Regarding the July 30 article, “Fire Chiefs Urge County to Change Ambulance Model as Lawsuit Continues,” I have seen videos of emergency response people in Israel — before Oct. 7.
Israel has a system of volunteers all over the country on large scooters, operated by an EMT, with response times in the minutes. I say this because this year on my birthday in November I will be “elderly.”
Really? I don’t feel elderly but my body disagrees …
The Israeli model has medics on motorcycles that can respond with minutes to a medical call. And most of all Santa Barbara Fire Department calls are medical, not fires.
On another topic, at this week’s Historic Landmarks Committee meeting, Cheri Rae, a Santa Barbara treasure, spoke about some historical trees. She mentioned the one close to me, the Morton Bay Fig Tree on West Montecito Street.
For years, this temple of tree worshipers, I’m included, has been blocked by a chain-link fence. It was put up during COVID-19 when there were some who lived there. Not that that is bad, since in days gone by I’ve heard some homeless people would get their mail delivered to the tree. But those days are gone.
Please, to the new city administrator and anyone else, “tear down this fence!” It doesn’t protect the tree from any threat.
Just look at the similar trees next to Marshall’s on East Canon Perdido. Those trees have had branches torn off by trucks and the trees are cool … they are just chilling.
Please, City of Santa Barbara, take down this stupid chain-link fence.
Dan Seibert
Santa Barbara
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There has been a rather unconventional sidewalk/bike lane installed on East Cota Street, evidently designed and approved by City of Santa Barbara personnel.
If a bike rider is traveling west, he/she/it will be required to enter the new 10-foot wide (read expensive) sidewalk in front of Santa Barbara Junior High School, and then take an exit ramp back to the original bike lane less than a block later.
This supposedly is to not interfere with the many cars in the school drop-off zone, but it will interfere with anyone, including young students, on the public sidewalk, which is normally where bicycles are not allowed.
Good idea?
Dave Blunk
Santa Barbara
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In the July 23 article, “Santa Barbara Finance Committee Questions City-Chamber Economic Development Plan,” we learn the three-member City Council committee — despite questions and doubts — voted to recommend the city spend $250,000 of emergency funds to outsource planning to the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce.
If the committee had questions about the chamber’s lack of benchmarks or circumvention of the formal budget process, why vote yes?
While I’ll cheer for the chamber’s suggested slogan, “Much to Love about Santa Barbara,” I don’t think there’s much to love about the public sector handing the keys to our city to the private sector for a loosey-goosey contract that could soon grow to $1 million or more.
City staff, city council members, city commissions and neighborhood volunteers (Yoo-hoo, I raise my hand) are more than capable of cultivating partnerships with civic institutions and surveying neighborhoods for exciting ideas that will give us that much more to love about Santa Barbara.
Marcy Winograd
Santa Barbara
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I had to laugh at Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen’s acerbic description of the Santa Barbara City Council’s response to the economic development partnership proposed by local businesses in his July 26 column.
I suppose if the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce changed its address to Berkeley or San Francisco, Councilwoman Meagan Harmon would be the first to jump on the bandwagon.
Tell me: What has Harmon done for economic development? It’s been almost two years since the city got rid of economic development “manager” Jason Harris. What has she done in the meantime? Clearly economic development is not a priority.
I applaud the chamber for pursuing it, and for pursuing the city to put some skin the game. Sadly, it’s the only way to get the City Council to pay attention to it.
W. Johnson
Santa Barbara
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Regarding the July 27 article, “Goleta’s Homeless Population is Rising; Will New Housing Projects Be The Solution?,” it seems there was a missed opportunity for comprehensive reporting by Noozhawk on a very complex and important issue in our community.
Having attended Goleta’s public meetings on community homelessness, having had conversations with local leaders, and having worked in homeless services education in the K-12 world, the article tells only part of the story.
The article did not reflect any conversations with the City of Goleta’s homelessness services coordinator, Chuck Flacks; data from the city’s monthly homelessness data services report; and conversations with partnership agencies such as SBACT or PATH — all of which is readily available on the city’s website.
Although it is true that temporary housing is limited, there are a myriad of transition services, safe parking services, and mental health and education resources that exist in our communities.
Addressing homelessness and supporting unhoused persons in transitioning out of homelessness requires empathy, collaboration and access to resources.
My professional experience is that there is stigma associated with being unhoused and most unhoused persons will accept transition services when offered in caring and supportive ways.
However, this may sound shocking to some, our unhoused population also includes persons who refuse housing services. Noozhawk neglected to cite this data. Counselors work to engage and support those who refuse services so they can successfully transition out of homelessness.
In addition, there are those who are employed, well-fed and substance-free but are choosing to sleep in their vehicles.
It is not the norm but it is a reality. SUVs, pickup trucks and conversion vans with blackened windows circumvent Goleta’s parking restrictions encouraged by websites with maps that direct them to neighborhoods within the city.
I have contacted at least two of these websites and forwarded Goleta’s parking guidance (again available on the city website) so the caravan parking websites can update their online maps that direct users to undisturbed parking areas within residential and commercial neighborhoods.
Noozhawk also omitted any reference to the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that was a barrier to local government action. Local governments are now empowered to act in ways that previously they were unable to do so.
Providing additional data and detail could support more comprehensive reporting on an important community issue..
Lisa DelAmo
Goleta
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How disappointing (and frankly, unoriginal) that Ron Fink has once again chosen to bash the hard-working employees of the Lompoc Unified School District as he did in his July 30 commentary, “Lompoc School District Pays Average $112,776 per Employee; What Do Kids Get for the Investment?”
Fink accuses Lompoc teachers of “lacking passion for their craft” and demands that they “start educating our youth.”
When was the last time Fink has been in one of our classrooms? Has he actually witnessed any of our teachers in action before attacking them?
I am doubtful he has, because anyone familiar with our schools and our students would know that our teachers are incredible, and that there are amazing things happening on our campuses every day.
The work of education is happening at our schools, and our community should be proud of its teachers and its students.
It may look different than the education of Fink’s youth some 70 years ago, but it is happening nonetheless.
Mr. Fink, if you are interested in seeing this work in action, let us know. We’d be happy to educate you, too.
Skyler Petersen, president, for the executive board
Lompoc Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 3151
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Thanks to Chris Gallery for his July 26 letter to the editor regarding our voting process.
In March 2020, I worked at the polls for the first time, and I have worked every election since, including the four days of the 2020 presidential voting during COVID-19.
Gallery mentioned that poll workers are paid. He is not wrong, but I took the time to figure out what the pay comes out to. By the time you attend required training (each vote) and work the long day(s), it comes out to less than minimum wage.
Clearly, people don’t do it for the pay. All of them will tell you they do it as a way to participate in the integrity of the voting system.
Once you attend the in-depth training, you always go away impressed by the security of the system and the clear, deliberate care that has gone into making it that way.
Sadly, in the last few years the polling place has become contentious, with some voters coming in demonstrating their disregard for the process, often directed at the poll workers.
It is disheartening. Our vote is all we have as citizens and to demean it is disrespectful to everyone who works to guarantee that every voter, no matter what their vote, is given the right to submit that vote.
Those votes are handled with care and secured. We should take pride that our country values and honors our votes.
See you at the polls in November!
Kate Carter
Santa Barbara
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