As individuals and communities, we experience births and the arrival of new “family” members and deaths that result in the loss of others.
This year, however, we seem to have lost an exceptional group of male role models in our community, and this must be acknowledged as we pass into 2013 for the cumulative effect that it may result in for our city. Babatunde Folayemi, Matt Sanchez and Barry Berkus were exceptional men. They were passionate — about youth in our community, about cars, about art, about eliminating gangs and about built form that shapes our self-image.
These men gave of themselves to make our community a more beautiful place both from the inside out and the outside in. They will be missed and will continue to be mourned.
As a mother of a young man growing up in our town (yours, mine and my son’s), I pray that on the eve of this new year, there will be men who stand up and step in to continue the unchartered courses that these men pursued. Boys need men to look up to and to model themselves after.
I wholeheartedly look forward to welcoming the new guard and pray that they will adequately honor the memories of those who have come before.
Leslie Colasse
Santa Barbara
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