Last year, I’m told, I saved 16 cents on my Fourth of July cookout. This summer, I might could pay 18 cents less for each gallon of gas I buy.
At that rate of economizing, my wiped-out 401(K) will be replenished in something like 2,700 years. So I’ve got that going for me. Which is nice.
While I’m waiting for that windfall, Noozhawk had an audience of 87,778 readers this past week, according to our Google Analytics. What follows is my own take on the Top 5 stories you were reading over the past seven days.
Just a reminder: This is my opinion column and not a news story.
1. Pedestrian Hit, Killed on Highway 101 in Santa Barbara
Authorities announced earlier this week that they were searching for the driver of an SUV that struck and killed a Santa Barbara man who was walking on Highway 101 in Santa Barbara, and then fled the scene of the June 20 collision.
Turns out, there was no collision, and the man actually was fatally injured when he jumped from the La Cumbre Road overpass, the California Highway Patrol revealed on June 24.
As our Giana Magnoli first reported, CHP Officer Jon Gutierrez said on June 20 that the man — for unknown reasons — was walking in the right northbound lane north of La Cumbre Road around 6:45 a.m.
He said the SUV driver sped away from the carnage after hitting the man.
The victim — later identified as 47-year-old Noah Richard Turner — was transported by American Medical Response ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, but he died of his injuries.
On June 24, however, when our Tom Bolton pressed the CHP for more details, Officer David Nees told him, “We are not looking for somebody.”
“An original witness indicated he was hit by a vehicle,” he added. “Further investigation determined he did not get hit by a car, but jumped from the north side of the overcrossing.”
No other details were available.
2. Radio Station Owner Shawn Knight Dies in Paragliding Crash
My friend, Shawn Knight, was a radio enthusiast to his core.
The owner of Santa Maria-based Knight Broadcasting, a Central Coast local radio empire, he actually got his start in the business while a student at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, and made it his life’s work.
Tragically, his life was cut short in a June 15 paragliding crash in remote Ventura County. He was 57.
As our Janene Scully reported last week, Ventura County firefighters were dispatched on a late afternoon call about a paraglider down north of Highway 33 near Pine Mountain Lodge campground west of Reyes Peak, about 15 miles — as the hawk flies — north of Ojai.
Details were scant, foul play is not suspected, and the circumstances are under investigation by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
Knight was as passionate about aviation as he was about radio, and was an experienced, licensed pilot flying small airplanes out of the Santa Ynez Airport.
If you’ve ever seen a prop plane slowly towing a banner around Santa Barbara County, chances are it was Knight at the controls as part of another of his businesses, Cloud 9 Advertising.
He made his mark with radio, however, owning my favorite station, KRAZy Country 105.9 FM, as well as KSYV adult contemporary music at 96.7 FM, and KUHL news/talk radio at 1440 AM and 106.3 FM.
“To him, radio was very important in locals’ lives,” longtime colleague Jeff Williams told Janene.
“He was quite an entrepreneur,” he added. “He really enjoyed business. He liked people. He was not a stuck in the office kind of person.”
As I noted in last week’s Best of Bill column, Knight and I shared a love of country music and rodeo. This year’s Santa Barbara Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo won’t be the same without him — but a lot of local civic organizations are coming to that realization now.
Knight is survived by his wife, Sandra, and their sons, Carson and Cameron. Funeral services are pending.
Rest in peace, Shawn. Prayers to all of the Knight family.
3. Santa Barbara Moving Ahead with $100 Million Airport Terminal Expansion
With passenger traffic really taking off at the Santa Barbara Airport, city officials have dusted off their Airport Master Plan that includes a $100 million terminal expansion and a multilevel parking garage.
As our Josh Molina was first to report, the City Council on June 21 authorized spending $1.4 million on a conceptual design for the terminal, which would add two passenger gates, waiting areas, food and retail space, and improvements to the ticketing, self check-in, security screening and baggage claim sections.
The parking structure would contain 800 to 1,400 spaces adjacent to the terminal, which would be more convenient than the airport’s overflow lot on Hollister Avenue.
Construction on the project, which already has gone through the environmental review process, is expected to begin in 2026 and take two years.
“We could have built this project a few years ago,” said Sara Iza, the airport’s land development manager. “We are going to be moving as fast as we can once we get the contract approved.”
Since 2011, the airport has seen a 27% increase in passengers with a staggering 79% jump projected by 2032.
4. Bill Macfadyen: UCSB Finally Budges on Fatal Collision Details But Questions Remain
It goes without saying that UC Santa Barbara will go on without saying … anything.
5. Santa Barbara School District Cancels Fields for ‘Friday Night Lights’ Flag Football
Our Josh Molina is a football fan and a comics reader, but he hardly ever gets to write about either. So I give him major props for the clever Peanuts gallery of a lead that he crafted for this story.
Unfortunately, hundreds of kids and their parents weren’t chuckling about the rest of what he reported, which was that the fall Santa Barbara Friday Night Lights Youth Flag Football League has been cleared from its field.
As Josh explained, the Santa Barbara Unified School District has informed league co-founder Ted Pallad that the program has outgrown the campus of Santa Barbara Junior High School, at 721 E. Cota St.
“There were multiple factors in this determination, including the condition of the facility after use, considerable parking constraints due to FNL’s size as an organization, conflicting events (including those held at our partner, the Marjorie Luke Theatre), and the ability to work cooperatively with FNL caused us to not renew the civic use permit,” SBUSD Superintendent Hilda Maldonado said in an email.
“We do wish the FNL well in its search for a right-sized facility to meet all its needs.”
Friday Night Lights — founded in 2016 by Pallad and his wife, Nevin — spans kindergarten through eighth grade and welcomes boys and girls for its flag football and cheerleading teams. Nearly 700 youngsters participate in the league, which is to kick off its 2022 fall season in August.
Last year, the league took over much of the Santa Barbara Junior High recreation fields and parking lots for its Friday night and Sunday afternoon games. Before that, the program bounced from La Colina Junior High School to Pershing Park to Dwight Murphy Field.
Feeling blindsided, the Pallads aren’t sure where to go next, but the truth is that there are few options for an operation of their size. AYSO, Little League and Pony Baseball have playing and practice fields locked up but are large programs, too.
It’s too bad that UC Santa Barbara’s Harder Stadium isn’t an option. UCSB hasn’t fielded a football team since 1991 so it would be nice to see even flag football bring back Gaucho gridiron glory.
• • •
Good Reads
Here are a half-dozen more stories I recommend:
» Mark Patton: Following in Dad’s Footsteps Came with a Catch — I never had the privilege of knowing Noozhawk sports columnist Mark Patton’s dad, Phil, but I’m well aware of his stature as a local legend and I’ve worked with Mark for a very long time. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Make sure you catch Mark’s Father’s Day tribute.
» Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network Releases 22 Recovered Brown Pelicans So Far — The Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network has made healthy progress on the hundreds of ailing brown pelicans it’s been treating for the last month. Our Serena Guentz tagged along on a recent release.
» Murals Inspired by Indigenous Cultures Unveiled at Eastside Neighborhood Park — Santa Barbara isn’t known for its public murals but a series of cool, new murals at Eastside Neighborhood Park deserves to serve as an inspiration for others. Our Serena Guentz checks out Miguel Rodriguez’s beautiful artwork, but you should, too. In person, at the park at East Yanonali and South Soledad streets across from Franklin School.
» Santa Barbara Unified School District Hires Outside Firm to Conduct Exit Interviews of Outgoing Employees — Better late than never, Santa Barbara Unified School District trustees are making good on their compelled pledge to try to unravel the district dysfunction they and outmatched Superintendent Hilda Maldonado have created. Our Josh Molina opens the door on exit interviews.
» Artists Get Creative With Floats, Costumes for Santa Barbara’s Summer Solstice Parade — Heralding a return to normalcy, Santa Barbara’s Summer Solstice Celebration returns June 25 after a two-year coronavirus hiatus. Our Serena Guentz has the flamboyant details, but I really just wanted to use “normalcy” in the same sentence with the Solstice Parade. Don’t forget the procession will be going up Santa Barbara Street as State Street is off-limits to vehicles and parades.
» Louise Palanker: High School, Life, and Remembering Joe Austin — My friend, Louise Palanker, took a trip down memory lane with an essay about high school that most of us can relate to, no matter the crowd we ran with way back when.
• • •
Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? BizHawk: Newly Opened Crush Bar & Tap Billed as Santa Barbara’s First Queer Bar.
• • •
Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
A coach’s dedication doesn’t stop at the water’s edge. Well done: Coach Dives to Bottom of Pool to Rescue Swimmer Who Fainted.
• • •
Best of Bill’s Instagram
Clouds skittered across my Instagram feed this past week. And I ate well.
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Americans Held Hostage: Day 297
If anyone cares, it’s been 297 days since the U.S. government abandoned thousands of U.S. citizens and green-card holders in Afghanistan.
• • •
Watch It
Even care-free bear cubs need R&R. HT to Best of Bill reader Andy Scott.
(The Dodo video)
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— 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.
