I would like to thank Noozhawk for the up-to-the-minute news on the Lake Fire.
My daughter and her family were among the first evacuations and it was reassuring to rely on Noozhawk for news about the fire’s path.
Almost every time I visited the website, the stories had been updated.
Thank you.
Barbara Clark
Solvang
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Noozhawk should be commended for your coverage of the Lake Fire. Thank you for the hard work and always current conditions. Good work!
L. Rios
Los Alamos
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Regarding the July 5 article, “Santa Maria Expects to Issue Dozens of Citations for Illegal Fireworks,” when will the City of Santa Barbara start issuing citations for illegal fireworks?
Santa Barbara leaders should try spending the night on the Westside so they can hear how bad it is in our neighborhood. Even now, a week after the Fourth of July.
Blanca Fuentes
Santa Barbara
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I am writing to express my deep concern about the recent surge in illegal firework activity in our Santa Barbara neighborhood. The issue extends far beyond the Fourth of July celebration, with disturbances continuing late into the night, disrupting the peace and tranquility of our community.
The unauthorized use of fireworks has had several negative effects:
- Noise pollution: Explosions echoed through our neighborhoods, creating a cacophony that many residents liken to a “war zone.”
- Pet distress: The sudden, loud noises caused significant distress to pets, particularly dogs, resulting in prolonged barking and anxiety.
- Sleep disruption: The extended duration of firework activity well past reasonable hours has interfered with the sleep patterns of many, including seniors and children.
- Safety concerns: The propulsion of illegal fireworks into the sky poses serious safety risks to property and individuals.
It is frustrating to witness this blatant disregard for local laws and community well-being. The actions of these inconsiderate individuals demonstrate a lack of respect for both legal statutes and the comfort of their neighbors.
While we all understand the challenges in responding to each incident, it is crucial that we work together to develop effective solutions to address this persistent problem.
I urge our City of Santa Barbara, fire and law enforcement leaders to consider:
- Increasing patrols during high-risk periods
- Implementing stricter penalties for offenders
- Launching a community awareness campaign about the dangers and consequences of illegal firework use
- Exploring innovative methods to detect and respond to firework incidents more effectively
Our community deserves to feel safe and enjoy peace in their own homes. I look forward to hearing about the steps that will be taken to address this issue and prevent future occurrences.
J.W. Burk
Santa Barbara
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I was pleased to read about Santa Maria’s crackdown on illegal fireworks but I’m ready to read about the City of Santa Barbara doing more.
The Fourth of July was a sleepless night for me on the Westside. Nonstop explosions until about 4 a.m. I called Santa Barbara police but they say they can’t do much without an address. Well, use drones, aircraft and other neighbors reporting to locate!
People have jobs, dogs and babies, and disturbing the peace at those hours is beyond exasperating.
I’d propose much higher fines that $1,000. More like $10,000 plus probation plus community service.
It’s also worth noting this isn’t an isolated incident around the Fourth of July. It’s pretty consistent at least once a month.
Chuck Wilcox
Santa Barbara
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I would like to know what the City of Santa Barbara is doing about the illegal fireworks that have been going off all week — and all night — on the Westside, not just on the Fourth of July. Can Noozhawk write a follow-up article on that?
R. Smith
Santa Barbara
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Regarding the July 10 article, “County Supervisors Approve Tax Enforcement for Delinquent Short-Term Rentals,” does anyone ever question the City of Santa Barbara or the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors as to why they never look at the budget for how to maybe cut costs?
The only answer I have ever seen is to raise taxes.
The proposed sales tax increase and now the bed tax all to compensate for lack of any thought of what could be cut or decreased. Never an option.
John Sween
Santa Barbara
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Regarding the July 10 news release, “Hollister Avenue Moves to One-Lane Traffic Pattern During Striping Work,” I do not live in Goleta, but go there serveral times a week for breakfast or other services.
I was in Goleta this morning and can’t believe how the city has changed downtown to two lanes.
Coming from Patterson Avenue into downtown, the parking in front of Domingo’s is set up that you can only park in the spaces coming from Fairview Avenue, unless you stop and back in and hold up traffic.
On the opposite side of the street in front of Santa Cruz Market, it’s parallel parking.
How confusing for drivers. No doubt there will be accidents not only car to car, but bikers, too.
Whoever, came up with this idea needs to go out there in a car and try to manage this new setup.
This is a story that should be told. Go take pictures and see how people are trying to handle this mess.
Sue Larsen
Santa Barbara
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Regarding the July 3 article, “Work Continues On Cabrillo-Los Patos Roundabout in Santa Barbara,” why is a roundabout necessary at that intersection? Two of the streets accessing the roundabout are roads “less traveled.”
David Hybert
Santa Barbara
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Builders have long been salivating over Santa Barbara County’s big, ever-so-developable parcels of agricultural land. Now that local zoning has been overridden by the State of California, these parcels are within their grasp.
But let’s not forget, when they’re gone, they’re gone. No one is going to tear down an apartment building to plant strawberries.
How about a little horse trading at this critical juncture? For example, for every unit of new housing, why can’t we require that a builder must buy an acre of farmland to be cultivated or left fallow in a forever trust?
This is the moment for some imaginative thinking to preserve our open spaces and our rural heritage — major components of what makes Santa Barbara Santa Barbara.
Barbara Greenleaf
Santa Barbara
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Regarding Dan McCaslin’s July 6 commentary, “The End of the Anthropocene?,” it’s good to know, and even better, how very good to have “Holocene” resume its proper place at the top of the hierarchy of geologic epochs!
The solution for those dedicated to Anthropocene, so insistent are they on humans having a vaunted place in geologic history, is to make it an adjective! Uncapitalized, of course. It’s been done!
The effects our species has made on the rest of the “natural” world, can be called anthropogenic, without a capital A, even though other parts of our world, if it had a Nathaniel Hawthorne, might well consider it worthy of a scarlet letter.
In dictionaries, “anthropogenic” is a perfectly acceptable word and, soon enough, with lack of use, its originating noun will sink into word oblivion. Exactly where it belongs.
Betsy Cramer
Santa Barbara
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I’m a 30-year resident of Santa Barbara County and recently learned about an app called IV3, which can be used by private citizens to alert county election officials of voters who have moved out of the county.
This week I submitted six names of voters who have moved out of the county, three who I know personally, to the election office. I was politely told it wasn’t my responsibility.
As a citizen I believe I am entitled to see the process of maintaining voter rolls so I can be confident in election integrity. Maybe the voters I discovered are just an anomaly; or maybe it’s the tip of the iceberg.
Gretchen Smith
Solvang
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