I wasn’t planning to write about the Los Angeles Dodgers again, but Oh. M. G.! How can I not?!
What Shohei Ohtani did on Sept. 19 may have been the greatest athletic performance I’ve ever seen. And it certainly is one I know I will never see again.
In emphatically claiming his record 51 home runs and 51 stolen bases, he had back-to-back-to-back homers, two stolen bases, a single, a double and 10 RBIs in the 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins.
Wow.
If he’s not the greatest baseball player of all time … I seriously doubt a better one will ever come along.
Noozhawk didn’t light up the scoreboard this past week, but we still touched all the bases for an audience of 139,409 readers, according to our WordPress analytics.
What follows is my own take on the Top 5 stories you were reading over the last seven days.
You wouldn’t think I’d have to explain once again that this is my opinion column and not a news story, but I do. Just keep that in mind while you read on.
1. Postal Inspectors Confirm Mail Theft at San Roque Post Office in Santa Barbara
An August mail theft at the San Roque post office has been confirmed by the U.S. Postal Service, which said a second theft was attempted the same day.
As our Daniel Green reported, USPS officials said unknown suspects stole bags of mail from the San Roque office, at 3345 State St., late on the afternoon of Aug. 15.
Not long afterward, a similar attempt was thwarted at the 130 S. Patterson Ave. post office in Goleta, five miles away.
The incidents, neither of which involved forced entry, are under investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The theft coincides with rising reports of check fraud in the area. Local banks have noted an increase in doctored or forged checks, suspecting some may have been stolen from mail or post offices.
As I noted in my Sept. 6 Best of Bill column, bank officials say clients have voiced suspicions about both post offices beyond the two incidents that USPS has acknowledged.
Residents can report suspected mail theft online at uspis.gov/report or by calling 1.877.876.2455.
“By analyzing information from the complaint, postal inspectors can determine if the problem is part of a larger mail theft investigation,” postal inspector Patricia Mendoza told Daniel.
“The information provided can assist inspectors in identifying suspects.”
2. Authorities Arrest 21-Year-Old Man After 24-Hour Standoff at Santa Ynez Winery
A 21-year-old suspect was arrested the evening of Sept. 14 following a 24-hour standoff at Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez.
As our Josh Molina reported, Santa Barbara County sheriff’s officials say Frederick Miles Rice barricaded himself in a room the evening of Sept. 13 after arming himself with a sword and vandalizing property at the winery at 125 N. Refugio Road.
Sheriff’s crisis negotiators and the Special Enforcement Team successfully convinced Rice to surrender peacefully just before 7 p.m.
Rice was booked into the North County Jail in Santa Maria on felony vandalism and misdemeanor burglary charges, with bail set at $50,000.
There were no physical injuries in the incident.
3. Ex-Teacher Fails to Appear in Court for Arraignment on Child-Molestation Charges
A 54-year-old former elementary school teacher facing felony child molestation charges ditched his scheduled arraignment in Santa Barbara County Superior Court on Sept. 13.
As our Rebecca Caraway reported, Steven Schapansky, a Goleta resident and former Santa Barbara Charter School teacher, had texted family and friends about his intention to not participate in the court proceedings.
Family members immediately notified authorities, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Casey Nelson.
Robert Sanger, Schapansky’s attorney, expressed concerns about suicide risk.
“I hope he has not committed suicide, but his family believes his life is in danger,” Sanger said.
Schapansky has been charged with two felony counts of lewd acts against minors and 70 misdemeanor counts of unlawful electronic peeping.
He was first arrested in July after being accused of secretly recording minors at various locations where children would change their clothing.
Among the sites was Santa Barbara Charter School, which shares a campus with Goleta Valley Junior High School at 6100 Stow Canyon Road.
Schapansky was arrested earlier this month in Fresno. He was transported back to Santa Barbara County, where he was booked into the North County Jail before posting $100,000 bail.
After Schapansky skipped out, Judge Thomas Adams issued a no-bail warrant for his arrest. A new bond hearing was scheduled for Nov. 13.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Department reported Schapansky as missing since Sept. 11.
Nelson said Schapansky, who has a pilot’s license and is considered a flight risk, was seen leaving Fresno on a motorcycle with a large duffle bag.
4. Attention Shifts from Cars to E-Bikes at Santa Barbara Council Meeting
A majority of the Santa Barbara City Council has shut down talk that three blocks of downtown State Street might be reopened to vehicles because of what was described as “dancing,” “kids playing,” “art demonstrations,” “life” and general “vitality.”
As our Josh Molina reported, the council took no formal vote on Sept. 17 but four members — Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan and Kristen Sneddon — enthusiastically patted themselves on the back over the current condition of State Street’s “pedestrian promenade.”
Their gusto was fueled in part by the latest assortment of “Next Big Things,” including the elimination of concrete traffic barriers, new late-night safety lighting, physically separating bicyclists and pedestrians, “pedlet” sidewalk extenders, pedicabs and golf cart transportation.
“I just can’t wait until I can ride in a golf cart down State Street or a little trolley — something,” Sneddon said.
To quote Ulysses Everett McGill: “Yes, sir, a veritable age of reason. Like the one they had in France. Not a moment too soon.”
Although State Street’s vibrancy is best viewed through rose-colored glasses, a starkly black-and-white story is told by dwindling sales tax receipts, paltry parking revenue and chronic vacancies.
But that actually wasn’t the big news of the night.
After four years of abiding reckless e-bike riders terrorizing State Street, the council has decided it’s time to do something.
“I continue to have concerns about e-bike speeds,” Harmon announced. “I understand some people say it’s not actually a problem. Anecdotally, it’s a problem.”
You don’t need to convince police Chief Kelly Gordon, although she’s not convinced that keeping cars off the street is helpful.
“The way it is laid out, you get a lot that basically fly down State Street,” she said of the bikes racing down eight-straight closed blocks between Haley and Victoria streets.
“That is absolutely 100% a challenge right now in its current configuration.”
According to Gordon, it’s tough to have a visible police presence without the ability to drive police cars on the street.
I see a fleet of new SBPD golf carts in her future — something.
5. Joan Hartmann: The Unintended Consequences of Illicit Roadside Food Vending
Santa Barbara County Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann has joined Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse in expressing concerns about the surge in illegal roadside food vendors, particularly along Highways 154 and 246 in the Santa Ynez Valley.
The increase is attributed to state Senate Bill 972, which decriminalized roadside food vending in January 2023.
In a commentary for Noozhawk, Hartmann highlighted several issues, including food safety violations, fire hazards and traffic risks.
The pop-ups — nearly all of them outfits from way outside the area — operate without permits or proper sanitation facilities, posing health risks to consumers.
Additionally, they create unfair competition for local, licensed food businesses.
Hartmann and Rowse are forming a task force to address the problem, and are urging residents to support legal food vendors and voice concerns to state officials.
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Good Reads
Don’t miss these six stories while you’re here:
» Flood Watch Expanded to Santa Ynez Valley with Thunderstorms Brewing — Executive editor Giana Magnoli provides an unusual forecast for this time of year. Flooding already closed Highway 166 west of New Cuyama for several hours on Sept. 19.
» ‘Magical World’ of Farmers Market Nears Final Saturday Before Big Move — South County editor Josh Molina stops by Santa Barbara’s Saturday farmers market, which is being relocated to make way for the new police station.
» Goleta Council Considers Bringing Nearby Areas Into Sphere of Influence — Staff writer Rebecca Caraway reports on the City of Goleta’s plans to assert its influence over potential development.
» Santa Maria Woman Arrested on Vehicular Manslaughter Charges — North County editor Janene Scully has an update on the tragic deaths of Marichu and Randall Kern, who were killed in an Aug. 1 collision with a driver who allegedly ran a red light in Santa Maria.
» David Lawrence Raber of Santa Barbara, 1934-2024 — Dave Raber was never a journalist but he was one of the smoothest interviewers I’ve ever known, and an endless source of juicy news tips and background information. He also was a charming scamp, as my wife will be the first to attest. Dave was the first to welcome us at All Saints By-the-Sea Episcopal Church back in January 1987, and it was the start of a lifelong friendship I was privileged to have. Rest in peace, my friend, and prayers to his adoring family.
» Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Inducts Seven New Hall of Famers — Sports editor Diego Sandoval wraps up the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table’s Hall of Fame Class of 2024. The seven inductees are all magnificent, but I’m most excited for my friend and former colleague, the late Dave Loveton.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? Woman’s Racist Slur Goes Viral, Spurring Large Protest 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.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
Masterpieces in the making: Later in Life, Claude Monet Obsessed Over Water Lilies.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
The skies have it in my Instagram feed this past week. Wow.
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Watch It
Contrary to popular opinion ricocheting around the internet among Friends of Bill, this is not me — as you can tell from the un-monogrammed shirt. But John Noble is one handsome dude, and talented, too. HT to FOB and Best of Bill reader Ed Brown.
