Noozhawk is growing.
In the first of several upcoming staff announcements, I’m excited to introduce our three newest Noozhawks.
Nick Forselles has joined our team as a staff writer, this one a newly created position as we continue our expansion throughout Santa Barbara County.
A San Luis Obispo native, Nick graduated earlier this month from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a journalism degree.
He excelled as a senior breaking news reporter for Mustang News, Cal Poly’s student-run news organization, and also worked as a videographer for KCPR, the student-led radio station, where he filmed and produced video content for its podcast division.
In addition, he worked as a communications intern for Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business.
Nick can be reached at nforselles@noozhawk.com.
Sales and marketing intern Madison Oriskovich was born and raised in Santa Barbara, attended San Marcos High School and graduated from Pepperdine University earlier this year with a degree in advertising and art.
While at Pepperdine, she played for the Waves’ powerhouse beach volleyball team, and this fall will use her final year of NCAA eligibility as a grad student on the Cal beach volleyball team.
Madison can be reached at moriskovich@noozhawk.com.
Sales and marketing assistant Justin Souza is also a Santa Barbara native. He attended Carpinteria High School and graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2024 with a degree in marketing. He’s been working in sales over the last year.
Justin can be reached at jsouza@noozhawk.com.
We’re sitting on some other news that will have a significant impact for Noozhawk’s coverage, but you’re just going to have to wait a little longer until we can share it.
While you’re waiting, Noozhawk had an audience of 136,049 readers over the last week, according to our WordPress analytics.
What follows is my own take on the Top 5 stories that our Google Analytics says you were reading during that period.
This is my opinion column, by the way. It is not a news story.
1. Architects, Planners Band Together to Fight Two Housing Projects on Santa Barbara Riviera
More than 50 local architects, designers and planners have signed a statement opposing two large apartment developments proposed on Santa Barbara’s Upper Eastside, arguing the projects are “completely out of scale” with the community.
As our Josh Molina reported, the coalition is targeting two controversial developments:
- A 270-unit, eight-story skyscraper at 505 E. Los Olivos St. in the shadow of — excuse me, overshadowing — the 238-year-old Santa Barbara Mission
- A six-story, 53-unit project at 1609-1615 Grand Ave., just above Cottage Health’s Bella Riviera employee housing complex
The Los Olivos Street project is sandwiched between the mission and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History on five acres formerly occupied by the Episcopal Mount Calvary Monastery and, before that, St. Mary’s Retreat House.
The development would tower an eye-popping 90 feet high in a neighborhood with a 30-foot height limit.
An exasperated Mayor Randy Rowse called it “a horrendous nightmare.”
The Los Angeles County developer is using California’s builder’s remedy law, which allows projects to bypass local zoning when cities fail to meet housing requirements.
The Grand Avenue project, proposed by Industrial Partners Group of Pacific Palisades, is also following a builder’s remedy blueprint.
“These two proposals clearly conflict with the city’s General Plan, community vision, environmental goals and design standards,” the architects wrote in their statement.
They cite concerns about proximity to historic resources and Mission Canyon wildfire evacuation routes, among other things.
Signatories include Brian Cearnal, Cass Ensberg, Steve Hausz and other architects with the Santa Barbara Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, as well as representatives of the American Planning Association, landscape architects and other organizations.
Meanwhile, Los Olivos Street developer Mission LLC has filed a lawsuit against the City of Santa Barbara, alleging city officials are deliberately stalling by repeatedly declaring its application incomplete.
The complaint accuses the city of “ignoring laws the Legislature specifically crafted to address California’s housing affordability crisis.”
2. Santa Barbara Attorney Facing Felony Sexual-Assault Charges
A Santa Barbara attorney who allegedly sexually assaulted an intoxicated woman who was unable to resist is headed to court next week to face felony charges in the case.
As our Tom Bolton reported, 40-year-old Andrew Frederick Alire is charged with rape and oral copulation of an intoxicated person, according to the criminal complaint filed by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.
He is to be arraigned June 30 before Superior Court Judge Thomas Adams.
Alire was arrested March 17 on a warrant obtained by Santa Barbara police investigators. He was booked into County Jail but subsequently released after posting $100,000 bail.
The alleged assault occurred Jan. 15, although police refused to provide details.
The victim, identified only as Jane Doe in court documents, received a criminal protective order issued by Adams on May 19.
Alire reportedly graduated from UC Law San Francisco and was admitted to the California Bar in 2012.
3. ‘He Was My Heart’: Alex Wood, 15-Year-Old Dos Pueblos High School Student, Remembered as Kind, Funny, Brave
Several hundred family members and friends gathered at Goleta Beach Park on June 21 to celebrate the short but full life of 15-year-old Alex Wood, who died last month in a tragic Highway 1 head-on collision along with two Dos Pueblos High School classmates.
Hours before the fatal wreck, Wood completed Santa Barbara County Junior Lifeguard training at Jalama Beach, earning his certification to work at Goleta Beach this summer. He was one of the youngest to finish the program.
As our Josh Molina reported, the memorial ceremony was held near Campus Point, where Wood frequently surfed.
Family members described him as warm, funny and deeply kind, with an authentic care for others.
“He was my heart, and our connection was profound,” said his heartbroken mother, Louisa Wood.
“And I know if you are here, he was your heart, too.”
His older brother, Owen, said Wood was “the glue” that held their band of four brothers together, noting his everyday wit and compassion.
Younger brother Henry called him an inspiration.
“He followed his dreams,” he said. “He was a great surfer, skater, snowboarder, skier, diver, brother.”
The ceremony featured live music, including by Wood’s mom, and Shakespeare readings, and concluded with those in attendance tossing flowers into the ocean where he loved to surf.
Wood is survived by his parents, Louisa and John Wood, and brothers Owen, Miles and Henry.
The memorial was the final celebration of life for the three classmates and Junior Lifeguards killed in the May 14 collision south of Lompoc: Wood, 18-year-old Jake Curtis and 17-year-old Michael Ochsner.
The four-vehicle crash also seriously injured Lompoc physician Hafez Nasr and his wife, Saghar Golpayegani. Two other Santa Barbara teenagers in separate cars suffered minor injuries.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the circumstances of the collision. Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at 805.691.6160.
I’m happy to report that, after an extended stay at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Nasr is back at home in Lompoc and getting around on a scooter.
According to my friend, Lompoc Valley Medical Center public relations coordinator Nora Wallace, Nasr’s wife is still in a rehabilitation facility, and will be for several more weeks.
“We are slowly mending,” he told Nora on June 25, “although it will still be some time before we — hopefully — recover fully. Can’t wait for my better half to be here …”
4. Parade Shows Off Wild World on Second Day of Summer Solstice Event
A “Wild World” of alien creatures, jungle animals and historical recreations filled a downtown Santa Barbara side street during the 51st annual Solstice Parade as hundreds of performers and handmade floats celebrated summer’s arrival last weekend.
As our Daniel Green reported, the June 21 parade marked the second day of the three-day Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Celebration, which began and ended with festivities in Alameda Park.
This year’s theme inspired creative floats, including a dramatic recreation of the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake marking its 100th anniversary.
Dancers, singers and volunteers pushed the colorful floats, all created at the Community Arts Workshop on Garden Street, while enthusiastic crowds cheered from the sidewalks along Santa Barbara Street.
Why Santa Barbara Street, you ask? Because State Street, the city’s former main artery two blocks away, has been intentionally drained of all life and community spirit — as well as parades and people.
But what do I know? I’m not a $750,000 out-of-town consultant.
Anyhoo. Back to Summer Solstice.
“I just like that everyone is here to have a good time,” said Penelope Gottlieb, a 25-year Santa Barbara resident.
“It’s very democratic — there’s old and young, thin and heavy, and everybody is happy. They’re just here to relax and enjoy the beautiful day.”
5. Lompoc Man Named as Driver Killed in Santa Maria Crash
The driver killed in the June 14 rollover wreck off Highway 101 in Santa Maria has been identified as 38-year-old Ephrem Christopher Jones of Lompoc.
As our Janene Scully reported, Santa Barbara County sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau spokeswoman Raquel Zick said Jones was fatally injured when his Dodge Charger veered off northbound Highway 101 at high speed around 9:10 p.m.
The sports car flipped on its roof after hitting a K-rail as he tried to take the Main Street exit ramp, skidded across the street and landed on a parked pickup truck outside IHOP at 202 Nicholson Ave.
There were no other injuries in the wreck.
According to a GoFundMe account established to assist Jones’ family with funeral expenses, “Eph” served four years in the Army before his honorable discharge in 2010.
Although a service has not yet been scheduled, the post says Jones will be buried with military honors.
As of June 27, more than $5,200 had been contributed to the account. Click here to make an online donation.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the circumstances of the crash, rather than Santa Maria police, because the incident started on the freeway.
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Good Reads
Here are six more stories that are worth your time:
» Grand Jury Calls for Urgent Action on South Coast Housing Crisis — Staff writer Nick Forselles unpacks the Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury’s brutal assessment of the South Coast’s housing predicament.
» Suspect Accused of Fleeing Crash That Killed Santa Barbara Man to Face Trial — South County editor Josh Molina has an update on the hit-and-run crash that killed 39-year-old Juan Lopez as he walked across Cliff Drive near Santa Barbara City College.
» Tow-Away Zones Added Near Hot Springs Trailhead in Montecito — Staff writer Daniel Green follows the latest signs in a long ordeal for a besieged Montecito neighborhood.
» 300 Escaped Sheep Go on Lam, Turn Mountain Drive into Ewe-nique Traffic Jam — Nick hoofs it up to the Santa Barbara foothills for a sheep-shifting escapade.
» Henry Lenny, Santa Barbara Architecture Icon Known for Skill and Style, Dies at 77 — Josh writes the final chapter in the story of one of Santa Barbara’s most prolific — and dapperly dressed — architects.
» Santa Barbara Masters Swim Team Sets National Record at Semana Nautica Meet — Sports editor Diego Sandoval dives into a record-setting performance by Tiffany Ball, Connor Martilla, Kevin Mendoza and Joanna Tang.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? Boy Killed by Train in Montecito was Santa Barbara High Student.
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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
Here’s a challenge for you: Archaeologists Say They’ve Pieced Together Ancient Fragments of ‘World’s Most Difficult Jigsaw Puzzle’.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
I was going to update my Instagram feed but then I received word that Mr. Warren “Buffet” will be sending me “3.500,000.00 million US Dollars” once I verify my email address.
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Watch It
A trail cam captured video of a very endangered Sierra Nevada red fox enjoying the views in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Almost as impressive is the cinematography. HT to Best of Bill reader Chris Mortensen.
