There’s no time like spring break to get you thinking about what to do with your kids for the summer, amirite?
Just in time for your peace of mind, Noozhawk presents your 2025 ParentNooz Camp Guide.
Our popular annual program of youth activities features helpful profiles, comprehensive listings of available camps and organizations, and display advertising of the options.
Click here for our 2025 ParentNooz Camp Guide. And click here to contact our Sheridan Taphorn, Noozhawk’s sales manager, who can help your camp get in it. It’s never too late to advertise.
Before you go, you can sit back and take a leisurely look at Noozhawk’s Top 5 stories of the previous week, as tracked by our Google Analytics.
As most of you know, this column is my own take on those most-read articles, which attracted an audience of 142,850 readers over that period, according to our WordPress analytics.
Also, as most of you know, this is my opinion column and not a news story.
1. Santa Barbara Pays 2 Department Heads Nearly $800,000 in Employment Settlements
Now here’s an interesting work release program.
As our Josh Molina reported in a Noozhawk exclusive, the City of Santa Barbara has quietly paid out nearly $800,000 to two former high-ranking employees in what officials assure are completely normal, nothing-to-see-here settlement agreements.
Former Santa Barbara Public Library director Jessica Cadiente received a modest $500,000 parting gift, on top of a year of paid leave at $241,000.
Cliff Maurer, the former Public Works Department director, walked away with a mere $281,000 — his entire annual salary — for doing absolutely nothing this next year.
According to the documents Josh obtained, both also received 18 months of continued health benefits.
The settlements include thoughtful “neutral employment reference” and mutual “nondisparagement” provisions, ensuring that no one — you, me, future employers — will ever know what happened.
City Administrator Kelly McAdoo declined to explain the personnel circumstances leading to the payouts, helpfully telling Josh, “I can’t comment on the content or intent of the settlements.”
Cadiente, whose last day was Feb. 19, had been on paid leave for nearly a year. She’ll receive additional payments of $295,916 and $32,879 for alleged lost wages, plus $35,613 for medical costs.
Her attorney, Christina Humphrey, will collect $171,204 in attorney fees.
Multiple sources indicated tensions arose during the perpetually delayed completion of the Michael Towbes Library Plaza, which finally opened last fall.
Cadiente and Library Services manager Molly Wetta reportedly expressed concerns about noise, dust exposure and workplace conditions during the project.
Their complaints allegedly sparked conflicts with then-City Administrator Rebecca Bjork, who retired at the end of 2023, and Public Works Department officials.
The city placed Cadiente and Wetta on leave in March 2024.
In a statement through her attorney, Cadiente cited health concerns related to cancer treatment complications as a factor in her departure decision.
Maurer’s Feb. 12 unexpected departure was so sudden that he notified staff by email, calling public works “both noble and unheralded” — evidently without a hint of irony over his noble and unheralded walk-off home run.
Sources told Josh that his exit was negotiated amid undisclosed issues within his department.
2. Santa Barbara Man Arrested for Allegedly Attempting to Meet Minor for Lewd Acts
A 34-year-old Santa Barbara man was arrested March 17 after he allegedly arranged to meet a minor for illegal sexual activities.
As our Tom Bolton reported, Santa Barbara County sheriff’s spokeswoman Raquel Zick said Adam Roberto Escarcega was arrested around 3:35 p.m. in the Target parking lot at 6865 Hollister Ave. in Goleta.
She said deputies had converged on the area after getting a tip from someone who had been posing as a juvenile online and arranged to meet with Escarcega.
Escarcega, a paraeducator at Adams School in Santa Barbara, was detained without incident and booked into County Jail on suspicion of soliciting a minor for lewd acts, a felony.
Bail was set at $75,000.
The Santa Barbara Unified School District has placed Escarcega on administrative leave and said officials are “cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate these serious allegations.”
Zick provided no other details on the case, but the investigation is ongoing.
As it turns out, the arrest was based in part on a tip from CC Unit, a San Diego citizen sting operation targeting alleged online sexual predators.
That story is far too complicated to condense here, but trust me when I say that our Josh Molina’s account is an intriguing look at the depraved, perverted underbelly of both the internet and our culture — as well as those who have made it their mission to keep these people away from our children.
Escarcega’s detention comes on the heels of the March 13 arrest in Nipomo of a former Santa Maria-Bonita School District substitute teacher on suspicion of having child porn on his cellphone.
As our Janene Scully reported, 54-year-old Gregory Allen Kornman of Nipomo was arrested after San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s deputies on routine patrol stopped to see what he was doing parked off Los Berros Road and Highway 101 around 11 p.m.
Kornman, who is being held without bail in San Luis Obispo County Jail, has been charged with two felonies for possessing more than 600 images of child sexual abuse material, including content depicting sexual sadism and masochism.
Authorities noted at least 10 images involved prepubescent children under age 12.
The criminal complaint filed in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court also includes a count of engaging in lewd conduct in a public place and another for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Both are misdemeanors.
In a statement, Santa Maria-Bonita School District officials said Kornman was last employed as a substitute teacher on Jan. 27 and is no longer affiliated with the organization.
The statement expressed being “saddened and troubled” by the arrest and said the district is cooperating with investigators while reviewing employee screening procedures.
Oh, by the way, while the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department no longer provides booking photos of crime suspects, its counterparts in San Luis Obispo County have no such qualms. That’s why you’re seeing Kornman’s picture and not Escarcega’s.
3. Goleta Council to Review Traffic Impacts of Old Town Striping Project
Seven months after Old Town Goleta’s controversial restriping, city officials report decreased traffic volume and lower speeds on Hollister Avenue, with significant increases in bicycle and pedestrian activity.
As our Rebecca Caraway reported, the project reduced the four-lane street to one lane in each direction, added bike lanes, and replaced parallel parking with back-in angled spots for the cars and trucks that make up the bulk of the traffic.
According to the City of Goleta, daily traffic on Hollister decreased 10%, while alternative east-west routes saw significant increases in the densely populated neighborhoods on both sides of the street.
Officials say daily volume was up 43% on Gaviota Street, 26% on Armitos Avenue and 17% on Mandarin Drive. Gato Avenue saw an 8% drop, however.
Vehicle speeds slowed to 28 mph from 31.4 mph, and bicycle activity was up 44% during morning commutes while pedestrian activity jumped 67% in afternoons.
Councilman Stuart Kasdin called for patience.
“This is not the final stage, and what we see in a year or two is going to be different,” he said, referencing ongoing construction of roundabouts at Highway 217 and the San José Creek bridge replacement, both on Old Town’s eastern end.
Councilman James Kyriaco, whose council District 2 encompasses Old Town, said he preferred the city’s facts over the “narrative out there.”
“I think it’s important as a city, as much as possible, that we make decisions that are driven by data, not just driven by how things make us feel,” he said.
While praising the new bike lanes, though, dedicated cyclist Robert Bernstein was still hooked on a feeling.
“The way it was before, it felt like a constant assault,” he said, painting a peculiarly violent description.
“Under the legal definition, an assault does not mean that the person hit you; it meant that you felt threatened, and that was how it had been.”
Under that definition, I wonder if Old Town businesses are feeling threatened.
Jacqueline Inda, a board member of the Greater Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, noted that the 2,000 fewer daily trips into Old Town have had a serious impact.
“When you have 2,000 people being diverted from a downtown into other corridors, you have losses of income and revenues for business owners, which means you also have less employees who can work full time,” she said.
Monica Scafidi, whose parents own Domingo’s Café at 5782 Hollister Ave., says customers are avoiding the new parking configuration.
“A lot of people who come through my café tell me that it’s very confusing, and they say, ‘We don’t know where to go,’” she told Rebecca.
“It starts opening up, and then it closes and it just bottlenecks a lot.”
The City Council has requested staff explore additional improvements, including employee parking solutions, a new crosswalk at Magnolia Avenue and right-turn bike lanes for South Fairview Avenue.
4. Woman Taken to Hospital After Late-Night Shooting, Robberies in Isla Vista
A woman with a gunshot wound was discovered near the Santa Ynez Tunnel in Isla Vista late on the night of March 19, in an incident apparently connected to two armed robberies in the area.
As our Tom Bolton reported, emergency personnel responded to the intersection of El Colegio and South Los Carneros roads around 10:30 p.m.
Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokeswoman Karen Cruz-Orduña said the victim was found on the bike path near the tunnel under Los Carneros.
The woman was taken by ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with moderate injuries.
Her identity and details of her medical condition were not available.
UC Santa Barbara alerts indicated one robbery occurred in the 6500 block of Cervantes Road, with the second related to the shooting.
The suspect, reportedly armed with a handgun, was described as a Hispanic or white male wearing all black clothing with black gloves and boots.
He was last seen heading west on foot toward the Santa Ynez Apartments at 6750 El Colegio Road.
Residents were advised to shelter in place following the incident.
The Sheriff’s Department and UCSB police are investigating the incident.
5. Bill Macfadyen: Teacher Layoffs? Don’t Sleep on the Santa Barbara School Board
The public is now wide awake after the Santa Barbara Unified School District school board’s middle-of-the-night vote to cut 85 teachers while preserving highly paid administrator jobs. We’ll see if there’s a makeup test.
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Good Reads
Check out these six stories before you go:
» County Supervisors Vote to Require Carbon Scrubbers for Cannabis Farms — While we all wait for that windfall of revenue that cannabis is supposed to bring in for Santa Barbara County, staff writer Daniel Green lights up some possibly good news about stopping the stench.
» Hancock College, Cal Poly Team Up to Expand Bachelor’s Degree Programs — North County editor Janene Scully reports on Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo planting educational roots in Santa Maria with home-grown degrees at Allan Hancock College.
» Build Housing, Open State Street and Ease up on Landlords, Speakers Say at Radius Annual Economic Forecast — South County editor Josh Molina is on hand for the business community’s latest reiteration of how to improve Santa Barbara and restore downtown — recommendations that will continue to be disregarded by city officials.
» Montecito Bank & Trust Celebrates 50 Years of Serving Community — Josh draws interest on a remarkable run for Montecito Bank & Trust, not just as a local institution but as a thriving company in the challenging world of community banking.
» Planning Commission Denies Appeal Related to Richards Ranch Project — Janene has an update on the proposed Richards Ranch mixed-use development in Orcutt.
» Mark Patton: Cori Close’s Journey to Top of NCAA Women’s Basketball Began in a Wheelchair — Sports columnist Mark Patton swallows his Figueroa Tech pride and leads an 8-clap for Cori Close, head coach of the No. 1-ranked UCLA women’s basketball team, who got her start as a UC Santa Barbara Gaucho.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? 3 People Injured in Head-On Crash on Highway 101 Near 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.
- March 31 — The Santa Barbara Yacht Club invited me to talk about the state of news media — and Noozhawk — at its Monday Forum.
- April 4 — Noozhawk in the age of artificial intelligence will be the topic when I make a return visit to the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara.
- May 28 — My favorite topic, Noozhawk, is on the agenda for my appearance at the Rotary Club of the Santa Ynez Valley.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
The New York Times finally acknowledges the hollowness of “trust the science” when much of the American scientific community was conspiring to lie about how COVID-19 was unleashed on the world: We Were Badly Misled About the Event That Changed Our Lives.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
The #bestofbillrecommendation in my Instagram feed this past week? Pancakes at @thesantabarbaraclub, #myhomeawayfromhome.
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Watch It
San Francisco’s Market Street, before and after the 1906 earthquake. HT to Best of Bill buddy Jim Youngson.
