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I daresay you got your money’s worth this past week. According to our WordPress analytics, we had an audience of 159,549 readers over the last seven action-packed days.
What follows is my own take on the Top 5 stories you were reading over that period, as compiled by our Google Analytics.
It’s at this point that I remind you this is my opinion column and not a news story.
And while I usually refer to my column as the Best of Bill, this week it’s more like the “Best of Josh” because all five stories were the work of South County editor Josh Molina.
He’s never gonna let me forget it.
1. Cookie Plug Owner Says City Abruptly Pulled Plug on State Street Lease
The owner of Cookie Plug bakery has been ordered to vacate her downtown Santa Barbara shop by early May, despite believing she had a six-year lease signed in 2023.
As our Josh Molina reported, Annette Rodriguez received notice April 4 from Ed France, the city’s downtown parking and plaza manager, offering no explanation for the termination.
The City of Santa Barbara owns the building at 918 State St., which was previously subleased to Cookie Plug by Metropolitan Theatres Corp. before the city declined to renew MTC’s master lease last September.
“To move in 30 days is nearly impossible,” Rodriguez told Josh. “To take away a downtown business that just got here, for reasons that were never told, is just wrong.”
Rodriguez, who said she invested more than $100,000 in startup costs including $12,000 for the bakery’s distinctive urban graffiti art, suspects the decision may be related to renovations at the adjacent Santa Barbara Film Center, at 916 State St.
The two buildings — and a third one the city owns at 920 State St. — share infrastructure, including water and electricity shutoffs.
A Santa Barbara native, nurse and daughter of the late Jo Ann Caines, a beloved principal at La Cumbre Junior High School, Rodriguez took to social media to express her frustration.
She maintains she was assured the city would come to terms on a new agreement.
Responding to Josh, however, France described Cookie Plug as a “holdover tenant” operating under a temporary license agreement since October.
He declined further comment on “discussions, negotiations and internal reviews.”
2. Housing Project for Sears Building Hits a Wall with Santa Barbara Planning Commission
The Santa Barbara Planning Commission has expressed grave concerns about two massive housing developments proposed for La Cumbre Plaza.
If built as planned, the projects would add 1,127 residential units but potentially create chaos without coordinated planning on and around the 31-acre property.
As our Josh Molina reported, the separate projects — 443 units at the former Sears site at 3845 State St. and 648 apartments where Macy’s is at 3805 State St. — are being developed independently with no coordination.
Commissioner John Baucke called the lack of synchronization a potential “disaster.”
“How are you going to get this all to work?” he asked during the April 3 conceptual review hearing for the projects.
Key concerns included severe impacts on nearby schools, with Hope Elementary School District Superintendent Anne Hubbard warning of “multimillions of dollars” in costs and the need for approximately 28 additional classrooms in her three-school district.
Commissioners also questioned traffic circulation, public road access and insufficient open space on the site for families.
Commissioner Brian Barnwell illustrated the development’s enormous scale by showing it equals the four-block distance between Carrillo and Sola streets downtown.
“This will become a major center of both residential use and commercial use, so we need to acknowledge that,” he said, suggesting that the City of Santa Barbara start viewing it as a second “downtown.”
The situation is complicated by the city’s inability to implement a comprehensive site-specific plan after the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments denied funding in 2023.
That earlier plan could have accommodated 2,000 housing units with more affordable options than the 137 below-market units currently proposed.
Adding to the complexity, attorneys for the Macy’s developers claim the Sears project will lose access rights through parts of the outdoor mall in 2028.
3. Thousands Blanket Downtown Santa Barbara, Beach to Protest Donald Trump, Elon Musk
Several thousand demonstrators gathered in downtown Santa Barbara on April 5 for the latest protest against President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the Republican administration’s policies on immigration, abortion, transgender issues, Israel and downsizing the federal government.
According to our Josh Molina, it was the largest demonstration in the city since the 2020 George Floyd rallies.
Smaller but no less enthusiastic protests were held in Lompoc and Santa Maria.
The Santa Barbara edition, part of the national “Hands Off” movement, completely filled De la Guerra Plaza with the crowd spilling onto surrounding streets.
Protesters waved signs with messages like “The only minority destroying this country are billionaires” and “Rescue democracy. It’s now or never again.”
Among the community organizations involved were the Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County, Indivisible Santa Barbara, La Casa de la Raza, Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund, Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee and the Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara.
The demonstrations are a continuation of the ongoing protests against Trump’s first election in 2016 and his re-election last year.
Musk, the entrepreneur founder of SpaceX and Tesla, was added to the hit list for his work for Trump identifying government waste, redundancy and fraud.
After fiery speeches at the plaza, the massive crowd marched down State Street to West Beach, with Santa Barbara police escorting the procession and blocking cross traffic.
My favorite line from Josh’s story: “Thousands covered the roadway, even forcing the people on electric bikes out of the way …”
Ah, so that’s the secret to taking back State Street from the scourge of unlicensed, unregistered electric motorcycles. Since the City of Santa Barbara won’t do anything, can the protesters come back tomorrow?
4. Arrests, Medical Emergencies at Deltopia, but Officials Say Event Was Safe Overall
Thousands of college students and young people descended on Isla Vista on April 5 for Deltopia, an annual unsanctioned, post-spring break street party.
As our Josh Molina and Daniel Green reported over two days, a significant law enforcement presence resulted in 485 citations and 84 arrests during the sprawling bacchanalia along Del Playa Drive west of the UC Santa Barbara campus.
Still, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department characterized the event as “relatively safe.”
“So far, 2025’s Deltopia operation has been a demonstration of teamwork and efficiency,” Lt. Joe Schmidt told Josh.
“Our team of eight law enforcement agencies and nearly 300 deputies and officers have been keeping the public safe through consistent enforcement of laws and streamlined response to medical emergencies,” he said.
The majority of incidents occurred April 5, including numerous alcohol-related medical emergencies.
Five underage drunken driving arrests were made, and deputies confiscated a loaded firearm from one moron.
On the upside, there were no cliff fall deaths or fentanyl overdoses.
More than 6,000 people attended the fourth annual Spring Festival, the alternative Deltopia organized by the Isla Vista Community Services District.
In addition to live music, the festival featured mocktails and free tacos from Elubia’s Kitchen, Maria’s Tacos, Roger’s Tacos and Zocalo.
5. BizHawk: Haas’s Fine Ice Cream Comes Full Circle in Santa Barbara Return
In a delicious case of history repeating itself, Haas’s Fine Ice Cream has opened in Santa Barbara’s Five Points Shopping Center — the exact location where Haas Rahimian established a McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams shop in 1982.
Now, 43 years later, his son, Far Rahimian, has brought the beloved ice cream brand back to its former home, creating what he calls a “full circle” moment for the family business.
“It’s amazing,” the younger Rahimian told our Josh Molina. “It’s hard to believe.”
After selling their store at De la Vina and Mission streets to McConnell’s in 2005, the Rahimians appeared to have melted away from the ice cream business.
But when Little Alex’s offered to sublease part of its new Five Points space at 3987 State St., the opportunity to return to their roots proved irresistible.
The new shop features all of the classic McConnell’s flavors, from Cookies & Cream to Passion Fruit Lemon Swirl to my favorite, Chocolate Fudge & Cookies. The place is continuing the McConnell’s legacy that launched in Santa Barbara in 1949.
“It’s a ‘pinch me’ moment for all of us,” Rahimian said. “We never thought this would happen like this.”
Haas’s is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.
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Good Reads
Don’t miss these six stories before you click away:
» New Monument Honors Santa Barbara’s Deepwater Diving History — Staff writer Daniel Green surfaces with a monumental story on a less visible part of Santa Barbara’s history and heritage.
» Steve Hyslop, Santa Barbara Restaurant Manager and Youth Coach, Dies — Staff writer Rebecca Caraway writes the last chapter of Steve Hyslop’s story. The lifelong community leader was an early, enthusiastic supporter of Noozhawk and a stalwart champion of our youth sports coverage. #rip, Steve, and prayers for your family and extensive network of friends. I was honored to be one of them.
» Students, Teachers Keep Pressure on Santa Barbara District to Avoid Cuts — South County editor Josh Molina continues to follow the fallout from the Santa Barbara Unified School District’s decision to cut teachers instead of administrators.
» Santa Barbara Council’s Eric Friedman Recovering After Heart Attack — Godspeed to Santa Barbara City Councilman Eric Friedman and his recovery from an April 5 heart attack. North County editor Janene Scully has the details.
» Buellton Commission Peeks at Cottage Health Plan for Old Theater Site — Janene checks in on a proposed Cottage Health project that would transform health care opportunities in Buellton.
» Mark Patton: Vin Scully’s Granddaughter Brings Dodger Spirit to UCSB Softball — Sports columnist Mark Patton climbs into the family tree of a UCSB softball star with a Los Angeles Dodgers legend of a grandfather.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? When to Watch Monday’s Partial Solar Eclipse in Santa Barbara.
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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.
- May 28 — My favorite topic, Noozhawk, is on the agenda for my appearance at the Rotary Club of the Santa Ynez Valley.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
A gray wolf in white fur is still a gray wolf, and it’s not even close: No, the Dire Wolf Has Not Been Brought Back from Extinction.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
It’s Rodeo Time, America! My Instagram feed saddles up for the @smelksrodeo’s annual Rodeo Queen Kickoff Dinner & Auction at the @santamariaelkslodge1538.
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Watch It
Synchronized flock work. HT to Best of Bill reader Amelia Murphy.
