Regarding Noozhawk’s Jan. 8 article, “Santa Barbara Trapeze Co. Makes Bid to Secure Its Spot at Vera Cruz Park,” it is sick that the City of Santa Barbara would rent out our public parks to private industry.
Vera Cruz Park, one of Santa Barbara’s original park set-asides for the public, deserves free public recreation activities. If you fence a park and lock the gates, of course the so-called “derelicts” who can’t climb fences or break locks will be kept out.
Perhaps the Parks & Recreation Department is being mismanaged if there is no imagination as to how this tiny park can be used for all the community for free. This permanent renting out of public parks is precedent-setting. Soon, all our parks will be “For Rent” to the highest bidder.
Is this even legal? Does the public not have to vote on this? Our public parks will become private, a new autocratic cash cow for government when taxes voted in by the people are supposed to be the government funding source.
This is a huge loss for the general public and the planet, especially with increased housing density being proposed for downtown.
Pauline Conn
Santa Barbara
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Bicycles almost never stop at stop signs or stop lights in Santa Barbara! They ride on the wrong side of the street and on sidewalks. They make left turns from the right lane and use the painted pedestrian walkway to turn left across the front of cars stopped at a red light. They just do crazy things.
They speed down the closed portion of State Street downtown, putting pedestrians in danger of being hit from behind. With the additional speed of electric bikes, this gets very dangerous.
Enforcing bicycle traffic laws may sound petty compared to other important law enforcement tasks, but the laws that govern bicycles in Santa Barbara must be enforced or these dangerous practices will only get worse.
L. Paul Cook
Santa Barbara
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Just a quick shout-out to astronomy columnist Dennis Mammana:-). I enjoy every column he writes and am able to go out on our deck every night to see exactly what he’s talking about! I also appreciate his fine writing.
Thank you!
Elizabeth Downing
Painted Cave
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Thank you to D.C. Collier — again — for the clear admonition to us believers in his Jan. 13 commentary, “Manifesting Hope in a Hopeless World.”
Lord, help us to let our lights (Your love) shine out to those You bring into our paths today.
Reed Spangler
Santa Barbara
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I just wanted to thank D.C. Collier for the reminder to be a light in this dark world. It is indeed timely.
God bless.
Stefanie Hassett
Santa Barbara
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D.C. Collier gave a very clear and reassuring explanation. I hope to get his book sometime. I’ve been a believer since my teens and have wanted to present the claims of Christ with good clarity.
Thank you to Collier for being in the Noozhawk! There needs to be some GOOD NEWS in the news, daily or often!
Genny Guillermo
Santa Barbara
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