For quite a long time, it has been a dream of Kim Clark, Noozhawk’s business development vice president, and sales manager Sheridan Taphorn to add a special section devoted to brides on their special day.
Now that COVID-19, the wedding crasher from hell, has finally been vanquished, we decided it was time to tie the knot.
Kim, Sheridan, online advertising consultant Lauren Hodgins, and sales and marketing assistant Robyn Weber said “I do” and the result is our new Santa Barbara Wedding Bliss, a complete guide for brides, grooms, their families and friends, and the wedding ring of retailers and service providers ready to help them.
Check it out if wedding bells are ringing or in your future, and contact Sheridan at staphorn@noozhawk.com for advertising opportunities.
Things weren’t all lovey-dovey on Noozhawk this past week, as you’ll soon see with the family feud that leads off this Best of Bill column.
But we managed to marry off our news to an audience of 87,353 readers, according to our Google Analytics.
What follows is my recap of the Top 5 stories you were reading over the last seven days. Just remember that this is my opinion column, not a news story.
1. Pickleball Push Sparks Drama, Controversy at Earl Warren Showgrounds
Earl Warren Showgrounds aims to be the multiuse recreation center for Santa Barbara. Sometimes it seems there’s more competition between the various sports than there is between the players and teams using the actual arenas, courts and rinks.
As our Josh Molina reported, the latest flashpoint involves relative newcomer Dynamite Pickleball against two longtime tenants, the Brawlin’ Betties Roller Derby League and Santa Barbara Roller Hockey.
Evidently, Dynamite Pickleball made a bid to manage all sports activity at the 35-acre, state-owned facility at 3400 Calle Real.
Supporters of Santa Barbara Roller Hockey, which had held the contract for years, and Brawlin’ Betties backers leveled a hip-check in response in the form of a change.org petition that claims showgrounds management is favoring pickleball over everything else.
But, it turns out, Dynamite Pickleball had vowed not to disrupt any activities.
“We would honor all other groups that are there,” Dave Wilcox, who runs Dynamite Pickleball with his wife, Tracy, told Josh.
“We would not take away any time from any groups, and everyone’s rates would stay the same.”
After Josh turned in his story, a handful of people involved with Santa Barbara Roller Hockey and Mission City Roller Derby issued a statement apologizing to Earl Warren management for essentially blocking out of bounds.
“We look forward to continuing together under the new rink leadership,” the statement said.
Amid all that drama, the showgrounds is hosting the 103rd annual Santa Barbara National Horse Show this week, which gives facility general manager Ben Sprague some time to evaluate the situation.
In the meantime, I’m counting down the days to my favorite event at the showgrounds: the Aug. 4-6 Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo.
Noozhawk will be sponsoring another mutton bustin’ rider at the rodeo this year, and we’ll be announcing details on how to enter your buckaroo in our drawing later this month.
2. Bill Macfadyen: Architect’s State Street Design Concept Too Good to Be Used
My Best of Bill column jumped out to a big lead in our analytics last weekend, and held it all the way until July 6, when Josh aced me out with his pickleball imbroglio.
I want a rematch.
But architect Cass Ensberg’s ideas for a universal State Street rejuvenation clearly have caught the imagination of Noozhawk readers.
It will be interesting to see if her design suggestions can overcome the absence of imagination — excuse me, the “new paradigm” — that a majority of the Santa Barbara City Council is patting itself on the back about.
For Santa Barbara’s sake, I hope so.
3. BizHawk: Hotel with Rooftop Pool Proposed for Forever 21 Building in Downtown Santa Barbara
Three years after Forever 21 checked out of downtown Santa Barbara, plans are afoot to have visitors check in to a new hotel in the fast-fashion store’s former building.
As our Josh Molina reported, local developer Ray Mahboob is proposing to convert the building — at 901 State St. on the corner of West Canon Perdido — into a 22-room boutique hotel with a glass-bottom swimming pool and bar on the roof and a speakeasy in the basement.
The project — collaboratively designed by DMHA architects of Santa Barbara and Henry Lenny, principal architect and designer at Henry Lenny Design Studio in Carpinteria — has gone before the Historic Landmarks Commission but is still in the pre-application concept review phase.
4. San Marcos Growers Proposes 996 Housing Units in Goleta Valley
Foundering under California’s formidable new housing requirements, Santa Barbara County has been thrown a lifeline by the owners of the San Marcos Growers property near Goleta.
In a Noozhawk exclusive, our Josh Molina reported that the developers have submitted an application to build nearly 1,000 rental apartments on the 30-acre property at 125 S. San Marcos Road along Hollister Avenue.
Through a partnership with the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County, 20% of the 996 units, or about 200 of them, would be designated as “affordable.”
“We are local developers working with a local family to address a housing crisis that is decades in the making,” John Blair, principal of Presidio Capital Partners, told Josh.
“Our joint vision is to deliver rental housing that reflects the needs of our local community.”
The proposal envisions 516 two-bedroom units, ranging from 790 to 1,088 square feet, and 480 one-bedroom apartments of 550 to 815 square feet.
The campus would include 1,254 parking spaces, a lounge, clubhouse, fitness center, pool, spa, fire pits, barbecue areas, a community garden, a dog park and a walking trail.
The project site is to the west of the Turnpike Shopping Center on the corner of Hollister and South Turnpike Road, is near Hollister Elementary and San Marcos High schools, is across the street from Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, and is not far from Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital.
With Sacramento pressuring local governments to significantly increase their housing supply, county planners had reached out to the family that has owned the property since the early 1990s to see if housing might be a consideration.
They’re interested.
“Our parents purchased it as a real estate investment and future site for housing,” said Brett Hodges, a family spokesman.
“So when we were approached by the county to be a potential site for development in the housing element, our family felt this was a perfectly timed opportunity to achieve our parents’ vision and to provide needed housing for South County workers who currently have to commute.”
The development would need the county to rezone the property to residential use from agricultural use. Or to re-rezone the property, since it had been zoned for residential use years ago.
According to the developers, should the county not go through with a rezoning, they would proceed with their plans under the state’s builder’s remedy law because 20% of the units are affordable.
5. Injured Pair Rescued After Truck Plunges Down Hillside in Montecito
A driveway mishap led to a wild ride in Montecito the morning of July 2, but the pickup truck driver and his passenger suffered only minor injuries in the incident.
As our Tom Bolton reported, Montecito firefighters were dispatched just before 11 a.m. to an East Mountain Drive residence near Coyote Road.
“The male driver of the truck accidentally drove the vehicle off his driveway and down an embankment,” the district said in a tweet.
The pair suffered minor injuries, but their rescue was a little more complicated than usual.
Tom reported that firefighters erected a low-angle rope rescue system down the steep hillside and hauled the victims about 150 feet back up to the driveway.
The duo was transported by American Medical Response ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment.
Their identities and details on their conditions were not available.
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Good Reads
Here are six stories that are worth a read, too:
» South Coast Celebrates Fourth of July with Parades, Music and Fireworks — Staff writer Serena Guentz made the most of the Fourth of July, but she wasn’t alone. North County editor Janene Scully, staff writer Rebecca Caraway and sports writer Diego Sandoval delivered the most complete coverage of Independence Day events we’ve ever had.
» Ray Ford: Grass-Fed Fires a Major Concern During the Hot, Dry Season — No matter how much rain we’ve had, outdoors columnist Ray Ford has a timely reminder that wildfire season is never far away.
» Attic Fire Causes Major Damage to Westside Santa Barbara Home — A dramatic house fire destroys a Westside home in Santa Barbara. Executive editor Tom Bolton’s reporting and photographer Peter Hartmann’s pictures tell the story.
» Rob Raede: Pico Los Alamos Finds a Perfect Pairing with Good Food, Good Wine — Let’s Go Eat columnist Rob Raede finally visits Pico Los Alamos, my favorite restaurant not named the Santa Barbara Club, and discovers why it’s an enduring #bestofbillrecommendation.
» Goleta Adopts Strategic Plan That Envisions Improved Economy, Support for Small Businesses — Serena has some big news for small businesses in Goleta.
» Mark Patton: Longtime Coach Fred Warrecker Leaves an Enduring Legacy in Santa Barbara Athletics — We give sports columnist Mark Patton, the dean of Santa Barbara sportswriters, the last word on the late Fred Warrecker.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? Vehicle Crashes Near Orcutt Result in 2 Deaths, Multiple Injuries.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
Now this is a humdinger of a theft: Stolen California National Guard Humvee Still on the Lam in Santa Rosa.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
My grandson, Nico, takes in his first Montecito Village Fourth Parade for Independence Day, but it’s @sadiethealaskanmalamute’s show in my Instagram feed.
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Watch It
How’s this for a sphere of influence? HT to Best of Bill reader Javier Hernández.
