It seems like forever ago that the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off what may be the biggest choke in sports history, but it was only … eh, who cares?
Another year, another opportunity to quit while they’re ahead. They’re world champions at that.
But enough with the negativity, Noozhawk’s Top 5 most-read stories over the past week were mostly positive. That’s almost as rare as the Dodgers winning a World Series. Or even playing in one.
According to our Google Analytics, we had an audience of 81,685 readers for the period, and what follows is my recap of the Top 5 stories you were reading.
I must remind you that this is my opinion column. It’s not a news story.
1. BizHawk: Augie’s of Santa Barbara Poised to Open Next Week
There’s not much that Augie Johnson can’t do once he sets his mind to it, and his new tequila bar and Mexican restaurant is just the latest example.
Augie’s of Santa Barbara opened this week at 700 State St. downtown, and he has high expecations for his lifelong vision of a “classic, old school” bar and his more recent passion for making tequila.
Although the place features two tequilas made by Johnson — Augie’s and Firebreak — I’m told the food is first rate.
“It’s fresh, healthy local cuisine that is expressed through traditional Mexican regional dishes,” general manager Dave Peszek told our Josh Molina, touting the talents of Guadalajara-raised executive chef Eduardo Gonzalez.
“This is going to be unlike other Mexican restaurants in Santa Barbara. We are not going for the chips and salsa, burrito, fajita plate. This is truly authentic and high quality.”
The building was renovated by architect Jeff Shelton, who is renowned for his whimsical designs and did not disappoint with his latest creation.
But Johnson’s inspiration is personal. He and his family are survivors of the deadly 2018 Montecito flash flooding and debris flows, and the Thomas Fire-triggered disaster sparked an interest in wildfires.
His research led him to an old U.S. Forest Service study that found agave plants — with their natural water retention and burn resistance — to be ideal vegetation to hinder a wildfire’s spread. He has since helped plant thousands of agave between Carpinteria and Buellton to serve as potential firebreaks.
Of course, agave is better known for being the root source of tequila so Johnson quickly closed that loop and learned how to make it himself.
Augie’s is open for dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday through Tuesday, with happy hour from 4 to 5:30 p.m. It’s closed on Wednesdays.
2. Bill Macfadyen: Court Filings Indicate Alleged Santa Ynez Homicide Was Worse Than Reported
Two weeks after 72-year-old Terry Lee Wilson was killed inside his Santa Ynez home, there’s not much new to report.
The alleged suspect, 26-year-old Rylen Quinn Svane-Morris, is being held without bail in Santa Barbara County’s Northern Branch Jail near Santa Maria on a homicide warrant and numerous other charges. He’s pleaded not guilty.
3. Paul Flores Guilty of 1st-Degree Murder in Death of Cal Poly Classmate Kristin Smart
Paul Flores, the last man seen with Kristin Smart before she disappeared from the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus 26 years ago, was convicted Oct. 18 of murdering the 19-year-old freshman from Stockton.
Flores’ father, Ruben, was acquitted of helping him conceal the crime.
Our partners at the San Luis Obispo Tribune, in team coverage from Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas, reported that jurors unanimously found the 45-year-old Flores guilty of “willful, premeditated” first-degree murder.
A jury in a separate trial found the elder Flores, now 81, not guilty of charges of being an accessory to murder after the fact.
Smart vanished after an off-campus party on Memorial Day weekend in 1996. Prosecutors maintained that Flores killed her during an attempted rape in his Cal Poly dorm room.
Ruben Flores was accused of helping bury Smart behind his Arroyo Grande home, and later digging up her remains and moving them.
Smart was never found, and she was declared dead in absentia in 2002.
Flores had been a suspect in the case from the start, but he and his father weren’t arrested until 2021. He is to be sentenced Dec. 9 and faces a term of 25 years to life.
Prayers to the Smart family. May they have some measure of closure.
4. Drift Santa Barbara Hotel Replacing Downtown Church of Scientology Building
A cool, new downtown Santa Barbara hotel is inching closer to opening after a nearly two-year renovation of the former home of the Church of Scientology.
As our Josh Molina reported, the 45-room Drift Santa Barbara is to open in early December at 524 State St.
In 2020, an investment group led by locals Jason Jaeger and Sep Wolf bought the building, which actually was originally designed and built as a hotel.
The property will be managed by TMC Hospitality of Irvine, which partnered with Santa Barbara-based Anacapa architects on the redesign.
According to TMC spokesman Evan Rauch, “the traditional Italian Mediterranean architectural skin of the building dating back to the 1920s was carefully preserved and restored” while “a bold, minimalist aesthetic” was introduced inside.
The hotel emphasizes indoor-outdoor living with breakfast at the appropriately named Dawn coffee shop and dinner at the equally apt Dusk, a Mexican-inspired tequila and tapas bar.
Jaeger, whose company previously renovated the historic El Centro Building next to the Lobero Theatre, helped convince the City of Santa Barbara to declare the hotel building a local landmark, then brought it up to current code as part of the project.
“I think this is an exemplary example of urban development, and how to repurpose old buildings,” he told Josh.
Drift won’t be the only hotel on the block. It faces the venerable Hotel Santa Barbara, at 533 State St., whose new owners have embarked on a top-to-bottom renovation of their own.
5. Santa Barbara State Street Meeting Sparks Debate Over Cars, Bikes, Retail and Restaurants
As our Josh Molina reported, Santa Barbara’s Planning and Historic Landmarks commissions held a joint meeting to discuss the future of State Street downtown. The Oct. 14 event drew a standing-room-only crowd at the Central Library’s Faulkner Gallery, but no consensus.
Not by a long shot.
According to Josh, there are two main factions at this point. One wants the 11-block pedestrian promenade to remain closed to vehicles, with bikes part of the picture and an emphasis on outdoor dining. The other wants at least some of the blocks reopened to general traffic, and with retail receiving the same consideration as restaurants.
Architect Cass Ensberg, a Historic Landmarks commissioner, said the city should reset now that the COVID-19 emergency has passed and let the State Street Master Plan proceed unencumbered by the current almost-anything-goes environment.
“I would like to suggest that we immediately put every effort into putting our dining back on the sidewalk, and that we return to how it was pre-COVID,” she said.
Devon Wardlow, a Planning commissioner, wasn’t having it, asserting that most people are happy State Street is closed to cars.
“I don’t feel like we should go backward,” she said. “I think we should go forward.”
Wardlow pointed to the progress made since the promenade was given the green light in June 2020.
“This is the moment where we plan for our future, where bikes, pedestrians, everyone is there together, and it’s on us to figure out how to do that,” she said.
Also in attendance was Mukul Malhotra, a principal and urban design director at MIG, a Berkeley-based urban planning and design firm. You may remember that the City Council is paying MIG $780,000 to lead the master plan project.
“State Street has such beautiful stories to be told,” Malhotra said. “If you design it for the locals, and it’s a great space, you attract all the tourists, too.”
Well, thanks for that observation, but here’s one of my own: A century from now, when Noozhawk is 115 years old, we’ll still be discussing what to do about State Street.
Sorry, Josh.
• • •
Good Reads
Here are a half-dozen other stories that are well worth your time:
» Actor Ron Ely Loses Federal Lawsuit Against County Over Shooting Death of His Son — Executive editor Tom Bolton covers the latest chapter in the tragic story that absolutely devastated a well-known Hope Ranch family.
» Podcaster Chris Lambert Reflects on Kristin Smart Trial While Awaiting Verdict — San Luis Obispo Tribune reporter Chloe Jones catches up with Orcutt podcaster Chris Lambert, whose dogged research and reporting about the Kristin Smart case played a key role in bringing her killer to justice.
» Federal Grand Jury Issues New Indictment Against Captain of Conception Dive Boat — North County editor Janene Scully reports on a new development in the 2019 Conception dive boat tragedy that killed 34 people.
» Delayed Ceremony Celebrates Opening of Bill Libbon Elementary School in Santa Maria — Janene finds it’s never too late to go back to school.
» Mark Patton: Ball Keeps Rolling with Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Hall of Fame — As only he can, sports columnist Mark Patton previews the 2022 Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Which reminds me: Mark should be included in next year’s class.
» Burford Brothers Come Up Big for Santa Barbara in 9-7 Win over San Marcos to Finish First in League — The Burford twins, Jaxon and Jerrad, are my neighbors so I may be biased, but they’re also really good water polo players and leaders of the powerhouse Santa Barbara High Dons. Sports editor Barry Punzal has the pool report.
• • •
Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? Santa Barbara County Expands Evacuation Areas as Alisal Fire Burns West.
• • •
Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
Call of duty comes full circle: He Rescued Her from a Drug Den as a Baby. Now 22 Years Later, He Pins a Deputy Badge on Her.
• • •
Best of Bill’s Instagram
The @dodgers’ epic collapse put a damper on my Instagram feed this past week. I’ll be more photo-friendly next week.
• • •
Watch It
Pool day, play day. This is long, but I guarantee you’ll watch more of it than you think you will. HT to Best of Bill reader Warren Collins.
(@EleFlix video)
• • •
How You Can Help Noozhawk
Noozhawk is proud to be the go-to source of news for locals like yourself. You trust and rely on us to provide timely, relevant and thorough coverage of the issues that shape Santa Barbara County.
And we get up early — and stay up late — excited to report what’s going on in our community so we can keep you informed and engaged.
While most of Noozhawk’s revenue comes from advertising and sponsorships, we believe that reader contributions are a vital source of support — financially and fundamentally. We believe that if we ask our readers to contribute what you think we’re worth, we can build a sustainable business model for local news.
Yes, I’ll set up a monthly donation today!
Yes, I’ll set up a monthly donation today!
Yes, I’ll set up a monthly donation today!
Yes, I’ll set up a monthly donation today!
Yes, I’ll set up a monthly donation today!
Yes, I’ll set up a monthly donation today!
Yes, I’ll set up a monthly donation today!
Yes, I’ll set up a monthly donation today!
Yes, I’ll set up a monthly donation today! Yes, I’ll set up a monthly donation today!
Your loyalty membership helps us continue to provide you with unmatched local news and in-depth reporting on the issues that you care about.
Please note that personal contributions to Noozhawk are not deductible as charitable donations.
Thank you for your support.
— Bill Macfadyen is Noozhawk’s founder and publisher. Contact him at wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com, follow him on Instagram: @bill.macfadyen, or click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
