I first met then-Santa Barbara Mayor Sheila Lodge in the late 1980s when I barged into her City Hall office with a complaint.

De la Guerra Plaza — and the porch and steps of City Hall — had been taken over by a sprawling homeless encampment as part of a national protest against a long-forgotten municipal ordinance.

I don’t know how many of the protesters were actually homeless, or even local, but a particularly belligerent group refused to let me slip my water payment into the slot outside the door.

So I went inside to pay her in person. We ended up talking for more than an hour in a conversation that ranged far beyond the drumming outside her open second-floor window and the occasional whiffs of weed wafting up from below.

Although we ultimately agreed to disagree, I left with a far greater appreciation for the challenges facing the city, the thoughtfulness she brought to public service, and the genuine empathy she had for the people she represented.

What struck me most, however, was that she made the conversation about me.

She wanted to know about my wife and children, my family’s deep roots in Malibu, how I got my start in journalism, and what it was like working on the copy desk at The New York Times-owned newspaper next door.

By the time I left, I felt as though she’d known me for years.

That afternoon began a friendship that lasted nearly four decades — one I came to treasure even more as I realized it was nearing its inevitable end.

Sheila died July 8 at age 97.

Her body had grown frail, but her mind remained remarkably sharp — an encyclopedic repository of Santa Barbara history, planning policy, urban design philosophy and municipal minutiae.

And even in her 90s, she was surprisingly adept online.

When I first conceived the idea for Noozhawk in the summer of 2006, Sheila may have been the first political leader I consulted, despite our frequent political disagreements.

She intuitively understood the concept, offered thoughtful advice about reaching key audiences and continued sharing ideas as the business plan evolved.

She was an ardent supporter of our Hawks Club from the start, was one of Noozhawk’s most loyal readers and was certainly one of my most prolific email correspondents.

She never hesitated to praise outstanding reporting or suggest ways to add context and depth. She championed my Best of Bill columns and, when necessary, delivered a well-earned scolding.

Oddly enough, I never minded. Whatever Sheila wanted to talk about, I wanted to hear.

She made history as Santa Barbara’s first woman mayor, but her legacy extends well beyond that distinction.

With no disrespect toward Pearl Chase, I can’t think of anyone who more fiercely defended Santa Barbara’s character or more faithfully safeguarded its standards than Sheila Lodge.

Thank you, my friend. Rest in peace.

According to our WordPress analytics, Noozhawk drew an audience of 123,947 readers this past week.

What follows is my own take on the Top 5 stories you were reading during that seven-day period, as tracked by our Google analytics.

As you should know, this is my opinion column, which I write in my civic capacity as Noozhawk’s publisher. It is not a news story, nor am I a reporter.

1. Citing ‘a Crisis,’ Goleta Family Calls for E-Bike Safety Reform

Safety concerns are mounting along Cathedral Oaks Road near Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta after a series of collisions involving students riding bicycles and e-bikes prompted renewed calls for improvements.

As our Pricila Flores reported, school officials say about five crashes involving students have occurred along the corridor in the past two years, including three during the recently concluded school year.

Principal Bill Woodard says motorists turning into a gravel campus parking lot often cannot see fast-moving e-bikes traveling alongside traffic.

“The e-bikes have made that stretch more dangerous,” he said in a statement to parents. “They go really fast, they don’t require a license, and we have some inexperienced riders who are maybe not proceeding cautiously.”

One of those crashes involved Dexter Thulin, a rising junior who was struck by a vehicle while riding his Class 1 e-bike home from school two years ago.

“I was going down (the road) below the speed limit,” he told Pricila. “I get to the dirt lot, don’t see anything, and then all of a sudden it (an SUV) is just in front of me, and I hit the brakes but couldn’t stop fast.”

Dexter escaped with relatively minor injuries but missed about a month of cross-country competition. The collision also caused about $300 in damages to his ride.

His father, Lukas Thulin, said visibility at the parking lot remains poor despite earlier discussions about improving safety.

“It’s like OK, same thing we said a year and a half ago,” he said. “Nothing has changed.”

Goleta traffic data show 35 bicycle crashes were reported from 2021 through 2025, with nine occurring on Cathedral Oaks Road and about 40% happening during peak after-school hours.

DPHS and city officials plan to meet this summer to discuss safety improvements, including removing a eucalyptus tree that blocks sight lines along the road, while continuing e-bike safety education and exploring longer-term solutions.

The safe operation of electric motorcycles — excuse me, e-bikes — has been a hot topic pretty much everywhere, with the public increasingly raising concerns about younger riders’ behavior and illegal modifications to enable faster speeds.

2. Ex-Santa Maria Valley Attorney Gets Prison, Ordered to Pay Restitution

A former Santa Maria Valley attorney who admitted stealing from an elderly client has been sentenced to six years in state prison and ordered to pay nearly $675,000 in restitution for financial crimes tied to a family trust.

As our Janene Scully reported, 52-year-old Debbie Morawski pleaded guilty in March to felony counts of theft from an elder or dependent adult, embezzlement, preparing false documentary evidence and money laundering, along with a sentencing enhancement because the losses exceeded $500,000.

The charges stemmed from Morawski’s handling of the Delta Campbell Family Trust beginning in 2016 and continuing after Campbell’s death in 2017 at age 92.

Before sentencing on July 7, Superior Court Judge Stephen Foley heard an emotional victim impact statement from Campbell’s daughter, Betsy Nelson, who described the lasting emotional toll of the crimes.

“I can only imagine that you were capable of doing this evil because you were missing something in yourself in your soul,” Nelson said, citing several Bible verses.

“I hope today brings peace and healing to our family. I hope you’re unable to cause any more harm from where you will be. I am praying for you to be a better person so that you stop harming others.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Brian Cota said Morawski liquidated Campbell’s estate to finance personal spending and sought a stiffer financial penalty.

Foley instead imposed a $150,000 fine, saying a larger amount would likely make restitution impossible.

Morawski, a disbarred attorney, also must repay $225,314 to the family trust and $300,000 to the California State Bar, which previously compensated the trust.

She was remanded to state prison.

3. Bill Macfadyen: Wrong-Way Driver Dies, But 14 on Bus Survive Terrifying Highway 101 Crash and Inferno

There is still nothing new to report on the fatal June 26 collision on Highway 101 north of Los Alamos.

That 3:15 a.m. wreck involved a wrong-way driver — traveling north in the southbound lanes — who slammed into a Chumash Casino Resort bus taking employees to work. Upon impact, both vehicles burst into flames.

While the wrong-way driver perished in the crash, the bus driver and the 13 resort employees miraculously escaped with only minor injuries.

Authorities have not yet identified the dead driver.

4. El Capitán State Beach Reopens, Accepts Camping Reservations

Campers can finally pitch their tents again at El Capitán State Beach now that the long-awaited reopening of the popular coastal campground is underway after months of construction delays.

As our Daniel Green reported, day-use access resumed this month, and reservations are now available for the upper and middle campgrounds as well as group campsites.

Loop A in the lower campground remains first come, first served while construction wraps up at the park nine miles west of Goleta.

Kate Wilson, a chief planner for California State Parks, said the phased reopening allows crews flexibility to complete remaining work without disrupting reservations.

The campground had been closed since December 2024 for infrastructure upgrades, including a new beach bridge, Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible trails, widened pedestrian paths and an upgraded entrance kiosk.

Delays were caused largely by environmental restrictions protecting wildlife that moved into the construction area.

“There was a number of times that we had to push the timeline back due to those biological constraints,” Wilson said.

She added that Gaviota State Park and Refugio State Beach are both fully open to the public and accepting reservations.

5. Illegal Fireworks Spark Injuries, Citations in North Santa Barbara County

Illegal fireworks over the Fourth of July weekend left at least one person missing fingers and prompted dozens of expected citations in the City of Santa Maria, where officials say dangerous activity remains widespread despite stepped-up enforcement and the use of drone surveillance.

As our Janene Scully reported, a city task force documented about 90 incidents that could result in citations after aerial and ground enforcement efforts are reviewed.

City officials said one individual lost fingers in an explosion of illegal fireworks over the weekend, two weeks after a juvenile victim lost a hand in a similar incident.

Santa Maria firefighters also responded to 11 trash fires sparked by fireworks and handled 53 service calls on July 4, well above the typical nightly average.

At the opposite end of Santa Barbara County, officials maintain that things were relatively quiet on the illegal fireworks front.

That stance was news to sleep-deprived residents of Santa Barbara’s Westside, which turns into an annual war zone in the days and weeks leading up to and beyond Independence Day.

And then there was Montecito, where one of my neighbors recklessly ignited a half-hour illegal pyrotechnics show about 150 yards from my backyard.

In addition to raining sparks, the thunderous booms — which obviously came without consideration or warning for anyone else in the vicinity — sent another neighbor’s panicked dog over a fence.

Fortunately, the small Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was found physically unharmed … three days later.

Yet another neighbor’s muster of peacocks was agitated well into the next day.

Representatives of the ever-vigilant Montecito Fire Protection District, the Sheriff’s Department and First District Supervisor Roy Lee’s office told Noozhawk that a reporter’s call — on July 7 — was the first they had heard about the explosive exhibition.

The lack of official curiosity notwithstanding, most residents of Montecito live in areas designated as a very high wildfire hazard severity zone, as authorities and homeowners insurance companies bluntly and repeatedly remind us.

Interestingly, most of the estate of the alleged host of the fireworks extravaganza actually lies in one of Montecito’s two tiny “moderate” fire zones — literally. How nice for him.

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Good Reads

Be sure to check out these six stories:

» Supervisors Approve $139 Million Contract for Northern Branch Jail Expansion — Staff writer Daniel Green reports on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors granting a new request for the expansion of the North County Jail.

» New Moorings Coming to Santa Barbara’s Seasonal Anchorage Area — Staff writer Pricila Flores has been keeping an eye on Santa Barbara’s anchorage plans.

» Cottage Health Names Medical Director of New Women’s Health Center — Staff writer Rebecca Caraway catches up with Dr. Jane Varner, the new medical director of the Cottage Health Center for Women’s Health.

» ‘A Big Moment’: Santa Barbara Zoo Welcomes Newborn Twin Red Pandas — Rebecca shares the birth announcement of the Santa Barbara Zoo’s newest residents, two adorable twin red panda cubs.

» BizHawk: New Santa Barbara Gym Combines Smart Technology, Strength Training — Rebecca has the details of a new gym that is fit to be tried.

» Laguna Blanca Alum Sam Narva Sets California Deadlift Record — Sports editor Diego Sandoval spots local weightlifter Sam Narva on his record performance.

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Last Year on Noozhawk

What was our most-read story this time last year? Bodies of 2 Missing Men Found at Crash Site Off Highway 166.

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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.

July 23 — In the second event of a series Noozhawk is hosting with Spotlight Santa Barbara, I’ll be moderating a discussion we’re calling “California’s Problems, Santa Barbara’s Choices.”

Our panelists are Kristen Miller, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce; UCLA economics professor Lee Ohanian; Pete Peterson, dean of Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy; and former Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin.

We’ll be at the Lobero Theatre again so save the date.

Oct. 29 — I don’t recognize who Scouting America — Los Padres Council is describing, but I’m being recognized with the National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award at the annual Salute to Scouting celebration at the Santa Barbara Club, #myhomeawayfromhome.

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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week

Talk about being on the cutting edge: The Activist Who Helped Bring Curb Cuts to America’s Streets.

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Best of Bill’s Instagram

My Instagram feed is still roaming about #idaho.

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Watch It

How far would you go for the perfect wave? HT to Best of Bill reader Shane Karstens.

MORE BEST OF BILL

Bill Macfadyen: Wrong-Way Driver Dies, But 14 on Bus Survive Terrifying Highway 101 Crash and Inferno

Bill Macfadyen: Another Heartbreaking Loss Shatters Santa Maria’s Grieving High School Community

Bill Macfadyen: Santa Barbara’s Westside Story Adds Another Shooting Scene