The Lake Fire is the latest emergency to drive home the importance of reliable, local journalism in Santa Barbara County.
All things considered, the community dodged a bullet with this wildfire, which is holding at just under 39,000 acres and is now roughly 90% contained.
While relieved at how relatively quickly firefighters were able to corral the blaze, we are also grateful to the many Noozhawk readers who support our ability to thoroughly cover it — for you — in real time.
These readers recognize the value of Noozhawk’s reporting and have chosen to invest in our mission:
- “I depended on Noozhawk for all urgent and emergency information,” said Marie S., echoing the sentiments of many readers.
- Ken S. shared, “I was greatly impacted by the Lake Fire, and Ray Ford’s reporting on the fire was deeply appreciated.”
- Lisa S. noted, “I appreciated your coverage of the Lake Fire. It was surprisingly difficult to find much local coverage.”
Support from our readers ensures we can continue providing critical updates in times like these, pretty much 24/7.
As our professional journalists make the transition from emergency coverage, we’re focusing on still-important community issues: the resiliency of the Sedgwick Reserve’s unique research projects, the impacts on local agriculture and livestock, the process of reopening affected areas of Los Padres National Forest, and insurance and recovery.
Your support enables us to deliver this vital information to our entire community. Will you help us do even more — both now and in the next emergency?
Your financial support through a membership in our Hawks Club — at any amount — will help us stay focused on what’s important to you: our reporting on the local news and information you need, when you need it.
Thank you.
According to our WordPress analytics, Noozhawk had an audience of 131,091 readers this past week.
What follows is my own take on the top stories you were reading during that period.
This is my opinion column, which I write in my civic capacity as Noozhawk’s publisher. It is not a news story and I am not a reporter.
1. Standoff Ends with Man Arrested for Allegedly Brandishing a Speargun
A Santa Barbara man wielding a speargun was arrested the evening of July 24 following a tense standoff with police officers at a Westside house.
As our Tom Bolton reported, the incident began around 5:40 p.m. when police responded to a request for a welfare check at a residence in the 200 block of West De la Guerra Street.
Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale said officers arrived to find the suspect — later identified as 46-year-old Jaime Keith Meyer — carrying a speargun.
“While investigating, a subject brandished a loaded spearfishing gun at officers while standing on the porch,” he said.
Police called for backup, including an armored rescue vehicle.
After an hour of negotiations, Meyer, who was wearing only shorts, agreed to move away from the two-story house and was detained without incident in the yard.
He was subsequently booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of brandishing a weapon. As of July 26, he remains jailed on $20,000 bail.
2. As Fiesta Approaches, Community Leaders Offer Alternative Views of Santa Barbara Tradition
Santa Barbara is preparing for next week’s annual Old Spanish Days Fiesta, a five-day community celebration running July 31 to Aug. 4. And, this year, celebrating its 100th anniversary.
The premise behind the festivities sparks varied reactions among some of the public, however, and our Josh Molina tagged along on a recent downtown walking tour highlighting three of the differing viewpoints.
Spenser Jaimes, CEO of Limuw Productions, a local film company dedicated to honoring Chumash heritage, criticized what he said is Fiesta’s romanticization of colonization.
“When the Spaniards got here, that was the end of our world,” he said. “That was our apocalypse.”
Michael Montenegro, founder of Chicano Culture SB, organized the tour, “Three Perspectives on Old Spanish Days,” with Santa Barbara Neighborhood Walks.
He discussed the complex relationship between Fiesta and Mexican-Americans, noting both cultural celebration and stereotyping.
“It is the week where everyone in the city wants to be a Mexican,” Montenegro said. “If you are Mexican-American, this is a week that showcases our culture.”
People need to push back on the “xenophobic” narrative, he added, and understand that Mexican culture should be celebrated and appreciated year-round.
Erik Davis, the 2020 Fiesta El Presidente, was far more magnanimous, sharing his family’s positive experiences over the years and emphasizing the festival’s role in local art and traditions.
He noted that the term, “Old Spanish Days,” refers to language that was spoken during California’s ranchero period between 1826 and 1866.
“There was a great fondness at the time, 100 years (before), where people were dressed beautifully, they had these elegant horses, and hospitality was central and king,” Davis said.
“A lot of music, a lot of dance, so they wanted to recreate that.”
For those of you who are just interested in enjoying the flat-out family fun of Fiesta — which includes food; music; dancing; colorful costumes and majestic pageantry; not one, but two parades (that should be on State Street and not along the waterfront); magnificent horses; cascarónes; and the finest flamenco dancers this side of Spain — Old Spanish Days runs July 31-Aug. 4.
Click here for a complete calendar of Fiesta events.
3. Randy Rowse: Illegal Street Food Vendors Cook Up Safety Concerns
Like me, you’ve no doubt noticed the preponderance of makeshift kitchens that have sprouted up on corners and along major streets all over Santa Barbara.
While I admire the entrepreneurial initiative, I’m not sure it’s fair to all the small business owners out there who play by the rules, pony up for annual business licenses and pay their municipal taxes.
Among other things.
Mayor Randy Rowse — himself a former restaurateur and small business owner — is well aware of this emerging underground economy and wrote an op/ed pointing out the illegal aspects of these vendors and, more important, the public health risks they flout.
While Rowse works through the political system to try to get a handle on this food chain — many of the links in it, I might add, are from Los Angeles and are not even locals — you can help by reporting any activity you come across through the city’s SB Connect app. Click here for more information.
4. Restriping on Hollister Avenue in Old Town Goleta Draws Mixed Reactions
The City of Goleta has completed a significant redesign of Hollister Avenue in Old Town, implementing several changes aimed at improving safety and increasing parking capacity.
The $2 million project, is part of the city’s larger Project Connect initiative, which includes roundabouts currently under construction at Highway 217 on Old Town’s eastern end.
Among the key changes:
- Reduction from two lanes to one in each direction
- Addition of bike lanes
- Conversion of parallel parking to diagonal, back-in spots
- Restriction of left turns between Orange and Tecolote avenues
City officials say the modifications will help reduce speeding and traffic congestion while increasing available parking.
We sent our Daniel Green out to Old Town to navigate the new configuration and get neighborhood feedback while he was at it.
There’s a lot to take in with all the new paint, arrows, signage, and unfamiliar and unexpected designs, but he survived the experience and managed to talk to a wide cross section of the community, too.
Check out Daniel’s report before you try to navigate Hollister Avenue 2.o for yourself.
5. Fire Damages Attic, Bedroom at Goleta Home
A fire broke out at a Goleta home the evening of July 20, gutting a bedroom and badly damaging the attic.
As our Janene Scully reported, Santa Barbara County firefighters responded around 5:40 p.m. to the 6200 block of Avenida Gorrion, 1½ blocks east of Lake Los Carneros Park.
Capt. Mike Gray said smoke was rising from the single-story house when crews arrived, and the fire was successfully extinguished within a half-hour.
The occupants were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported, although a cat initially could not be found.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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Good Reads
Here are six more stories worth your while:
» Santa Barbara Finance Committee Questions City-Chamber Economic Development Plan — South County editor Josh Molina jumps on the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce’s proposed economic development partnership with the City of Santa Barbara after it was flogged by City Council members who suddenly sound like the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Mind you, this is the same City Council that hands out $800,000 contracts to out-of-town consultants like Halloween candy.
» Yardi Brothers Plan to Convert Downtown Santa Barbara Commercial Building Into Housing — Josh unpacks the plans for an innovative housing proposal in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara.
» Apache Fire Burning Near Northeastern Santa Barbara County Hits 1,500 Acres — Just as the Lake Fire is winding down, a new wildfire ignites in the southern Cuyama Valley. North County editor Janene Scully has the details.
» Maxar Satellite Launched from Vandenberg Sends First Images of Earth — Janene has the download of photos from an Earth-imaging satellite launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, and the pictures could not be clearer. In fact, they’re amazing.
» Highway 101 Construction Divides Lanes in Montecito Section — There’s really no easy way to get through Montecito. Staff writer Daniel Green tries to stay in his lane with the latest squeeze play.
» Fiesta’s Centennial Parade Rolls with Dual Grand Marshals — My friend, 2o23 Old Spanish Days El Presidente David Bolton, has been writing a series of Fiesta centennial essays for us. This one includes interviews with 2024 El Desfile Histórico grand marshals Rudy Castillo and Catherine Remak.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? Santa Barbara News-Press Declares Bankruptcy, Staff Told All Jobs ‘Eliminated’.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
So there really are diamonds in the sky? Mercury Has Layer of Diamonds 10 Miles Thick, NASA Spacecraft Finds.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
Between #nicotime and a full schedule of @pedalthepacific activities, my Instagram feed is the picture of happy exhaustion.
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Watch It
Anyone else boxed in in their garage, or is it just me?
