Regarding the April 7 article, “County Supervisors Amend Just Cause Evictions Ordinance in Response to Isla Vista ‘Renovictions’,” when these properties are renovated, the public should simply boycott the properties and leave the new property owners with empty apartments.
Power of the People! Screw ’em!
Patrick Cooper
Santa Barbara
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Regarding the April 5 article, “Oprah Winfrey’s Montecito Neighbors Raise Concerns about Boulder Wall Built Along Creek,” we live very near Oprah Winfrey’s majestic property and wide, sweeping lawns on San Leandro Road.
For years we have have heard the sprinklers going full blast while walking past at least three times a week during the drought. Why has this been allowed to go on?
Don’t say her water comes from wells, i.e. groundwater. It’s clear that siphoning off the groundwater affects that precious resource far beyond her own acreage.
Why hasn’t Noozhawk ever written about this misappropriation of such a valuable resource?
Winfrey has a reputation for being a responsible and socially conscious citizen/activist. I would hope she would also care about the environment and the water supplies in Montecito-Santa Barbara.
Now that we have an abundance of water for a little while, it behooves Winfrey, as well as the rest of us, to economize for future droughts that will certainly come.
Josie Levy Martin
Montecito
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The harm to wildlife in the Hot Springs area above Montecito, including aquatic life, is severe as a result of the hot springs pool construction.
It is patently illegal in California to obstruct creek flow. The damming of the stream bed attracts hoards of people bathing in this water, creating an unsanitary health hazard as there are no restroom facilities near the illegally constructed pools. I have seen trash, including toilet paper and human excrement, along the stream bed banks.
This precious land, purchased by our community to preserve nature, has become a disgusting environmental health hazard putting our community and nature in harms way.
The hot spring pool construction must stop to preserve the balance of nature in this sensitive environment and end further destruction by selfish, party goers who care nothing about the harm caused by their actions.
Cheryl Trosky
Montecito
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Getting up at 4 a.m. each day leaves me a great deal of time to read various online news articles, including those from Noozhawk.
Dan McCaslin’s April 5 column, “Despite Flutters of A-fib, My Heart Aches for the Trail,” was excellent, and I think I’ll go back and read it again. My walking hours and days changed significantly after a battle with fourth-stage bone cancer so I relate to his plight.
I loved his references to great people, real and mythical. It’s fun to come across an article with some substance and food for thought. I’ll take it with me as I head out for my Sunday morning walk!
Lee Gardner Dewey
Cardiff-by-the-Sea
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Regarding the April 9 article, “In New Era, Santa Barbara Public Library So Much More Than Books,” did you know that the Santa Barbara Public Library offers early literacy classes to more than 20,000 participants and supports more than 600,000 patrons per year?
As a finance professional, I’ve always appreciated the fact that we can learn and enjoy a great book for free at our library. But in a time where economic equity is front and center, I couldn’t feel more grateful to see our public library stepping up and increasing their services to better support our community.
Last year in particular, the library hosted a series of evening online classes on “How to Start a Child Care at Home Business” in Spanish. The six-week class was a result of a collaboration with Women’s Economic Ventures, and I had the pleasure of facilitating it.
Once the class ended, we met in person at one of Eastside Library’s Stay and Play weekly gatherings to learn more about how participants benefited from the resources, growth and connections they were able to nurture through the library.
Before getting involved with our Santa Barbara library, I had a very limited notion of the impact that modern libraries can have in our communities. Today, if I had to describe the library’s impact in one word, I would say: Equity.
Public libraries are one of the last public spaces where all are welcome, all are equal, and all can learn free of charge.
Thank you to everyone who works to ensure that libraries continue to open doors and help create a more equitable community for all.
Irene Kelly
Santa Barbara
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Thank you to Bob Nisbet for his April 7 letter to the editor and D.C. Collier for his April 6 commentary, “Christ Was No Victim, and Is Still in Charge.” It is encouraging to hear how Christ’s message is being shared in our local jails.
I also want to commend Noozhawk for allowing Christian points of view to be published. I know it’s not a popular decision in Santa Barbara (or in the letters to the editor)‚ but there are many of us in the community who appreciate it.
Jackie Bonilla
Santa Barbara
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