Jan. 9 was the seventh anniversary of Montecito’s deadly flash flooding and debris flows.
As our Rebecca Caraway reported, more than 100 people gathered at Montecito Union School for the community’s annual Raising Our Light remembrance.
The solemn ceremony — featuring 23 candles commemorating those who died and a searchlight beam reaching to the heavens — was even more poignant this year against the backdrop of the apocalyptic wildfire devastation in Los Angeles County.
Like many of you, I am “numb-struck” by the images from Pacific Palisades, which has been turned into a smoking, surreal tableau evoking Hiroshima and Nagasaki in mid-August 1945.
I’m also left wondering if the disaster will be a portent of a long-overdue reckoning for California, which — with the complicity of voters — has purposefully ignored the basic expectations of competent governance in favor of abstractions, distractions and inaction.
We’ll see soon enough, and it probably will start with the five-alarm fire of a crisis in the homeowners insurance market that Sacramento has FUBAR-ed to our everlasting detriment.
Buckle up.
I always say that drama and inconvenience are good for Noozhawk, and we reported on our share of it right here in Santa Barbara County this past week. Most of it, in fact, was not even wildfire-related.
According to our WordPress analytics, 189,177 of you were reading our news.
What follows is my own take on your Top 5 stories over that period, as tracked by our Google Analytics.
If you don’t know about my Best of Bill columns, what you’re about to read is my opinion column, which I write in my civic capacity as Noozhawk’s publisher. It is not a news story.
1. Mom of DUI Driver Gets Settlement from Solvang Restaurant
A Santa Maria Superior Court judge has let stand a $1 million settlement between a Solvang restaurant and the mother of a 20-year-old Lompoc man who died in his own 2022 DUI crash on Highway 101.
As our Janene Scully reported, Vincent Becerra was killed after he was ejected from his car during a single-vehicle rollover wreck on the northbound highway near Palmer Road, about four miles north of Los Alamos.
Lying in the roadway, he subsequently was run over by a Santa Maria police transport van.
According to court documents, Becerra had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19% and reportedly was driving in excess of 100 mph while texting on his cell phone before he lost control of the car.
The lawsuit filed by attorneys for Becerra’s mother, Julia, originally targeted the City of Santa Maria and police Officer Eduardo Servin, the van driver, but was later amended to include Cecco Ristorante and its owner.
The Santa Barbara County Coroner’s Bureau concluded that Becerra was “likely already deceased due to being ejected from his vehicle” before Servin arrived, according to documents filed on the city’s behalf.
The complaint was amended last year to allege that the restaurant served alcohol to the underage employee during his shift, with court documents claiming management permitted on-the-job drinking to build staff camaraderie.
Attorney Edward Ward Jr., a partner at Los Angeles-based Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith LLP, noted his clients have “denied any wrongdoing.”
“Nonetheless,” he added, “to mitigate any potential exposure and avoid further expensive litigation, defendants agreed to settle this action with plaintiff.”
The settlement represents the liability insurance policy limit for the restaurant.
Despite the City of Santa Maria’s objection that the settlement was premature due to limited discovery, Judge Jed Beebe approved the agreement as made in good faith.
A case management conference for Julia Becerra and the remaining defendants is set for Jan. 22.
2. Dos Pueblos High School Teacher Dies After Fall While Hiking in Greece
The Dos Pueblos High School community is grieving the loss of science teacher Clara Thomann over the Christmas break.
As our Rebecca Caraway was first to report, Thomann, who was six months pregnant, and her unborn baby died from injuries suffered in a horrific Dec. 23 hiking accident while vacationing with her partner, Elliott Finn, in Crete.
Authorities say the 33-year-old Thomann fell 164 feet down a steep and rocky gorge near Plakias, a village on the Greek island’s southern coast.
Emergency personnel and a nearby construction crew worked for four hours to rescue her from the difficult-to-access location.
She initially was transported to Rethymno hospital before being transferred to Chania General Hospital, where she was later declared brain dead.
Her unborn son, Theodoro, did not survive the accident.
“There are no words to describe the sadness we are all feeling,” Principal Bill Woodard said.
“Ms. Thomann was so kind and such a great teacher who loved her students and loved science.”
In a final act of giving, Thomann’s heart, liver and pancreas were donated to help others in Greece.
She and baby Theo were cremated together in Athens on Jan. 3, with some ashes to be spread in Greece and Turkey and the rest to be scattered in the United States at a later date.
Dos Pueblos is offering counseling services to students affected by the loss.
A memorial service will be announced through the family’s CaringBridge page.
3. Santa Maria Woman, 92, Has Uncertain Future Due to Housing Fraud
A 92-year-old Santa Maria resident may lose her home of four decades after falling victim to an alleged mortgage modification scam that resulted in her house being sold at a foreclosure auction.
As our Janene Scully reported, Dionisia Galarza and her family — including a disabled adult son — continued making mortgage payments totaling nearly $40,000 between 2020 and 2024, but were allegedly instructed to send the funds to a third party rather than their mortgage servicer.
According to a civil lawsuit filed in September, Orange County real estate agent Blanca Mendez and others allegedly directed Galarza to make payments to “Alliance Services” and “Central Escrow” during what was presented as a loan modification process.
The house — in the 600 block of West Monroe Street, off West Creston Street a half-block east of North Railroad Avenue — was sold at auction in July 2024 despite the family having wired an additional $24,000 as instructed.
The new owner, a distressed property company not involved in the alleged fraud, has sought to evict the family.
Through attorneys Todd Porter of Morro Bay and Madeleine Nantze from Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County, Galarza is fighting to remain in her home.
“The acts of defendant Blanca Mendez as alleged are a classic example of loan modification and foreclosure scams as recognized by the State of California,” says the lawsuit, which also alleges fraud and financial elder abuse.
Mendez’s attorney, Joseph Sullivan of Wade Litigation in Los Gatos, denies the allegations, claiming his client is a victim of stolen identity and retired from real estate in 2021.
Unfortunately, the Galarzas may have sought help too late in the foreclosure process but Nantze stressed that the Legal Aid Foundation has consumer protection and financial elder abuse units to assist those in similar situations.
“It’s important for people to know generally there are all these different agencies working to try to address this very, very insidious and serious problem,” she said.
4. Santa Barbara County Crews Help Fight Palisades Fire
Our Rebecca Caraway and Giana Magnoli have been keeping a close eye on the local response to the devastating Los Angeles County wildfires.
Santa Barbara County fire departments have deployed multiple strike teams to the five major fires, while Southern California Edison implemented controversial precautionary measures to prevent additional blazes locally.
Montecito Fire Engine 391 joined forces with firefighters from the Carpinteria-Summerland, Lompoc, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria departments as part of a strike team responding to the Palisades Fire, which had grown to 20,000 acres as of Jan. 10.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department deployed an additional team, including five engines, a battalion chief and a public information officer.
While there are no active wildfires in Santa Barbara County, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for windy, dry, warm conditions through the night of Jan. 8.
The afternoon of Jan. 8, Edison implemented public safety power shutoffs affecting approximately 9,000 customers in the Goleta Valley, Montecito and Santa Barbara, but power was restored the next afternoon.
Fire officials assured residents that local stations remained fully staffed despite the Los Angeles County deployments.
Goleta-based Direct Relief has emergency response teams in Los Angeles delivering essential items — including N-95 masks, shampoo, razors, bar soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes — at the Pasadena Convention Center and the Westwood Recreation Center.
With local residents and hotels welcoming a large influx of fire victims and evacuees, companies and organizations are offering their services, as well.
To support Palisades Fire victims, the Cold Spring School District is hosting free trauma support counseling and a day camp for children ages 6 to 16. Families can RSVP at 805.969.2678 to secure a spot.
Camp Canine, at 803 E. Montecito St., is providing emergency boarding for dogs of misplaced families and is accepting donations or sponsorships to help. The family-owned dog spa and pet resort has been the home away from home for @sadiethealaskanmalamute and the rest of our Alaskan malamutes for nearly 40 years.
5. After 3 Years of Work, Ellwood Restaurant Close to Opening at Goleta Beach
The Ellwood, a modern coastal restaurant replacing the former Beachside Bar-Café at Goleta Beach, is set to open later this month after facing construction delays from storm damage … in January 2023.
As our Rebecca Caraway reported, Joe “Diggs” Dies, Brian Escalera, Chris Jow and Omar Khashen are the partners behind the restaurant, which will feature seafood-forward cuisine with Italian influences under chef Craig Riker, formerly of the Alisal Ranch.
Initially, The Ellwood will only serve dinner before expanding to lunch and weekend brunch.
Additional plans include opening “The Coop,” a casual dining spot offering coffee, doughnuts and sandwiches, as well as developing an event area for concerts and weddings.
The renovated space includes a fortified seawall and concrete foundation to protect against future storms.
“Now we have two barriers to help us allow this not to happen again,” Escalera told Rebecca.
“It doesn’t mean the waves aren’t going to come, but we’re better prepared than we were for that.”
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Good Reads
Here are six more stories that are worth your while:
» Crews Demolish, Remove Santa Barbara Home Damaged in Landslide — Staff writer Daniel Green ventures up to Las Alturas Road, where all signs of a collapsed house have now been removed.
» Appeals Court Confirms Convictions for Man Who Killed Goleta Doctor, Family — Editor in chief Giana Magnoli has an update on the gruesome 2016 murders of Dr. Henry Han, his wife and their 5-year-old daughter.
» Thief Takes $10,000 in Rare Pokémon Cards From Santa Barbara Comic Store — Daniel is on the case of the stolen Pokémon cards, which seem to be much more than a hobby for the thievers.
» George Leis Retires from Montecito Bank & Trust Positions — Based on our site analytics’ interest rate, I wasn’t the only one in the community surprised by George Leis’ abrupt retirement from Montecito Bank & Trust. Giana helps make sense of it all.
» County Expecting Slower Economy, Tighter Budget During Next 5 Years — Daniel also has a story on Santa Barbara County girding for an upcoming cumulative budget deficit.
» Woman Pleads Not Guilty in Lompoc Little League Embezzlement Case — North County editor Janene Scully is following the balls and strikes in an alleged embezzlement victimizing the Lompoc Little League.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? High Tides, Big Waves Pound Santa Barbara County Coastline.
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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.
- Jan. 16 — I’m looking forward to speaking with the Rotary Club of Los Olivos although I expect some hectoring from past club president Dave Bemis, one of my closest friends. He’s not just a Santa Ynez Valley Foundation 2024 Champion of the Valley but a former longtime colleague so I really have to bring my “A” game.
- Feb. 11 — I’ll be talking entrepreneurship with students at San Marcos High School’s AAPLE Academy.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
The late sociologist Nate Glazer was three decades ahead of his time — and might as well have been talking about the literal dumpster fire that our once-Golden State has become for all the world to see. Whenever you read the words “New York,” just think “California” instead: Can New York Preserve Its Greatness?
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
My Instagram feed was all over Santa Barbara County this past week, but my favorite pictures are from the swearing-in of my friend, Roy Lee, as our First District supervisor.
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Watch It
Oh, deer. This young buck dines at the wrong door. HT to Best of Bill reader Terri King.
