And just like that, summer solstice is here.
Although a festive occasion around the world, it’s especially so in Santa Barbara, where our weekend-long Summer Solstice Celebration features the zaniest of parades on June 21.
Not to rain on that parade, but there’s a twinge of melancholy for me, knowing that from here till late December the days will become increasingly shorter.
I don’t like that, but enough about me.
Noozhawk had a bright outlook this past week, with our WordPress analytics tallying an audience of 139,941 readers over the last seven days.
What follows is my own take on the Top 5 stories you were reading, as compiled by our Google Analytics.
By the way, this is my opinion column, not a news story, and I write it in my civic capacity as Noozhawk’s publisher.
Just sayin’.
1. One Person Killed When Vehicle Veers Off Highway 101 in Santa Maria
The driver of a Dodge Charger was killed the night of June 14 when his car veered off Highway 101 in Santa Maria, flipped upside down and careened into a restaurant parking lot.
As our Tom Bolton reported, authorities say the wreck occurred around 9:15 p.m. when the speeding sports car struck a K-rail on the northbound exit ramp near Main Street, overturned and slid across the roadway before slamming into a parked pickup truck at IHOP, at 202 Nicholson Ave.
The dead motorist’s identity has not been disclosed by either the California Highway Patrol or the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, but Noozhawk has been told he was a 38-year-old Lompoc resident.
There were no other injuries in the collision.
The Main Street exit ramp takes a sharp, short right turn and dead-ends into Nicholson Avenue, directly across from the IHOP parking lot and about 100 yards south of Main Street.
The CHP is investigating the circumstances of the crash.
2. Cabrillo High Student wins American Miss California Title
Geneva Walker, a junior at Lompoc’s Cabrillo High School, was crowned National American Miss California Junior Teen at the state competition held earlier this month in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The title comes with a four-year, $120,000 college scholarship to Midland University in Freemont, Nebraska.
Walker, an honors student and Conquistadors tennis player who aspires to become a pediatrician, will represent California in November at the national competition in Orlando, Florida.
Proud mom Jennie Walker says her daughter excelled in the competition in personal introduction, judge interviews and formal wear presentation while also winning spokesmodel and casual wear modeling competitions.
Her speech, “Gratitude: A Choice that Changes Everything,” emphasized appreciation and helping others.
As state titleholder, Walker will champion her platform, Care4AllCreatures.org, throughout her 2025-2026 reign.
3. More Than 10,000 People Protest Donald Trump in Santa Barbara on ‘No Kings’ Day
Thousands of sign-waving protesters thronged the Santa Barbara waterfront on June 14 as part of national “No Kings” demonstrations billed by organizers as a “day of defiance” against President Donald Trump.
Our Josh Molina estimated the crowd size at more than 10,000, declaring it one of the largest local protests ever.
Lompoc, Santa Maria and Solvang had sizable demonstrations, too.
Protesters lined the Cabrillo Boulevard sidewalk for about a mile between Calle Cesar Chavez and Castillo Street.
Their signs spelled out their grievances with Trump — over his election, re-election, policies, programs, pronouncements, personnel and, with remarkable timing, his deployment of the California National Guard to quell several days of rioting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents carrying out deportations in Los Angeles.
Unlike news media-described “mostly peaceful” protests in Los Angeles, Portland and elsewhere, the Santa Barbara County rallies actually were peaceful, although certainly boisterous.
Many demonstrators waved American and Mexican flags, along with Palestinian banners, to show solidarity with undocumented immigrants.
“Immigrants are really, really important to California, and I don’t think maybe some Republicans realize that,” Olivia Akin told Josh. “They are the backbone.”
Lucky Cole accused Trump of trying to establish an autocracy.
“You attack the truth, you attack the press, you attack the Democratic election process,” he said. “You destabilize the economy.”
Until next week …
4. Dario Pini’s Plan to Convert Goleta Home to 7 Bedrooms Concerns Neighbors
A proposal by notorious landlord Dario Pini to convert a dilapidated single-family Goleta house into a seven-bedroom, six-bathroom residence has sparked fierce opposition from neighbors who fear college student overcrowding.
As our Josh Molina reported, plans for the property at 7299 Alameda Ave. — on the corner of Cathedral Oaks Road across from Dos Pueblos High School — recently went before the Goleta Design Review Board.
Pini, known throughout the South Coast for managing properties with numerous violations, wants to convert attic space into habitable rooms and add a third-car garage.
Early reviews weren’t promising. Design Review Board member Scott Branch called the project “a train wreck,” criticizing its enormous size and potential for housing “a boatload of people.”
The 3,100-square-foot house has been neglected for years with multiple unpermitted work violations, according to City of Goleta records.
“We’d like to see a single family in it,” neighbor Alice Alldredge told the board.
“We certainly don’t want it to become an apartment building with students living in it.”
The City of Santa Barbara previously filed an unfair-competition action against Pini, citing more than 3,000 health- and safety-code violations. He has faced accusations in multiple municipalities and reached multimillion-dollar settlements in many.
Pini declined to discuss whether the house would become student housing, saying only it would be “a nice house for the neighborhood.”
The project returns to the Design Review Board on July 8.
5. What Kind of Apartment Can You Get for $3,000 in Santa Barbara County?
A collaborative investigation by Noozhawk and KEYT News has revealed how soaring rents are pushing Santa Barbara County residents to desperate measures, including cramming multiple people into single rooms and enduring substandard conditions.
Our Daniel Green teamed up with KEYT’s Mina Wahab to break down the City of Santa Barbara’s 2025 Rental Housing Survey, which found that the median rent for one-bedroom apartments on the South Coast has skyrocketed to $2,841 monthly — a 67.6% jump since 2016.
Two-bedroom units now cost $3,850, up only 65% from nine years ago.
In Isla Vista, UC Santa Barbara students Cynthia Gonzales and Mariela Vargas share a one-bedroom apartment with a third roommate, paying $3,000 monthly while battling what they say are mold and humidity issues.
Some students fork out more than $1,000 each to share rooms with four people.
Elementary school teacher Devon Cabelli and her Ph.D. student partner spend $3,000 monthly to lease their Noleta apartment, forcing them to postpone engagement plans due to financial constraints.
“It’s an insane ask for what we’re getting out of it,” she told Daniel. “Our place has no storage, but it is also the most affordable place that we can find.
“There’s no cheaper options.”
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Good Reads
Don’t miss these six stories:
» Wildfires Burning on Gaviota Coast Disrupt Highway 101 Traffic — Executive editor Giana Magnoli is all over a day of fire activity on the Gaviota coast.
» Rosewood Miramar to Fund, House Sheriff’s Substation in Montecito — Staff writer Rebecca Caraway puts out an APB on the Rosewood Miramar Beach hosting a Santa Barbara County sheriff’s substation as a community amenity in Montecito.
» How the Old Mission Was Impacted by the 1925 Santa Barbara Earthquake — Rebecca digs into the rubble of the Santa Barbara Mission after the 1925 earthquake. The death toll and the damage could have been much, much worse but for quick-thinking friars and some divine intervention.
» Santa Barbara Council OKs High Fire Hazard Maps, But Has City Budget Flareup — South County editor Josh Molina delivers sobering news to Santa Barbara residents living in newly designated high fire hazard areas.
» David Marshall Named as Interim UCSB Chancellor — Rebecca has an update of sorts on the glacial pace to replace retiring UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry Yang.
» Dog Rescued as Crews Battle Structure Fire on Santa Barbara’s Westside — Editor in chief Tom Bolton shares a house fire tale with a happy ending.
• • •
Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? Teenager Struck by Train, Killed Near Fernald Point in Montecito.
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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 2 — The Kiwanis Club of Santa Barbara is having me back to discuss Noozhawk’s expansion plans.
- Aug. 21 — The Cosmopolitan Club of Santa Barbara is looking for an update since my last appearance, some 15 years ago. We’ve come a long way. HT to my friend, Chris Tacelli, for getting me the invitation.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
Why is California essentially a third world state? The bigger question is why do we accept it? Californians Burned by Big Spending and Red Tape.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
My Instagram feed went to Omaha, Nebraska, for the College World Series. Unfortunately, a #lightningstorm ended up providing more fireworks than @uclabruinsbaseball but what a run while it lasted. #gobruins!
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Watch It
This will never get old.
