One timely conversation is still on the calendar, while another had to be postponed at the last minute.
On Oct. 8, Noozhawk and Spotlight Santa Barbara will take on an issue that goes to the heart of American civic life: free speech.
I’ll be emceeing “Free Speech Under Fire” at the Lobero Theatre, featuring First Amendment warrior Greg Lukianoff, CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and and co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind.
He’ll be interviewed by my friend and Spotlight Santa Barbara co-founder, Brian Goebel, for what promises to be a provocative and timely conversation about free speech, censorship and the importance of open debate.
Click here to get your tickets, including VIP access to an exclusive book signing afterward. Hawks Club members can receive a 10% discount.
Meanwhile, I owe our Hawks Club members an apology.
Our Sept. 29 VotingMatters forum with CalMatters, focused on the race for state insurance commissioner and the Nov. 3 statewide ballot measures, had to be canceled after one of our presenters picked up a bad cold during his travels around California.
I’m sorry for the late notice and the inconvenience, but we’re working with CalMatters and hope to reschedule the forum before Election Day. We’ll let you know as soon as we have a new date.
At Noozhawk, we believe vigorous disagreement and civil, substantive conversation can coexist.
Creating opportunities for those conversations is an important part of our mission, and I hope you’ll join us Oct. 8 for the evening with Greg Lukianoff.
Noozhawk reached an audience of 131,012 readers this past week, according to our WordPress analytics.
So what caught your attention?
Here’s my take on the Top 5 stories you were reading, based on our Google Analytics — along with a little context and commentary.
As always, this is my weekly opinion column, written in my civic capacity as Noozhawk’s publisher. I’m not a reporter, and this isn’t a news story.
1. Santa Barbara Police Identify Victim of Homicide in Chase Palm Park
A week after an 18-year-old Santa Barbara man was discovered fatally wounded in a waterfront park, Santa Barbara police have announced no arrests while detectives continue their investigation.
As our Tom Bolton reported, Pablo Fabian Hernandez was found unresponsive shortly before 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Chase Palm Park at 323 E Cabrillo Blvd.
Cmdr. Ben Ahrens said officers rendered aid before Hernandez was taken by American Medical Response ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where he died from his wounds.
Police said he suffered “multiple injuries to his upper body” during an assault.
Authorities have released few other details, including whether a weapon was used or recovered.
“It appears that this is an isolated incident, and there is no known concern for public safety,” Ahrens said.
He added that there’s no indication the homicide was gang-related. As I’ve been lectured before, Santa Barbara doesn’t have a gang problem so I know we can rule that out.
Our Pricila Flores interviewed Hernandez’s heartbroken family.
He had moved here from Mexico last year to live with his father, José Pablo Hernandez Carballo.
“It makes you want to fall to the ground,” the elder Hernandez told Pricila.
The oldest of five siblings, Hernandez sometimes worked alongside his dad as a landscaper.
His family described him as quiet, hardworking and respectful, but said he had a history of “disappearing.”
His uncle, Macario Hernandez Sanchez, said he also had a background of substance abuse.
Hernandez Carballo said he had last seen his son on Sept. 19. In the past, he added, he had tried unsuccessfully to get law enforcement involved to get him to return home.
A fundraiser is scheduled for Oct. 4 to assist the family with returning Hernandez’s body to Guerrero, Mexico, for burial.
The all-day fundraiser begins at 7 a.m. near the Our Lady of Guadalupe mosaic at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, 227 N. Nopal St.
Anyone with information about Hernandez’s murder is asked to call Santa Barbara police at 805.897.2355.
2. Driver Killed in Wrong-Way Crash with Chumash Bus Identified as Church Vandal
In a strange twist, the driver killed in a fiery wrong-way crash on Highway 101 near Los Alamos in June was the same man who went on a vandalism spree last year at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Parish in Santa Barbara.
Our Pricila Flores and Janene Scully have been chasing the lead for a couple of months and Janene was finally able to confirm it with the California Highway Patrol on Sept. 28.
The duo then teamed up to cover the surprising result from opposite ends of Santa Barbara County.
CHP Officer Maria Barriga confirmed for Janene that DNA testing had identified the dead driver as 54-year-old Antonio Dorado Arroyo, whose last known address was in Santa Barbara.
As Janene reported previously, Dorado Arroyo was driving a Honda Civic north in the southbound lanes of Highway 101 near Palmer Road about 3:15 a.m. June 26 when the car slammed head-on into a Chumash Casino Resort employee bus.
Authorities said the Civic burst into flames on impact, with the fire spreading to the bus and nearby vegetation in the center divider, about three miles north of Los Alamos.
The bus driver and more than a dozen passengers were able to get out before the flames engulfed their vehicle.
Authorities said 14 resort employees suffered minor injuries and were transported by American Medical Response ambulances to Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria.
Dorado Arroyo was killed in the wreck, and his body pretty much burned beyond all recognition.
As it turns out, he also was responsible for extensive vandalism last December at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on Santa Barbara’s Lower Westside.
Armed with a hammer, he damaged church pews in the sanctuary at 227 N. Nopal St. and a prominent outside mosaic depicting the parish’s namesake Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The damage estimate for the mosaic alone was about $30,000, but a community member stepped up to provide a quick temporary fix.
Dorado Arroyo later pleaded guilty to felony vandalism and was sentenced to 76 days in County Jail.
Father Pedro Lopez, the church’s pastor, told Pricila previously that Dorado Arroyo’s brother, a parishioner, had shared with him the news of his death.
“Very tragic thing,” he said.
3. BizHawk: The Ellwood at Goleta Beach Shakes It Up, Moves From Fine Dining
Less than two years after opening following a years-long closure and extensive renovations under a couple of different owners, The Ellwood at Goleta Beach is reworking its approach.
As our Rebecca Caraway reported, the restaurant at 5905 Sandspit Road, near the pier at Goleta Beach Park, is shifting from fine dining toward a more casual ambiance while retaining its higher-end offerings.
“We tried the fine dining, and we lived and we learned,” Colin Jordan, a restaurant partner and director of business development, told Rebecca.
The revamped menu adds fish tacos, a tuna melt, Goleta Burger, fried shrimp basket and baked feta dip, along with a frozen margarita dubbed the Goletarita. Seafood and pasta dishes also remain available.
Jordan said community feedback showed locals wanted a restaurant they could visit regularly rather than reserve for special occasions.
The Ellwood also is expanding its events programming at The Break, its oceanfront venue, beginning with Nashville singer-songwriters Luke Dick, Ava Lynn and Ben Williams performing Oct. 3.
The new hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with “Golden Hour” from 3 to 5 p.m. each day. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday.
4. Driver Critically Injured in Crash on Highway 154 Near San Marcos Golf Course
A driver was airlifted to the hospital with major injuries on Sept. 25 after his car plunged off Highway 154 near Rancho San Marcos Golf Course and the east end of Lake Cachuma.
As our Tom Bolton reported, emergency crews were dispatched about 2:25 p.m. after a silver BMW veered off the highway, overturned and ended up about 60 feet down the steep hillside.
Santa Barbara County fire Capt. Mike Gray said the driver, the only occupant, was trapped and required an extensive extrication.
A sheriff’s Air Support Unit crew hoisted the injured man into the helicopter and transported him to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
The driver’s identity was not disclosed, and his medical condition was unavailable.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the circumstances of the wreck, but an officer said witnesses reported the BMW speeding and making unsafe passes before the crash.
5. San Marcos High Students Face Consequences for Blackface Incident Posted Online
San Marcos High School has disciplined students responsible for a TikTok post showing four female students with artificially darkened skin recreating an image of four black children.
As our Rebecca Caraway reported, Principal Dare Holdren said the post was referred to the campus’ Safe to Speak Up system two weeks ago and that the school has “instituted consequences” for those involved.
“Racial stereotypes are harmful and have no place in our schools,” he said.
Santa Barbara Unified School District Superintendent Hilda Maldonado also condemned the post, saying blackface has a history of dehumanizing and humiliating black people.
The district did not disclose the students’ identities or the disciplinary measures, citing student privacy.
Maldonado said the district is supporting affected students and staff while working with those responsible to understand the impact of their actions.
HT to the California Post for picking up Rebecca’s story.
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Good Reads
Here are six more stories worth your time:
» Santa Rosa Island Looks to Rebuild After Historic Fire — Staff writer Daniel Green ventures over to Santa Rosa Island to report on the damage from a massive, catastrophic wildfire earlier this year. He also catches up with volunteers scrambling to stave off burn-area erosion from winter rains.
» Rent-‘Stabilization’ Ordinance Clears Santa Barbara Council By One Vote — Staff writer Rebecca Caraway follows the Santa Barbara City Council to its promised paradise that has no historical record of sustainable success anywhere in the world. But, sure, things will be different this time.
» Santa Barbara Heat Wave Expected to Last a Week or More — Executive editor Giana Magnoli warns of another round of extreme heat we’ll have to weather.
» 2 Injured After Vehicle Crashes into Solvang Fire Hydrant, Power Pole — North County editor Janene Scully has the details on a doozy of a chain-reaction wreck. Fortunately, the injuries were considered moderate.
» Botanic Garden Hires Fire Scientist to Study Native Plant Flammability — Rebecca digs into a new Santa Barbara Botanic Garden project that could help improve wildfire protection.
» Volleyball Players Bringing the Heat to AVP Santa Barbara Open at East Beach — Retired sports editor Barry Punzal previews a weekend of top-flight beach volleyball.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? BizHawk: Madam Lu Chinese Restaurant Closing; Sando Truck Backs Out of Goleta.
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What I’m Up To
Although I’m not looking for a free meal, I occasionally do have free time if you’re looking for a speaker for your club, group or organization and want to hear more about Noozhawk. Email me at wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com.
Oct. 8 — I’m emceeing “Free Speech Under Fire” at the Lobero Theatre. This is the third event of a series Noozhawk is hosting with Spotlight Santa Barbara, and it features free speech warrior Greg Lukianoff, who will be interviewed by my friend and Spotlight Santa Barbara co-founder Brian Goebel.
Lukianoff is CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and is co-author, with Rikki Schlott, of The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust and Threatens Us All — But There Is a Solution.
Click here to purchase tickets online, including VIP access to an exclusive book signing afterward.
Oct. 29 — I don’t recognize who Scouting America — Los Padres Council is describing, but I’m being honored with the National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award at the annual Salute to Scouting celebration at the Santa Barbara Club, #myhomeawayfromhome.
Nov. 5 — The Santa Barbara County Grand Jury has requested my presence for a discussion with panel members about issues affecting the county and Noozhawk’s role. I’m happy to accept, no subpoena required.
Dec. 10 — Having not learned their lesson from last year, the Channel City Club has invited me back to emcee its Christmas brunch at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. I’m privileged to do this in honor of my close friend, the late Erin Graffy, the club’s longtime host.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
Another cloud of controversy at Arizona State University, the world’s largest university: Arizona State Hockey Players Call for School to Place Coaches on Leave After Investigation of Teammate’s Collapse.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
Los Alamos Old Days with the fam, Noozhawk’s annual Hawks Club cruise on the Condor Express and my friend, National Review art critic Brian Allen, are all in my Instagram feed this past week.
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Watch It
The latest internet sensation is an adorable orphaned walrus calf under the care at the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward. You’re welcome.
