Standing Tall: Saint Serra's Return
By Bonnie Donovan
Thanks to the indefatigable efforts of Fr Tom Elewaut, Pastor of San Buenaventura Mission, the statue of Saint Junipero Serra has been returned to a hallowed place at the mission there.
A small group of us made a field trip down to Ventura after hearing from a reader that the statue was to be moved from storage (and safety) to a place of reverence and – we should add – given its due respect and protection.
The Big Red Crane Company assisted in the installation. The project was overseen by Cookes Crating of Los Angeles, where the statue was stored for nearly four years.
Apparently, Fr Tom was asked to sign some document which falsely claimed that the now venerated Saint Junipero Serra had made hugely disparaging remarks regarding the Chumash Indians. Fr Tom strongly stood his ground, and refused to sign such a document, which was researched by a team from USC History Department, finding that Fr. Tom was right.
We owe a debt of gratitude to Fr. Tom for remaining steadfast and mustering the courage to withstand the pressure and uphold the truth.
Holy Saint Serra had never said any such thing.
Ever.
Thank you, Fr Tom. This is nothing short of heroic. Next time you're in Ventura, go by the Mission grounds and pay homage to this beautiful statue. For more on this story, click here, here and here.
Asleep at the Wheel
Now, returning to this week’s theme of driving asleep at the wheel… A Zoom “sandwich board” meeting has been set by the city for Wednesday March 13, and Saturday March 16. To be presented will be their “Disneyland-design” for the approach to the Castillo Street underpass. Their announcement reads: “Please join us to see the latest proposed improvements including multi-use paths, separated bike paths, street trees to provide sidewalk separation, new lighting facilities, sidewalk widening and repair, and changing the 400 block of Bath Street to a one-way street.”
All this, even though our emergency services and city buses already experience circulation problems while maneuvering the reality of the dead ends and bulb-outs created by the Master Bike Plan on Sola, Alisos, W. Valerio and Gillespie, among others.
The City, in its Vision Zero Priority Corridor, or, as is purported “where a high number of serious injuries or fatal collisions occur in a consistent pattern,” now come for the underpass at 300 Castillo. We do not witness that danger, nor do we see the intersection roped off by police with yellow tape during such investigations. The city again claims public outreach during 2022 that lauded their street changes and closures in favor of “safe routes to schools.” (Weren’t we still muffled in face masks, 6 ft stay-away edicts, and Zoom meets?)
We see that the City asserts Castillo St. to be one of the busiest streets in Santa Barbara.
Really?
Perhaps at the underpass access to the 101, up to Montecito St. and Cliff Dr. during SBCC school times. Again, the city will label this as “public outreach” to the community. But look at the results of this ridiculous plan which increases traffic congestion, and then which “needs to be fixed.” Proximity to the beach brings tourists to beach hotels, who are also unfamiliar with the roads.
Planned Congestion Coming Our Way
Garden St. will most likely be reduced to one lane due to the planned housing at 400-500 Garden and the 250-room hotel at 100 Garden. State St underpass is already reduced to one lane each way.
Look at their plans for Castillo and closing 400 Bath St. to a one-way. Will we be able to escape in an emergency or will vehicles be circumvented from a practical in and out as we now see roads blocked at Sola and other named streets that create a public safety hazard due to lack of circulation?
Read the article, which illustrates the same traffic problems created by traffic solutions (for bicyclists) in NYC: “…The only way to decongest street vehicular traffic is to get rid of the destructive, politics-driven measures now in place which guarantee congestion. When x-miles of bike lanes are proposed on the street grid, they are in fact removing x-y-z miles of usable auto lanes.
Wake up, Santa Barbara!
When traffic lanes are reduced from two to one at certain locations, it takes cars longer to travel through. Duh. When entire streets are designated off-limits to cars, it’s no surprise that traffic jams occur on the streets drivers must use to get around the closures. Hello? Is this undo congestion all by design? We wonder…
All those were added with the additional blow to drivers’ sanity and patience — caused by dining sheds built in public roadways during the COVID-19 crisis.
The scheme to “solve” a crisis that’s of the government’s own making belongs to the “Let’s create a problem so we can make money fixing it” school of business strategy. We agree, and mistakes can be fixed. Too bad for the waste of time and money and supplies and space in the landfills of broken concrete.
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The Invasion Continues
We also heard from another reader whose students were watching local news being reported in the classroom. The students – 15- and 16-year-olds – were listening to reports about the proposed changes to Paseo Nuevo, including the seven-story(!) housing development. A collective gasp surged through the room …
"No! They can't take Paseo Nuevo!"
"How can this be happening?"
“They can’t be taking away our mall!
That’s our downtown!” ... were among the prevailing sentiments expressed.
Santa Barbara, wake up!
This is not a foreign country invading our town and taking it over. These are our very own citizens, our elected officials, handing our beautiful town over to a deep state agenda, to self-interested developers, usurping the beauty and symmetry and balance that has kept us the gem on the coast.
More on this next week.
On The College Front
Looking towards Isla Vista, we watched with a certain shock and horror at the UCSB incident last week when the “Multi-Cultural” Center at UCSB was closed due to anti-Semitic sentiments targeted at Jewish members… of the Multi-Cultural Center. These Jewish students – well represented by the local Hillel office – were forced to respond to such posts as "Zionists NOT Welcome!", and to accusations of being "genocidal.”
Is this America?
Is this higher education?
UCSB has always tried to mimic UC Berkeley; in our day the campus was referred to as Berkeley South. The point is that worse is happening in NorCal. No surprise. Students at UCSB report faculty members who tell students not to express any "Zionist" support in class. We remember the “multicultural” movement forming during our era at UCSB. Many of its original organizers were, in fact, Jewish. We wonder how they feel about how this project is derailing in such a terrifying fashion. Little could they have imagined... but look how the feminist movement slowly moved from equal rights for equal pay to the breakdown of home and family, and all the gender identification complexities we now see all through our society.
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Regarding the reemergence of racism, watch (when it eventually posted) the rerun of the open public comment of Tuesday’s City Council meeting (March 5, 2024.) The last three Zoom speakers all spoke with inflammatory racist language. The second-to-last speaker accused the media of being controlled by three Jewish families. He was shut down by the mayor, but when allowed to continue, his apparent tape recording replayed the same message.
Where is this speaker’s intel coming from and how far-reaching is this broadcast?
We Have to Laugh
Our City Council put a temporary repeal on their self-righteous ordinance that dis-allows gas hook ups and instead favors electric-energy-only for new construction. Turns out the City of Berkeley finds itself in litigation for the same “donkey with blinders on” thought process. Santa Barbara City Councilmember Kristen Sneddon was beside herself with indignation. More unintended consequences. Hee Haw!
Neighbors beware!
This Monday, March 11, during Single Family Design Review Board, Process Streamlining is on the agenda. The proposed concepts are designed to reduce the number of projects that require a public hearing. This leaves the neighbors out and allows administrative approval of many items that currently require design review at some level. The public is encouraged to attend, speak, and follow the process. Many an architect and planner have said that the neighbor’s input made for a better project.
This is your chance to protect your neighborhood and keep it special.
Kudos to all who voted. Remember, people fought for the right to vote!
And remember, Orchid Show is this weekend!
There are 1,000+ things we could mention that are going wrong in our community. And when we do mention them, like the many listed in this article, we must zoom out and see the theme because there is a theme. If we can put to words, what that theme is and overall what is being done to our community as a whole, we might find some targeted areas to bring solutions and change that will be most effective. One solution is finding a way to get rid of the leadership. They can be sued or fired and if we try that, and it doesn't work, the last choice is to expose the hell out of them until they resign. That's how they got rid of the Harvard president. EXPOSURE. Everyone can help with exposure on some level...word of mouth, social media sharing, speaking during public comment, writing a letter to the editor of Noozhawk, Indy, or other media sources. There are so many creative ways for us to address these criminals and make them go away, and it will take an army of us to make it happen. Who's in?
Bonnie Donovan I am very glad I got this App so I can read your columns again. I am so disappointed with the idea of bulldozing Paseo Neuvo Mall in favor of 500 housing units with as many underground parking spaces. We should revitalize the mall for mixed use but not rip it up. Among others concerns, the sidewalks on State Street from old town to De La Guerra are busy enough as it is with tourists on weekends. 5, 6,,up to 7 story buildings housing upward of 1000 new residents will overwhelm our sensibilities. Community input hearings and objections need to be heard.