In the more than 1,200 of these Best of Bill columns I’ve written every Friday since 2007, I don’t think a brand-new reporter has ever hit No. 1 in my Top 5 in his or her first week.
Meet Daniel Green, who did it last week with his May 21 reporting on Southwest Airlines’ plans to suspend some of its Denver flights to and from Santa Barbara.
Daniel earned a master’s degree in specialized journalism from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism after graduating with his bachelor’s degree from Long Beach State.
The fourth-generation Californian from Los Angeles discovered his interest in journalism while at Cerritos College, where he served as news editor of the student newspaper, Talon Marks.
Now he’s sinking his talons into local news stories in Santa Barbara County for Noozhawk, and he’s been almost everywhere in his first two weeks.
Between his overall multimedia experience and training, and his work as production manager of the Signal Tribune in Signal Hill and an intern at the Los Angeles Business Journal, we think he brings a vital perspective to our already solid local news team.
Look for him around the South Coast, and don’t be surprised to see his name at the top of a Best of Bill column again soon.
With Daniel’s hiring and more expansion coming, Noozhawk is doubling down on our commitment to providing independent, nonpartisan and unbiased local news coverage at a time when many newspapers are shrinking or closing.
Most of you live in Santa Barbara County; you’ve seen it yourself, from Santa Barbara to Carpinteria to Lompoc to Santa Maria.
But thanks to your support, you’re helping us prove that there still are viable local news organizations that will dive into the issues that matter, ask the hard questions, and report the truth.
With your help, Noozhawk can keep our content free and accessible while expanding our trusted reporting during this critical election year when reliable information is paramount.
Every contribution to our Hawks Club enables Noozhawk to invest more deeply in covering the issues that truly matter locally.
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According to our WordPress analytics, Noozhawk drew an audience of 136,581 readers this past week.
What follows is my own take on the Top 5 stories you were reading over the last seven days. This is my opinion column, not a news story, and I write it in my civic capacity as Noozhawk’s publisher.
Thank you for reading on.
1. BizHawk: Arnoldi’s Café in Santa Barbara Abruptly Closes After Death of Co-Owner
Arnoldi’s Café, Santa Barbara’s oldest Italian restaurant and a beloved locals-only magnet, has closed its doors, at least temporarily.
As our Josh Molina reported, the restaurant announced the abrupt closure on its Instagram page.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the temporary closure of Arnoldi’s Café as we have known it the last 22 years,” the post said.
“The current business owners will be stepping away, and we have so much gratitude for being a part of this historical and legendary institution that has brought memories since the 1940s.”
The closure was prompted in part by the May 15 death of co-owner David Peri, a longtime CPA who bought and restored the restaurant with his wife, Kitty, and his sister and brother-in-law.
The restaurant at 600 Olive St., at the corner of East Cota Street, is a historic slice of local culture and community, known for its distinctive sandstone building, retro 7Up signs, and intensely competitive bocce ball tournaments.
The City of Santa Barbara bestowed historic landmark status on the structure in 2017.
Giuseppe “Joe” Arnoldi, an Italian stonemason who arrived in Santa Barbara in 1921, and his wife, Ilda, opened Arnoldi’s in 1937. Through the decades, the menu remained true to their Italian roots.
Among the many #bestofbillrecommendation choices, my favorites were the Penne Al Arrabbiata and Spaghetti Alle Vongole, although the Filet Mignon was no slouch.
Hopefully, my last meal there won’t be my last meal there.
Jeanette Arnoldi, the Arnoldis’ granddaughter and the property’s owner, assured Josh on May 28 that the closure was temporary and that new business management would begin “a new chapter of a Santa Barbara historical landmark.”
Further, she emphasized in a statement, “Arnoldi’s Café is NOT FOR SALE.”
A funeral service for Peri will be held at 11 a.m. May 31 at the Santa Barbara Mission, 2201 Laguna St.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Catherine “Kitty” Peri; their children, Joseph Peri, Francesca Wermlinger (Rob), Gabriel Peri (Karen) and Sara Skrinski (Bryan); as well as 10 grandchildren.
Donations in Peri’s memory can be made to Transition House or the California Missions Foundation.
2. Ailing Hiker Rescued From Inspiration Point Trail Above Santa Barbara
A hiker was rescued from the Inspiration Point Trail the morning of May 26 after he experienced fainting spells on his trek into the mountains above Santa Barbara.
As our Janene Scully reported, a Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue team and county firefighters responded to an emergency call about an unconscious hiker about 9:45 a.m.
Once crews reached the man, they stabilized him and used a litter wheel to transport him down the treacherous terrain, a journey that took nearly two hours.
Authorities said American Medical Response EMTs evaluated the hiker at the trailhead, and he was later released.
The man’s identity was not disclosed.
3. Santa Barbara Files Charges Against Property Manager Over ‘Just Cause’ Evictions
The City of Santa Barbara has filed criminal charges against a West Beach property manager, alleging he failed to comply with the city’s “just cause” eviction ordinance.
As our Josh Molina reported, James Knapp, a partial owner of the 52-unit apartment complex at 215 Bath St., a half-block south of West Montecito Street, faces three misdemeanor counts for allegedly terminating tenancy without just cause, failing to comply with the ordinance and failing to serve proper permits.
The charges stem from Knapp serving 11 tenants with eviction notices, which the Legal Aid Foundation contested as not specifying adequate time for renovations requiring more than 30 days of vacancy.
Although Knapp rescinded and reissued notices in April, the city filed charges a week later.
Knapp told Josh he did comply with the ordinance, which he criticized as vague.
“This is political,” he said. “This is them trying to send a message.”
Denny Wei, an assistant prosecutor in the City Attorney’s Office, and the Legal Aid Foundation declined to comment, citing active litigation.
Kevin Nimmons, a partner at Reicker Pfau, is representing Knapp and argued that the casually fluid ordinance needs clarification to avoid wrongfully charging landlords acting in good faith.
“It would benefit tenants and landlords if there was a clear, unambiguous ordinance from the beginning, and that wasn’t revised repeatedly, so that landlords can rely on a consistent clear set of rules so they can run their businesses pursuant to them,” he said.
“Now, if you make a mistake, you could be criminally charged when the landlords in their mind are proceeding in good faith, and that is not good for tenants, landlords or the city that is charged with enforcing this.”
Chris Parker, another of the complex’s owners, said the city essentially is telling landlords not to fix up their properties.
“Property managers will refuse to manage apartments in fear of getting criminally charged for minor, good faith defects in a notice to terminate,” he wrote in a letter to the city.
Parker also wondered how Wei would know how long the renovation work — which includes major electrical and plumbing work — is supposed to take without ever visiting the site or talking to the ownership and contractors.
“Meanwhile,” he said, “we are 45 days into construction on adjacent units and we are not even halfway completed.”
4. Ava Scarlett Decker of Santa Barbara, 2011-2024
Ava Decker, a 13-year-old Santa Barbara girl, died May 9 after a courageous, 1½-year battle with cancer.
Despite enduring painful treatments, her family says Ava remained focused on bringing joy to others and advocating for increased childhood cancer research funding.
The Riviera Ridge School student was born March 6, 2011, and her poignant obituary says she was an avid reader, especially of Harry Potter books; an accomplished pianist; a talented artist; a big fan of Ca’ Dario restaurant; and a devoted pal for the animals in her menagerie, among them her bunnies, chickens, tortoise and dogs, especially her puppy, Scarlett.
Ava’s grieving parents, Vanessa and Shawn Decker, along with her brother, James, are honoring her wish to help eradicate pediatric cancers through the newly established Glimmers Childhood Cancer Foundation. Click here to make an online donation.
Rest in peace.
5. Bill Macfadyen: Southwest Takes Air Out of Santa Barbara’s Denver Flights
If the traffic on my Best of Bill column is any indication, there’s a lot (of us) riding on Southwest Airlines locally.
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Good Reads
Here are six more stories worth your time:
» Fire Officials Reach 70% Containment, Lift Evacuation Warnings for Cuyama Valley Blaze — Executive editor Giana Magnoli has some good news on Santa Barbara County’s first major wildfire of the year.
» Lane Reduction and Angled, Back-In Parking Headed to Old Town Goleta — South County editor Josh Molina and staff writer Daniel Green team up to report on big changes coming to Old Town Goleta.
» UCSB Baseball to Host Fresno State, Oregon, San Diego in Santa Barbara Regional — The UC Santa Barbara baseball team has gone from homeless to host this year. Sports correspondent Ryan Greenberg provides a preview as the Gauchos prepare to welcome the NCAA Division I Santa Barbara regional to Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
» Village Properties Adds Commercial Real Estate Division for Santa Barbara County — Staff writer Rebecca Caraway follows an interesting development at the South Coast’s largest independent and locally owned real estate company.
» Memorial Day Ceremony at Santa Barbara Cemetery Honors ‘Great Sacrifice’ of Fallen Heroes — Team Noozhawk blanketed Santa Barbara County for Memorial Day commemorations. Rebecca was at the Santa Barbara Cemetery while Daniel covered both Santa Barbara’s Calvary Cemetery and the Goleta Cemetery, and North County editor Janene Scully covered the Santa Maria Cemetery and Vandenberg Space Force Base.
» Athletes, Coaches of the Year Honored at Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Evening with the Athletes — Sports editor Diego Sandoval wraps up another exciting season for the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table … by deftly emceeing the annual Evening with the Athletes celebration and then writing the story about it.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? Design Proposals for Santa Barbara’s State Street Spark Heated Debate.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
Given this new information, the name of the Counting Crows band all adds up: Crows Can ‘Count’ Up to Four Like Human Toddlers, Study Suggests.
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Here’s What I’m Up To
- June 6 — I’m not a morning person but the Rotary Club of Santa Maria Breakfast mentioned the possibility of pancakes. I’ll be there early to share Noozhawk’s story and North County expansion plans.
- June 7 — Mountain View School in Goleta is having me back to participate in its annual sixth-grade exit interviews. Talking with the school’s Cougar cubs is always one of my favorite things I get to do as Noozhawk’s publisher.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
A family wedding capped a week of Texas travel. The highlights — including trips to Blue Bell Creameries, Marfa Texas Kitchen and the George Bush Presidential Library & Museum — are all in my Instagram feed.
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Watch It
This storm was a real howler.
