigners” and bridge a connecstruggles to use the camera during a tion between generations. Zoom call. Pretty rich from a group of people who don’t know how to write an address on snail mail. Dear Montecito,

We don’t do it to be cruel – I know My name is Raleigh Clemens. I was because I giggle sometimes too – but born and raised in Montecito and rather because these digital faux pas was most recently living up in San are so out of touch with our expeFrancisco but find myself lucky to rience. My tall Danish friend, Kaja, be back in my hometown thanks to likes to say: “One day, we’ll be givCOVID. ing a lecture on two decades worth I think we can all agree that of research. We’ll be delivering our COVID has been the strangest time. talk to a whole theatre full of little Unprecedented they say. It has been a punks, and one of them will snicker, time of new normals and no plans. As telling us that our hologram isn’t buffan event planner myself, I think the ering.” Today we’re addressing the “no plans” has been one of the harddigital divide. Thirty-three-year-old est parts for me. I remember clearly Montecito native Raleigh Clemens is in mid-March when I went onto my

Gardens Are for Living

Raleigh Clemens has brought UK-based Web of the Week to the US with a simple goal: help the older generation develop their skills and confidence navigating the web

Google Calendar and week-by-week deleted all the things I had planned for the foreseeable future. As I mourned the loss of my trips, parties, visits to see friends and essentially my job and entire industry, I celebrated the gift of time. Time to be with my family, time to reflect, time to slow down and re-discover old friendships and serve my community safely. One of the ways is being extra intentional about my communication with those I love. My granny for instance is 93, going on 94 next month, and currently lives in a retirement home. In order to keep the staff and residents safe in times of COVID, her retirement community has completely isolated all the residents by shutting down the dining hall, canceling activities, closing the salon, and disallowing visits. On Easter Sunday, my extended family (28 of us) arranged to do a talent show via Zoom with my granny. Her assistant logged her in and explained as best she could how everything worked and for the next 60 minutes we each performed a talent. My granny said this was her highlight of the last few months (along with going to get her mail, the one activity she is allowed to do). This fueled me to think there has to be something more we can do to engage with our elderly population.

My dear friend and fellow Montecito resident Jacquie McMahon, whose brother Iain Vellacott and nephew Guy Vellacott started the UK-based site Web of the Week in May 2020, asked whether I would help spearhead the US launch of the new website. We have a simple goal: help the older generation develop their skills and confidence navigating the web. Jacquie McMahon, born in the UK, has been a Montecito resident and integral part of the community here for the last seven years. She has been working on this labor of love along with her brother and nephew since the very beginning and is overjoyed seeing it come to life. When Jacquie reached out to me, I was thrilled to join the project, and now I am doubly excited to introduce our work to the United States.

Prompted by COVID-19 stay-athome orders, this idea came about as we began to see the heightened importance of engagement and connectivity amongst people. Web of the Week webpage offers a safe and easy way to access free and uplifting content on the internet as an additional resource for our deeply loved senior citizens who may be struggling at this time. Every week, 10 interesting new stories and video links with a focus on arts, music, history, gardening, sports, travel and health are published. My friend, Guy Vellacott, is doing an incredible job portraying a “virtual grandson” with his weekly introduction videos that provide easy to understand tips on navigating the internet. Web of the Week is also highlighting uplifting work being done by both charities and corporations supporting their communities, so really what is not to love?

There has been an overwhelmingly positive response in the UK, and we are beyond thrilled to now have our US version ready to go. I’ve been so proud to see this project grow into something that will help our older generation navigate the web in a positive and user-friendly way that hopefully brings joy and smiles.

All the best,

Raleigh Clemens

The link to the new US Web of the Week is www.weboftheweek.com/ us. Please share with your grandparents, parents, friends, and neighbors. We are fully grassroots, with only the best of intentions. Help spread the word and keep our senior citizens engaged! •MJ

• Available to care for our neighbors, and accepting new patients. • Infection control protocol followed, with all areas sanitized including wait area and exam room. 1483 E. Valley Road, Suite M | 805.969.6090

MORE ONLINE AT VILLAGESITE.COM

942 Hot Springs Rd | Montecito | 8BD/14BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $22,000,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.698.0199

2225 Las Tunas Rd | Santa Barbara | 5BD/8BA DRE 01806890/01788156 | Offered at $5,500,000 Doré & O'Neill Real Estate Team 805.947.0608

2709 Vista Oceano Ln | Summerland | 7BD/10BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $19,800,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.565.8600

1210 Channel Dr | Montecito | 6BD/8BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $18,500,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.698.0199

1583 S Jameson Ln | Montecito | 9BD/9BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $17,900,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.565.8600

975 Lilac Dr | Santa Barbara | 5BD/8BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $16,900,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.565.8600

630 Hot Springs Rd | Montecito | 5BD/6BA DRE 01815307/00914713 | Offered at $14,500,000 Walsh/Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.698.0199

1147 Hill Rd | Santa Barbara | 4BD/5BA DRE 01236143/01410304 | Offered at $11,500,000 Grubb Campbell Group 805.895.6226 956 Mariposa Ln | Montecito | 5BD/7BA DRE 01815307/00837659 | Offered at $9,950,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group/Griffin 805.565.8600

735 Fuera Ln | Montecito | 5BD/7BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $9,950,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.698.0199

2662 Sycamore Canyon Rd | Montecito | 5BD/6BA DRE 00978392 | Offered at $9,875,000 John A Sener 805.331.7402

811 Camino Viejo Rd | Santa Barbara | 5BD/7BA DRE 00914713/01335689 | Offered at $7,495,000 Walsh/Clyne 805.259.8808 109 Olive Mill Rd | Santa Barbara | 3BD/5BA DRE 00914713/00978392 | Offered at $5,495,000 Tim Walsh 805.259.8808

475 Crocker Sperry Dr | Santa Barbara | 3BD/3BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $4,995,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.698.0199

293 Middle Rd | Montecito | 3BD/4BA DRE 01988499|02020380 | Offered at $4,000,000 Haden Homes Luxury Property Group 805.880.6530

1201 Cima Linda Ln | Montecito | 3BD/4BA DRE 01988499|02020380 | Offered at $3,295,000 Haden Homes Luxury Property Group 805.880.6530

1469 La Vereda Ln | Montecito | 5BD/5BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $2,995,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.698.0199

665 Las Alturas Rd | Santa Barbara | 5BD/4BA DRE 00914713 | Offered at $2,925,000 Tim Walsh 805.259.8808

LOCALLY OWNED. GLOBALLY CONNECTED. WE REACH A WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE THROUGH OUR EXCLUSIVE AFFILIATES.

This article is from: