Highway 154 Ride-Along Drives Revelations for a Safer Road
As Santa Barbara County’s Third District supervisor, one of the consistent concerns people share with me is roadway safety, particularly along Highway 154. That is why I was eager to…
State and local officials celebrate the removal of the last two coastline oil piers in California
GOLETA, Calif. - On Haskell's Beach Monday morning, the California's State Lands Commission along with other state and local officials celebrated the successful removal of the last two shorezone piers…
Firewise Communities Catching On in Santa Barbara County
Wildfire season is fast approaching and, with the verdant undergrowth from the winter’s heavy rains starting to fade, many of us are dreading the hot, dry months ahead. I have…
Open Streets Promote Healthier, Happier Communities
CycleMAYnia — a month-long celebration featuring dozens of fun and creative community events — is upon us! I am especially looking forward to the first ever Santa Ynez Valley Open Streets on May…
UC Santa Barbara facing lawsuits over lack of student housing options
As local leaders in Santa Barbara County continue working to address local housing needs, lawsuits have been filed against UC Santa Barbara regarding their alleged lack of student housing options.…
UCSB a Major Factor in South Coast’s Housing Crisis
At a recent Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting, we heard gut-wrenching public testimony from long-term residents caught up in the “renoviction” of four apartment buildings in Isla Vista. Distraught people with…
Fighting for Goleta Valley’s Good Land
As many know, California’s effort to increase the supply of housing is requiring cities and counties to submit a state-mandated Housing Element identifying parcels that could be rezoned for housing.…
Santa Barbara County’s Housing Element Must Have Proper Balance
As the Santa Barbara County supervisor representing two-thirds of Goleta, I am writing to address concerns about possible rezones in the county’s Draft Housing Element. As a resident, county planning commissioner and as…
Joan Hartmann & Gregg Hart: California Must Protect Reproductive Freedom and Abortion
In June, the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the nearly 50-year, precedent-setting 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that established the constitutional right to privacy, including the right to an abortion. The…
Digging
Refugio Road Trails Restoration Project Gets Underway
Community leaders and neighbors gathered recently in front of Santa Ynez Valley Union High School (SYVUHS) for the recent groundbreaking of the Refugio Road Trails Restoration Project, a joint project between Santa Barbara…