Regarding the Nov. 7 article, “Santa Barbara Council May Extend Rent Freeze with Pending Referendum Petition,” the Santa Barbara program is weighted toward tenants, with little consideration given to the impact on small, responsible, owner-occupied housing providers.

I am a local landlord with one rental unit in my owner-occupied duplex. I work tirelessly to maintain and continually improve my rental unit, offer it below market rent despite the ever-increasing costs of ownership and maintenance, and strive to establish positive, long-term relationships with my tenants.

This is my home, not an investment property. The city removed owner-occupied duplexes from its local exemption list, despite the fact that these properties remain exempt under California’s statewide just-cause protections.

The program raises concerns about government overreach, private property rights, financial burdens and the ability of housing providers to make decisions about their own homes.

I do not believe the city should impose an additional layer of registration, regulation and restrictions.

I support tenant protections; there are already established laws to address legitimate tenant grievances and violations.

Those protections should not come at the expense of responsible homeowners who are providing housing. Owner-occupied duplex landlords should not be treated as though they are large commercial rentals.

The lack of interest from the City Council in hearing from this segment of the community is unfortunate. Our concerns seem to be consistently overlooked in the city’s push to move this program forward.

Onalisa Hoodes
Santa Barbara

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Regarding the Nov. 11 article, “Santa Barbara Ceremony Honors Veterans’ Service, Sacrifice,” joined the Navy on my 19th birthday. I served for four years and now I’m 70 and business are thanking me with discounts and free meals.

First off, I would like to say thank you for the gift and supporting those of us who served.

I always thought that my decision to serve was to help me find direction. It did that. Helped me get my degree, introduced me to my wife and build a home here in California.

Now, as people thank me for my service, I realize how  lucky I am to be an American. I see what we stand for, and I hope Karl Marx was wrong and a democracy will last. Common ground between parties is gone.

I hope those who serve today will still see the thank you for your service that I have seen from local businesses and community and friends.

Happy Veterans Day!

Bart Bader
Goleta

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I got a chuckle reading the Nov. 7 article, “2 Men Arrested in Connection with Goleta Valley Catalytic Converter Thefts,” and Santa Barbara County sheriff’s spokeswoman Raquel Zick advising residents who wish to avoid thefts of similar nature to park in parking garages or under lights.

Good luck finding those close to home for many!

Maybe Zick could furnish those, but I bet the municipal budgets are a little light these days.

All you folks who actually cruise your neighborhoods for a parking space on the street can relish this. You Goleta folks who have those two-car garages, please just empathize with these unfortunates.

I lived on East Micheltorena Street and know it hasn’t changed, so my heart is with you curb parkers.

Brian Massey
Sonoita, Arizona, and formerly of Santa Barbara

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I moved to Santa Barbara in 1986 from Phoenix. In 1983 I was in my last year at Arizona State University when El Niño storms hit.

In 1986, the parking lot between the harbor and Leadbetter Beach was still broken up and closed to cars; it was only open to pedestrians and bikes. That shows how much damage occurred.

Fast forward to 1998 when I was the gardener at El Encanto hotel. We got so much rain that year, 48 inches, that the beaches were closed well into summer.

It was so bad that Heal the Ocean was created in August of that year. Imagine the bacteria levels being so high for so many months?

Which brings me to today. The El Niño weather patterns have been here all year. Last week at the Santa Barbara Half Marathon, a number of runners were taken to Santa Barbara Cottage hospital for care.

From Sunday afternoon on, I kept posting on local media that it was the heat and nothing nefarious. Science confirmed my posts but the story went viral, national and even as far as the BBC.

The weather posts I follow say the first big storm will be here on Nov. 24, right before Thanksgiving.

With the Kelvin wave causing the ocean to be 12 to 18 inches higher than 1998 or 1983, the impacts will be much greater. In fact, I have noticed the street drains on lower Anacapa Street at Cabrillo Boulevard have been flooded since early October with standing water. Still there this week.

I didn’t support any of the candidates who won seats on the City Council, or the mayor. I suggest they all buy rubber boots and rain gear.

Dan Seibert
Santa Barbara

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I would like to attest to the fact that Santa Barbara is fortunate to be the home of Opera Santa Barbara. I attended the final performance of its Rigoletto production on Nov. 10 and was bowled over.

I have seen opera performances in the major capitals of the world and this production equaled those. Conductor Kostis Protopapas deserves high accolades for his devotion to opera and to our community.

Susan Shields
Santa Barbara

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I’m looking for memories of Moby Dick restaurant on Santa Barbara’s Stearns Wharf and Scotty’s on Main Street in Mount Kisco, New York. My grandparents, Renee and Al Steinman, ran them.

Al retired from Moby Dick in 2007. If you ate there, worked there, knew them or have old menus, photos or matchbooks, I’d love to hear from you at gavriel.menlo@proton.me.

Thank you!

Gavriel Menlo
Los Angeles

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I recently had the privilege of seeing a Noozhawk columnist, Dr. Bonnie Franklin, as a relief veterinarian at Channel Islands Veterinary Clinic in Port Hueneme.

My dog had been struggling with a skin condition for quite a while and nothing that had previously been tried seemed to solve her problem. In fact, the exact cause was never determined.

Franklin thoroughly examined her and addressed issues I didn’t even know about, treated her and even recommended a dermatologist.

The medications Franklin prescribed amazingly seem to have resolved my dog’s skin issues (knock on wood). It took a while but she’s better than she has been in years.

I would just like to thank Franklin with all my heart for her care and knowledge, her compassion and desire to help my little girl.

Jan Bjelke
Port Hueneme

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I read Cassandra Ensberg, Will Rivera and Dennis Thompson’s Nov. 9 commentary, “Transparency, Community Input Essential to Good Development,” with interest. They make some good points.

Now I ask them, where would they situate the construction of 53 apartments from that site?

Brian Epstein
Santa Barbara

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What do Nov. 6 letters to the editor writers Steve Weiss, Andy Sherman, Cynthia Clark and J. Russell not understand about “Opinions”? It is the category title under which Karen Telleen-Lawton’s Nov. 2 commentary “Palestine” was featured.

Are those writers the only ones allowed to express them?

I do not know Telleen-Lawton and regret never having read any of her prior commentaries, but the collective censure of the letter writers at her audacity made her latest piece worth the search.

Thank you, Ms. Telleen-Lawton, for your perspective on this shameful international disgrace, informed by your several personal visits over a decade, not a fact-finding visit or two, or based on news accounts read from the comfort of home.

I encourage others to read her published opinion. I encourage other Noozhawk readers to suggest more editorials, articles and, yes, opinions that bring the outside world to our local pages.

Weiss, Sherman, Clark and Russell must acknowledge the reality of both international condemnation of Israel’s hegemony as well as American voters who overwhelmingly supported candidates opposed to our tax-funding of the perpetrators.

Richard Closson
Santa Barbara

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David Sullins’ Nov. 6 letter to the editor started with “the City Council is working to apply even more heavy decisions and regulations against landlords in addition to the recently approved rent stabilization ordinance.”

A number of years ago I considered going into the landlord business in this area. Damn! I am glad I decided against that!

John Deacon’s letter lamented Gov. Gavin Newsom’s commuting sentences of every inmate on death row. Admittedly, the state Supreme Court must review each commutation before it’s official, but I don’t understand why people are surprised by Newsom’s action.

For him, it was as normal as combing his slicked back hair. Newsom needs to send a powerful message to the far left if he’s going to make a run for president in 2028, and what could be more powerful than that?

Hib Halverson
Goleta

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