Santa Barbara News, Views, & Hyperlocal Information
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By Cheri Rae
After a fun weekend getaway to the Sicilian Festival in San Diego’s Little Italy—where I unexpectedly ran into Santa Barbara French Festival founder Steve Hoegerman—it was a long trip home. Including a 2-hour layover in Santa Ana, it was a seven-hour trip on the train from San Diego to Santa Barbara on a Sunday afternoon into late evening. This alternative-transportation-using traveler was happy to be back home in Santa Barbara: tired, hungry, and in need of a restroom.
The familiar Santa Barbara train station seemed welcoming from the train, but on closer look, my spirits sank. Trash cans were overloaded with vile refuse; there were rodent bait stations everywhere; the lighted lobby was locked, and no travelers were allowed inside, because signs indicated it was being cleaned.
Is this any way to welcome the weary traveler?
Way back in 1907, when Pearl Chase was a student at Cal Berkeley, she returned home for a visit on the train. When it stopped at the Victoria Street Station she stepped off and took in the scene. For the rest of her years she spoke of that transformative moment, because she was, as she stated, “ashamed at the dirt, dust and ugly buildings of my hometown. I resolved then and there to making Santa Barbara beautiful.”
Large Rat Trap
First impressions mean a lot. While we have made a lot of progress in this town, thanks to Miss Chase, and many citizens who have worked very hard over the years, that sense of civic pride and resolve in keeping Santa Barbara beautiful and welcoming seems to have been lost over time.
It certainly was missing at the train station on this Sunday night on May 19, 2013: the ugly and unwelcoming conditions gave me the same sense of shame Miss Chase experienced so long ago.
Cheri Rae’s book, Pearl Chase: First Lady of Santa Barbara will be released early this summer.
David Landecker, the former Santa Barbara City Councilman who was forced to resign from the Council after he was caught stealing from the Home Improvement Center, is back. Not only is Mr. Landecker back, but he is being endorsed by the Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County. According to the questionable endorsement…
David Landecker
“David Landecker was chosen for endorsement due to his broad and deep experience in the matters of most concern to the City of Santa Barbara and the Democratic Women. In addition to his successful careers as a lawyer and businessman, David has a wealth of expertise in city planning, environmental protection, financial and non-profit management, housing, health care and growth control. Among his diverse community activities, David has volunteered for more than twenty years as an attorney and board member for the Citizens Planning Association, and has recently retired as Executive Director from the Environmental Defense Center. David has a proven track record in standing strong on women’s issues. Of special interest to the Democratic Women was his work as CEO of the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics where he spearheaded construction of the Eastside Medical and Dental Clinics and other major improvements, including creating two regional Health Program Centers to address issues of women’s and family health.”
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By Nancy McCradie
I write this to rebut the article that Sharon Byrne has written about the AB5 Civil Rights Bill for the Homeless. 
Sharon and I are great friends. We love each other’s company, have super great debates on the issues of homelessness and other aspects of political life. I have to disagree with her issues of the AB5 bill, however. I have been on the recipient end of all the ordinances that are in place to “quell homelessness.” Sharon has not had the priviledge to be tormented by them.
Throughout the years our elected officials have had to design ordinances to criminalize poverty because it looks bad.The Anti-Okie laws being some of them. Unconstitutional as some may be they are passed to make it easier for our police officers to bring out the tools given to them in the guise of these City ordinances to chase people out of our townships. In AB5 it gives a new breath of ideas to work with within the Cities of California to provide housing, alternative types alongside of conventional types.
Wow! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see a low cost motor housing park designed to bring the people who reside in their vehicles temporarily while waiting for low cost conventional housing off the streets? It would be a win win situation for both the people who find themselves in a poverty situation and who have to turn to vehicular dwelling for their safety and the Cities who struggle with this on a day to day basis.
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The 2013 Old Spanish Days-Fiesta poster and pin were unveiled last night at the La Primavera party, both pictured below. The commissioned poster art by Lorna Dillon who is known for painting horses, depicts Si and Karen Jenkins, the parents of this year’s El Presidente. Both items reflect this year’s theme Vaqueros y Vaqueras… Art critics?
Pin below… Continue Reading →
According to the General Plan, Santa Barbara has had ten major historical periods. Over the last months, Santa Barbara View is posting the History of the City…
ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES (1925 – 1939)
O
ne of the most significant catalysts for the architectural development of Santa Barbara was a massive earthquake which struck at 6:42 a.m. on June 29, 1925. The earthquake destroyed or damaged many commercial buildings in Santa Barbara’s business district, most of which were built of un-reinforced masonry.
Unlike the commercial buildings, the vast majority of the residential structures in town were of wood-frame construction and survived the tremors, mainly losing their brick chimneys. Because of the early hour of the earthquake, only 13 lives were lost, as a majority of city residents were still at home in their wood-frame houses rather than in the more vulnerable downtown core. Had the earthquake taken place a few hours later, the death toll would likely have been much higher. One positive aspect resulting from the devastation was the opportunity to draw inspiration from its Hispanic architectural heritage when rebuilding the business district.
In an endeavor to see the implementation of this architectural style, not only new buildings, but many of the surviving Victorian era buildings were cloaked with Spanish Colonial Revival-style facades. City activists such as Bernhard Hoffmann and Pearl Chase continued to educate the public on the need for and value of architectural controls. In conjunction with this, an advisory committee of architects was established to review plans submitted by applicants. A formal Architectural Board of Review was in place for nine months. Continue Reading →
Santa Barbara photo of the week by Bill Heller, (click to enlarge photo).
The breakwater at the Santa Barbara Harbor is a great place for an evening walk. Of course you have to be willing to risk a rouge wave making you a little wet, but usually it’s possible to navigate without getting too much of a shower. Last night it looked like there was potential for a nice sunset, initially the clouds didn’t get as much color as I’d hoped for. But a little patience and some long exposures a little later paid off with some evening shots of the beautiful crafts waiting for their next outing. Taxi Dancer (in the foreground) in particular looks like it would make for a fun (and fast) sail up the coast.
-Bill Heller
We learned last week that CO2 levels in our atmosphere had just reached 400 parts per million for the first time in human history, although it turned out to actually be 399.89. Tune in later for the actual record breaker. 350 PPM was deemed a safe level for preventing climate change and sea level rises from ice melts, methane releases from permafrost melting, etc. The fast moving trend is seen here, from Scripps Institute:
April 2011 – 393.37
April 2012 – 396.45
April 2013 – 398.35
With recent developments in fracking technology, we’ll be producing more oil and gas, and other than using less coal as a result, there will be more fossil fuels for everyone, and less hope for conservation bringing down our levels, at least for economic reasons. So what to do? Continue Reading →
Tyler Farrar, center, Ken Hanson, left, and Gianni Meersman, right, finished 1-2-3 in Wednesday’s Stage 4.
Former Santa Barbara resident Ken Hanson, runner-up in Wednesday’s Amgen Tour of California bike race, summed it all up at a post Stage 4 news conference: “I’m really happy the race came back here,” Hanson said, referring to the 2008 race, which drew thousands of South Coast visitors, helped fill hundreds of hotel and motel rooms and meant more than $1 million in taxable sales for the county.
Michelle Rodriguez, spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara Convention & Visitor Bureau, said her agency expects 2013’s revenue numbers to be as good or better than the last time the race went through the region in 2008. Cyclists head Avila Beach on Thursday and will end up in Santa Rosa on Friday.
For all the road closures and rush-hour traffic headaches the Amgen Tour may have caused, it put smiles on the faces of many people in the hospitality industry and retail businesses. Despite a mid-week date, the race still managed to draw thousands of cheering spectators along Cabrillo Boulevard where cyclist Tyler Farrar took first-place for Stage 4. Continue Reading →
An Open Letter to the members of the Lobero Foundation by Kellam de Forest
The Lobero Theatre is a landmark and is so designated by the State and the City. Your board is currently engaged in a fund raising campaign to fund extensive remodeling to this historic building. As your Encore Lobero brochure explains the current theater lacks heating and air conditioning, modern seating and adequate restroom facilities. Such modernization is commendable and deserves community support.
Artist Rendering of Esplanade
As you are surely aware through letters and blogs that many object to your plans for a walled level terrace called an esplanade. Such a major alteration will destroy the historic character defining. 1924 entrance designed by George Washington Smith with landscaping by Lockwood de Forest. Continue Reading →
Santa Barbara’s gang injunction was initiated by the City of Santa Barbara along with the District Attorney. It has been in the judicial system from a substantial amount of time without updates to the public about its status. It is also a topic of public controversy. Helene Schneider has asked for an update to be given tomorrow at the Santa Barbara City Council meeting, which leads to the poll question of the week:
It comes as no surprise that the Santa Barbara County Democratic Central Committee has endorsed incumbents Helene Schneider for Mayor and Bendy White for City Council, but two additional names have received endorsements from the Committee:
Megan Diaz Alley was born and raised in Crown Point, Indiana and achieved a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism, from Columbia College Chicago. Following graduation, Megan worked behind the scenes in the film industry, handling multi-million-dollar budgets as an Art Department Coordinator on film productions in Southern California.
Her passion for the environment on the central coast, led Megan to the Santa Barbara area, where she has worked for several non-profit organizations, including the Community Environmental Council (CEC) where she educated community leaders and the public on climate change and our dependency on finite resources such as fossil fuels. Megan also served as a producer and host of Nonprofit Spotlight, a program that highlights the proactive work of our region’s nonprofits.
Currently, Megan is the Development and Public Relations Coordinator for the local nonprofit Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International, which in addition to its global mission of restoring sight and preventing blindness to disadvantaged individuals worldwide, is the parent of the Santa Barbara Vision Care Program (SBVCP), which provides comprehensive eye exams, eyeglasses, medications, and eye surgery at no cost to qualified patients who reside in Santa Barbara County.
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According to the General Plan, Santa Barbara has had ten major historical periods. Over the next few months, Santa Barbara View will post the History of the City…
Design Review Origins (1902 – 1925)
Like many communities throughout the country, Santa Barbara became interested in city improvement and beautification. In March of 1902, the City Council appointed the first Board of Park Commissioners. Within two years, the Board added two important parks (Oak Park and East Beach Park, now known as Chase Palm Park) to the city’s park system. In Oak Park more than 100 oak trees and other species were planted to give the park its natural, arcadian setting. Because of continued tree planting and maintenance throughout the city, Santa Barbara was officially designated a “Tree City USA” in 1980. It has retained that designation ever since. During this time period (and through at least 1931), various civic organizations purchased much of the Santa Barbara waterfront with the intention of assuring that it would be preserved in perpetuity for public use.
By the turn of the 20th Century, Santa Barbara had become a well-established destination for people from the Midwest and the East trying to escape the harsh winter months. In 1902, the 600-room Potter Hotel was constructed near West Beach. In 1911, this was followed by the completion of the equally grand new Mission Revival-style Arlington Hotel on State Street at Victoria which covered an entire city block. Both hotels were subsequently destroyed, the Potter by fire in 1921 and the Arlington, demolished in 1926 because of extensive damage from the 1925 earthquake.
In 1901, the long-awaited railroad link to San Francisco was completed. In 1905 a new Mission Revival-style train station was opened to travelers. During this time, the City’s streetcar system was expanded with lines running from the beach to the Mission, and in 1913, up to the State Normal School campus located on the Riviera. At that time, the Riviera Development Company bought about 300 acres of land on Mission Ridge and built the roads, sandstone retaining walls, underground utilities, and planted hundreds of oak trees. This was one of the first subdivisions designed to have a cohesive visual appearance both in its landscaping and layout. Additionally, there were architectural standards requiring that lot owners build “Riviera style” houses featuring white stucco walls with red tile roofs and costing at least $4,000, a significant amount for the time.
Santa Barbara’s Pearl
Shortly after the conclusion of World War I, Santa Barbara began to revamp its visual and cultural image. The nationally recognized architect Bertram G. Goodhue was hired to plan a new commercial streetscape (unbuilt) of Hispanic design. It was in the 1920’s that the idea of protecting and furthering the city’s Hispanic heritage was enthusiastically embraced. Civic leaders Bernhard Hoffmann and Pearl Chase of the Plans and Planting Committee, formed in 1922 as part of the Community Arts Association formed in 1919, were the driving force behind the movement to return Santa Barbara to its roots as a city reflecting its Hispanic heritage.
Continue Reading →
WildFire Action Plan
Last week’s red flag warnings and the 3,000-acre wildfire that is burning in the Los Padres National Forest are good reminders to revisit your own plan in the event of a wildfire. The City of Santa Barbara has developed this READY! SET! GO! program plan, PDF left, and Santa Barbara View will add it to the local links, because It’s never too late to be prepared.
{ David is a good dude and has paid his dues but why he wants to open up these old wounds is beyond me. } – May 22, 9:47 AM
{ Frank made sure the city did the right thing by the Milpas area on their complaint against Casa Esperanza last year. He pushed for the... } – May 22, 9:40 AM
{ This is the best we can do? It's embarrassing: Parks and Rec and Planning commissioners with no track records. A has-been that shoplifted as a... } – May 22, 9:37 AM { But he does want to get "back" to the same seat on City Council he had to resign. If you remember, he tried to keep... } – May 22, 6:39 AM
{ David isn't exactly "back." He didn't go away. He kept working hard in the community. For more than 20 years he has worked hard. I'd... } – May 21, 10:21 PM
{ @run the numbers: 20 years - 2013 is 1993. Wasn't around for Landecker's incident. @ white out: implied there's a distinction between the two incumbents.... } – May 21, 9:51 PM
{ You'd think the train station's waiting room would be open and attended whenever a train arrives or departs. If Amtrac wants to make a profit,... } – May 22, 9:10 AM { District elections are the answer. The candidates always walk on the Mesa and San Roque for votes but the areas get zero representation. Would be... } – May 22, 9:09 AM { District elections are not the answer. But some form of broad residential area representation could work, while still selected by city voters at large. Divide... } – May 22, 8:33 AM { How much did the Micky-Flacks SEIU after-election party raise for Cathy Murillo? } – May 22, 8:26 AM
{ PS. I disagree that this makes a good argument for district elections. Most all the issues before the council are citywide and the proverbial devil... } – May 22, 7:54 AM { Thank you for this and, especially, for the digging and finding out about other CA cities. A few years ago when Marty Blum was mayor... } – May 22, 7:51 AM { Wonderful Loretta - Thank you! This makes the case for district elections perfectly. Break that $50,000 into five zones and now real people would be... } – May 22, 7:11 AM { SOmething SBview should ask each candidate as they declare. Even $50K seem offputting for a local election. } – May 22, 7:08 AM { Dream on. RV sales for April 2013 up 6% from last year, at this rate annual sales up 72%. Recreation Vehicle Industry Association. http://www.rvia.org/?ESID=indicators "No... } – May 21, 10:12 PM
Upcoming Events: County Calendar
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Hot Topic Alert: Neighborhood Activism Goes Online
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SEIU Units and Firefighters Joined with Mickey and Dick Flacks to Host Fund-Raising Party for Cathy Murillo
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Regarding the Homeless: Santa Barbara’s Loss, La Jolla’s Gain
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