From Dr. William Sansum, a pioneering diabetes researcher, to Yulan Wang, the father of modern robotic surgery, Santa Barbara has been blessed with some giants in the field of health care.
I would argue, however, that a hospital administrator has been the most consequential health-care professional in Santa Barbara County history, and that his legacy is not likely to be matched. Ever.
My friend, Ron Werft, president and CEO of Cottage Health for the last 24 years, announced July 29 that he would be retiring next year after 37 years with the organization.
Founded in 1888, the nonprofit health-care provider now operates Santa Barbara, Goleta Valley and Santa Ynez Valley hospitals; Cottage Children’s Medical Center; Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital; primary care and urgent care clinics; virtual care services; and a wide range of developmental programs for the next generation of medical providers.
With annual revenue of more than a half-a-billion dollars, Cottage Health is one of the county’s largest employers, one of its most innovative companies, and it reaches into corners of the community you may not have even known existed.
In the last decade, Cottage Health has raised an enormous amount of money to rebuild and significantly expand its Santa Barbara and Goleta Valley hospitals — even while providing uninterrupted 24/7 medical care. It’s also in the early stages of creating spacious, brand-new quarters for the rehabilitation hospital.
While Werft always credits his colleagues and employees for every one of those accomplishments, the truth is that very little of it would have happened without his vision and leadership.
Werft and I — and our then-young families — both arrived in Santa Barbara at about the same time nearly 40 years ago, we attended the same church, and I’ve been privileged to serve on a couple of boards with him over the decades.
He’s one of the most gracious, compassionate and thoughtful people you’ll ever meet, and his business acumen is striking — even more so given the bewildering environment of modern health care.
Werft will be sticking around to help identify and integrate his successor, in a process expected to stretch into 2025.
Our Giana Magnoli sat down with him for an exclusive interview earlier this week so look for her story next week.
In the meantime, congratulations, Ron, on a job very well done. And thank you.
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You know who’s not getting the job done? The hapless Los Angeles Dodgers as they continue to prove they’re the best one-inning team money can buy.
Noozhawk, however, has been having a pretty good week. According to our WordPress analytics, we drew an audience of 138,203 readers this past week.
What follows is my recap on the top stories you were reading over the last seven days.
This is my opinion column, which I write in my civic capacity as Noozhawk’s publisher. Please don’t mistake it for a news story.
1. Feud Over Evictions at Bath Street Apartments in Santa Barbara Takes New Turn in Court
The controversy surrounding an apartment building in Santa Barbara’s West Beach neighborhood has intensified in Santa Barbara County Superior Court.
As our Josh Molina reported earlier this year, the City of Santa Barbara filed criminal charges against James Knapp, a co-owner and property manager at 215 Bath St., accusing him of attempting to illegally evict 11 tenants from the 52-unit building.
Now, as Josh reported July 29, Knapp has countered with a civil lawsuit of his own over the “just-cause” eviction ordinance.
Knapp’s suit claims the city is interfering with his right to access the legal system, arguing that local jurisdictions cannot intervene in eviction processes before court resolution.
“Such efforts by local jurisdictions severely restrict landlords’ freedom of access to the courts, the litigation privilege under section 47(b) of the Civil Code, Action Apartment, 41 Cal. 4th at 1243,” according to the lawsuit filed by attorney Kevin Nimmons, a partner at Reicker Pfau.
The suit adds that “criminal prosecution of landlords for violating just-cause eviction laws, whether state or local, are prohibited as a matter of law.”
Knapp maintains that the building requires urgent renovations, while tenants counter that it’s a ploy to increase rents.
Corina Svacina, one of the residents, alleges the owners aim to displace working-class tenants in favor of higher-paying students.
Knapp denies having a definitive plan but acknowledges future rent increases are likely due to rising renovation costs.
The City Council was to discuss the lawsuit in a closed session on July 30.
2. Bill Macfadyen: Speargun Standoff Ends Without a Shot
There’s no news to report on the speargun-wielding man who was arrested without incident July 24 following a standoff with Santa Barbara police. Let’s hope he’s getting the help he needs.
3. Momentum Builds to Ban New Hotel Construction, Relax Rules to Allow New Housing in Commercial Buildings
Top Santa Barbara officials convened last week for an intensive work session to address the city’s chronic housing shortage.
The July 26 meeting, attended by Mayor Randy Rowse and a dozen members of the City Council and Planning Commission, explored various strategies to increase the housing supply.
As our Josh Molina reported, one of the most notable proposals came from Planning Commissioner Devon Wardlow, who suggested restricting or eliminating new hotel developments outside the coastal zone.
“Given the housing crisis, I think it is really important that we consider eliminating more hotel uses throughout the city,” she said.
According to Wardlow, once word gets around that new hotels are limited to the coastal zone, developers will accept that “the only option is to build housing” elsewhere.
City Councilman Oscar Gutierrez backed her play, asserting that there is a lack of community demand for more hotel rooms.
Rowse, however, cautioned against heavy-handed intervention, suggesting market forces would naturally regulate hotel development “quicker than we can.”
The only variable that the city truly controls, he said, is the ability to ease up on its regulations and provide clear rules and goals for developers.
“We’re going to have to make this process as certain and friendly as possible,” Rowse said of city rules and regulations.
Other ideas discussed included streamlining regulations for commercial-to-residential conversions and reducing associated municipal fees.
Architect Brian Cearnal, a principal at Cearnal Collective, called for eliminating as much regulatory burden as possible to encourage such conversions — like the one he’s proposing with clients Jason and Kevin Yardi at 12 E. Carrillo St.
Cearnal said he agrees with the hotel restriction idea but prefers that the city do it through a conditional-use permit rather than a blanket ban.
“At least then it’s not a strict prohibition, but it is given the benefit of being reviewed by the city,” he said.
The meeting highlighted Santa Barbara’s complex housing challenges, including high rents outpacing local incomes and a recent exodus of residents, particularly from the Latino community.
While the city has previously implemented high-density housing incentives, most resulting units remain unaffordable for average workers.
4. Apache Fire Containment in Los Padres National Forest Hits 59%
Firefighters battling the 1,538-acre Apache Fire in the southern Cuyama Valley have reached 90% containment as of Aug. 2.
The wildfire, burning on Los Padres National Forest land in Ventura County, ignited July 23 off Highway 33 near Apache Canyon Road, about 20 miles southeast of Cuyama and 10 miles west of Mount Pinos.
According to CalFire, the cause remains under investigation.
And to answer your next question, the long-running Lake Fire is now 95% contained. That wildfire started July 5 near Zaca Lake, about 14 miles northeast of Los Olivos, and has burned nearly 39,000 acres.
That’s the good news. The less-good news is the chance of thunderstorms, strong winds and dry lightning that the National Weather Service says is possible through the night of Aug. 2.
5. BizHawk: Yona Redz Founder Dishes About His Plan for Santa Playa Mariscos on State Street
Jonathan “Yona” Estrada, owner of the popular Yona Redz restaurant in downtown Santa Barbara, is about to open Santa Playa Mariscos several blocks away.
As our Josh Molina reported in a Noozhawk exclusive, Estrada’s new restaurant — located at the former home of Brasil Arts Café at 1230 State St. — aims to bring the flavors of Mexican port cities to Santa Barbara
The menu will feature unique dishes of fresh fish, lobster, shrimp and other seafood.
“You know, with Japanese, they use fresh sushi, raw fish,” Estrada said of his Mexican seafood. “Ours is a little bit different. We throw a little lime in it and a few other ingredients that make it better.
“It’s still raw like sushi, but with a different twist.”
Estrada, who opened Yona Redz at 532 State St. at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown madness, expects to open Santa Playa Mariscos in the next few weeks.
Yona Redz’s signature dish is the delicious queso tacos with a side of consommé. But the item is not just popular with customers; it’s suddenly popped up on menus all over town.
The new venture marks a significant milestone for the 34-year-old Estrada, a Westside native who once worked as a dishwasher at Brasil Arts Café.
His success story includes overcoming a number of personal challenges, including an incredible 200-pound weight loss that has invigorated him.
“The energy I got from my weight loss and getting healthier helped me to stay on top of everything,” he said. “My energy and stamina, everything I needed.”
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Good Reads
Don’t leave without reading these six stories, too:
» Santa Barbara Mission Lights Up for La Fiesta Pequeña — Fiesta is one of my favorite times of the year, and staff writer Rebecca Caraway is on hand for the official start of Old Spanish Days’ 100th opening night.
» Trial Underway for Santa Barbara Woman Accused of Stabbing High School Classmate — Rebecca is in the courtroom for the attempted murder trial of a 21-year-old woman who allegedly stabbed her high school friend during a sleepover.
» County Commission Denies Appeals Against Cannabis Processing at Buellton Farm — Neighbors of a Buellton cannabis outfit will just have to live with the lovely dead skunk aroma infusing their air quality. Staff writer Daniel Green unrolls the details.
» Seven Years After Fire, Outdoor School at Rancho Alegre Set to Welcome Back Students — Daniel ventures up to Rancho Alegre for an important — and long-awaited — reopening after the devastating 2017 Whittier Fire.
» Mark Patton: Baby Boomers Exercised Their Own Olympic Gamesmanship — Sports columnist Mark Patton earns a gold medal for his play-by-play of the Olympian competition among the neighborhood athletes of his Mesa youth.
» Foresters Fall in Quarterfinals at NBC World Series — Contributing writer Barry Punzal has the box score on the disappointing end of the Santa Barbara Foresters’ dreams of an 11th national championship.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? Santa Barbara Poised to OK $11 Million State Street Revamp at Freeway Undercrossing.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
After all the hype, the “CHIPS Act” is just another run-of-the-mill boondoggle: Intel to Cut 15,000 Jobs, More Than It Expected to Add with CHIPS Act Funding.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
There wasn’t much to herd in my Instagram feed this past week, but I do have cows.
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Watch It
I haven’t gotten around to watching the Olympics, but I never miss Ethan Marrell’s medal-winning Ozzy Man Reviews. As always, the laughs come with a language warning.
