Thanks for mentioning the car show, Bonnie. The "PYP-SQK" and I will be in attendance. My first car, a San Fernando Valley VW dune buggy. Should be a wonderful event. I wish I could post an old (1968) photo of the two of us. Heck, come see us as we are 50-plus years later at the Mission!
Can you enlighten us readers what strong women like Pearl Chase and strong women from your family would do to save the current city of Santa Barbara? I am truly interested in finding out. Thanks!
I wonder what Pearl would say about the proliferation of unpermitted "murals" that are now sprouting up all over, probably in direct violation of the existing sign ordinances.
How much has the history of tight control over exterior aesthetics makes Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara? Or is the Santa Barbara of today, the free-for all that we are starting to see.
Regulations be damned today - "better to apologize afterwards, than ask to permission upfront". This might be the new Santa Barbara ethos, that replaces the prior carefully curated and enforced Sign Commission and Ordinance . Anyone else remember Betty Boop underpants sign controversy, back when Paseo Nuevo was fully functioning?
Hello Ms Wagh, "Can you enlighten us readers...... would do to save the current city of Santa Barbara" Yes that enligthenment comes from former FBI executive Tom Parker's letter in the Independent "Perceptions of Political Corruption Too Often the Harbingers of Stark Reality" You will find that enlightenment stated by Mr. Parker as follows:
"Perceptions are too often the harbingers of stark reality. This is especially true when it comes to questioning the ethics or illicit acts of local government officials. While spending nearly 25 years in the FBI and convicting a number of local, state, and federal officials on corruption charges, it did not take long for my colleagues and I to learn how to spot those who had crossed the bright line into unethical, and sometimes corrupt, behavior. In most cases, worrisome perceptions had run rampant in the community that something was wrong. For those of you who may not have knowingly experienced such behavior in your own community, and for purposes of this article, let me give you a quick homegrown lesson in what that malfeasance smells like."
Read on for the "Smell in Santa Barbara" and what is being done about that local SB corruption from Mr. Parkers article below>
Perhaps you haven't noticed but, over the last twenty years, just about every handicapped street parking space in Santa Barbara has been removed. For those of us who are disabled, it is a serious problem. I have complained about this to the City and the County to no avail.
Regarding taking away some stretch of the right hand lane on Haley before the northbound freeway onramp, this is a DISASTER for traffic, if I understand what is proposed. This stretch of road is ALWAYS busy every time I'm there and it will undoubtedly cause a huge bottleneck. How is this at all helpful for the hundreds of people who drive through here? How can we stop this insanity?
Thanks so much for updating us on the tree removals around town, and also the stealing of driving lanes for more inane bulbouts. How do we hold the City accountable for removing so many trees? Why in the world does the city need to remove 8 trees next to the library?? Why would a live tree be removed before the dead ones?? We need to stop excessive or improper removals, like the "diseased" stone pine, before they happen. To whom is the director of the removals accountable? He should be accountable to the citizens, and maybe a citizen's group, like the Pearl Chase Society. Maybe the society can alert the public when the city is planning this urban bulldozing, so citizens can have a say in this process. The city should also explain on their website in an easy to identify way, what they're doing and why, AHEAD OF THE PROJECT BEING DONE.
Let's start a petition to plant more trees. Also Santa Barbara Beautiful should have a fund that can receive donations for such things as trees. People will donate money for trees planted in someone's honor or memory.
Gretchen, Santa Barbara Beautiful has already agreed with your excellent suggestions: funding a city tree planting program, and offering memorial dedication plaques for existing or new trees. Wonderful group to support. https://sbbeautiful.org/home-new/
SBB was forced to curtail their prior tree planting program due to the long years of drought. But I notice new trees are starting to fill in the bare spots, so they must be back in business.
Always helpful to see how a tree will look in a few decades, before one puts that 10 gallon can sapling into the ground - they will be able direct you a list of street trees examples - each street in Santa Barbara is supposed to have an "official" tree.
Thanks for mentioning the car show, Bonnie. The "PYP-SQK" and I will be in attendance. My first car, a San Fernando Valley VW dune buggy. Should be a wonderful event. I wish I could post an old (1968) photo of the two of us. Heck, come see us as we are 50-plus years later at the Mission!
I read this article by Ms. Donovan "What would Pearl Chase do?" ......
and do understand the need to be "Positive" and present a cooperative
and helpful attitude to those you are involved with. But what would
Pearl Chase do if she knew of the very serious problems here in Santa Barbara.
Problems that effect your family, your children and the ability to exist in
your community and those that control your community, who are destroying it.
What would Pear Chase do? I think that is the question that you all need to ask
yourselves. I was raised by a strong women like Pearl and had other strong
women in my early life and I know exactly what they would do.
Howard Walther, member of a Military Family
Hi Howard:
Can you enlighten us readers what strong women like Pearl Chase and strong women from your family would do to save the current city of Santa Barbara? I am truly interested in finding out. Thanks!
I wonder what Pearl would say about the proliferation of unpermitted "murals" that are now sprouting up all over, probably in direct violation of the existing sign ordinances.
How much has the history of tight control over exterior aesthetics makes Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara? Or is the Santa Barbara of today, the free-for all that we are starting to see.
Regulations be damned today - "better to apologize afterwards, than ask to permission upfront". This might be the new Santa Barbara ethos, that replaces the prior carefully curated and enforced Sign Commission and Ordinance . Anyone else remember Betty Boop underpants sign controversy, back when Paseo Nuevo was fully functioning?
Hello Ms Wagh, "Can you enlighten us readers...... would do to save the current city of Santa Barbara" Yes that enligthenment comes from former FBI executive Tom Parker's letter in the Independent "Perceptions of Political Corruption Too Often the Harbingers of Stark Reality" You will find that enlightenment stated by Mr. Parker as follows:
"Perceptions are too often the harbingers of stark reality. This is especially true when it comes to questioning the ethics or illicit acts of local government officials. While spending nearly 25 years in the FBI and convicting a number of local, state, and federal officials on corruption charges, it did not take long for my colleagues and I to learn how to spot those who had crossed the bright line into unethical, and sometimes corrupt, behavior. In most cases, worrisome perceptions had run rampant in the community that something was wrong. For those of you who may not have knowingly experienced such behavior in your own community, and for purposes of this article, let me give you a quick homegrown lesson in what that malfeasance smells like."
Read on for the "Smell in Santa Barbara" and what is being done about that local SB corruption from Mr. Parkers article below>
https://www.independent.com/2020/02/22/perceptions-of-political-corruption/
Howard Walther, member of a Military Family
Perhaps you haven't noticed but, over the last twenty years, just about every handicapped street parking space in Santa Barbara has been removed. For those of us who are disabled, it is a serious problem. I have complained about this to the City and the County to no avail.
Did you complain through email? If so, can you forward your emails.
Bonnie@SBCurrent.com
Regarding taking away some stretch of the right hand lane on Haley before the northbound freeway onramp, this is a DISASTER for traffic, if I understand what is proposed. This stretch of road is ALWAYS busy every time I'm there and it will undoubtedly cause a huge bottleneck. How is this at all helpful for the hundreds of people who drive through here? How can we stop this insanity?
Thanks so much for updating us on the tree removals around town, and also the stealing of driving lanes for more inane bulbouts. How do we hold the City accountable for removing so many trees? Why in the world does the city need to remove 8 trees next to the library?? Why would a live tree be removed before the dead ones?? We need to stop excessive or improper removals, like the "diseased" stone pine, before they happen. To whom is the director of the removals accountable? He should be accountable to the citizens, and maybe a citizen's group, like the Pearl Chase Society. Maybe the society can alert the public when the city is planning this urban bulldozing, so citizens can have a say in this process. The city should also explain on their website in an easy to identify way, what they're doing and why, AHEAD OF THE PROJECT BEING DONE.
No email. In person, even at a Board of Supervisors meeting and to the City attorney among others.
Let's start a petition to plant more trees. Also Santa Barbara Beautiful should have a fund that can receive donations for such things as trees. People will donate money for trees planted in someone's honor or memory.
Gretchen, Santa Barbara Beautiful has already agreed with your excellent suggestions: funding a city tree planting program, and offering memorial dedication plaques for existing or new trees. Wonderful group to support. https://sbbeautiful.org/home-new/
SBB was forced to curtail their prior tree planting program due to the long years of drought. But I notice new trees are starting to fill in the bare spots, so they must be back in business.
Always helpful to see how a tree will look in a few decades, before one puts that 10 gallon can sapling into the ground - they will be able direct you a list of street trees examples - each street in Santa Barbara is supposed to have an "official" tree.