Santa Barbara News, Views, & Hyperlocal Information
This week, the Santa Barbara City Council decided to spend $250,000 for “curb extensions” and lighting for the corner De la Vina and Canon Perdido streets. With the return of bulbouts, here are a few pictures that have been sent in by Viewers.
Here’s a vintage photo from the Thomas Schmidt treasure trove. Nary a detail exists about this photo, but hopefully Viewers can piece together a few clues…
Photo Credit for Vintage Series: Early Santa Barbara Photos taken by J W Collinge and other Santa Barbara photographers. Solely for use on Santa Barbara View.
While the occupy movement is still going strong in neighboring cities like Ojai and Oxnard, De la Guerra Plaza is back to normal and occupier free… images below.
Continue Reading →
Weekly Column by Sharon Byrne
On crime, it’s the little things that lead to a safer city.
Police brass are fond of reporting that Part I crimes are down, and therefore it’s morning in Santa Barbara. Citizens are safe.
So… why doesn’t it feel that way? Why do people report avoiding downtown? Why do they hesitate in parking lots when panhandlers are present outside the store?
Part I is a classification of the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program by the FBI, and consists of the most violent crimes: murder, aggravated assault, forcible rape, and robbery. Part I property crimes consist of arson, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft.
When public safety becomes an issue, police understandably focus on Part I crimes. These crimes distress the community, and lead to a climate of fear that no one wants to live in. It’s also a fallback position: in the face of scarce resources, you pull back and focus on the immediate, most pressing threats. Thus the focus on Part I crime, and using it as a barometer of public safety. Get violent crime down, and the city is automatically safer.
It’s intuitive thinking, but the reality is that focusing on Part I crime does not lead to a safer city overall. Citizens who experience lower-level crimes like shoplifting, public drunkenness, vandalism, and beak-ins, don’t feel safe. They feel violated. They want something done. It’s great that murder is down, but if your neighborhood is the target of repeat break-ins, you don’t exactly feel safe.
If you’re a tired beat cop, you might be tempted to conclude that you can never rest in the gratitude of the public you serve, even momentarily. They’ll always find something to complain about.
But the public is right, in a totally counter-intuitive way.
By Cheri Rae
The little gymnasium at Santa Barbara High School was filled with students—talking, sprawling and goofing around, waiting for the assembly to begin.
Then Timo Nunez strode into the room wearing jeans, a tank top and a baseball cap worn backward—and a pair of golden boots. With fingers snapping, he owned the moment—and every bit of attention was focused on him. Stomping his feet, sharply clapping his hands above his head, he began a flamenco performance that revealed his mastery of the dance.
When he danced, he told the story of excellence, a young man who exuded confidence, power, accomplishment and intensity.
When he spoke, he told the story of a boy who struggled with Attention Deficit Disorder—one who found his passion, his obsession, his success in dance. “My mind would go other places than where it was supposed to go,” he admitted, “I’d be choregraphing at my desk, with my feet tapping.” But he realized he had to figure a way to get through.
“Just because your mind’s a little different, it doesn’t mean you are not smart,” he declared. “You just have to figure out how to make it work for you. Find your way, find your talent.”
He offered suggestions to the students based on his own experiences: “In high school, I couldn’t pay attention to topics in class, but I knew I was smart. I tried to consider the class and the teacher, by channeling my ADD into creativity. I always let the teacher know I was interested in doing well, and that my intentions were good. I would ask, ‘Can I make up the work or do it in another way?’”
And then he offered some advice:
“Always present good character wherever you are. Have a good attitude. Smile and make them like you; it will help you go a long way.”
Weekly Column by Loretta Redd, PhD
2012 has not only arrived… it is flying by faster than the leaves outside on our blustery, wind-swept Saturday storm. Which means the dreaded tax day (this year, April 17th) is on the horizon.
I opened a letter from my Certified Public Accountant- whose email address by the way is, “taxcrazy.com” and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at what I read. Each year, she writes a summary letter highlighting the tax law changes, and ways to plan for the upcoming tax season. Here’s a sample of her introduction:
“As I shifted through all of my publications and tax updates, my summary is quite simple: the party is over.“
Now, to be honest, I didn’t know there had been a party. I’ve rarely found tax season a time to put on a pointy hat on my head, drink champagne and blow a horn…more like a time to put my head in a vice, drink scotch, and blow my brains, but not a horn. Here’s her next line:
“While the average taxpayer is just trying to take care of things at home, there has been a convergence of complicated laws, fast technology, and governmental budget strains. This combination is leading toward the perfect storm…”
And just guess who’s at the center of that storm! It is what happens when the necessity of tax revenue escalates and sources decrease. I’m not taking a political stand here, regardless of party in office, tax time is at best, confusing, overwhelming and slightly terrifying. And every year, it seems to get worse.
By Cheri Rae
Finally out of her teens, but not yet 21, my daughter got a lesson in the adult world a few nights ago. Around midnight, just steps from our back door, her Honda—that’s as old as she is—was expertly broken into; her car stereo stolen, along with various contents inside. The thieves were equipped with gloves and tools to break in and cut wires, but they didn’t bother with the hefty textbooks, likely unaware they were more valuable than the stereo.
She’d parked the car just 45 minutes before, after finishing up her work shift uptown and picking up her boyfriend who was volunteering in Cottage’s ER.
Just a couple of decent college kids doing their best to gain a foothold: juggling classes, work responsibilities and volunteer schedules with study time and a modest social life. Now they’re recouping their losses and trying to comprehend the intrusion that occurred through no fault of their own. The loss of stuff was one thing, losing their sense of safety and security is something else.
As a good mom, my mantra to her has always been “My job is to keep you safe.” And raising her in Santa Barbara, safety was once an easy assumption. Security was, too.
But these days, not so much. Our little corner of Santa Barbara isn’t quite the sweet, safe haven it was when she learned to cross the street on her own. And the trend line—as personally experienced—is headed in the wrong direction.
The place we loved is vanishing fast, right before our eyes.
Rita Ferri, Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, Curator of Collections, Visual Arts Coordinator
Dear Santa Barbara View:
Thank you for bringing up the critical issue of the future of the one of Santa Barbara’s most historic and iconic landmarks, Herbert Bayer’s Chromatic Gate, to the forefront. It is in dire need of funds for restoration and preservation, and the County Arts Commission has been working for over two years getting the sculpture’s condition evaluated and raising funds to restore and save the sculpture. Erected in 1991, this 21 foot high and 12 ½ ton, full-scale sculpture was based on an original maquette signed by Bayer in 1975. No one is abandoning this sculpture; however, fund-raising for art is extremely difficult in these challenging economic times.
There are several misconceptions about the piece. Funds from Arco, and business and private donors paid for the original Chromatic Gate, no governments funds paid for the sculpture. An endowment fund of $10,000. was originally set aside when the sculpture was given to the city, however, the first time it needed repainting in 2000, it depleted those funds and more. When we have raised all the new funds needed, we will include a future maintenance plan for the sculpture.
And yes, Paul Mills, former director of the SBMA and subject of the film, Beginners by his son Mike Mills, was one of the committee members instrumental is bringing the sculpture to Santa Barbara. Paul revered Bayer’s work and felt it was important for the City of Santa Barbara to have a world-class public art work by this important master. Perhaps if Mike Mills’ film wins an Oscar, he can give a shout-out to the restoration effort!
Santa Barbara’s Chromatic Gate has been a hot topic on Santa Barbara View. A picture of Herbert Bayer’s deteriorating Chromatic Gate, was followed by a historical perspective, thoughtful analysis and commentary, and feedback from elected officials.
On Edhat, the region’s aggregator of other people’s content, a Sunday post went up titled, “Sadder Chromatic Gate”, accompanied by a similar photo and a poorly-written, 60-word caption. As you know, aggregator sites post information taken from other sources, providing only a link to the original content. Unfortunately, breaking the rules of aggregation, not even a link to the original content or source was provided.
Santa Barbara Photo of the Week by Bill Heller.
About a week ago, I was looking for a good spot to enjoy the sunset. After driving around for a while, I noticed how beautiful the colors were on the mountains so I changed my focus a bit. With the sun setting behind me, I found the view was much more interesting in the other direction. This beautiful spot is Laguna Blanca, on the Golf Course in Hope Ranch.
Be sure to click for a much larger view.
-Bill Heller
According to the American Royalty Council (as in drilling royalties, not kings), refining a barrel of crude oil makes 20 gallons of gasoline, 10 gallons of fuel oil, 4 gallons of jet fuel and then some other petroleum products for feedstocks making things like fabrics and plastics, asphalt, wax, lubricants, etc.
Refineries that do this are closing here in the U.S. and worldwide, partially due to reduced demand. An estimate by BofA puts the decrease of production at one million barrels per day, this year alone. Even if demand is less, if you limit the gasoline produced, it fetches higher prices at the pump. This is without more of Canada’s tar sands.
It also happens that the U.S. now exports more gasoline than it imports, nearly a billion barrels last year, the highest value export of the year. Any gas produced here has a greater chance of being sold abroad than pumped into our cars.
So that bitumen, the tarry goop mined from oil (tar) sands in Canada? The Keystone pipeline, thankfully delayed for further environmental review, would bring ½ million barrels of it per day, this cruder stuff (far worse – more toxic, greater environmental toll, requiring more energy to produce – than drilled “sweet” crude oil) to the refineries that are not closing, to produce gasoline which will sell…wherever, at whatever cost.
This is the hard kind, tan to orange colored, with neck and bulb. You may have passed it by because it takes a long growing time to make that hard squash, it isn’t very handsome, takes up a lot of space, and is hard to peel. But, here are some tips for making peeling easy, and consider letting it grow on a sunny hillside, or an abandoned area, or among your landscape ornamentals. It’s wonderful big leaves can act like a living mulch for an otherwise dry area. It, itself, does need regular water to grow those huge fine leaves, and to produce those tasty squash that are so high in Vitamin A, good for your skin and eyes! It likes heat, so plant it when it’s good and warm. Be thinking now where you might put some next late spring. The squash can be stored for months, so you can eat them as you need them!
Removing the Skin Some people like the skin, which solves the whole matter. Others find it tough and papery, less than palatable. If you decide to peel your squash, nuke it for 3-4 minutes (online I saw anywhere from 2 to 10 mins! 3 worked fine for me), let cool, then peel. If you don’t want to nuke it, have a good sharp knife on hand.
Next to the obvious tip of keeping your knives sharp, is the importance of stabilizing that puppy. That’s why first you cut the bulb end off, then halve it, leaving you 3 pieces with flat edges. That way you have stable ways to hold your squash pieces. This is critical when peeling, a notoriously difficult task because of the thickness and density of that squash.
If you choose to remove the skin, before you peel, scoop out the seeds, easiest with a grapefruit spoon, fork tines will do just fine. If you try to scoop seeds after you peel, it’s hard to hold the squash. It’s slippery. Stand your pieces and use that sharp knife, or a sturdy sharp potato peeler, down their length. Not a task for children. Do be careful, yourself, please. Check out Alanna Kellogg’s page, the Veggie Evangelist!
“The Chromatic Gate is a graphic example of deferred maintenance to be found all over the City. Santa Barbara has hung in there pretty well with providing services during these difficult years, but it has been at the expense of our infrastructure. Roads, parks, bridges, buildings, and yes, artwork all have not received the investment they need to remain vital. The Chromatic Gate is the aesthetic example, and the Police Headquarters is the health and safety example. The building is not earthquake and is near the end of its useful life. The City, State, and Nation will need to make some tough choices in the years ahead about sustaining our communal inheritance. There certainly are no easy answers!” – Bendy White, Santa Barbara City Council
{ Just to let you know the Occupy SB group has entered into Occupy 2.0 phase with active groups readying events and actions related to illegal... } – Jan 27, 9:51 AM
{ Orena Adobe (tilde over the n) at 27-29 East De la Guerra (across from City Hall) } – Jan 27, 9:18 AM
{ Yay -- as a downtown walker and cyclist, I really like the bulb-outs. } – Jan 27, 9:15 AM
{ With all the Lawyers in this town they must be licking their lips waiting for the first bicyclist or pedestrian to be killed or severely... } – Jan 27, 9:06 AM
{ This looks like the building in the zero block of east Carrillo } – Jan 27, 7:05 AM
{ LOL, el_s, re aggregating tweets! Despite having a Pass for the SBIFF, I passed on last night's tweet-generator. But as for SBIFF being for the... } – Jan 27, 6:34 AM
{ Thats what makes this country so great. we all have opinions and the right to disagree with an uneducated, check collector, that probably doesnt have... } – Jan 26, 9:22 PM { The drum circle and festival moved on. } – Jan 26, 9:16 PM { If you look at the tweeters they are mostly college brats and kids that wish they were famous or just like to tell others how... } – Jan 26, 9:09 PM { Really! do some people feel special because they actually looked at another person that happens to be an acter? WOW, hope they spend a bunch$$$$... } – Jan 26, 9:05 PM
{ Are we aggregating tweets now? SBIFF is for the turtleneck crowd, not the type that care about "keeping santa barbara santa barbara" } – Jan 26, 7:24 PM { At least here you have the option, Dan-O } – Jan 26, 6:45 PM
{ Okay, I was making a bit of a joke but yes you posted it before Edhat. I'll give you that. Here's something I don't like... } – Jan 26, 5:28 PM
{ There will be 4 beat coordinators at the end of January. 3 will be assigned to 2 beats each, and one will be a floater.... } – Jan 26, 4:23 PM
{ I agree with the theory of stopping "broken window" type crime. I didn't know it had a special name. All I know is low level"... } – Jan 26, 2:51 PM
Hot Topic Alert: Neighborhood Activism Goes Online
81 Comments
Homeless Inc.
61 Comments
Boycotting Aggregators
46 Comments
Discouraging All-Day Panhandlers
43 Comments
Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive updates.
