Remembering Pearl Chase
Pearl Chase was born on November 16, 1888… she became “Santa Barbara’s Pearl.” According to historian Walker A. Tompkins, “Navajos made here an Indian chief; she became a Kentucky Colonel and an honorary Forest Ranger. She lost count of her honorary doctoral degrees and other national awards in many fields of endeavor. She did more to beautify her adopted home town of Santa Barbarbara than any other individual.”
November 16th, 2009 at 6:48 am
Thank you for posting this. I wondered if anyone in the media would know, much less care to remember this woman who did so much for this city. Now get set for the onslaught of negative comments by ignoramouses who do not get how special SB is, thanks to her, and would just as soon have this place turn into Waikiki or inner city LA.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:20 am
Pearl Chase inspired a great many people from younger generations to carry forward the work in which she was engaged for so many years as both a visionary and a determined advocate. I met Ms. Chase for the first time in 1969, and I have benefited greatly from her encouragement and advice in my work to help create the Community Environmental Council and the Environmental Defense Center and in my work today as an educator and advocate. I think it is fitting to say that Ms. Chase is a spiritual mother of and to many in our community today and that her impact and influence will continue to be alive among us for years and years to come.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:42 am
Pearl Chase, her followers and plans and plantings committee failed in many respects and should have not created this forested urbanized area. With no real water sources the region should have been developed in the vein of a dry Mediterranean seaside community. Plantings. Less thirsty, less towering, less combustible and less explosive. Plantings in their stead, preserved native trees and other succulent plantings compatible for this arid, wind and now fire prone environment. Under the direction of this heavily doctorate icon vast expansive view-sheds have been lost. Where are the constant running creeks, unpolluted beaches and where oh where are the poor to live.
November 16th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Problem with Madam X’s story is that MANY/MOST of the poor moved here very recently knowing full well how expensive it is. The vast majority of the homeless and illegals are newcomers to the city. That leaves a few folks like me, raised here middle-class now teetering on the edge. Don’t worry Pearl, I forgive you and I like all of your parks! There may be a few local oldtimers on a tight pension who I DO feel sorry for, but other than that, nope.
November 16th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Annonymous — these “illegals” that you mention — do you mean illegal cell phone drivers, white homeowners who build illegal second units and rent them to minorities, illegal jaywalkers on State Street, or bike riders who illegally disregard traffic laws? I am confused.
November 17th, 2009 at 1:42 am
In light of both the passing years and the enduring presence of Ms. Chase in the life of our community I should add the words grandmother and great-grandmother in the last sentence of what I wrote above.
November 17th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Pearl Chase was and is inspirational. One of the great people that have helped shape SB.
As a comical side note, I don’t have any source citation for this, but it has been said that when Pearl was showing Frank Lloyd Wright around town and asked him how he liked our wonderful Spanish/ Moorish architecture he replied: ” I would suggest you plant a lot of trees”
Hang in there Marc
November 17th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
In reply to Madame Fire X, as the son of one closely involved with Miss Chase’s Plans and Planting Committee, that Committee was a strong advocate of drought tolerant planting. Kindly refer to the issues of the Santa Barbara Gardener, a magazine published under the auspices of the Committee. I acknowledge that Miss Chase was fond of trees and that some species of trees require water. Do you want to return to the dusty treeless Santa Barbara of Spanish Colonial days? Also, remember that the trees were small and not view blocking when originally planted. One of my father’s maxims was in Santa Barbara you have to garden with an axe. Happy birthday, Miss Chase on the 16th.